FedEx Freight | CLEANING HOUSE!!!!!!!!!!

I guess what i mean is if u look and know anything about the freight buisness{ not saying u don't} but look at all the big companies. they are moving 24/7. that's how u move freight in a timely fashion. if u want to be the big dog things have to move over the weekends. so stuff loaded on fri. can be in place mon. for p&d to get to the cust. on time mostly in a 3 day lane. Dose not mean u have to work weekends means extra board can. In the west we did alot of 3&2 bids that meant we left on a sunday and were in place monday for the trip back home. I like working 5 days a week and being home every night. don't get me wrong but moving empties on sunday from point a to b then bringing back freight is how you keep the pool right. there is a lot of veriables involved but what needs to happen is weekend work. JMO. remember I didn't mean to say u don't know freight just trying to put my point of veiw out there.

I ran a 3 and 2 and a 3 and 3 a long time ago ... we don't need those now,
I'll admit I don't know much about running a freight company , thats why I drive a truck, however we moved freight on this small side (3/4 or better of this great nation) only working 5 days ... you mean to tell me the small side cannot do it ...I think you can..

You said look at the big companies ... well last I heard we were #1 in daily bill count, thats pretty big. and besides ... we have national to run the really long stuff ... for cheap to.

Way back when .. we changed from laydown runs to hub ...I fought as hard as you, pissed and moaned and lost $492 bucks a week with the change :hissy:

guess what ... it helped me feel a little better ... but it didn't change anything.

yes .. maybe we need to tweak things now and again ... but having ran both ways, the hub system is the best way

Our overnight lanes are reaching pretty far now, and that is where the money is. Take a look at the overnight lane .. working 7 days will not change that because its going to move friday night anyway.

Heck you may know more about the freight business than me ... thats ok ... but I'd bet your still a truck driver.

:thumbsup:
btw ... I don't mind being shown a different way ... but you have to show me it works.

I wish them good luck, and maybe they will start up a freight company the old AF way and I'm out of here to join them to be a person again and not a number!!

[quote author=Campfire link=topic=79663.msg826523#msg826523 date=1272830427]
I wish them good luck, and maybe they will start up a freight company the old AF way and I'm out of here to join them to be a person again and not a number!!
[/quote]

I doubt anyone in their right mind would start a new trucking company in this day and age.

And besides, the days of being treated like a human are gone. I'm sure Bangham is rolling in his grave. We'll not see the likes of him or the starter of AF again. Treating people like they matter costs money and takes time. Yes, the rewards more than make up for the expense, but in the current climate, it's just easier to ignore that simple fact than acknowledge it and just tell your people they are so important then do everything in your power to make sure they know they are not.

as for the hub system for the most part it works. like u said it needs to be tweeked a little. take for example montana. por loads a full kalispel. they want it ran all the way to butte. when it could be left in missoula and grabbed on the the way back. but instead they run a extra run they can't really affored to run because the lack of personal. all the way to butte. then the freight from salt lake going to kalispel is a striaght load of rockies. so know they have to send the salt lake driver who is suppose to lay down in butte. now has to run to missoula with the box they sent to butte that should have stayed there in the first place. and have a klp person come to msl to get the freight. now to me how is that productive and money saving. to put 230 miles on freight that doesn't need to. plus pay another driver 230 miles then send him back to bte. with one trailer. they do this alot and it is a waste of money. resorce and time. as for the weekend work u r right it does move on fri. nights then stops till mon. say por sends a set on fri. it goes to bse. then it sits from sat. morning to mon before it gets to slc. so it sits for two days not going anywhere. now if we had a weekend run it would be in slc sat afternoon. then sent to denver by sunday and so on and so on. so in those two days of sitting in bse it could be in denver being broke out and delivered. does that make alittle more sence. when i was a o/o the way i thought of it was the faster i can get the freight off my truck the faster i can reload. the more revenue i could make. jmo.

Ya know

I have never figured out why we run past a center with a straight load for it while on the way to the hub.

:bash:

I haven't either just don't make sense. when we ask clc their answer is u just don't understand hub and spoke. we reply with we understand hub and spoke but there has to be some reson why they don't want to make money.

[quote author=SMOKESTACK link=topic=79663.msg826565#msg826565 date=1272841502]
You can feel the disconnect between the drivers and management more and more every day lately .
[/quote]


I know what you mean. So many guys have just given up. They all say its time to feed this place to the union.

Sorry Smoke but you are wrong P. Reed has 90 days to retire or get fired.

[quote author=SMOKESTACK link=topic=79663.msg827105#msg827105 date=1273025514]
Ok I stand corrected Brother.
Are you sure about this ?
[/quote]

Ah, c'mon Smokestack, don't be a doubter!

Momoney is obviously better connected than the rest of us. To have such intimate knowledge, maybe he's actually Bill L.!

oaf (skeptic)

i heard today that larry miller was forced to retire,and mike moss was fired,dave boyle was fired,todd laflore from indy region was fired,and thats just the beginning,big investors were in chicago heights cgt last week,big wigs in the chicago region are saying that there are going to be big changes coming in june,rumor has it that national and freight are going to combine or they might put one of us up for sale.lets wait and see what happens.

[quote author=roadwhore link=topic=79663.msg828052#msg828052 date=1273328956]
i heard today that larry miller was forced to retire,and mike moss was fired,dave boyle was fired,todd laflore from indy region was fired,and thats just the beginning,big investors were in chicago heights cgt last week,big wigs in the chicago region are saying that there are going to be big changes coming in june,rumor has it that national and freight are going to combine or they might put one of us up for sale.lets wait and see what happens.
[/quote] Maybe YRC will buy us. I dont know whats going to happen, but something has got to get us moving in the right direction! It was good to see they started at the top. Just go back to the reason fed ex bought us, a great work force that took care of the company because they took care of us. This company used to make a great profit.

[quote author=SMOKESTACK link=topic=79663.msg828189#msg828189 date=1273366516]
you may not like the old guard but you may really not like what's in store for us with the new ones coming to power in the near future. I got a bad feeling that things are moving toward management having a great disdain towards us drivers and vice versa . . . .
[/quote]

What you say has much merit.

I don't work for FedEx I work for Con-Way...but the problems are the same regardless of whose name is on the door.

The 'disdain' issue is quite simple.

We make decisions on daily basis...many on the fly...that save lives...protect property...and service our customers. Sounds pretty simple doesn't it?...and we make it look easy. Independent thinking is a pre-requisite to this job...it is a necessary qualification...without it the job cannot be accomplished.

But therein lies the rub....

Truck drivers are by and large an indepedent and opinionated bunch...with strong personalities and beliefs. These abilities allow them to perform the functions they were hired to accomplish...but there is a problem.

These thought processes cannot be turned off like a switch...it is who we are. It is our mindset.

Management doesn't like it. The atypical management tactics commonly used in other jobs don't work with truck drivers...and it never will. These honchos (at least in my company) are college peeps for the most part and as of late it seems to be a requirement. They go through the normal company training program...drink the Kool-Aid with their daily rations and after a periiod of time are placed in supervisory positions...

They try to do what they are instructed...apply what they have learned...and deal with the pressure. Most don't do very well.

The reason is simple...independent thinking drivers...people of experience and expertise...with the abilties to get things done on their own...without the need to be closely supervised like middle school children. This 'new' breeed of management peeps don't have the understanding or comprehension to capitalize on the qualities their drivers possess. And the people in the palaces don't want them to.

The bottom line is this...we cannot be controlled like school children or frightened assembly line workers scared to death of their boss. They cannot do what we do...and we cannot be replaced on a whim...although they do their damndest to try to convince us they can. We are a skilled labor force...recognized or not. Add in the LTL side of it and it gets even more skilled...

Management types don't like that...for the simple reason it puts you and I on par with them...and they are threatened by it...althought they will never admit it.

Rat

The bottom line is this...we cannot be controlled like school children or frightened assembly line workers scared to death of their boss. They cannot do what we do...and we cannot be replaced on a whim...although they do their damndest to try to convince us they can. We are a skilled labor force...recognized or not. Add in the LTL side of it and it gets even more skilled...

Management types don't like that...for the simple reason it puts you and I on par with them...and they are threatened by it...althought they will never admit it.

Click to expand...

Rat

Very well said. I think most drivers would have to agree with you.
Now I will go hide under my rock again. :stir:

Excellent post Rat , so very , very true.

I don't think I could have said it any better, Rat, although I have said much the same as you on many occasion. Drivers are drivers for a REASON!! It isn't just the money, certainly not the hours (for most), but it has most to do with our independent spirit. That spirit we have won't put up with much micro-management. The bosses can't understand what they don't posess.

That said, most of us have a self-declared doctorate in "Running a Freight Company". Trust me, it's always easier to make decisions and see things "more clearly" from the cheap seats. Things never look the same from the hot seat. Hey, I'm not trying to defend anyone either, just trying to be real. Truth (and the bottom-line) is, we all just want what most people want in this life... WHAT'S BEST FOR ME!!! A city driver would want things done to benefit them, road driver the same, dock, and on and on. It's what we all stive for. At least, that's the way I see it.