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TForce | Layoffs?

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karenk

TB Lurker
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I see in several other Carrier forums there have been several companies laying off.
Have we had any layoffs at UPS Freight yet?
 
karenk said:
I see in several other Carrier forums there have been several companies laying off.
Have we had any layoffs at UPS Freight yet?
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As far as I know, several drivers at Gaffney, and I am aware of a few city and dock around our region. Not a mass lay-off that freight levels probably would allow. Still using contract labor to move lots of OUR freight. Since July that I have been on X-board, not counting a little fill-in work I haven't had :::shit:::. Never seen freight levels this poor in my 27 years, and we are heading into "slow season".
 
Some of us senior drivers have been asked to voluntarily stay home so our 10% can work on a regular basis. (paid if you have the paid days or unpaid) It’s been working out pretty good for us. However business is spiraling downward, it’s getting slower and slower and it appears some of our 10% will be laid off soon.

We have been experiencing the typical ‘January’s slow business levels” this whole month.

LTL freight volume has been sinking since June and some of our competition have been cutting/underpricing rates to keep their volume, a game UPS Freight refuses to play.

Sometimes our dock starts looking like the days of our “pretend strike”
 
:regretful:
Dockworker said:
Some of us senior drivers have been asked to voluntarily stay home so our 10% can work on a regular basis. (paid if you have the paid days or unpaid) It’s been working out pretty good for us. However business is spiraling downward, it’s getting slower and slower and it appears some of our 10% will be laid off soon.

We have been experiencing the typical ‘January’s slow business levels” this whole month.

LTL freight volume has been sinking since June and some of our competition have been cutting/underpricing rates to keep their volume, a game UPS Freight refuses to play.

Sometimes our dock starts looking like the days of our “pretend strike”
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It's not just pricing. It's service, damages, rushed delivery and pick-ups. Why does it take 2 days for a shipment to go 154 miles? We lost a 1-2, 53" van loads a day due to consistent damages at the K C Mo. hub, that translates to 3 pups a day!!!!!! It was tightly wrapped, 7 foot tall skids head-loaded to ride.. That is 1-1/2 drivers from us, 1-1/2 drivers from GAF, and a city drivers better part of a day, multiply that by each terminal. Due to pressure from city dispatch the drivers can't spend the time with the customers that they deserve. Rush in rush out, "can you wait 5 minutes for two more skids, no I got to go, we'll get em' tomorrow". Or "you only called in 2, sorry". If I was "senior" management I would look past the numbers game and get real answers. Hold your mid and lower level management to the same standards you hold us too. Better stop now, I feel a rant coming on.
 
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karenk said:
I dont understand, the economy is good so they say but our freight volumes are crazy slow.
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From what a few Salesman and managers have said throughout this year, it could be total BS water cooler talk, but does make sense.

I ask some of our customers about the freight reductions and they tell me our competition was cheaper. They also say we have a history of, arriving late, missing pickups, calling them and asking them to wait only to end up blowing them off.
The biggest issue is.........damages. We truly are “United Package Smashers” and for no damn reason.
I’ll sweep out my trailer before it gets loaded. When I’m done delivering, there is a plethora of wood chunks, broken pallet boards, air bags etc.dragged into trailer as well as forked freight and sensitive bags of product torn open and spilling because it’s been dragged against the side of trailer. Totally bulldozed in.

This is what sales and managers say at my barn:
Customers have built up product reserves that don’t currently need replenishing.
A lot of companies as well as some of our customers are going the route of a 3PL to get more of a discount. It becomes a highly competitive atmosphere with our own competitors and UPS Freight claims they will not compete with that much lowballing nor will they be forced to lower their current rates. They also don’t want “crap freight”
It’s also been said, UPS Freight does not really want to grow like our LTL competitors as they really want small pack division to grow, we are just a portfolio offering and they would rather rail the freight and contract the hell out of it to get more small packages, their true bread and butter.

Anyway, IMO we are losing freight because of our internal customer issues and 3PL pricing.
 
Dockworker said:
From what a few Salesman and managers have said throughout this year, it could be total BS water cooler talk, but does make sense.

I ask some of our customers about the freight reductions and they tell me our competition was cheaper. They also say we have a history of, arriving late, missing pickups, calling them and asking them to wait only to end up blowing them off.
The biggest issue is.........damages. We truly are “United Package Smashers” and for no damn reason.
I’ll sweep out my trailer before it gets loaded. When I’m done delivering, there is a plethora of wood chunks, broken pallet boards, air bags etc.dragged into trailer as well as forked freight and sensitive bags of product torn open and spilling because it’s been dragged against the side of trailer. Totally bulldozed in.

This is what sales and managers say at my barn:
Customers have built up product reserves that don’t currently need replenishing.
A lot of companies as well as some of our customers are going the route of a 3PL to get more of a discount. It becomes a highly competitive atmosphere with our own competitors and UPS Freight claims they will not compete with that much lowballing nor will they be forced to lower their current rates. They also don’t want “crap freight”
It’s also been said, UPS Freight does not really want to grow like our LTL competitors as they really want small pack division to grow, we are just a portfolio offering and they would rather rail the freight and contract the hell out of it to get more small packages, their true bread and butter.

Anyway, IMO we are losing freight because of our internal customer issues and 3PL pricing.
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Absolutely agree. 100% with the sales statement. We are our own worst enemy. Managers, about 90% agree, the second paragraph is spot on. Customers are just a distraction to make your "numbers".
 
Our extra-board linehaul has apparently "dried up." Not sure what's going on there. i'm on niteliner bullplop currently.

Our city, on the otherhand, is overflowing and when i'm not doing niteliner, i can and do work the city.
 
Is there anything in the contract that specifies how many hours under 40 a person must reach before anyone gets laid off? (guaranteed guys)
 
When I worked there several years ago I saw plenty of junk freight. Tires for cars & semis, basketball goals, steel that should have been on a flat bed just to name a few.
 
SBfreightman said:
When I worked there several years ago I saw plenty of junk freight. Tires for cars & semis, basketball goals, steel that should have been on a flat bed just to name a few.
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Two weeks without work, not much protection there.
So if they only worked you one or two days a week you and your family could starve before getting laid off.
Thanks for the reply
 
karenk said:
Two weeks without work, not much protection there.
So if they only worked you one or two days a week you and your family could starve before getting laid off.
Thanks for the reply
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Unfortunately that is a weak spot in our contract. File an unemployment claim, that might help shaking some work out of them.
 
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