Random LTL Rants (all are welcomed)

You just gave me a horrible flashback and you are spot on !
Long story short, I was a drivers helper about 11 years ago. My best friend at the time had his CDL needed a helper.

We were a subcontractor of GE ( General Electric ). We delivered and Installed Residential Appliances for Home Depot / Lowes. The salesmen/ customers always measured wrong for underneath the cabinets / doorways. 60-80 hour weeks Commission and hourly $350-$450 Never again. CDL buddy made approx $100 more per week.

Those 400-600 pound side by side refrigerators going up 2 flights with a hand truck really improved our WORK SMARTER NOT HARDER minds lmao. We are both big guys 6'2+ and 240lbs+ but still it was dreadful, We both lasted 5 months. Never a easy day

Thanks for the flashback arsehole




PS. We kicked in dishwashers if we were running behind and claimed freight damage. The statue of limitations ran out. I don't care to admit now

 

Location varies, I'm still young and naive to the union world. 2nd union job not even 1 year anniversary. It's different for sure, Way too much politics involved.
on the other side, worked way too many non union jobs with zero/crap benefits and no future for retirement.

 

LOL, last week i delivered an oriental rug to a women in a snotty subdivision. Her driveway was the ONLY unshoveled driveway with a couple of inches of snow on it. I dragged it up her driveway while she watched. I'm sure some of you have had the pleasure of delivering these. They are wrapped in plastic and put in a large card board tube. The tube was already damaged, go figure. I let her check to make sure it was what she ordered. As i was leaving she said " you can take YOUR cardboard tube with you" I looked at the tube and said to her "WoW i didnt know we had the same first and last name as well as the same address" then i walked away without HER Tube. Yea, i can be a real Smart Axx !

 

PITA. I've been improvising with those tubes. I tie some cheap yellow rope around and drag it. Looks unprofessional ( enhanced drama factor ), Driveways and snow, easier on your back.
I have to remember your line next time when they want the tube removed

 

That's how my workplace is. Incredibly negative, where people milk the clock in anger at the company for not paying overtime and having everyone work 12+ hours. Also a lot of backstabbing, brown nosing and complaints about favoritism. Nobody ever knows what's going on or why a guy with 2 years of seniority is getting two runs and guy with 20 is only getting one. It's all a big salad of unhappiness. I don't know if a union would solve this. But definitely a raise and some clarity about how things are going to go would make it better.

One thing that does piss me off a lot is the fact that while union guys have a shop steward we have a "safety director", which is nothing more than a corporate pet that sits there to make sure everyone is in line. Absolutely no "trust and mutual cooperation".

 

When they say "i dont need the pallet"' i respond "neither do i" and leave

 

No difference, When I was at ABF the senior guys would stick around and wait for anyone who worked the dock 2nd shift to chat on break. Low man on totem i worked the home dock often. The guys would easily get in 3+ hours OT a day. Not sure what was top rate $. In my personal view was, They dreaded to go home. lmao

 

A lot of that here too. Really have to watch who you are friends with.

 

It's really more about the terminal and the people who work there than union vs non-union. There's almost always going to be a few jerks, clock milkers and guys who kinda don't give a crap about doing the job well.