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ABF | holiday work

YUP! Your suppose to run all night get in around 7-8 in the morning,finish packing, throw the kids and wife in the car,head up to the mountains, beach whatever makes you happy and promptly pass out from lack of sleep! Not what I had in mind when I rented a hotel on the beach back in March! Bad enough they've taken a week away now its holidays.Remember they worked on New Years Eve too! They wont be stopping with just these two.I guess it may not be the same all throughout the system but there is no lack of overtime from the drivers I talk to.Its a lack of time with family especially around the holidays.I think most would choose a day off especially on a Friday...in the summer! So much for being a family oriented company!??
 
chowda said:
YUP! Your suppose to run all night get in around 7-8 in the morning,finish packing, throw the kids and wife in the car,head up to the mountains, beach whatever makes you happy and promptly pass out from lack of sleep! Not what I had in mind when I rented a hotel on the beach back in March! Bad enough they've taken a week away now its holidays.Remember they worked on New Years Eve too! They wont be stopping with just these two.I guess it may not be the same all throughout the system but there is no lack of overtime from the drivers I talk to.Its a lack of time with family especially around the holidays.I think most would choose a day off especially on a Friday...in the summer! So much for being a family oriented company!??
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thats exactly what i thought,well show me the money,it will be a good paying night!
 
chowda said:
YUP! Your suppose to run all night get in around 7-8 in the morning,finish packing, throw the kids and wife in the car,head up to the mountains, beach whatever makes you happy and promptly pass out from lack of sleep! Not what I had in mind when I rented a hotel on the beach back in March! Bad enough they've taken a week away now its holidays.Remember they worked on New Years Eve too! They wont be stopping with just these two.I guess it may not be the same all throughout the system but there is no lack of overtime from the drivers I talk to.Its a lack of time with family especially around the holidays.I think most would choose a day off especially on a Friday...in the summer! So much for being a family oriented company!??
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It's the same system wide. If it a regularly scheduled day we're running.
 
chowda said:
YUP! Your suppose to run all night get in around 7-8 in the morning,finish packing, throw the kids and wife in the car,head up to the mountains, beach whatever makes you happy and promptly pass out from lack of sleep! Not what I had in mind when I rented a hotel on the beach back in March! Bad enough they've taken a week away now its holidays.Remember they worked on New Years Eve too! They wont be stopping with just these two.I guess it may not be the same all throughout the system but there is no lack of overtime from the drivers I talk to.Its a lack of time with family especially around the holidays.I think most would choose a day off especially on a Friday...in the summer! So much for being a family oriented company!??
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Last I checked July 3 wasnt a holiday. Nor was New Year's eve.

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yrc-atm said:
Last I checked July 3 wasnt a holiday. Nor was New Year's eve.

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In the past alot not all of the UE freight would be run on the road on the eve of a holiday. #1 Nobody is there when you get back,this freight is sitting till Sunday nite or whenever the holiday is over.There's no TK to rush out and deliver,no competitors running out on July 4th to steal our freight as management would have you believe.#2 These holiday eves are at least in the fist part of the nite heavily congested,a greater number of impaired drivers and the opportunity for problems obviously rises. #3 Many times I've ran the UE on these nites only to head down with 4-5 shipments and come back with less.Most other terminals that I could see were running about the same.It would seem to me it would make sense financially to move this freight through our road system. #4 This would be my #1,its a chance to be with your friends and family,a chance to relax golf,beach,fish or just rest your tired ass! As ABF Teamsters most of us already work "mucho" O/T. Our highways today are crumbling like never before .They're swarming with tired drivers, texting drivers,foreign drivers with no or little knowledge of our laws and highway etiquette.Maybe time with your own family does not appeal to you,maybe the people who would disagree with me find the $ more important than the time off,maybe they have no hobbies that they spend all week dreaming about when they can get back to them. More than any Teamster company I have worked for I have found many ABF employees have valued $ more than personal time. The real problem here is lack of manpower.It creates almost all of our problems.The OD's and Con-ways are not stealing our freight because I don't want to work holidays or the day before holidays or I don't want to work 14 hrs every day.The problem will not be solved until this job again becomes appealing to the transportation labor force.The first step would be returning the weeks vacation taken from us. It seems to be the single most detriment to prospective employees. Recently along my route I talked to 2 US Foods drivers who felt they would be losing their jobs in the upcoming year,they were looking to make the jump,seemed interested until I told them about the vac. policy.Here's 2 drivers used to working hard every day, odd hours, the things I would guess ABF would be looking for. It's time to "repair" this oversight.Return the vacation week taken.Maybe ABF could take back whatever type of $ we were suppose to get on their profit in some what of trade-off.This would surely be a good start. Oh...and yeah I've got nothing against those who want to work holidays or excessive O/T,matter of fact when I first started here you guys saved me for being forced to work these hours. No I'll never have your bank account and you wont see me driving a Denali but I promise you my grin will always be bigger and my memories fresh!


 
chowda said:
In the past alot not all of the UE freight would be run on the road on the eve of a holiday. #1 Nobody is there when you get back,this freight is sitting till Sunday nite or whenever the holiday is over.There's no TK to rush out and deliver,no competitors running out on July 4th to steal our freight as management would have you believe.#2 These holiday eves are at least in the fist part of the nite heavily congested,a greater number of impaired drivers and the opportunity for problems obviously rises. #3 Many times I've ran the UE on these nites only to head down with 4-5 shipments and come back with less.Most other terminals that I could see were running about the same.It would seem to me it would make sense financially to move this freight through our road system. #4 This would be my #1,its a chance to be with your friends and family,a chance to relax golf,beach,fish or just rest your tired ass! As ABF Teamsters most of us already work "mucho" O/T. Our highways today are crumbling like never before .They're swarming with tired drivers, texting drivers,foreign drivers with no or little knowledge of our laws and highway etiquette.Maybe time with your own family does not appeal to you,maybe the people who would disagree with me find the $ more important than the time off,maybe they have no hobbies that they spend all week dreaming about when they can get back to them. More than any Teamster company I have worked for I have found many ABF employees have valued $ more than personal time. The real problem here is lack of manpower.It creates almost all of our problems.The OD's and Con-ways are not stealing our freight because I don't want to work holidays or the day before holidays or I don't want to work 14 hrs every day.The problem will not be solved until this job again becomes appealing to the transportation labor force.The first step would be returning the weeks vacation taken from us. It seems to be the single most detriment to prospective employees. Recently along my route I talked to 2 US Foods drivers who felt they would be losing their jobs in the upcoming year,they were looking to make the jump,seemed interested until I told them about the vac. policy.Here's 2 drivers used to working hard every day, odd hours, the things I would guess ABF would be looking for. It's time to "repair" this oversight.Return the vacation week taken.Maybe ABF could take back whatever type of $ we were suppose to get on their profit in some what of trade-off.This would surely be a good start. Oh...and yeah I've got nothing against those who want to work holidays or excessive O/T,matter of fact when I first started here you guys saved me for being forced to work these hours. No I'll never have your bank account and you wont see me driving a Denali but I promise you my grin will always be bigger and my memories fresh!

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Then call in sick or take a vacation day before a holiday. Problem solved.

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For many of us they've taken our vacation "days" away. Only able to use on your 3rd week.I heard here that isn't everywhere but not sure and in my case,sick days and personal gone.A couple of bugs over the winter chewed up 4 sick days and got the rest on snow storms.I did not ask for those days they were forced on me.We had a particularly bad bug go through our terminal alot of people used most if not all of their days.Both contract and mgmt sick for weeks.What then?
 
chowda said:
For many of us they've taken our vacation "days" away. Only able to use on your 3rd week.I heard here that isn't everywhere but not sure and in my case,sick days and personal gone.A couple of bugs over the winter chewed up 4 sick days and got the rest on snow storms.I did not ask for those days they were forced on me.We had a particularly bad bug go through our terminal alot of people used most if not all of their days.Both contract and mgmt sick for weeks.What then?
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Then you run your run as scheduled and start your holiday when you get in. Thats the joy of being a road driver (or ue). I ran the road for many years and many holidays. Thats just the nature of the beast.

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yrc-atm said:
Then you run your run as scheduled and start your holiday when you get in. Thats the joy of being a road driver (or ue). I ran the road for many years and many holidays. Thats just the nature of the beast.

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I'll have to disagree with you there.Don't know you but I get the feeling you're at the point where your done with this and I've heard that talk before.It's easy to say "that's the way it is" if your done or it's not affecting you. As I said they've taken a week away. I did not vote in favor of that.They tell me I must work Veterans Day now New Years Eve and The nite before the 4th which is my last day of the week.Past practice had me not working,that would my paid holiday.Which holiday is next? The sitting down and "taking it" has never been my strong suit and personally I believe its why whats left of trucking Teamsters is in the sorry-ass shape it is today. Don't like leave! you might be thinking.We hear that alot on here. You don't get divorced the first time you disagree,you don't kick your kids out the first time the screw up or the second and so on and you dont leave the country when you don't agree with Obama,you fight for what you think is right.When the odds are stacked against you, most times all you get to leave with is your pride.That's ok,their will be more battles. I ran the road for awhile too and got off because lack of family time. Watched too many of them old timers lose everything important to them for a big paycheck including my own Father. Four months before his 35 yr pension cancer got the best of him and everything he worked for was gone. I've spent most of my life trying not to put my self in the same position.Despite 36 years and 9 lists I feel as if I've done a pretty good job of that.I may be a little overzealous on the time off issue but when you've only had 3 wks vacation for 3 out of 36 yrs and no vacation for about 12 of them time off is gold.I guess I'm taking my retirement on the go.With the state our pension there's no guarantee on what we'll get so I'm taking it one day off at a time.
 
chowda said:
I'll have to disagree with you there.Don't know you but I get the feeling you're at the point where your done with this and I've heard that talk before.It's easy to say "that's the way it is" if your done or it's not affecting you. As I said they've taken a week away. I did not vote in favor of that.They tell me I must work Veterans Day now New Years Eve and The nite before the 4th which is my last day of the week.Past practice had me not working,that would my paid holiday.Which holiday is next? The sitting down and "taking it" has never been my strong suit and personally I believe its why whats left of trucking Teamsters is in the sorry-ass shape it is today. Don't like leave! you might be thinking.We hear that alot on here. You don't get divorced the first time you disagree,you don't kick your kids out the first time the screw up or the second and so on and you dont leave the country when you don't agree with Obama,you fight for what you think is right.When the odds are stacked against you, most times all you get to leave with is your pride.That's ok,their will be more battles. I ran the road for awhile too and got off because lack of family time. Watched too many of them old timers lose everything important to them for a big paycheck including my own Father. Four months before his 35 yr pension cancer got the best of him and everything he worked for was gone. I've spent most of my life trying not to put my self in the same position.Despite 36 years and 9 lists I feel as if I've done a pretty good job of that.I may be a little overzealous on the time off issue but when you've only had 3 wks vacation for 3 out of 36 yrs and no vacation for about 12 of them time off is gold.I guess I'm taking my retirement on the go.With the state our pension there's no guarantee on what we'll get so I'm taking it one day off at a time.
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I never said sit down and take it. I said that the 3rd of July is not a holiday. Now you bring up veterans day. Again not a holiday. Im a vet should I get that day off and the non vets work? What about MLK day? Should the black drivers get off and white ones work? Cinco de mayo? I work the city now and start at 3am. I am off at the latest by suppertime and am able to start my holiday weekend then. The guys who bid outbound shift dont get off until the wee hours of the morning on the day of the holiday. BUT I have to hit the sack early Sunday evening to be back to work when they dont have to worry about it. Should I get Monday off because of this? No. I can call off or take a vacation day so my holiday Sunday isnt ruined if I choose.

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Veterans day is a paid holiday for us.The "union" says if the company wants us to work we work. Another one of those gray areas.I also am a veteran and I take it off. I had to bring in my DD-214 and even then it was reluctantly they gave it to me.An old Marine who talked me into enlisting told me many times,we don't care if you come to our parades or visit our cemeteries.That would be nice but what we really want you to do is... what "you" want to do! Whatever it is do it.We fought for your freedom,use it. I always remembered that and have always fought for it. Corporate America doesn't see that way and our union is no help.Sadly the Vets set the stage years ago when at least up here Veterans Day was always celebrated on a Monday. It was changed to be celebrated on the actual day the day the 11th fell on.In todays environment 911, Middle East etc. one would think Veterans Day would be untouchable.For most its just a glorified shopping day. It was changed to be celebrated on the actual day the day the 11th fell on. Up here Home Depot and Walmart just this past year have started opening on Thanksgiving and Easter at 2pm. You need to remember alot of our new hires came from other companies many with 20-30 yrs experience and now they walk into a situation where they get 1 weeks vacation for the first 8 yrs.They're on the bottom shifts,after that week all they have is the holidays.I see those comp claims steadily rising. We've hired several drivers well into their 50's,that's 30 yrs of being battered in the freight industry.Starting over with no vacation, all I looked forward to was the holidays. My wife says I'm like a little kid on a snow day staying home from school when they roll around. I and these guys/women shouldn't have to use sick/personal days to ensure they can celebrate their holiday.On your using a vacation/personal day the day b4 the holiday I tried that last year and was refused because payroll told me they couldn't pay me twice for the same day. That was the day ABF decided I would celebrate my holiday.Thanks for letting me know 3 days before.They don't tell us till 7-10 days b4 most times that we are working,and again as I said b4 alot of folks make plans months ahead. When you mention MLK and CDM maybe you dont realize for industrialized nations we rank at the bottom for celebrated holidays.Personally I'm not looking for more just let me celebrate the ones I have.With that my party is starting and I want to thank you for your service.Hope you had a great 4th-Chowda
 
chowda said:
Veterans day is a paid holiday for us.The "union" says if the company wants us to work we work. Another one of those gray areas.I also am a veteran and I take it off. I had to bring in my DD-214 and even then it was reluctantly they gave it to me.An old Marine who talked me into enlisting told me many times,we don't care if you come to our parades or visit our cemeteries.That would be nice but what we really want you to do is... what "you" want to do! Whatever it is do it.We fought for your freedom,use it. I always remembered that and have always fought for it. Corporate America doesn't see that way and our union is no help.Sadly the Vets set the stage years ago when at least up here Veterans Day was always celebrated on a Monday. It was changed to be celebrated on the actual day the day the 11th fell on.In todays environment 911, Middle East etc. one would think Veterans Day would be untouchable.For most its just a glorified shopping day. It was changed to be celebrated on the actual day the day the 11th fell on. Up here Home Depot and Walmart just this past year have started opening on Thanksgiving and Easter at 2pm. You need to remember alot of our new hires came from other companies many with 20-30 yrs experience and now they walk into a situation where they get 1 weeks vacation for the first 8 yrs.They're on the bottom shifts,after that week all they have is the holidays.I see those comp claims steadily rising. We've hired several drivers well into their 50's,that's 30 yrs of being battered in the freight industry.Starting over with no vacation, all I looked forward to was the holidays. My wife says I'm like a little kid on a snow day staying home from school when they roll around. I and these guys/women shouldn't have to use sick/personal days to ensure they can celebrate their holiday.On your using a vacation/personal day the day b4 the holiday I tried that last year and was refused because payroll told me they couldn't pay me twice for the same day. That was the day ABF decided I would celebrate my holiday.Thanks for letting me know 3 days before.They don't tell us till 7-10 days b4 most times that we are working,and again as I said b4 alot of folks make plans months ahead. When you mention MLK and CDM maybe you dont realize for industrialized nations we rank at the bottom for celebrated holidays.Personally I'm not looking for more just let me celebrate the ones I have.With that my party is starting and I want to thank you for your service.Hope you had a great 4th-Chowda
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No argument from me on any of this. I was just sayin that the 3rd is not a paid holiday. The NMFA has New Years day, Memorial Day, July 4th, Labor Day, Thanksgiving, the day after thanksgiving, Christmas Eve, and Christmas Day as paid holidays. If you were getting veterans day off paid, good on you same as New Year's eve. But they were never paid holidays, at least not in this region. Enjoy your party and also thanks to you for your service.

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I was told by my TM that we will have Saturday work for the entire summer. I know that when I got in off the road Friday morning, one guy was working on July 4th. Saturday, as I drove by the terminal, I saw the TM's car, as well as another two guys at my terminal. Frankly...as I've gotten older, the money doesn't mean as much to me. I really don't want to work 14 hour days or 60 hour weeks. Yes, I will admit that when I was "young and hungry", with a wife and 3 kids to support, I had two jobs....one at ABF and one in law enforcement. Many a week I would work 48-50 hours on the street peddling, then run the road for 042 on Saturday mornings...then go in and do patrol work for 16-20 hours on the entire weekend. When you have two kids in college at the same time, you do what you have to do. But now, I am NOT working myself to death so that someone else can benefit from my labor. I've been at ABF for over 30+ years....and this is the first year we've had to work the night before holidays. This year, we've worked New Years Eve.....and now the 4th of July. Whats next? And more importantly, WHY? The freight sat until Sunday night anyway. I really think these days will be on the chopping block in the future. I think the argument will be....you guys worked these holidays (or days before) anyway,so why do you still want them? There is something afoot....
 
abf-le

abfgearjammer said:
I was told by my TM that we will have Saturday work for the entire summer. I know that when I got in off the road Friday morning, one guy was working on July 4th. Saturday, as I drove by the terminal, I saw the TM's car, as well as another two guys at my terminal. Frankly...as I've gotten older, the money doesn't mean as much to me. I really don't want to work 14 hour days or 60 hour weeks. Yes, I will admit that when I was "young and hungry", with a wife and 3 kids to support, I had two jobs....one at ABF and one in law enforcement. Many a week I would work 48-50 hours on the street peddling, then run the road for 042 on Saturday mornings...then go in and do patrol work for 16-20 hours on the entire weekend. When you have two kids in college at the same time, you do what you have to do. But now, I am NOT working myself to death so that someone else can benefit from my labor. I've been at ABF for over 30+ years....and this is the first year we've had to work the night before holidays. This year, we've worked New Years Eve.....and now the 4th of July. Whats next? And more importantly, WHY? The freight sat until Sunday night anyway. I really think these days will be on the chopping block in the future. I think the argument will be....you guys worked these holidays (or days before) anyway,so why do you still want them? There is something afoot....
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With job experience in big rig driving & LE work, what job do think is the most dangerous, & why? Inquiring minds want to know. von.
 
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