Does 2010, 2011, 2012... hold more promise for those who survive?

Sir Winston Churchill: "This is not the end. It is not even the beginning of the end. But, it is, perhaps, the end of the beginning."​

Is this what you mean John Miles?​

 

There must be something to this intermodal thing if a couple of the "big dogs" are doing more of it.

 

Sure there is,...It's much cheaper to move freight by rail than by truck,..Time is the biggest factor with trucking,...Trucks are generally faster,..

 

I ain't scared!!! I say bring on the changes & the ones willing to look at them with a open mind will be the ones who figure out how to manipulate the system!!

As for the freight & economy rebounding? I believe we will see a small increase come Feb & March of 2010. Nothing major, but something to keep us moving a little. I do think by the end of 2010 a recovery will be in motion but will not return to the levels that we had in 06 & 07 until 2014.

 

No Oldnewbiegonnabe ... methinks thou doest protest too much. Tis not the end of the beginning ... tis not the end of act lll, scene 2 ... you havn't come on stage yet and you don't know your lines or how the play will end ... suffice it to say that nobody knows the end from the beginning. All one can do in such a situation is to prepare yourself for whatever unfolds before you ... you get the best education you can get, get your credentials, get your experience and be adaptable enough to play your part in whatever industry changes present themselves. Ever since the rail roads began hauling trailers ... and that's been quite awhile ... the rumor has been in the air that they will eventually take over the majority of long haul freight ... the only surprise is that it has taken so long. But realize one thing ... that only gets the freight fron one rr hub to another. Unless your wife and mine really enjoy grocery shopping in rr yards there will always be a need for someone to move the freight in trucks to stores. This is not something new ... like I said ... the only surprise is that it has taken as long as it has. This will be hard on folks who really love it out there on the road for months at a time ... but for those of us who have been doing short intercity or within 175 mile radius of our terminals ... it would present very little change.

 

BTW ... even this presents possibilities ... for example we haul 10 loads to Norfork Soluthern everyday ... that's 77,000 gallons of diesel every day of the week.

 

And that's just our Charlotte terminal hauling to NS's Linwood, NC yard ... our company hauls MUCH more to other rr yards

 

From the Con-way website:
"In 2007, Con-way Inc. acquired Contract Freighters, Inc (CFI), a privately held North American truckload carrier based in Joplin, Mo. The combination of CFI and Con-way Truckload resources has expanded our truckload operation and gives us the ability to provide our customers with a more comprehensive truckload service."

Now I'm confused (no worries, that's how I roll)! Why spend $750,000,000 purchasing a company set up for truckload if LTL is the wave of the future?

 

We've been told it was so we were a "one stop shop" for all the customers transportation needs. Con-way Freight was CFI's largest customer before CNW acquired them. They are still our preferred carrier for coast to coast freight. Truckload did recently announce they are expanding regional service - I have no idea what or where though.

Always seemed to me Truckload could make better use of our terminals for drop yards and meet points. Guess time will tell but they have that as a option if that's what they decide to do.