[quote author=radman link=topic=80301.msg831984#msg831984 date=1274542364]
In my part of the world, we are not losing any freight to OD. The only freight we lose is to FedEx,Saia, and Estes because they are offering customers cheaper rates. All the while we continue to grow. Our market share is getting larger, not smaller. Con-way is not chasing OD, rather OD is chasing us and we are chasing FedEx and FedEx was chasing YRC. FedEx is the top dog now, biggest LTL in the nation with YRC a distant second falling farther and farther behind with Con-way gearing up to take there spot as second LTL giant. The sky is not falling drivers.
OD does have the best OR in the industry and has had the best OR in the industry for YEARS!!!!!! They are not a TDC company like us, they focus primarily on VOLUME, pack a trailer until it is cubed out, floor to ceiling,front to back. They have a better OR and have had a better OR because of the tremendous volume in the there trailers and because there drivers are not compensated as well as drivers are with other companies. IN MY NECK OF THE WOODS there drivers make $22 and some change but they do not get paid OT. I don't know what there line drivers make. OD has a good business strategy for the niche of the market that they occupy. That does not mean that it will work for us or any other company though.
We occupy a different niche and we are competing against the giant that FedEx Freight has become. We are not chasing OD, we are chasing FedEx freight as we slowly but surely overtake YRC. FedEx is our #1 competitor. FedEx pays OT after 8 hours and as long as they do, we will. FedEx and Con-way are basically following the same business strategy, which has unfortunately included a price war to get freight which has turned out to be a race to the bottom as far as profits go.Hopefully with the return of some prosperity, all of that nonsense will come to an end. I know we are raising our rates to return to profitably. We have not gotten any more "enhancements" as some like to call our paycuts,401K take back, etc etc, we have raised our rates instead.
So many on this board have a negative attitude toward the company and I understand where you are coming from. The last 2 years have been difficult to say the least. We are on the verge of turning a corner though where we will find ourselves getting back what was taken and getting bonus and raises again. Will the company ever be like it was??? NO, it will not. Nothing stays the same, we all have to learn to adapt to the changes that are happening around us. Drivers like myself who are young and have a long time to go to get to retirement are really going to have to learn to adapt because this industry and this company is going to keep changing, to the point that we may not recognize it when we retire.Do those changes include the loss of OT after 8 hours, I don't think so. Do those changes include hiring so many dock workers and drivers that there is no need to pay OT because almost no one works more than 8 hours in a day, probably.
It is what it is, WTF!!! I am glad that I hired on with this outfit. I believe we ALL have a bright future in front of us as long as we all pull together in the same direction. :thumbsup:
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It makes a difference where you are at. In our area we have lost freight back to YRC every since they announced they were staying afloat and we have been slowly loosing freight for months now to OD. Our terminal is not very big. We used to run around 10 to 12 runs a night. Now we are down to 7 to 8. Our Sales Rep. isn't worth a squat BUT did spend a long time in XGO bouncing from department to department ,So there for is qualified for the job.