Giving it up for good

Just like Green Beret training, many dream it, a lot try it, few survive it.

 

Thank you. You are doing what is best for you and your family. I've been at it for over 3 decades and still love it and have fun. Yea, it has changed, alot. But, I adapt.

Windy as the devil, here in MO.

 

this job does suck. i'll give it that.

not as fun as when i first started.

and the company that says i dont have a life. becuase i'm a trucker. my life is in the truck. not at home. i don't think soooooooooooooo.

i go to work, make my living. and come home. i don't play gypsie.

i don't see uuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuu living out on the road.

 

Just because companies have both company trucks and contractors does not mean the contractors will get starved out when things slow. Smart companies will realize that quality contractors are every bit as valuable as a company driver. Slow freight periods will come and go, and you will be wishing you had that contractor back. In 2008-2009 we lost 40% of our business. We tried to keep the best drivers and contractors and let the bottom performers quit. We put several of our older trucks in storage and didn't look for additional drivers so that we could keep our team together. Having survived that horrible period I would never do anything different. I am thankful that we were able to keep our contractors afloat because I am proud to have my name on their door. They are truly some of the best.

 

Even though I do not pull for your company I give you and your family alot of credit for doing what needed to be done in those times.
The place I was at before layed off a lot of their lower preformers as well. Plus did a hiring freeze.
Smart bussiness sense.
They even offered a layoff program for some of their contractors. Take the winter off and when you come back we give you x amount of dollars.
I was getting ready to take my time off as normal and they offered me the incentive as well.
Who was I to look a gift horse in the mouth so to speak.
I just hope nobody has to do that again in this life time, but I think it might happen..

 

Dennisb if your still interested in o/o let me know. I got a guy you need to talk to in Georgia.

 

What scares me this time is the number of large fleets that have added specialized capacity. You have companies like Roehl, EW Wylie, etc adding steps and RGNs as quick as they can figure out how. Open deck has been where the money has been for the last two years, and everyone is chasing it now. If the economy doesn't pick up it could get ugly.

 

True, it's not necessarily so. But I have experienced it myself and had friends go through the same experience. So, I do caution people about entering such situations.