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Averitt | Business is slow....thanks barry

L

ltl lifer

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It is August and we have had several cuts (voluntary) every day for the last couple weeks. I took a cut last week and one last night (who cannot pass up the opportunity to stay home on Friday night). I guess the combination of bad economy and an over-abundance of sleeper teams and truckload cause this to happen. Hey corporate...there are too many bedroom trucks in our system. You don't run an LTL operation with sleeper trucks.

If it is this slow now, what is it going to be after November. I'll volunteer to take a cut here and there but the guys on the bottom of the pole may be very hungry before this coming winter is over.
 
What do you expect from a guy who puts Mao Christmas ornaments on his tree....F-ing Traitor
 
Lifer we've had this dicussion in the past, Almost All LTL shuttle frieght T/L does is a ONEWAY deal. Such as CLT-TAM,CLT-JMS,FUL-MIA,FUL-ORL ETC, mainly things over 400 miles one way. If the trl is'nt more than 80% full, it get cancelled and incorperated into a bid run, just to move it on down the system. As far a sleeper shuttle they run alot more empty miles than T/L does,,,loaded to MIA,TAM,ORL and bounce out. I can't see a reason for Single Sleeper Shuttle at all anymore, except that they run on the weekends. Does Averitt REALLY need sleepovers anymore? Hard to justify since we do have a lot more Sleepers now. Maybe there are changes coming who know? Was in Nas this week probally 50-60 new Cascadias there, probally 25-30+ new single axle's. There is a new LTL out of NAS now, NAS-MAC...how stupid...load almost never makes...if it does'nt...it get incorperated in to NAS-FUL bid.....but it's ok to tie a T/L driver on this crap run,,, if it does'nt make tooo bad for the T/L driver, just another wasted day with 0 miles.
 
It is odd how truckload will assign a guy to sit and wait all day, (after a 10 hr break the night before) for a LTL load that is only a "projected" load, not a definite. Basically, a t/l guy doing a LTL load is on standby, the load may go, but also a descent chance that it may not go, no one knows until all the city trucks and relays from smaller svs ctrs come in.
 
You are absolutly, right, RNSGN!. For instance.....This past wednesday I delivered a load of beer in LaVergne Tn, a short drive from where I took my 10hr break. Afterwards I got shot a NAS-MAC picking up at 2230---which is 2330 my time, I arrived at NAS at 0930 my time. GEE what to do for the next 12-13 hrs. I only worked 3 hrs since coming off my break. There were 2 other drivers from the night before that had these make believe loads. At 2000 my time I got notified that my load will not make. NOW WHAT...I told night dispatch I had 11/14 and if I'm not dispatched in 2 hrs I'm going to bed. Somehow they found a load going to Mercedes Parts Vance al, and then a Vance to Jax Fl then home to ORL, after I picked up a local Jax load!
 
I'm not sure of a better way, but since this is a situation that often happens I am a firm believer that if they dont have something else lined up for those drivers who's loads cancell that there should be some REASONABLE compensation for sitting up to 24 hrs other than the $50 layover. These are trips projected by our own company, yes, the cancellations do depend on our customers but these projections/cancellations are more in their control than other t/l dispatches
 
Have you ever talked to some of the clowns in central.Their right hand doesn't know what their left hand is doing.Every week you talk to someone new.
 
jeepman said:
Lifer we've had this dicussion in the past, Almost All LTL shuttle frieght T/L does is a ONEWAY deal. Such as CLT-TAM,CLT-JMS,FUL-MIA,FUL-ORL ETC, mainly things over 400 miles one way. If the trl is'nt more than 80% full, it get cancelled and incorperated into a bid run, just to move it on down the system. As far a sleeper shuttle they run alot more empty miles than T/L does,,,loaded to MIA,TAM,ORL and bounce out. I can't see a reason for Single Sleeper Shuttle at all anymore, except that they run on the weekends. Does Averitt REALLY need sleepovers anymore? Hard to justify since we do have a lot more Sleepers now. Maybe there are changes coming who know? Was in Nas this week probally 50-60 new Cascadias there, probally 25-30+ new single axle's. There is a new LTL out of NAS now, NAS-MAC...how stupid...load almost never makes...if it does'nt...it get incorperated in to NAS-FUL bid.....but it's ok to tie a T/L driver on this crap run,,, if it does'nt make tooo bad for the T/L driver, just another wasted day with 0 miles.
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I am just telling it as I see it. I agree, to get the jack around, especially without compensation is absurd beyond belief.

Once again, there is an LTL div. and a TL div. There was a time where these 2 were totally separate. The minute they started using TL in LTL, it was the TL guys that got screwed the most by sitting around and waiting. I would be curious to see just how many hours that is over a year's period of time. The figures would be staggering to say the least.

If there is not enough TL business out there then reduce the number of TL drivers, and trucks, that you have. Don't just put a man out there because there is an empty tractor available. This hurts everyone.

There are far larger companies than AE that run nationwide LTL on nothing but daycabs. No sleepers. If they have an abundance of freight they will hire a contractor here and there but there are no company sleepers. You all know who these companies are. The same could happen here much easier because of our small area (the same reason we haven't been bought out...small service area..who the hell wants to buy that?). The only place they need a sleeper truck is California runs because there is a void in between ELP and Cal. Let TL handle TL and LTL handle LTL and all will be great.

In all of the years I have been here, I have NEVER been told or asked if I wanted to run, a TL move. Never. I will get a call numerous times as I am on the way to the terminal from the house if I want to stay home. Three of those calls have come in the last 2 weeks.

Don't know that I know what the solution is. I do, however, know there is a major problem in both TL and LTL dispatch. As Tarheelfalcon said below, it is a revolving door of clowns and freaks through Central Dispatch...somebody new every time you call. Haven't called TL dispatch. Unsure of how they work and to be honest, I don't care. Until the ruling class of this company goes through a serious restructuring, things will never ever change.
 
I can remember when TL started pulling LTL loads. Now in all my 25 years of driving the ONLY late loads I have ever had were LTL. As mentioned how does Averitt expect a TL driver to unload at 8am go to the yard and wait 12-14 hours just to pull an all nighter when you should be just going to sleep. At first the LTL dock and mgt guys got all pi**y as hell when we showed late as if some how we don't need sleep but then TL confronted them and said LAY OFF if you want us to haul your LTL we're not Shuttle drivers that can show up to work all rested and run nights every night of the week. Since then we don't hear a word from the LTL side. I was 2.5 hours late on an LTL load last week just walked up to dispatch handed him the bills and he signed them and told me what dock to put it in...
 
1tt1 said:
At first the LTL dock and mgt guys got all pi**y as hell when we showed late as if some how we don't need sleep but then TL confronted them and said LAY OFF if you want us to haul your LTL we're not Shuttle drivers that can show up to work all rested and run nights every night of the week. Since then we don't hear a word from the LTL side. I was 2.5 hours late on an LTL load last week just walked up to dispatch handed him the bills and he signed them and told me what dock to put it in...
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Good for you. I salute you, seriously I do. The powers that be run these loads under the scenarios you mention and expect you to be a robot. If ANYTHING goes awry, late loads, having camped on the yard for hours, etc., pull that truck over and shut her down. Even if you have been gone from the terminal for an hour. The only way to teach the mentally challenged that try there level best to run this company is for YOU to become the boss.

As for shuttle drivers showing up to work all rested....hahaha...I wish this were the case. I don't care how many years you run and work nights, you never get used to it. I can lay down with the window of opportunity there to get 7 or so hours of sleep. Some days it is no problem. More days than not it is impossible. Roll and toss, wake up every hour. Can't sleep for whatever reason. Then we show up to the terminal with the false expectation by mgmt. that we are robots and are going to run like hell all night so as to get their freight back to the yard. This is just false hope against hope for them. If I am tired and sleepy I will pull that truck over and take a nap, an hour, hour and a half, I don't care and will do it numerous times. If it's late it's late. If/when they say anything about me being late I always can come up with some excuse but instead I just tell them I was tired and took a nap. I also ask them how many times have they had to load up dock monkeys in a van and come out to unload the trailer out of the woods. That shuts them up every time.

If they are having you sit on a yard all day and then expect you to run all night, the good ol' one finger salute can be proudly displayed by going down the road and pulling it over and getting a good nap. However, I doubt it will make any difference. These people don't know what learning from their endless mistakes is....unless of course your terminal alpha is KNX.
 
And here's what really gets me LTL perhaps you can explain. I can not tell you how many times I got hit on a HOT MUST DELIVER ON TIME LTL load. Wait all day for the load go in to get the bills at cut time only to be told, "Oh sorry load cancelled not enough freight on the trailer to ship". REALLY what happened to the HOT freight apparently it wasn't so hot...
 
They will run light loads in certain directions and not in others. The hot freight was most likely a pallet or 2 and they were able to squeeze it on another trailer headed that way. I would venture to guess that happens all the time, numerous times a night.
 
ltl lifer said:
If they are having you sit on a yard all day and then expect you to run all night, the good ol' one finger salute can be proudly displayed by going down the road and pulling it over and getting a good nap. However, I doubt it will make any difference. These people don't know what learning from their endless mistakes is....unless of course your terminal alpha is KNX.
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I had central do me this way once, I came off 10 hour break in DAL about 9:30am had to set and wait until 10:00pm for a BMH load, this a 11 hour drive 667 miles. I made it as far as meridian ms and had to stop for an hour or so for a little sleep.

The next week the same thing happened, I come off break in the am this time I told dispatch I would not set up all day and run all night. The gave me a mty move to Shreveport.




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Here's another one that gets my goat... On numorous Occasion I've left with a HOT LOAD that must get there on time and when I arived was told to drop it on the yard. Once dispatch called me while I was in the shower to make sure I was going to leave on time so I could get to Austin on time. When I got to Austin I was told to" put it on the yard we'll get it later".


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jmac4065 said:
Here's another one that gets my goat... On numorous Occasion I've left with a HOT LOAD that must get there on time and when I arived was told to drop it on the yard. Once dispatch called me while I was in the shower to make sure I was going to leave on time so I could get to Austin on time. When I got to Austin I was told to" put it on the yard we'll get it later".


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Same way with the FUL-ORL, they crap all over themselves "HOT LTL LOAD" got to get there ON TIME...Not once in 8 years have I put one to the dock, drop on yard. Another one is the Delivery of LTL to WPB,FMY and MIA on SUNDAY nite 2000hrs...guess what BOZO's NOBODY is there until mid nite. When the ***** at WPB shows up here wants you to spot trl's for him. SORRY ABOUT THAT. Don't you just love the CLT-JMS, bust your butt to get there....drop it on the yard. Same deal with the MFS-HOU. I like the way LTL has their cut and deliver times on 500-650 mile loads and they don't even give enough time to stop and have a good dump!, let alone stop for a burger and coffee, after all it is "HOT LTL". Lets not even get into the SHUTTLE BUDDY program at FUL,CHA,NOR and CLT. A T/L driver is scheduled for a Shuttle load, Say CLT-TAM....the load is ready early....not even close to cut time, when you go to check on it, they tell you to come back in a hr, in the mean time, you watch a Single Sleeper/or Team leave with it. You get cancelled out, after wasting a WHOLE day waiting for it.:nutkick:
 
jeepman said:
I like the way LTL has their cut and deliver times on 500-650 mile loads and they don't even give enough time to stop and have a good dump!, let alone stop for a burger and coffee, after all it is "HOT LTL".
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There are a couple of rules of thumb about LTL loads that you may want to key in to. This is SOP for shuttle guys but I am confident that this information is not divulged to T/L drivers for whatever reason.

1. Shuttle runs are timed to be completed at destination terminal by 0830 M-F. Unless you have an expedited shipment on an LTL load you have until 0830 to get to the destination REGARDLESS OF WHAT THEY SAY. It's all about the paper trail. If you arrive by 0830, none of the shipments will show as arriving late and the local terminals will bust butt to get the trailers stripped and loaded out for delivery. If they give you a hot LTL load, look for the following things in rule 2

2. Look at the manifest of the LTL load. Look at the consignee list line by line and the number to the right of the consignee is the date that shipment has to deliver to "make service". Expedited will show up on the left side of the manifest and will have a pro# with a 974 prefix. This is one that has to deliver by a time certain and will be refunded if it is a failure. These are the only super hot shipments. We don't see an over-abundance of them. It will show up on the left side of the manifest on the consignee line as XP. GS is guaranteed to deliver by a date certain only. That date will be to the right of the consignee. If you are given an LTL load and are told that it is hot, key in on the things I mentioned above. XP, GS and the due dates. If the due dates are not for the day they tell you they want you there it is NOT HOT! Just arrive by 0830 the date that the service is due.

I just cannot see T/L being dispatched on a load that is going to a relay, but I may be wrong. It may be worth the ask to ask "Is this a relay load?" If it is, the rules will be different as it has to go through a break and loaded onto a trailer that WILL be at destination by due date.
 
I look at the due dates and at the other items you mentioned.....I think the "HOT LTL" is put on our dispatches to give someone in CKV something to B$tch about T/L. As we all know Averitt is not one big happy family!
 
I've seen a driver haul a load with a final destination going beyond HIS destination terminal, break the seal and back it to the dock. How stupid is that.
 
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