Abilene Motor Express....A New Place To Call Home

JohnBoy · Jun 27, 2022

ExtremeUnction said: ↑

Sadly, this is everywhere, not just Abilene.

I grew up in a world where you got a job and you worked at a company and it was a career and they valued your loyalty and your seniority and your institutional knowledge. And you retired from that company and they gave you a watch and a pension. That was the American Dream, that was what I grew up chasing.

But somewhere down the line, a bunch of bean counters realized that we can fire the guy that's been here 30 years and we can replace him with someone fresh out of college who will do work that's adequate for our purposes. He won't be as good as the guy we just fired, but he'll be fine. And he'll work for 25% less money, so we can save 0.04% on our payroll every month and kick that money upstairs to the upper management.

And then a bunch of other bean counters figured that, hey, we don't have to break the bank when we give out raises. We can give out 2%-3% a year, every year, just to keep up with COLA and inflation. Which put employees in a position that if they were struggling to meet the bills and needed more money, they could make more money by quitting and going to a new company. Because a new company can hire you new off the streets for a salary that your employers can't match, because giving you a 5% or 6% raise violates company policy.

I used to work for an internet company. I was a manager. Had a staff of eight. The eight people that worked for me were getting drastically underpaid compared to their counterparts elsewhere in the industry. Each one of them could've quit the job, gone to literally any other company, and instantly gotten a 30% raise. So I brought this to the attention of our HR department in an attempt to get their salaries adjusted. Because I liked 'em and they were great employees who did a good job and I didn't want to lose them.

And it was a fight getting their salaries brought up to the industry standard. Why? Because that would've meant they were getting a raise far in excess of what the company guidelines allowed for. HR was only allowed to give them a max raise of 5% annually, and here I was stumping for a 30% raise.

And the kicker was that HR and the company would've absolutely paid a new hire the exact salary I was asking for. Because that wouldn't have shown up in their books as a 30% raise. But they dug in their freakin' heels at the though of paying employees already on their payroll the same money.

I did, eventually, win that fight, but it took about six months.

So the corporations and the HR departments and the accounting departments for every major company in America have created an atmosphere where job hopping is rewarded and loyalty is punished and new hires who don't know anything are better than old hands who do because the companies don't gotta pay 'em as much money.

I wish we could go back to the old way, but that ship has sailed.
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Bingo!! There are times when I do this job that I sit back and say to myself, “what for”? My knowledge, insight, expertise means nothing. Why should I do anything beyond my job safely? I wasn’t hired to think, I was hired to do a job. My problem? I have always taken a step back and analyzed a problem and came up with a solution. Here? Totally useless. I’m just a truck driver. I’ve learned a long time ago not to waste my breath, no one listens or cares.

JohnBoy · Jun 27, 2022

Next adventure, Laredo to reload going back to Colonial Heights with a load of cooler doors made in Mexico. Nice 2006 mile trip.

Finfn1372 · Jun 27, 2022

Really don't know how much,I'll last,went ahead and took a weeks vacation,wasn't planned,but it's been that way for a few weeks.
Call in because I can't get fuel,because they still have me on 2 trips earlier,big change from when I started.

RebelChick · Jun 27, 2022

And yet we were all told that nothing would change after the buyout. IDK about y’all, but it changed-180 degrees. Drivers sitting in RVA? All those TX loads sitting on the WM yard and yet somehow when asking to go west, but not too far sometimes, there was never any freight (even though I knew there was out of said customer)? It’s like they are trying to run people away. Eventually, even the newbies are going to look at the low cpm, read about the shenanigans, and skip over Abilene. They’ll become one of the new TransAm, Cargo Transporters or other bottom of the barrel companies. You know things are messed up when even JB is scratching his head. I have been thinking about getting back in the game. Haven’t even thought once about coming back here, though, and that’s sad to say because I loved working there.

drvrtech77 · Jun 27, 2022

Seem like knight is screwing up everything like they typically do..

Finfn1372 · Jun 27, 2022

If my area payed better,I'd probably would have been gone.

It's just the incompetence,that gets me sometimes.

runningman0661 · Jun 27, 2022

JohnBoy said: ↑

Oh, one other thing. Abilene deems me an unsafe driver. I lost out on my monthly safety bonus last month because I went 10 over in Utah once. So it cost me $362. I’m fighting them on their verbiage in the letter announcing the parameters and how it’s presented. 10 over to them is based on the company speed limit, not the posted speed limit. Their way I was doing 81 in a 71, Utah says on their sign I was doing 81 in an 80. So, by missing out of the bonus, not getting so much as an email/QC/text or phone call, I’m deemed unsafe, yes, me, the one that has given this company. 9 years of service, 1.3 million accident free miles, no tickets, and bring to the table 43 years and 4 million safe miles with only one ticket in that time. Look out motoring public, there’s a loose cannon driving this Abilene truck sharing the highways with you. Trust me, the money isn’t the issue, the way they presented it is though.
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I knew when the changed the wording in that bonus program drivers would get screwed.

JohnBoy · Jun 27, 2022

runningman0661 said: ↑

I knew when the changed the wording in that bonus program drivers would get screwed.
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Yup. And that’s coming from an unsafe driver.

jarhead0311 · Jun 27, 2022

I swear if the planners had brains they would be dangerous.....get my furniture unloaded in Vail this morning and of course no preplan, even with my DM repeatedly messaging the planner. Couldn't stay parked in the Apt complex I delivered to and so I decided to head west to the scenic view to wait but was full so I headed to Dotsero figuring could go any direction from there. DM called when I got there and said the planner said head towards Denver. Ok, turn around and head towards Denver. Get east of Vail and stuck in a few mile backup due to construction and DM calls and says they are putting a load in the system and to head towards Olathe, CO. I look the place up and the d--n place is south of Grand Junction, the opposite of Denver.....so I get through the backup and construction and head west again but can't get to first pickup til tomorrow morning due to the merry-go-round crap and missing cut off for loading today. First pickup is a load of seed at an AG place then second pickup in Aurora is a crate of exhibition stuff. Crate is going to Havre De Grace, Md and the seed to Orangeburg, Sc. Crate don't deliver til next Tues. and the Seed Wed. Told DM going to have to split it somewhere. Swift yard in Columbus is only place can think of on route or could take it to Richmond and if they want to take the crate off and put it with other stuff going up towards Md. Either way be at either place Friday. Im not sitting on it, besides I got home time coming up starting the 7th with a doc appt at the VA on the 8th. Watch the seed load be loaded all the way back and the crate won't fit.....

JohnBoy · Jun 27, 2022

Tel them you’ll drop it in WM, that seems like the go to place for freight being dropped and winding up being late. Apparently, based on what I hear, late freight is ok with the planners.

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