All costs up, Rates continue downward

It's not that sad for everybody you pictured ...it's just depends on the business owner and his business skills ...I always say for $15 per hour what would you do roofing or sitting in the office , same way I compare flat bed and car hauling ...not worth it doing at least for me .

 

Besides a conti tires discounts and 10 percent off on straps, I don't see any real cost saving measures gained by joining IATA let alone justify staying afloat amid the low rate crisis we are facing. The argument in this instance should be a union type power of collective bargaining against the auto industry....not a couple bucks off of premium tire ticker prices. In fact, I will pay full price on those if rates came back to a sustainable level. By the way, We all know who likes to run them chinese. You won't find the big guys runing them. One continental buys Two wind power tires. So how much incentive can you offer in the time of crisis to reshape the mindset of the little guy. What good does a discount on a lambo does when you can only afford a corolla?

 

The difference here between car hauling and general commodities rates. Is that the later actually hit bottom and could only go up. In fact, folks were doing $1.50 to $1.70 before eld. Its only logical their rates will stay same or go up. Only one way to go and it was up. Ours never hit bottom and in fact we are still on that slow tail spin. Not quite a nose dive given how hard its been to predict where or when it actually bottoms. Rate got to get stable first before it can recover if its possible. My prediction is that we won't have much daylight between us and the dry vans anymore. And flatbed rates and reefer almost caught up. That's the reality.

 

That's the cold honest truth

 

you will be surprised - just purchase brand new fontaine flat bed that has DOUBLE COIN from the factory
i try to be in the middle on tire purchase ...not the cheapest chinese , i use dayton and good year now

 

It all has to start someplace. The discounts and savings far outweigh the cost of membership. With 8 Trucks I will save between 16,000 and $20,000 a year with the tire, strap, cell phone and other discounts. Our intentions are to get people together to start working on the issues. So far over 40 companies with almost 350 power units have joined. When share work. We network and help each other in many ways. As membership grows we want to use the membership fees to fund many other things. As we are a unique part of the logistics industry we have very specific needs. I am not trying to sell you on it at all. Just educate you that the beginning of something much bigger than a small 1 or 20 Truck company any has begun so we can work together to take on many issues within our industry. Hell I have 17 phones and tablets on my business account with Verizon. I save about $158.00 per month on that alone. And maybe some guys use Chinese Tires. I don’t because of what I have learned from those that have. The cost savings per tire with the longer life and less issues make the Continentals cheaper for me than the Chinese Tires. And we are in the middle of negotiations with Michelin and others as we speak. Good luck what ever you do and let me know if I can do anything for you. Just remember. It won’t fix itself. I feel you want it to change. Get involved.

 

Also, being from PA. Look at who the founders are. You know the players. There’s a reason they all took the time to get this started and off the ground.

 

You make a good point, but I keep stressing on that collective bargaining presure on the auto industry. Without that, all you all doing is dance in circles. I don't necessarily need any discounts on tires and cellphone needs though I won't say no those, I will not join just for that.

I have never worked in any organised employment environment but I know UNIONS have gotten a bad rep in this country lately. Even by those who need it most.

If you aren't open to things like strikes, protest, lobbying and even holding cars hostage, then count people like me out. If the sounds of artilery scares you, don't start a war.

The AUTO HAULERS ASSOCIATION OF AMERICA. AHAA is out there. Members include the biggest wigs in the game. Looking at their list of membership, everyone who's a somebody in this game is amongst their ranks. Why haven't anything changed? They've been around for a while. The answer is that they are all busy undercutting each other. I have seen contracts change hands among those member for a much lower rate. Infact I find them counter productive to the cause. There's no real coleboration there. Maybe in tandem with the manufacturers WHO FUND THEM, they might help set the standards of the auto hauling industry. Things like uniformity in equipment designs, research and feed backs for the auto industries and things like that. Do you honestly think they are there to bail each other out and watched PMTG implode? (I still give it up to the banks, that was at least the idea during the bear sterns Lehman brothers aig situation).

IATA seems like the little mans version of the big thing. Its like being refused entry to a highend club, and you start your own block party without anything setting you apart from the others guys as fair a incentives, vision and objectives is concerned. If iata wants to set themselves apart, they have something to steer clear from. But if they are trying to be a version of what not to be, I have something to steer clear from.

 

AHAA. Is a great organization. We both have our agendas. I am a member of AHAA and one of the Founders if IATA. I come from the repossession industry that has 6 Trade organizations for 5500 repossession companies nationwide. We have over 38,000 transpotation companies in our sector and untill 1/1/2018 there was only one with 60 ish company’s invelved. We may be the little guys. We are the INDEPENDENT Automobile Transporters Alliance. We are trying to bring some different things to the table. As far as striking and other string arm tactics are not what we are about. To educate, lobby and have the ability to purchase things at a large company price by joining together, is what we are about.
I understand you may not be interested and that’s fine. The founders and many others have meet several times to discuss what is going on in the industry and what we may be able to do. Many will sit back. ##### fart piss and moan and do nothing else. We are atleast trying something. If all it ever becomes is a avenue to save thousands of dollars for a company every year for every truck. Than we have accomplished more than those that do nothing else but cry. Either way. I will continue to make efforts to do what I can. Hope that helps. Have a great day.

 

I also sent you a pm.