XPO | My Personal Thoughts on This Event

[imported_BoxBoss]

I have been missing for a few days, for what are now obvious reasons. It has been one of the more difficult times in my career, and alot has happened.
This post may be a little lengthy, I apologize in advance, read what you want, toss the rest in the garbage.
I have jumped on today, read through all the threads on the Con-way forum, see alot of new faces that just recently joined, and see all the info flying around.
Graveyard has all the accurate numbers on this event on another thread in our forum, so I won't bother with repeating them.
This event has affected a wide variety of folks, from DSRs to VPs and every category in between. For that reason, I don't see this as just a simple reduction in workforce, for if they wanted to accomplish that, they simply would have stuck with eliminating hourly people and that's it...
This reduction had to occur largely due to the current economic conditions all around us. Bad, getting worse, still not at bottom. There are those on this board that will say that I am full of it, that I am towing the company line, blah blah...Quick message to those people: WAKE UP..!!!
I have been watching the key economic indicators for the last few months, and have been telling everyone to be cautious, that bad times are coming. Unemployment filings, consumer spending and price index, retail sales figures...You don't have to be a rocket scientist, and lord knows I'm not, to see what the hell is happening...And now it has caught up to us...
But Con-way chose this time, a very bad time, to realign the company to try to fit the current situation, and constrict some things to make it work and move it forward. This was very strategic..You don't just wake up one day and start wiping out people who have been leaders of entire components because you feel like it...And many will not accept or understand this strategy, they will continue to bash until they get enough folks wallowing with them. But I have been staring at this for some 30 hours, and I have seen the video a few times now with the maps, and the numbers, and I do get it...I may not like it all, but I do get it..
The loss of 2100 people stings, and for me none more so than the people I had to say goodbye to over the past 30 hours..None of them did anything to deserve this, none of them asked for it, none of them earned it, they are just the victims of bad circumstances, plain and simple. I admit to being heartbroken for them and their families, and in many ways I take the blame for what has happened to them.
I have seen many new voices on here since I started reading through all the threads today, new faces, the bashers, the naysayers, the doom and gloom folks, some others from other companies who want to pile on during a tough time, and I was amazed at my lack of surprise by this, as I have come to learn that the boards are a place to do just that very thing.
I have seen the bashing of John L, the calls for him to cut salary, to terminate every RM, and so on and so on...The reason I chose to start this thread is I have decided I have no time for the ignorant hotheads of the world, and I am not going to participate in debates over foolish stuff.
What I am going to do is engage in conversation with the intelligent people I have come to know and respect here these past months and talk about concerns, anxiety, questions, etc...They know who they are, because they are the level-headed, the people that DO want to think things through and try to make sense of it even when that appears to be an impossible task. They know that we may not get all the answers that we are looking for, but they know we will get close, so I will look forward to that.
I will not bother with responses to the bashing, even though I know there are a great many adversely affected directly by this event, and I include myself on that list...
I think my point will be that we are all affected by this event, some of us have just had to say goodbye to good friends, good colleagues, maybe a fishing buddy or a drinking buddy, it matters not..They are all important in our lives for various reasons...
I made a promise to those I was responsible for letting go that I will not rest nor will I be happy until I have done everything in my power to get those people at our place back...I am a realist and I realize that these are tough times, but I also know it can be done, and I would challenge all my Con-way colleagues to the same thing...Quit worrying about being next, make the customer your focus and you won't have any worries...Let's take care of our customers, and the rest will take care of itself...

 

[micro brew]

Good post.

One question. Is corporate figuring freight levels to drop a lot more, or are they planning on using less drivers to cover roughly the same amount of work?

 

[Bankrupt]

You are good.

 

[imported_BoxBoss]

Good post.

One question. Is corporate figuring freight levels to drop a lot more, or are they planning on using less drivers to cover roughly the same amount of work?

The numbers I am being communicated are that we will lose approximately 3 million in November, and a projected 7-8 million in December...
And yes, the anticipation is for tonnage levels to start falling quickly..I struggle with that, because I am not seeing that at my service center, which is making this especially difficult for me to reconcile..

 

[TiredDvrsWife]

I have a few questions:

Do you know how long this has been planned? (other than watching economic situation)

What criteria were the terminations based on?

Who were the actual people to determine who to go/stay?

Last, not a question: but I believe trimming dead branches of companies is the way to go but when everyone starts doing so -it adds to the bad economic flow due to people not buying but the basics. This causes shortages everywhere. Of course it's not that simple. I don't believe the unchecked credit/consumer spending of the years past were the way to go either, creating a false economy.

I don't know if we'll go into a depression but we are in a recession: back to where we should be in our economy. Without the false housing market, etc.

Many past societies have either survived and come out stronger or else fallen completely but have been replaced. I pray that we'll be the ones that come out stronger with better business/governmental practices.

 

[Aggressor]

This is a bad time for this to happen.
I hate to see people lose their jobs, I have to at least respect that they actually trimed some fat at the top, we all knew that they didn't need that many bosses at G.O.
Hope everyone the best that are now unemployed.

 

[micro brew]

The numbers I am being communicated are that we will lose approximately 3 million in November, and a projected 7-8 million in December...
And yes, the anticipation is for tonnage levels to start falling quickly..I struggle with that, because I am not seeing that at my service center, which is making this especially difficult for me to reconcile..

I have nothing to base our terminals freight levels off at this point. We have been a little over what was projected at the outset of our terminal gaining a city operation after my old one was closed.

The tonnage problem can't be unique to Con-way. However, it seems to me that we are a few drivers short here and the cut four this morning. I can't put the pieces together to make sense of this yet.

 

[TiredDvrsWife]

Turns out the smart ones were the ones that wouldn't relocate and took a severance check. Seeing that some that were cut were the ones the followed the freight.....

 

[Dockworker]

Nice post and right to the point Boxboss!
A bunch of my Con-way friends in both hourly and salary positions were led out the door.

 

[imported_BoxBoss]

You are good.

If I thought you were sincere, I would say thanks, but I know better... your cynicism bleeds through, and you may have a good reason for feeling justified in that regard, and I understand it because I used to be that way...I am going to politely request that you refrain from it, at least for today, on this thread, because it does neither of us any good...I have been reading your posts for a bit now, and you are way too good (and I am being sincere) and knowlegeable to keep reverting back to it..

 

[imported_BoxBoss]

I have a few questions:

Do you know how long this has been planned? (other than watching economic situation)

What criteria were the terminations based on?

Who were the actual people to determine who to go/stay?

Last, not a question: but I believe trimming dead branches of companies is the way to go but when everyone starts doing so -it adds to the bad economic flow due to people not buying but the basics. This causes shortages everywhere. Of course it's not that simple. I don't believe the unchecked credit/consumer spending of the years past were the way to go either, creating a false economy.

I don't know if we'll go into a depression but we are in a recession: back to where we should be in our economy. Without the false housing market, etc.

Many past societies have either survived and come out stronger or else fallen completely but have been replaced. I pray that we'll be the ones that come out stronger with better business/governmental practices.

I believe the 40 service centers closing was a well thought out and lengthy planning process, but I am pretty sure that 9/8/2008 was the day that started raising awareness levels and getting people to watch closely, possibly triggering a contingency at CGO just in case...
I think falling business levels, falling revenue levels, and the current economic indicators made it easy to see that the next 60-90 days at least are going to be the worst of this mess...
Your dead branches theory is right on, kind of a "chicken or the egg" scenario when trying to figure out where we put a stop to this insanity and call it a fresh start...

 

[Bankrupt]

If I thought you were sincere, I would say thanks, but I know better... your cynicism bleeds through, and you may have a good reason for feeling justified in that regard, and I understand it because I used to be that way...I am going to politely request that you refrain from it, at least for today, on this thread, because it does neither of us any good...I have been reading your posts for a bit now, and you are way too good (and I am being sincere) and knowlegeable to keep reverting back to it..

Not a problem, I can do that.

Let me know when my time's up.

 

[imported_magicman1966]

Let me start off by saying that was very nicely put. I, for 1 do not know who you are nor do I care. But rest asure I will be honest and open and if you want an opion on this matter I will be more than willing to give it to you.

By the sound of things you are not a driver, more like a SCM at the very least. Like I stated earlier, I don't care. Yes this has been hard on a lot of people. Especially the the timing of it all. I just find it hard to believe that they couldn't have done this at a better time. Three weeks before Christmas? I also realize that time is money, so the sooner it was done, the more money the company can save. I heard (don't know how true it is) that these plans have been in the works for over a year. Why this time of the year? Makes no sense to me. Couldn't have waited till after the new year? Was 3 weeks really going to make or break Con-Way? If it was, we all better start looking for another job.

I am upset that had to close my barn in Sharon. We where making money for this company, but they closed us because we leased the building. I am willing to bet you that we are going to start to lose customers in the Clearfield area because of pee poor planning at XGO. Some of our customers are used to having next day service. But the no longer get because XLF doesn't run to XHG. Why would a customer pay for 2 day service when every other LTL company can get it there next day? They won't.

I went out to XLF thinking it would be a better place. Well I was wrong. It is me on this one not the company. But what upsets me more than anything is giving a week to make a decision that will affect not only me, but my whole family. They knew in advance that they where going to do this. Again, they couldn't wait till the beginning of the new year for this to take affect.
Signed....a bitter man at this point in time...magicman1966!!!

 

[the blue robot]

good post

I have been missing for a few days, for what are now obvious reasons. It has been one of the more difficult times in my career, and alot has happened.
This post may be a little lengthy, I apologize in advance, read what you want, toss the rest in the garbage.
I have jumped on today, read through all the threads on the Con-way forum, see alot of new faces that just recently joined, and see all the info flying around.
Graveyard has all the accurate numbers on this event on another thread in our forum, so I won't bother with repeating them.
This event has affected a wide variety of folks, from DSRs to VPs and every category in between. For that reason, I don't see this as just a simple reduction in workforce, for if they wanted to accomplish that, they simply would have stuck with eliminating hourly people and that's it...
This reduction had to occur largely due to the current economic conditions all around us. Bad, getting worse, still not at bottom. There are those on this board that will say that I am full of it, that I am towing the company line, blah blah...Quick message to those people: WAKE UP..!!!
I have been watching the key economic indicators for the last few months, and have been telling everyone to be cautious, that bad times are coming. Unemployment filings, consumer spending and price index, retail sales figures...You don't have to be a rocket scientist, and lord knows I'm not, to see what the hell is happening...And now it has caught up to us...
But Con-way chose this time, a very bad time, to realign the company to try to fit the current situation, and constrict some things to make it work and move it forward. This was very strategic..You don't just wake up one day and start wiping out people who have been leaders of entire components because you feel like it...And many will not accept or understand this strategy, they will continue to bash until they get enough folks wallowing with them. But I have been staring at this for some 30 hours, and I have seen the video a few times now with the maps, and the numbers, and I do get it...I may not like it all, but I do get it..
The loss of 2100 people stings, and for me none more so than the people I had to say goodbye to over the past 30 hours..None of them did anything to deserve this, none of them asked for it, none of them earned it, they are just the victims of bad circumstances, plain and simple. I admit to being heartbroken for them and their families, and in many ways I take the blame for what has happened to them.
I have seen many new voices on here since I started reading through all the threads today, new faces, the bashers, the naysayers, the doom and gloom folks, some others from other companies who want to pile on during a tough time, and I was amazed at my lack of surprise by this, as I have come to learn that the boards are a place to do just that very thing.
I have seen the bashing of John L, the calls for him to cut salary, to terminate every RM, and so on and so on...The reason I chose to start this thread is I have decided I have no time for the ignorant hotheads of the world, and I am not going to participate in debates over foolish stuff.
What I am going to do is engage in conversation with the intelligent people I have come to know and respect here these past months and talk about concerns, anxiety, questions, etc...They know who they are, because they are the level-headed, the people that DO want to think things through and try to make sense of it even when that appears to be an impossible task. They know that we may not get all the answers that we are looking for, but they know we will get close, so I will look forward to that.
I will not bother with responses to the bashing, even though I know there are a great many adversely affected directly by this event, and I include myself on that list...
I think my point will be that we are all affected by this event, some of us have just had to say goodbye to good friends, good colleagues, maybe a fishing buddy or a drinking buddy, it matters not..They are all important in our lives for various reasons...
I made a promise to those I was responsible for letting go that I will not rest nor will I be happy until I have done everything in my power to get those people at our place back...I am a realist and I realize that these are tough times, but I also know it can be done, and I would challenge all my Con-way colleagues to the same thing...Quit worrying about being next, make the customer your focus and you won't have any worries...Let's take care of our customers, and the rest will take care of itself...

well said.my opinion is that con-way has had way to many chiefs for so long it got used to that.when you have a 2 hand fulls of people doing 1 hand fulls jobs because your growing so fast,no one saw this coming 2 or 3 years ago,but when the economy went to hell what else was there to do?look at all the factors this company has to deal with,healthcare,i know we hired people not in the best of health,your asking for trouble (costs) that is to keep him or her employed.i know its discrimination not to hire someone because of there problems,but cmon,no one said you had to hire them.some of these guys wernt ment for this job anyway but stayed on for the check and light duty.i know im going to get yelled at for this but go ahead YELL as loud as you want.sometimes i think if your heart beats you can work here,WRONG, the slugs that cant move have no business here and are dragging the rest of us down. this company has been top heavy for a long time and its time to clean it up,sorry it comes at a bad time but so did the downfall of the economy.who knows how many R.M'S we have system wide? ill tell you to many!!i know of a person at xmp that had a job created for them because they were the R.M's secretary,cmon what a waste!! alot of stupid stuff going on when times were good but now??LOOK OUT, the hammer is dropping on everyone witch should have been done a long time ago,its to bad upper mgmt,couldnt have took care of this problem in better times,we all might be better off,in fact we would be better off.theres alot of money to be had at the top,maybe they should have started there a long time ago.I know im going to take some flack on this but i dont care,OOOOOOO Theres 3 more words i hear alot of out of the senior guys,I DONT CARE,shame on you for that attitude this company has paid you well and fed your families for a long time,gave you healthcare when alot of families dont have it,shape up or ship out as my mother put it.I wish all,happy holidays and sorry for the ones that wont have one due to job loss or laid off,it couldnt have happened at a worse time.Ive only touched on a few things that have gone wrong with this company and theres alot more. sorry if i offended anyone,but this is a time sensitive opperation and we dont have time for slugs that want to push there work on the ones who work hard already.Thats another thing is the guys that do good hard work seem to get tested and pushed even harder because the supervisor knows thy can get it done when joe blow just sits and watches,thats wrong!! Alot of thigs need fixen here and hopefully they can get fixed.Again sorry if i hurt anyone in this politically correct atmosphere.:TR10driving03:

 

[imported_BoxBoss]

I am not privy to why we don't allow folks to take more time to plan, it's one of those details I don't like, but I don't get to make the rules...If you are asking specifically about the 40 service centers closing, that was in the works for over a year, what happened yesterday was more reactionary to what has been occuring the past 3 months with the economy, in my opinion...I won't disagree with your thoughts about the time of year, but I will tell you that in my closest inner circle we simply believe that there is never a good time for these things..we don't like when they happen....ever...

 

[Graveyard]

I'm not sure where I will go with this , but here goes...

Most great societies have fallen from within. America is no different. We were established as a "republic" not a democracy. Keeping in mind that no one is "immune" from the fancies of absolute power, and we all know that absolute power corrupts absolutely.

We have reached a point, a long time ago, where we as a nation became a "consumer" and are no longer an industrial nation. We want more and more, for less and less. That being said, how can a large company like the automotive manufacturers and unionized carriers, along with companies that have been around for years, continue to pay premium wages (being edged along by a mandatory minimum wage) for sub-par performance.
Premium pensions, guaranteed 8 hours even when you only work 6, and wages up to $30, $40 and $50 an hour. The cap has finally reached a point where it busted and now we are left to pick up the pieces.
Personal responsibility has been taught to most of us by ethical parents who wanted their children to succeed and continue to make this country the envy of the world. Why you ask?
Because, for no other reason than, WE ARE AMERICAN. The best that the world has to offer, and we are not afraid to stand up against an enemy that challenges us. Its our Spirit that drives us, and it will be our Spirit that carries us into the future.
So, why do we cower against the politicians who put us here to begin with? Why do they continue to take and take, while the taxpayer foots the bill for their mistakes?

People, Americans need to look into themselves, and ask... "Have I done everything within my power (vote, challenge, call their representatives, I mean everything!) to make this country great?" You may have. But there are those who want to eat this county like a cancer and get all they can for free and do nothing for themselves. (although, there are cases that some people truly are needy and they are the exception).
Con-way is no different. As a mini-society, it has the potential for greatness. Then power and politics enter the scene and things change. It was no secret that Dave M. didn't like Phil W., or that Tom C. had an area created for him because of who he knows. Or even that the erosion of the Southern Area is going to be used to bring the payroll of the entire company on one scale. The southern area had the lower pay, so they will be using that as a step stool for the rest of the company.
Bottom line, if it was your company, (which it is if you are a shareholder) you would want something done to ensure some return on that investment. Some of those decisions may be difficult, but still need to be done. I'm sure those of us who remain and are not in a position of leadership, would not like to be the one sitting across from a CSR who is a single mom with 2 kids and tell them that they no longer work here.
BOXBOSS... I feel you man. You have probably been through more this week, than most can imagine.

Who knows... this may be the first step in a series of adjustments... Dec and Jan numbers will bottom out and adjustments could be in the future.

Other carriers would be wise to follow suite. Its no secret that YRC negotiated 10% wage reduction with the union, so... we did too, figuratively speaking. I expect other carriers to do the same.
To coin a phrase... Drastic times, drastic measures.
Love you guys, chin up.
Maybe our Christmas Angels this year could be one of our buddies that are no longer with the company...

 

[OHIODOCKWORKER]

phase 2 and 3

this is a terrible time for everyone, I would like to know when the closing of the next service centers will be cause I plus alot of my co-workers will be the next to go?

 

[imported_BoxBoss]

I'm not sure where I will go with this , but here goes...

Most great societies have fallen from within. America is no different. We were established as a "republic" not a democracy. Keeping in mind that no one is "immune" from the fancies of absolute power, and we all know that absolute power corrupts absolutely.

We have reached a point, a long time ago, where we as a nation became a "consumer" and are no longer an industrial nation. We want more and more, for less and less. That being said, how can a large company like the automotive manufacturers and unionized carriers, along with companies that have been around for years, continue to pay premium wages (being edged along by a mandatory minimum wage) for sub-par performance.
Premium pensions, guaranteed 8 hours even when you only work 6, and wages up to $30, $40 and $50 an hour. The cap has finally reached a point where it busted and now we are left to pick up the pieces.
Personal responsibility has been taught to most of us by ethical parents who wanted their children to succeed and continue to make this country the envy of the world. Why you ask?
Because, for no other reason than, WE ARE AMERICAN. The best that the world has to offer, and we are not afraid to stand up against an enemy that challenges us. Its our Spirit that drives us, and it will be our Spirit that carries us into the future.
So, why do we cower against the politicians who put us here to begin with? Why do they continue to take and take, while the taxpayer foots the bill for their mistakes?

People, Americans need to look into themselves, and ask... "Have I done everything within my power (vote, challenge, call their representatives, I mean everything!) to make this country great?" You may have. But there are those who want to eat this county like a cancer and get all they can for free and do nothing for themselves. (although, there are cases that some people truly are needy and they are the exception).
Con-way is no different. As a mini-society, it has the potential for greatness. Then power and politics enter the scene and things change. It was no secret that Dave M. didn't like Phil W., or that Tom C. had an area created for him because of who he knows. Or even that the erosion of the Southern Area is going to be used to bring the payroll of the entire company on one scale. The southern area had the lower pay, so they will be using that as a step stool for the rest of the company.
Bottom line, if it was your company, (which it is if you are a shareholder) you would want something done to ensure some return on that investment. Some of those decisions may be difficult, but still need to be done. I'm sure those of us who remain and are not in a position of leadership, would not like to be the one sitting across from a CSR who is a single mom with 2 kids and tell them that they no longer work here.
BOXBOSS... I feel you man. You have probably been through more this week, than most can imagine.

Who knows... this may be the first step in a series of adjustments... Dec and Jan numbers will bottom out and adjustments could be in the future.

Other carriers would be wise to follow suite. Its no secret that YRC negotiated 10% wage reduction with the union, so... we did too, figuratively speaking. I expect other carriers to do the same.
To coin a phrase... Drastic times, drastic measures.
Love you guys, chin up.
Maybe our Christmas Angels this year could be one of our buddies that are no longer with the company...

Pretty profound, Graveyard, thanks... Yeah, it was hard, but not near as much as for those departed...As Bankrupt said, it does come with the territory, so we accept it..but we ARE human, despite what some believe..We gotta have some place to blow it off...

 

[micro brew]

Pretty profound, Graveyard, thanks... Yeah, it was hard, but not near as much as for those departed...As Bankrupt said, it does come with the territory, so we accept it..but we ARE human, despite what some believe..We gotta have some place to blow it off...

That has to be tough. Lets just hope you're all done breaking the bad news. I just hope we can ride this out and go back to 2004-2005 when we made great profits and kept everyone's wallet full.

 

[the blue robot]

bitter man

Let me start off by saying that was very nicely put. I, for 1 do not know who you are nor do I care. But rest asure I will be honest and open and if you want an opion on this matter I will be more than willing to give it to you.

By the sound of things you are not a driver, more like a SCM at the very least. Like I stated earlier, I don't care. Yes this has been hard on a lot of people. Especially the the timing of it all. I just find it hard to believe that they couldn't have done this at a better time. Three weeks before Christmas? I also realize that time is money, so the sooner it was done, the more money the company can save. I heard (don't know how true it is) that these plans have been in the works for over a year. Why this time of the year? Makes no sense to me. Couldn't have waited till after the new year? Was 3 weeks really going to make or break Con-Way? If it was, we all better start looking for another job.

I am upset that had to close my barn in Sharon. We where making money for this company, but they closed us because we leased the building. I am willing to bet you that we are going to start to lose customers in the Clearfield area because of pee poor planning at XGO. Some of our customers are used to having next day service. But the no longer get because XLF doesn't run to XHG. Why would a customer pay for 2 day service when every other LTL company can get it there next day? They won't.

I went out to XLF thinking it would be a better place. Well I was wrong. It is me on this one not the company. But what upsets me more than anything is giving a week to make a decision that will affect not only me, but my whole family. They knew in advance that they where going to do this. Again, they couldn't wait till the beginning of the new year for this to take affect.
Signed....a bitter man at this point in time...magicman1966!!!

what is opin,is that a union term?