Preston-- the 151 Line
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Wow 2631 there sure is a lot about the bad old days.
Now this what I know about this whole matter.
The guy that owns New England Motor Freight,owned Associated Transport,back in the hay day of the Teamster unions LTL trucking industry.
I got my union card in 1966,the first Teamster union company I worked was Eazor Express.
I don't recall the exact year,but Eastern merged with Asscociated,it seems not long after that they had a whole trailer load of liquor highjacked.
The trailer was discovered empty parked in a N.Y. truckstop.
In that same time frame the owners brother was found somewhere around where I live in upstate NY in his Caddy with a bullet whole between his eyes,and one in his back
It was a signature mob hit.
I also can't recall when Associated /Eastern closed up but I don't think it was long after that time,also it was before deregulation when a lot of the smaller regional LTL's started closing up.
After awhile NEMF started opening terminals in NY state,thats when I heard it was the same guy that closed Associated.
He still uses the same Eastern logo on his truckload trailers,only now he's not a Teamster company.
I'm in my 43rd year as a P & D driver soon to be working on 44.
20 years Teamsters,and 23 non-union.
I remember my Teamster years were all bad.
Other than the highest wages,and zero contributions on health care,you could get working for any LTL trucking company.
But I was in the old Teamster union.
The union is a lot smaller now but they seem like they've got a better attitude nowdays.
Now this what I know about this whole matter.
The guy that owns New England Motor Freight,owned Associated Transport,back in the hay day of the Teamster unions LTL trucking industry.
I got my union card in 1966,the first Teamster union company I worked was Eazor Express.
I don't recall the exact year,but Eastern merged with Asscociated,it seems not long after that they had a whole trailer load of liquor highjacked.
The trailer was discovered empty parked in a N.Y. truckstop.
In that same time frame the owners brother was found somewhere around where I live in upstate NY in his Caddy with a bullet whole between his eyes,and one in his back
It was a signature mob hit.
I also can't recall when Associated /Eastern closed up but I don't think it was long after that time,also it was before deregulation when a lot of the smaller regional LTL's started closing up.
After awhile NEMF started opening terminals in NY state,thats when I heard it was the same guy that closed Associated.
He still uses the same Eastern logo on his truckload trailers,only now he's not a Teamster company.
I'm in my 43rd year as a P & D driver soon to be working on 44.
20 years Teamsters,and 23 non-union.
I remember my Teamster years were all bad.
Other than the highest wages,and zero contributions on health care,you could get working for any LTL trucking company.
But I was in the old Teamster union.
The union is a lot smaller now but they seem like they've got a better attitude nowdays.
The Good Old Days
Apostolic, I still look back to the time before deregulation as the good old days. In the nyc metro area there were plenty of good paying union jobs & only 1 pay scale for all drivers.
I got my 1st union job in jan. 1969.
I think it only took 8 days to make the list & the union book cost $100
I can only speak from what I have seen & heard in this area. The mob had its hooks into most all forms of transportation. Air freight, ground freight & especially ocean freight.
The Sopranos & movies like Goodfellas are only examples of how the mob controlled this area.
But thats mostly all in the past. They have cleaned up the piers & air freight terminals, & we don't hear much about organized crime anymore.
Do you remember back around 1978 after the lockout ? The word on the street was that down the road there would only be 3 or 4 big trucking companys left controlling everything. It looks like they were right.
Times have changed, only now its greedy corperations & ceo's that are corrupting the system instead of crooked union officials & mobsters.
Apostolic, I still look back to the time before deregulation as the good old days. In the nyc metro area there were plenty of good paying union jobs & only 1 pay scale for all drivers.
I got my 1st union job in jan. 1969.
I think it only took 8 days to make the list & the union book cost $100
I can only speak from what I have seen & heard in this area. The mob had its hooks into most all forms of transportation. Air freight, ground freight & especially ocean freight.
The Sopranos & movies like Goodfellas are only examples of how the mob controlled this area.
But thats mostly all in the past. They have cleaned up the piers & air freight terminals, & we don't hear much about organized crime anymore.
Do you remember back around 1978 after the lockout ? The word on the street was that down the road there would only be 3 or 4 big trucking companys left controlling everything. It looks like they were right.
Times have changed, only now its greedy corperations & ceo's that are corrupting the system instead of crooked union officials & mobsters.
UnionTrucka
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2631 said:
corporate gangsters are what they're called now. Wall St. has every kind too.
yo 2631....
lockout was in '79....
i had a close call then...
my 16th day at arrow was the day the lockout started (dodged a bullet there huh)....
lucky for me they forgot about me and i went to work for long in carlstadt after the lockout......
lucky for me they laid me off in november and a phone call was made and i got hired on @ rsel the day before thanksgiving......
mikeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee
ps; you gotta be very careful in talking about 'mob controlled' to a lot of people here as they aint got a clue except for what they read in the papers or see on tv, i would put 560's leadership then against any of these union weaklings that call themselves 'tough' now in a heartbeat........
lockout was in '79....
i had a close call then...
my 16th day at arrow was the day the lockout started (dodged a bullet there huh)....
lucky for me they forgot about me and i went to work for long in carlstadt after the lockout......
lucky for me they laid me off in november and a phone call was made and i got hired on @ rsel the day before thanksgiving......
mikeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee
ps; you gotta be very careful in talking about 'mob controlled' to a lot of people here as they aint got a clue except for what they read in the papers or see on tv, i would put 560's leadership then against any of these union weaklings that call themselves 'tough' now in a heartbeat........
yo....
as far as preston goes, YELLOW gave them 5 years to turn a profit, they didn't.......
why should they keep a competing carrier whose operating ratio is higher than YELLOW's is and can't provide the level of service YELLOW can???????
the goldust twins, s**** and e***** even after stealing all the chicago-east coast freight from YELLOW couldn't turn a profit......
with faster trucks and longer lanes they couldn't do it........
with assigned tractors, they couldn't do it......
with schnieder pulling their pups between the northeast and atlanta they couldn't do it.......
mikeeeeeeeeeeee
ps; the only things YELLOW salvaged from the whole thing was about 600 pups that had to be set up to YELLOW specs and a 180 door terminal now called RFO, that's it.......
pps; if you were a stockholder like i was you'd know what i know too.........
as far as preston goes, YELLOW gave them 5 years to turn a profit, they didn't.......
why should they keep a competing carrier whose operating ratio is higher than YELLOW's is and can't provide the level of service YELLOW can???????
the goldust twins, s**** and e***** even after stealing all the chicago-east coast freight from YELLOW couldn't turn a profit......
with faster trucks and longer lanes they couldn't do it........
with assigned tractors, they couldn't do it......
with schnieder pulling their pups between the northeast and atlanta they couldn't do it.......
mikeeeeeeeeeeee
ps; the only things YELLOW salvaged from the whole thing was about 600 pups that had to be set up to YELLOW specs and a 180 door terminal now called RFO, that's it.......
pps; if you were a stockholder like i was you'd know what i know too.........
2631 I'm a UPS Freight city driver now days..
I mostly do my posting on the UPS Freight trucking board.
I see you pretty much stay with USF,and ABF.
I also see by one of your posts that you got your start in 1969.
Are you still a Teamster union driver,or are you retired now?
My wife says I'm to nosy,but I'm just interested in people.
It may be the same thing?
But being interested sounds a lot better.
I've got some irony for you.
I quit school with just bearly a 7th grade education.
I was 17 at the time,and just couldn't retain very much facts the the teachers were trying to teach me.
The rest of the story is very long and sad,not worth posting.
I had some hard knocks up till I was 20 years old.
I had a few non-union driving jobs, I went to UPS around the time I got my first Teamster trucking job.
They told me to come back when I had my high school diploma.
Well here I am grand fathered into UPS from Overnite,with no more further education,other than my knowledge of the LTL trucking industry,and my very good God inspired work ethic.
I myself think thats far better than a piece of paper that says you completed 8 years in any school.
Anyway its worked for me all these many years I've been a trucker.
I mostly do my posting on the UPS Freight trucking board.
I see you pretty much stay with USF,and ABF.
I also see by one of your posts that you got your start in 1969.
Are you still a Teamster union driver,or are you retired now?
My wife says I'm to nosy,but I'm just interested in people.
It may be the same thing?
But being interested sounds a lot better.
I've got some irony for you.
I quit school with just bearly a 7th grade education.
I was 17 at the time,and just couldn't retain very much facts the the teachers were trying to teach me.
The rest of the story is very long and sad,not worth posting.
I had some hard knocks up till I was 20 years old.
I had a few non-union driving jobs, I went to UPS around the time I got my first Teamster trucking job.
They told me to come back when I had my high school diploma.
Well here I am grand fathered into UPS from Overnite,with no more further education,other than my knowledge of the LTL trucking industry,and my very good God inspired work ethic.
I myself think thats far better than a piece of paper that says you completed 8 years in any school.
Anyway its worked for me all these many years I've been a trucker.
I have been very fortunate . I'm a high school grad & was honorably discharged from USAF on 1/10/69. I started driving a truck on a union job 2 days later on 1/12/69 & have been in the Teamsters for 37 years. I have been thru 2 closings & am now at 90% at ABF.Apostolic said:
If it wasn't for the high cost of medical ins. I would be collecting my Teamster pension & working somewhere part time.
I'm am proud & lucky to be a Teamster. But I won't be voting for Hoffa because he didn't step up & take his lumps for the Red Star fiasco. ( He said he was out of town on other business & didn't know about the strike that ended up costing 2100 people their jobs)
I TRY not to make dull or silly posts but sometimes I get caught up in things. I don't post on the USF site anymore because they are too high class for me. I probably wouldn't have been Holland material anyway, like most other Red Star Drivers.
imported_gabbydad
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MIKEEEEE said:
Mikeee, gotta take you to task on your Preston opinion. Yellow never intended on Preston succeeding. Truth is Yellow bought Preston to get Saia, which we owned. Yellow's intention was to grow Saia into a large non union carrier, evolving to the level where Yellow Corp could spin off Yellow freight, just like Roadway and CF managed to.
Before deregulation of the LTL trucking industry..
Companies owned road rites.
For you youngins,they paid for their trucking routes so to say.
Every aspect of the industry was regulated in that everyones freight rates where the same.
It was also a good time the be a Teamster worker,as everyone received the same wage.
It only took 30 days to get put on their books fultime.
Their were a lot of LTL companies all working,and sharing in their rite to use trucking routes across the country.
After deregulation everything became a free for all.
In the past union routes were closed to non-union LTL trucking companies.
After dereg. anyone could purchase a truck,and drive it anywhere.
The big three trucking companies started discounting to gain LTL customers.
Smaller LTL's started dropping out of buisness.
After awhile when the discounts got so low,like now,the big trucking companies started buying and merging remaining LTL companies that were struggling to operate.
Than with Yellows case ,and Conway,they bleed the good customers from the struggling companies,than let them go.
Now I'm sure the more brilliant Teamster posters will be able to straighten me out if I'm not completely correct in this post.
But thats about whats happened to LTL trucking over the years,the rich,get richer,the serviving companies could care less about their competition,if they can't compete with their rates,they'll just buy out their stock,bleed them dry,and throw them away.
Companies owned road rites.
For you youngins,they paid for their trucking routes so to say.
Every aspect of the industry was regulated in that everyones freight rates where the same.
It was also a good time the be a Teamster worker,as everyone received the same wage.
It only took 30 days to get put on their books fultime.
Their were a lot of LTL companies all working,and sharing in their rite to use trucking routes across the country.
After deregulation everything became a free for all.
In the past union routes were closed to non-union LTL trucking companies.
After dereg. anyone could purchase a truck,and drive it anywhere.
The big three trucking companies started discounting to gain LTL customers.
Smaller LTL's started dropping out of buisness.
After awhile when the discounts got so low,like now,the big trucking companies started buying and merging remaining LTL companies that were struggling to operate.
Than with Yellows case ,and Conway,they bleed the good customers from the struggling companies,than let them go.
Now I'm sure the more brilliant Teamster posters will be able to straighten me out if I'm not completely correct in this post.
But thats about whats happened to LTL trucking over the years,the rich,get richer,the serviving companies could care less about their competition,if they can't compete with their rates,they'll just buy out their stock,bleed them dry,and throw them away.
Apostolic said:
Apostolic, deregulation and routes had nothing to do with a company being union or not.
When the industry was regulated, a transportation company had to prove that there was a need for their services in a certain area. If there was no need, the Govt. would not let them expand.
Most expansion before deregulation came by purchasing other companies in the area they wanted to expand into due to the fact there was no need for more competition.
This was the only barrier to expansion back then. I really don't see how unions fit into this
sheath said:
Haven't heard anything. Last year I didn't either until about the day before. I guess I'm just too hard to reach, huh?
I'll ask Randy J. He always knows. Of course, if I say Hi to Randy, I'll be there talking for a week...:poster_oops: ...he'd talk to a lightpole if it didn't run away...........the things I go thru for you guys!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!:bananalama:
Associated
I remember when Associated purchased Eastern.Associated also
manufactured ther own trailers,and sold some to other companies as
well.
They were called Brown trailers.
I didn't know that Associated made a trailer called Brown trailers. I know the made there own tractors and they were called Brown. Associated and Cf were the only companys that I am aware of that made there own Tractors (CF Made the Freightliner)
I remember when Associated purchased Eastern.Associated also
manufactured ther own trailers,and sold some to other companies as
well.
They were called Brown trailers.
I didn't know that Associated made a trailer called Brown trailers. I know the made there own tractors and they were called Brown. Associated and Cf were the only companys that I am aware of that made there own Tractors (CF Made the Freightliner)
I tend to agree with Gabbydad. At the time of Yellow's purchase, Preston owned Saia and Smalley's. Prior to those companies, Preston had owned Reeves and Pioneer, 2 companies that were heading south faster than the mercury in a thermometer on a cold winter day. Anyway, Saia was the golden child. It is also all that Yellow wanted at the time. Preston said take it all or leave it all and the rest is history.
What I haven't seen mentioned here yet is the Jevic Factor. Yellow needed another Northeast regional like a hole in the head and yet, 10 days after the Jevic purchase, they shut down Preston. Oh well, what can I say except that I miss those days and still don't trust Yellow.
What I haven't seen mentioned here yet is the Jevic Factor. Yellow needed another Northeast regional like a hole in the head and yet, 10 days after the Jevic purchase, they shut down Preston. Oh well, what can I say except that I miss those days and still don't trust Yellow.
imported_gabbydad
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The Jevic factor is pretty cut and dry, They buy Jevic, merge it with Saia and spin off Yellow Frt (the union enitity), to follow what Roadway and ConWay did in the 90's.
Problem is that Saia and Jevic have distinctly different operating models. It became quickly apparant that merging the two would hurt their position in the market.
But now, it's just post 9/11 and the economy is in the crapper. Meanwhile, the contract of 03 is approaching. Yellow can't go in to the teamsters and cry poverty while owning 2 non-union companies. Yellow can't sell Saia / Jevic and get a good buck since the economy is in the crapper.
Last ditch effort: spin them off into a holding company in OCt 2002: SCS is born.
LTL industry is rapidly changing. Temaster companies are dying out. Yellow did the best thing they could in buying Roadway.
Why fight the union ltl along with the non-union ltl. Yellow/Roadway are better poised for the future together as oppossed to not.
But in my mind, teamsters watch out, you're running out of companies and they know it. Contract after contract I believe you're going to continue to lose ground.
I've never been anti nor pro union, so before anyone gets all ticked off, just look at this as one opinion.
Problem is that Saia and Jevic have distinctly different operating models. It became quickly apparant that merging the two would hurt their position in the market.
But now, it's just post 9/11 and the economy is in the crapper. Meanwhile, the contract of 03 is approaching. Yellow can't go in to the teamsters and cry poverty while owning 2 non-union companies. Yellow can't sell Saia / Jevic and get a good buck since the economy is in the crapper.
Last ditch effort: spin them off into a holding company in OCt 2002: SCS is born.
LTL industry is rapidly changing. Temaster companies are dying out. Yellow did the best thing they could in buying Roadway.
Why fight the union ltl along with the non-union ltl. Yellow/Roadway are better poised for the future together as oppossed to not.
But in my mind, teamsters watch out, you're running out of companies and they know it. Contract after contract I believe you're going to continue to lose ground.
I've never been anti nor pro union, so before anyone gets all ticked off, just look at this as one opinion.
Preston had worked well with Saia for many years. The fact that we were paid substandard wages should have been enough to have them keep Preston around and not even think about Jevic. However, Yellow always thinking that they know best, decided to scrub a company with a long proud heretige. I'd be willing to bet that had they not purchased Jevic, Preston would still be alive and well to this day. Unfortunately, looking back it is easy to see that the big plan was to eliminate a carrier and copy our model for 1day regional coverage.