Central Transport | what's next for 2013?

Man i wish i could predict the future because it would be really helpful now...If i knew for sure we were going to go out of business i would get through the holidays and start preparing for a job change. I would say i would quit but that would cause my loss of unemployment....Maybe i would try to get fired for some stupid mistakes, but not stupid enough to black ball myself...I want a break that unemployment would give me...Then as spring moves in and freight picks up i would hit a job search hot and heavy. Now if i knew we would survive this storm i would just stand pat and ride it out for a few years until im ready to retire. Not wise to change horses in the middle of the stream...It gets you wet and sometimes cold...Im not going to borrow trouble much anymore...Its possible we can survive...YRC did...so at this point its just a waiting game...But however 2013 turns out i will be ready...I wont be blindsided...I will stay optimistic..But wont be surprised if we go belly up...Its so easy to paint this picture of doom and gloom...But stranger things have happened...So lets just wait and see...
 
Man i wish i could predict the future because it would be really helpful now...If i knew for sure we were going to go out of business i would get through the holidays and start preparing for a job change. I would say i would quit but that would cause my loss of unemployment....Maybe i would try to get fired for some stupid mistakes, but not stupid enough to black ball myself...I want a break that unemployment would give me...Then as spring moves in and freight picks up i would hit a job search hot and heavy. Now if i knew we would survive this storm i would just stand pat and ride it out for a few years until im ready to retire. Not wise to change horses in the middle of the stream...It gets you wet and sometimes cold...Im not going to borrow trouble much anymore...Its possible we can survive...YRC did...so at this point its just a waiting game...But however 2013 turns out i will be ready...I wont be blindsided...I will stay optimistic..But wont be surprised if we go belly up...Its so easy to paint this picture of doom and gloom...But stranger things have happened...So lets just wait and see...

sitting at home is not an option....been there, done that...yes I could get by with no problem, but I prefer to stay busy.
 
This will be one year with CK at the helm also, and I have seen some improvements, but, also seen some steps backwards too.
 
I think we need to get rid of a lot of the stuck in the mud attitudes, like dispatchers who refuse to make the tablet system work and do all they can to sabotage it. and maybe Chris should hire a good pr firm to improve our image.
 
And wash equipment, and have trailers swept out when they empty them (like they used to) have ALL drivers wear their uniforms (99% of ours do, my TM is strict on that subject) have some drivers clean up their acts while on customer's docks (language wise) automatic write up if any garbage left in truck (they know who drove it, we all fill out dvir and fuel /mile sheets)
 
Man i wish i could predict the future because it would be really helpful now...If i knew for sure we were going to go out of business i would get through the holidays and start preparing for a job change. I would say i would quit but that would cause my loss of unemployment....Maybe i would try to get fired for some stupid mistakes, but not stupid enough to black ball myself...I want a break that unemployment would give me...Then as spring moves in and freight picks up i would hit a job search hot and heavy. Now if i knew we would survive this storm i would just stand pat and ride it out for a few years until im ready to retire. Not wise to change horses in the middle of the stream...It gets you wet and sometimes cold...Im not going to borrow trouble much anymore...Its possible we can survive...YRC did...so at this point its just a waiting game...But however 2013 turns out i will be ready...I wont be blindsided...I will stay optimistic..But wont be surprised if we go belly up...Its so easy to paint this picture of doom and gloom...But stranger things have happened...So lets just wait and see...

"Its possible we can survive...YRC did...so at this point its just a waiting game"

Your comparing tiny Vitran to YRC does not work. YRC is being propped up by special union interests at the union level and government level. No one will be here or has been here to rescue Vitran.
 
"Had Enough" is exactly right. Vitran will pull the stakes out of the U.S. operation.

In my opinion Vitran will down size its U.S. operation in 2013. It is very apparent from all the posts that the SW region is a mess and has been for a long time. If Vitran has any chance of turning a profit in the U.S. it needs to shut down the old Chris Truckline and Sierra West locations. Both regions lack freight density and the company incurs high linehaul costs to move freight into these markets.

90% of the freight on the west coast in Wal-Mart generated. This is a problem in itself because of the reduced Wal-Mart rates. The SW region clearly lacks freight density and Vitran does not have the money to fix that issue. As example, what other LTL carrier has only 3 terminals in the state of TX? (ODFL, SAIA, FXF, Central Transport) have at least 20 terminals each in TX.

YRC followed a similar path in 2005 after purchasing the USF Group. Bestway (TX, KS, OK) and Dugan (Southeast, OK, KS, LA, AR) lacked freight density and were an internal mess. Therefore, YRC closed them down and now USF Holland focuses on their core market and USF Bestway focuses on their core market.

The Vitran core markets are clearly the central and mid-atlantic states. Vitran must stop the profit drain in the West and SW, and use what limited resources it has left on its key, dense markets. (Vitran Legacy and PJAX Legacy).

To put the "lack of density" comment into perspective. The Pittsburgh and Indianapolis facilities each handle more shipments daily than the West and SW region combined.

The key is will Gaetz, with his arrogance, thinking he has built the ODFL, concede defeat and shrink the Vitran U.S. network or continue to dump money into a sinking ship.
 
Gaetz's goal was to make Vitran a national player but it has been a complete shell game. Other than the legacy PJAX area, most all the other states are not 100% direct and many of them utilize "cartage" to fill in the map. As "ltl is great" said, Texas is the perfect example. They give the customer 100% pricing to the state but outside of HOU,DAL and SAA the service based on transit times just stinks. The only hope is to shut down the west for sure and probably the SW as well. It hurts to have to pull out of the texas market but Vitran does not have any money to make it work. This is probably the only hope Vitran will have to bring in some more investors and give it one last try. Heard that CK and his gaggle of fedex geese are heading to Canada next week to discuss shutting down the west.

There is no more money to sink into US operations, they will somehow have to raise more capital. I for one don't think it will happen and see them shutting down US by mid year.
 
I too think they will shut down tx..To serve this massive state you need lots of terminals..at least 15 or 20...We interline almost everything except in D-FW an Houston...It would make perfect sense as far as cost control...And it would make me get off my azz and go to work for one of the big boys...Yeah..I say shut down tTexas
 
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The more i think about it. It makes perfect sense.....Lots have been going on in Dallas and Houston...With the SW Vice president quiting..and the freight volume dropping off rapidly....They are phasing out Texas....So much has been going on in Dallas and Houston behind the scenes ...it truly makes perfect sense...The VP must have seen the writing on the wall...But im so ready to start over...I so ready to draw unemployment and take a break for awhile. It will probley happen around the first of the year...The North will benefit because they will move all these new tractors and trailers up north. Density is truly a problem in Tx....You would really have to live here to understand that. Regional carriers such as Central freight have about 20 terminals here, we have 2..San Antonio doesnt count because they have about 5 drivers...Guys log on to Central Freight Lines, Inc. and look at there system...maybe then you can understand. And "ltl is great" said USF Bestway was still in business in tx....They are not..They shut down many years ago...Making his point even more true...So guys i wish you the best...Because i think we are history after the 1st of the year. Check out line #8 on this thread by "ltl is great" to get a better perspective on this subject
 
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The more i think about it. It makes perfect sense.....Lots have been going on in Dallas and Houston...With the SW Vice president quiting..and the freight volume dropping off rapidly....They are phasing out Texas....So much has been going on in Dallas and Houston behind the scenes ...it truly makes perfect sense...The VP must have seen the writing on the wall...But im so ready to start over...I so ready to draw unemployment and take a break for awhile. It will probley happen around the first of the year...The North will benefit because they will move all these new tractors and trailers up north. Density is truly a problem in Tx....You would really have to live here to understand that. Regional carriers such as Central freight have about 20 terminals here, we have 2..San Antonio doesnt count because they have about 5 drivers...Guys log on to Central Freight Lines, Inc. and look at there system...maybe then you can understand. And "ltl is great" said USF Bestway was still in business in tx....They are not..They shut down many years ago...Making his point even more true...So guys i wish you the best...Because i think we are history after the 1st of the year. Check out line #8 on this thread by "ltl is great" to get a better perspective on this subject

Vitran's Dallas Operation has been more of a delivery hub than a pickup area. The fact that they have so very few swap locations and their multiple bill pickups just aren't there anymore. Dallas will probably stay in play as the metroplex is such a huge player commercially. Chris's operation was the same then as it is now. Still making money just not as much as the big boys.
 
i'm paying 135.00 a week for insurance for my family of 4 when i started here 11 years ago it was 39 bucks. go figure

?? before I left Vitran earlier this year I was paying like 39.00 a week. I know it went up during the re-enrollment. What location are you at?
 
I must disagree with you slugbug...Tx wont survive 2013...However i think Vitran US will stay in the NE for awhile
Vitran's Dallas Operation has been more of a delivery hub than a pickup area. The fact that they have so very few swap locations and their multiple bill pickups just aren't there anymore. Dallas will probably stay in play as the metroplex is such a huge player commercially. Chris's operation was the same then as it is now. Still making money just not as much as the big boys.
 
It was interesting to read about the slow growth in the west coast here because in my route area, in one LA suburb, I see a Vitran truck or sometimes two making stops that don't have Walmart as customers. In fact I've seen a Vitran truck many more times than a Sierra West. I thought you guys were growing out here.
 
the cost of moving wal-mart freight from memphis to cali doen't costs as much as you think it does. and wal-mart freight that comes out of cali to the dist center in midway tenn, which is run by knoxville tn terminal dont cost as much as you think either. all that freight is ran on the rails. shneider containers. we dont touch it until the container gets into memphis. then it is pulled by a vitran driver to nashville then againto knoxville. then it goes back to nash then mem, then it is loaded again with nothiing but wal-mart freight and it goes back west to the lax terminal. i dont know about all the other freight picked up in the west, but I know for sure that is how wal-mart is dealt with, I know first hand, cuz I pull them to knox, and mem
 
Damage claims is what cost Vitran in the SW region...When 90% of the freight goes to cartage companies for distribution it either gets lost, stolen, or damaged. Customer service tells customers to call our agents. When you tell customers they have no idea when their freight will deliver they become outraged...I have been in there when i have heard the reps tell customers to please stop cussing them or they will hang up...and guess what, they do hangup. Vitran has bitten off more than they can chew to cover this massive sized state. What they will do about it remains to be seen...Dallas and Houston is a major market...But if you cant give your customers DIRECT service outside of the DFW and Houston area...Do them a favor when you sell it from the NE....Hey, we go there but we give it to someone else to deliver...So i really cant tell you when and if they will ever get it.
 
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