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

Smokestack...I shared my theory on what I think is going to happen in a FXN thread about them being more like freight, not going to retype it here but you are welcome to read it there

HERE IT IS WAFF.

My two cents:

These rumors have been flying around since FDX bought watkins. They will keep flying I am sure. I would like to offer my opinion on the topic.

We have very smart people at the top in this company, we really do. You can't turn an idea into a household name in a decade without savvy. That being said, they are smart enough to have a plan and stop the bleeding of cash in the freight division. They will not keep pouring money down a dry well(insert kinkos comment here)

Ask yourself where is the real money in the ltl industry? It is in the regional next day market. That is the bread and butter to the bottom line. We all know that. It is a fact.

Here comes the opinion part.

The folks in memphis tried the national thing, and due to the state of the economy, it didn't work for us. I think all along they planned on the eventual conversion of ntl into freight. Heck even kinkos got their own colors for their "Ex". Nationals ex is red and it will make rebranding the equipment a lot cheaper. I believe that thay will stop offering the national ltl service and focus exclusively on the fxf service model.

What that means to the people I can only guess. They tell us nothing until they want us to know, it gives us less time to complain about it. The folks who will find out first will be the customers. The company will approach them first with the exciting news that we are "streamlining their ltl shipping experience" and taking all of their freight up to fxf service. They will try to make believe it is the greatest thing since the self adhesive postage stamp. The customers will know first.

I think fxf will someday assimilate national like the borg does civilizations, and I think memphis knew it all along.
 
[quote author=Rat link=topic=79663.msg828211#msg828211 date=1273375005]
[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
[/quote]Nice, I like it.
 
I got a bad feeling that things are moving toward management having a great disdain towards us drivers and vice versa . . . .

Ah Smoke.... that's the way it is now. Too many beers?
 
Mix of old Watkins folks with a few streaks of purple mixed in.
i heard it was no party in Lakeland.
I think they have weeded over 400 employees from lakeland in the last 3 years.
so many that they are locking entire buildings out to save on energy. I heard a rumor that they have been
entertaining buyers for the lakeland offices. Some collection agency
 
[quote author=SMOKESTACK link=topic=79663.msg828557#msg828557 date=1273485945]
It's going to get worse...
[/quote]I'm afraid you are right my friend..
 
This is what I picked up last night from two different people.
FedEx shutting Harrison down and moving all operations to Memphis. This is just a rumor but makes sense with all the management changes going on and the big secret meeting in Memphis last week.

Also heard about the investors showing up at CGT in a stretched Hummer last week Thursday. No one seems to know why they were there or who they are. Just that they showed up and toured the place. Which would explain why the place was so neat and tidy and the shop guys were pressure washing the lot when they are 20 services behind.
Hang on it might get a little bumpy.
 
[quote author=Jinx40 link=topic=79663.msg829382#msg829382 date=1273748678]
This is what I picked up last night from two different people.
FedEx shutting Harrison down and moving all operations to Memphis. This is just a rumor but makes sense with all the management changes going on and the big secret meeting in Memphis last week.

Also heard about the investors showing up at CGT in a stretched Hummer last week Thursday. No one seems to know why they were there or who they are. Just that they showed up and toured the place. Which would explain why the place was so neat and tidy and the shop guys were pressure washing the lot when they are 20 services behind.
Hang on it might get a little bumpy.
[/quote] GREAT! Maybe they will turn the Headquarters in Harrison, Ar. into a company resort ... kinda like R&L has. :banana: Can you say Hooterville Hi-Rise???
 
Nothing we can do about it yet. I'm just going to wait and see. It could become better for us. If the new guys have any brains, they really have to be able to look at before and after graphs. "See, here, when we made money, we were doing it this way. Then, here, is when the gutted the employees and sent moral into the toilet. And here, when most employees threw in the towel and said it's just a job, you can see the rapid decline in profit."

I'm not counting on smarts though. They may have too much book learnin'.
 
[quote author=SPACECADETwACDL link=topic=79663.msg829449#msg829449 date=1273763481]
Darn it! No more birthday cards from Larry?! What about the ask Larry line?! Larry where are you?!
[/quote]send it to the wonderful ASK LARRY LINE it works so goooood.
 
[quote author=Franklin link=topic=79663.msg829417#msg829417 date=1273758369]
Nothing we can do about it yet. I'm just going to wait and see. It could become better for us. If the new guys have any brains, they really have to be able to look at before and after graphs. "See, here, when we made money, we were doing it this way. Then, here, is when the gutted the employees and sent moral into the toilet. And here, when most employees threw in the towel and said it's just a job, you can see the rapid decline in profit."

I'm not counting on smarts though. They may have too much book learnin'.
[/quote] "It's just a job" That says it all, I remember when it was so much more!
 
I could be wrong, but I don't see them shutting Harrison down. Each opco has their seperate headquarters. Why would they close Harrison and leave the rest alone? Also just because people toured CGT doesn't mean anything. We have customers come through every once in a while to see our operations. Usually once a year we get 2 or 3 charter bus loads of people coming through.

They may be cleaning house of many of the upper management but closing GO just doesn't sound logical
 
[quote author=chitownpeddler link=topic=79663.msg829691#msg829691 date=1273836879]
I could be wrong, but I don't see them shutting Harrison down. Each opco has their seperate headquarters. Why would they close Harrison and leave the rest alone? Also just because people toured CGT doesn't mean anything. We have customers come through every once in a while to see our operations. Usually once a year we get 2 or 3 charter bus loads of people coming through.

They may be cleaning house of many of the upper management but closing GO just doesn't sound logical
[/quote]

Oh crap! They're closing Harrison!
 
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