Yup, I accepted the reality of deregulation. As the industry changed with access to the markets and competitive pricing, I relocated 2 times, gladly accepted a couple of reductions in pay and lost a weeks vacation. Preston closed and I went to Yellow where I took an additional 15% reduction to start at 70% of the rate with no earned vacation time. I appreciated Yellow's giving me an opportunity at 50 years old.
I did not send out resumes stating 25 years experience including Ohio and Indiana triples licenses, hazmat and tanker endorsements and 2 million accident free miles. No resume stating that as a one seniority board Teamster, I had worked every job available including linehaul, P&D, dock and yard. I did not demand top pay and PTO because I knew that for the past 25 years, I had been grossly overpaid. How did I know that? I knew it because my skills would not command that level of compensation in the free market. Not a single displaced Yellow Teamster sat in front of a potential employer and said, "this is what you will pay me".
You would think that reasonable people seeing the decimation of unionized LTL would stop clinging to the 50 year old model of defined benefit pensions, no deductible, no premium healthcare and outdated work rules and classifications. Only unionized trucking believes that warehouse labor is worth the same rate of pay as a skilled CDL driver with multiple endorsements.