ABF | Make Your Own Survey

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It sounds like there is some sort of survey going around to see what us Indians are unhappy about. From the posts I have read there seem to be some things lacking in the company survey. I am skeptical that anything positive would come of any such survey but I do try to remain positive and I always hope for better. Therefore, I thought it might be helpful (they can't say we didn't try) if we provided them with the information they act like they seek (and some they don't want to hear). Accordingly, let's provide them with a survey. We all know that those at The Fort keep an eye on us here. Let's keep it clean and respectable so they can take what they read seriously.

So...what are you unhappy about with the company lately?

I am unhappy with the contract that was knivingly shoved down our throats and I feel like the company went too far. I agree that some sort of relief was needed given the state of YRC and what our union has done to us all there but they went too far. What could they have been thinking?

I do not like how they lavished themselves in bonuses, which were paid for with our work...our skill and our will.

I do not like what looks like a disconnect between management and the touch workers. They have created an 'us vs them' environment and I believe it is taking its toll on the company as a whole. Morale is very important and I feel like they have taken it for granted. The company just does not feel the same since Robert Young moved on.
 
Come on, nobody dares to give the survey? :shrug: Be the first (well second) to break the ice and tell us how you feel.
 
The survey that was given in ATL/086 was multiple choice. Thechoices ranged from very poor to excellent with fair being in the middle. Youhad 5 choices all together. The questions were things like “does dispatch communicatewith you? and do you feel management takes your suggestions seriously? and doesABF address your concerns in a timely manner? The survey results were not whatmanagement in Atlanta wanted tohear. We took the survey several months ago and we now have monthly (non paid,voluntary) meetings with management. Management in Atlantais now pushing “Team Atlanta” and has gloves and hats (that you pay for) withTeam Atlanta stenciled on them. Road dispatch is now told to answer the phones “ABFhow may I help you” instead “Dispatch.” For the most part the survey at ATL/086let the company know that we, the employees, are dissatisfied with the way weare treated and caused the company to start a program of team solidarity. ABF managementis trying to push a campaign of “Company Spirit” without giving us anything.
 
It sounds like there is some sort of survey going around to see what us Indians are unhappy about. From the posts I have read there seem to be some things lacking in the company survey. I am skeptical that anything positive would come of any such survey but I do try to remain positive and I always hope for better. Therefore, I thought it might be helpful (they can't say we didn't try) if we provided them with the information they act like they seek (and some they don't want to hear). Accordingly, let's provide them with a survey. We all know that those at The Fort keep an eye on us here. Let's keep it clean and respectable so they can take what they read seriously.

So...what are you unhappy about with the company lately?

I am unhappy with the contract that was knivingly shoved down our throats and I feel like the company went too far. I agree that some sort of relief was needed given the state of YRC and what our union has done to us all there but they went too far. What could they have been thinking?

I do not like how they lavished themselves in bonuses, which were paid for with our work...our skill and our will.

I do not like what looks like a disconnect between management and the touch workers. They have created an 'us vs them' environment and I believe it is taking its toll on the company as a whole. Morale is very important and I feel like they have taken it for granted. The company just does not feel the same since Robert Young moved on.
Hiring drivers & not enough tractors, Amazon is getting heavy not enough vans, customers complaining that no one is answering the phone when trying to call in a pick up....
 
Thankfully Robert Young is still on the board but not directly involved. The situation now reminds me of a war story I heard many years ago. A Colonel stopped to ask a civilian if he had seen a company of soldiers. The civilian told him the soldiers had won a difficult battle & moved on to another. The Colonel said "I have to catch up to them because I am their leader!
 
I was that driver that would try to help out. Didn't mind that last minute run, or dock pick up before punching. Gave them 50-60 hrs a week. As long as they didn't abuse me in the process and spread the pain around. Then they took my money and my family time away from me. Three things in this life you don't do, kick my dog, screw with my money, or mess with my family. They got two out of three on me. I used to tell other company drivers this was a good job when they asked. I can't recommend this place to anyone and sleep good at night.
 
Question of The Day

ABF Freight: How would you rate the freight we are hauling today and what would you to to improve it?

Skilled and Unwilled P&D Driver: I am glad you asked that question and I hope that you are sincerely concerned as you say you are.

I would like to start by pointing out that we are doing a fantastic job with the carbon black. I remember the day when any shipment of it on a truck would contaminate the entire load and aggravate all of our other customers as they asked, "What's this stuff I'm tracking all over my warehouse?". The double bagging of it has worked as planned if not better than planned and ABF Freight is the only company out there hauling the stuff. :clapping:

Overall I'd say that 70%-80% of the freight we move is working OK for me. The remaining 20%-30% is spoiling the party and I am happy to fill you in on it. I know that Roy and Judy are busy...with their trips to the tanning salon, beauty salon, tailors and manicurists and that they probably don't notice the difficulty we have delivering that freight that weighs in at superhuman weights and lengths that we are not equipped to handle. I will paint a picture for you. BTW I would like to add that I have never once seen or heard of a sup, lower level manager, middle level manager or upper level manager come and witness any of these deliveries or re-enact one in our parking lot. I have, however, witnessed a quizzing look on a face or two when the freight was seen on the dock slated for lift gate delivery.

The three products that come to mind front and center are as follows:

1) #1500 crates of 8' long folding tables for schools, churches and senior citizen centers requiring lift gate delivery. OK, for starters I would like to point out that our lift gates measure approximately 5' long and 7' wide. Our pallets jacks' forks are less than 4' long. Maybe only a few inches less but less nonetheless. If you have an 8' long pallet (BTW if the freight is 8' long the packaging makes the overall length more than 8') and a 3' 9" pallet jack you do not have half of the pallet in your grip and a pallet with equal distribution of the freight will not come off the floor on the far end so we're dragging it. Once we have pulled it back (don't forget to leave enough room in the trailer there to get the jack out from under the pallet and don't sweat it any while your yanking on it while you're dangerously close to the edge) we can weasel our way around to the other end to grab the pallet (see it won't turn around in there so we have to move ourselves to the other end of it). OK, now we get to push it out onto the lift gate, far end dragging and all. While I'm at this point I'd like to point out that strip that's mounted on the floor of every trailer, which is designed to stop freight from bouncing back onto the door while running down the road. Yea, the #1500 pallet I'm pushing, which is dragging that far end catches on that strip. OK, I got over that and now I'm headed out onto the gate, which is only 5' long with a pallet that is heavy on that far end. Using my IQ I accurately compute the length of the pallet, length and width of the lift gate and score a perfect landing sideways on the gate with 2' of this pallet dangling off the edge of the gate. See, 7' wide gate, 8'+ long pallet ooo yea, don't forget the jack has this cumbersome set of wheels, handle and hydraulic pump sticking out here that we need to fit out there too. While I'm thinking of it I used that aforementioned IQ to set myself up an unloading situation where I was going downhill with the freight and if my gate landing is not perfect I get to drag that #1500 pallet uphill to get a second run at it. OK, I'm on the gate with the freight and down she goes. Nice gate, nice easy landing and gate even tips down after hitting the ground. But wait, there's just one thing. I have an 8' long pallet+about 1' of extra wheels, handle and hydraulic pump and now I have an uneven angle between the gate and the ground AND some knucklehead has put a board on the bottom of that pallet, you know the end that's dragging and sticking out over the gate on the other end. :ranting: That board is now caught on the edge of the gate over there while I'm over here contending with this #1500 pallet on an angle from the landing surface (driveway). Remember that end won't come up because the pallet is too long for the equipment I have. OK, I wriggle and writhe and get past that little obstacle and now I have the steering wheel of the pallet jack on the driveway and the far end of the pallet that won't come up dragging more over on the gate (remember the gate makes its own hill there and now that end is dragging even more). I drag the pallet jack side to side back and forth as I weasel the pallet down off the gate onto the driveway, which by the way is loaded with little pea sized stones (in case you're not aware of it a toothpick is sufficient enough to bring a pallet jack to a halt so you can imagine what a pea sized stone will do).

OK, I know I promised three but I am going to have to cut it short for now as I have things to do. Stay tuned for the other two...and maybe even more.

:wavey:
 
ABF Freight: How would you rate the freight we are hauling today and what would you to to improve it?

Skilled and Unwilled P&D Driver: I am glad you asked that question and I hope that you are sincerely concerned as you say you are.

I would like to start by pointing out that we are doing a fantastic job with the carbon black. I remember the day when any shipment of it on a truck would contaminate the entire load and aggravate all of our other customers as they asked, "What's this stuff I'm tracking all over my warehouse?". The double bagging of it has worked as planned if not better than planned and ABF Freight is the only company out there hauling the stuff. :clapping:

Overall I'd say that 70%-80% of the freight we move is working OK for me. The remaining 20%-30% is spoiling the party and I am happy to fill you in on it. I know that Roy and Judy are busy...with their trips to the tanning salon, beauty salon, tailors and manicurists and that they probably don't notice the difficulty we have delivering that freight that weighs in at superhuman weights and lengths that we are not equipped to handle. I will paint a picture for you. BTW I would like to add that I have never once seen or heard of a sup, lower level manager, middle level manager or upper level manager come and witness any of these deliveries or re-enact one in our parking lot. I have, however, witnessed a quizzing look on a face or two when the freight was seen on the dock slated for lift gate delivery.

The three products that come to mind front and center are as follows:

1) #1500 crates of 8' long folding tables for schools, churches and senior citizen centers requiring lift gate delivery. OK, for starters I would like to point out that our lift gates measure approximately 5' long and 7' wide. Our pallets jacks' forks are less than 4' long. Maybe only a few inches less but less nonetheless. If you have an 8' long pallet (BTW if the freight is 8' long the packaging makes the overall length more than 8') and a 3' 9" pallet jack you do not have half of the pallet in your grip and a pallet with equal distribution of the freight will not come off the floor on the far end so we're dragging it. Once we have pulled it back (don't forget to leave enough room in the trailer there to get the jack out from under the pallet and don't sweat it any while your yanking on it while you're dangerously close to the edge) we can weasel our way around to the other end to grab the pallet (see it won't turn around in there so we have to move ourselves to the other end of it). OK, now we get to push it out onto the lift gate, far end dragging and all. While I'm at this point I'd like to point out that strip that's mounted on the floor of every trailer, which is designed to stop freight from bouncing back onto the door while running down the road. Yea, the #1500 pallet I'm pushing, which is dragging that far end catches on that strip. OK, I got over that and now I'm headed out onto the gate, which is only 5' long with a pallet that is heavy on that far end. Using my IQ I accurately compute the length of the pallet, length and width of the lift gate and score a perfect landing sideways on the gate with 2' of this pallet dangling off the edge of the gate. See, 7' wide gate, 8'+ long pallet ooo yea, don't forget the jack has this cumbersome set of wheels, handle and hydraulic pump sticking out here that we need to fit out there too. While I'm thinking of it I used that aforementioned IQ to set myself up an unloading situation where I was going downhill with the freight and if my gate landing is not perfect I get to drag that #1500 pallet uphill to get a second run at it. OK, I'm on the gate with the freight and down she goes. Nice gate, nice easy landing and gate even tips down after hitting the ground. But wait, there's just one thing. I have an 8' long pallet+about 1' of extra wheels, handle and hydraulic pump and now I have an uneven angle between the gate and the ground AND some knucklehead has put a board on the bottom of that pallet, you know the end that's dragging and sticking out over the gate on the other end. :ranting: That board is now caught on the edge of the gate over there while I'm over here contending with this #1500 pallet on an angle from the landing surface (driveway). Remember that end won't come up because the pallet is too long for the equipment I have. OK, I wriggle and writhe and get past that little obstacle and now I have the steering wheel of the pallet jack on the driveway and the far end of the pallet that won't come up dragging more over on the gate (remember the gate makes its own hill there and now that end is dragging even more). I drag the pallet jack side to side back and forth as I weasel the pallet down off the gate onto the driveway, which by the way is loaded with little pea sized stones (in case you're not aware of it a toothpick is sufficient enough to bring a pallet jack to a halt so you can imagine what a pea sized stone will do).

OK, I know I promised three but I am going to have to cut it short for now as I have things to do. Stay tuned for the other two...and maybe even more.

:wavey:

Come on Man !!!! Finish the story !! LOL Did the customer watch you struggle ? All the while telling you that he would like to help you, but he has a bad back???? Did they say that the tables go down to the cellar? then when you are all done,they give you the puppy dog eyes and ask you to take away the 8ft long crate because they have no way of getting rid of it ???? Tell us more! Tell us more !!!:icon_dance:
 
Come on Man !!!! Finish the story !! LOL Did the customer watch you struggle ? All the while telling you that he would like to help you, but he has a bad back???? Did they say that the tables go down to the cellar? then when you are all done,they give you the puppy dog eyes and ask you to take away the 8ft long crate because they have no way of getting rid of it ???? Tell us more! Tell us more !!!:icon_dance:
LOL all of the above but at different times.

OK, I promised to continue so here goes. Forgive me for the lapse in time since my last report but I am a busy man.

2) Today we will talk a little about the treadmills. I have not heard that we are no longer installing these things but there have not been any turnkeys on them for a while. But none of us are upset about that. :clapping::clapping:

Now down to business...the treadmills weigh in between #265 and #365 and are about seven feet long. This is too long for us to turn them around inside the trailer with that pesky wheels, hydraulic pump and handle apparatus they have attached to our pallet jacks. So...if the heavy end (which is so generously identified on the carton) is facing the wrong direction it's too bad and that means we're pushing it out the door with the end dragging. Then once we get it to the ground we have the pleasure of wrestling it to it's final (as far as we're concerned) resting place. ABF is soo generous as to make this a two man delivery but the simple math (#265\2 (men)=132.5 lbs/man) renders a number that is more than I am going to lift at home. So guess what...I am not lifting it at work either so I am going to drag, roll and flip that thing any way I have to to get it to its place. And I am more worried about my bones than I am anyone's drywall and railings. Now I can't figure out which is the greater pleasure, getting it down a staircase into the basement (of course it's not a straight staircase, dummy, it has a landing down there and a 180 degree turn to go with it) or having the luxury of a walk out basement around the back at the bottom of the hill we get to muscle the thing down to get into that sliding glass door down there. And BTW the homeowner forgot to roll the lawn in that area so nothing with wheels on it is going to roll smoothly. Then once we've conquered the location thing we get to pull out or crescent wrench, screwdriver and pair of pliers to put the beast together. I don't mind letting them see how inept I am at assembling this thing because at this point I just don't give a damn and all I want is out of there. Mission accomplished, trash hauled up and put back into the trailer for me to play with all day and away we go. And on a good day I get $5.00 to help offset the copays at the chiropractor's office.

Stay tuned for round three. :wavey:
 
LOL all of the above but at different times.

OK, I promised to continue so here goes. Forgive me for the lapse in time since my last report but I am a busy man.

2) Today we will talk a little about the treadmills. I have not heard that we are no longer installing these things but there have not been any turnkeys on them for a while. But none of us are upset about that. :clapping::clapping:

Now down to business...the treadmills weigh in between #265 and #365 and are about seven feet long. This is too long for us to turn them around inside the trailer with that pesky wheels, hydraulic pump and handle apparatus they have attached to our pallet jacks. So...if the heavy end (which is so generously identified on the carton) is facing the wrong direction it's too bad and that means we're pushing it out the door with the end dragging. Then once we get it to the ground we have the pleasure of wrestling it to it's final (as far as we're concerned) resting place. ABF is soo generous as to make this a two man delivery but the simple math (#265\2 (men)=132.5 lbs/man) renders a number that is more than I am going to lift at home. So guess what...I am not lifting it at work either so I am going to drag, roll and flip that thing any way I have to to get it to its place. And I am more worried about my bones than I am anyone's drywall and railings. Now I can't figure out which is the greater pleasure, getting it down a staircase into the basement (of course it's not a straight staircase, dummy, it has a landing down there and a 180 degree turn to go with it) or having the luxury of a walk out basement around the back at the bottom of the hill we get to muscle the thing down to get into that sliding glass door down there. And BTW the homeowner forgot to roll the lawn in that area so nothing with wheels on it is going to roll smoothly. Then once we've conquered the location thing we get to pull out or crescent wrench, screwdriver and pair of pliers to put the beast together. I don't mind letting them see how inept I am at assembling this thing because at this point I just don't give a damn and all I want is out of there. Mission accomplished, trash hauled up and put back into the trailer for me to play with all day and away we go. And on a good day I get $5.00 to help offset the copays at the chiropractor's office.

Stay tuned for round three. :wavey:
If its over 200 pounds and goes anywhere but the the garage then its a two man delivery as far as I am concerned.
Of course I have been known to put forth an extra effort for especially pulchritudinous customers(that's for you Canary). Never been turned down when I told dispatch I needed help.
 
If its over 200 pounds and goes anywhere but the the garage then its a two man delivery as far as I am concerned.
Of course I have been known to put forth an extra effort for especially pulchritudinous customers(that's for you Canary). Never been turned down when I told dispatch I needed help.
Now that's one I can get on board with. Let's bring out the whole shop to make those hardwood floor deliveries....

And speaking of hardwood floor deliveries they are next on my list of freight I would like to discuss in this survey.

Those at The Fort are either clueless on this freight or they are the most sinister managers in the freight industry. And while I am adding a little levity to the situation the facts of these accounts are no joke. These things weigh in at #3000 and are shipped on $.50 skids. If our dock crew is so equipped they are generous enough to put these annihilated pallets on top of stronger pallets in better condition. But that is little solace for those of us who have a 46" pallet jack with which to make delivery of an 8'+ long #3000 pallet under the conditions we are expected to work in. I'll spare reiterating the trials and tribulations of the previously described folding table delivery but everything is the same except that now the weight is doubled or more and we are not in the luxurious confines of the school, church or retirement center parking lot. We are in a residential neighborhood and I would like to address the obstacles we encounter that are particular to that sector of the delivery business. To start with they are paying for and told that it is liftgate ground delivery. To them that means that dad can go to work, sons can be off to school, sports or other things and mom will hang around to sign for the delivery. We are unable to back into many of these driveways for various reasons and are left out in the street to try to wrestle this behemoth of a delivery onto the property and hopefully in a location where it will be protected from the elements. Most of these driveways have some sort of a bump, seam in the pavement or cobblestone barrier between the driveway and the street and let me tell you, this pallet jack does not want cross that thing. Then if we are unlucky enough that the grade of the driveway is not too severe we get to do our best to move the freight up closer to the house. If the grade is too severe it is easier because an attempt will not be made. OK, so, we get the pallet to the mouth of the garage either through destroying our backs (if you think that yanking on that pallet does not crush the discs in our backs you are sadly mistaken so prepare for more buyouts and younger retirement ages in the future) or being able to back into the driveway near the garage. Now every, EVERY, garage has that lip at the end where the door comes down. It is designed to stop rain water from getting into the garage. It also stops the pallet jack from going in there as well. Now pull the jack out a little over the lip, yank the pallet back a little, back in the rest of the way with the jack, pull 'til the front wheels get there, repeat. Of course I receive great compliments from mom over there telling me what a great job I am doing. That makes it all worthwhile. Then there was the guy who repeatedly told me that I was going to have to carry the stuff up to his garage if I couldn't get in there with the truck (ice and snow came into the mix on this one). After the fourth time I told him, "I am not carrying your lumber up your driveway, if I can't get in the driveway I will have to unload it in the street or you will have to make other arrangements".

I would recommend that those at The Fort go downstairs to the dock and have one of the dock guys bring a couple samples over for you to try and move on the dock. Grab yourself one of or premium pallet jacks and maneuver a couple of those babies into a trailer. Then it would be awesome if you could come out on the street with us and film some of these deliveries and show the footage to you Designated Medical Examiner for evaluation and see what they have to say about that. Then, if you would be so kind as to file these videos in the library for us to access and play back for the worker's compensation judges it would be fantastic.

Something makes me think that I'll be back for more of this survey so don't be gone for too long.

:wavey:
 
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