FedEx Freight Diary (ala Russian Rabbit)

McUzi · Nov 30, 2019

Russian Rabbit said: ↑

Senator, i oppose your contemplative move to another company:

Senator, i take the stand today in opposition of your proposed move. i disapprove for the following reasons:

1) Granted i don't know exactly which company you are proposing to move to, but if it's the one i'm guessing then: FedEx Freight is much larger, more established, and more solid and stable. Which one is going to be around 20,30,40 years from now? And even if both companies are still around, which will be more stable financially? (and can provide better benefits)

I'm curious as to which company I'm dealing with. Sure, FXF is a larger company by monetary metrics. When you mention the question of which will be around 20, 30, 40 years from now, keep in mind the parent company of the subsidiary I am dealing with was in business almost 70 years before the inception of FedEx, with a current lifespan of over 100 years. From the documents that I've reviewed, this prospective company offers higher quality benefits than FXF, albeit at a higher cost, but still not within the realm of what I would consider to be ridiculous (cost wise).

We both bish about how things are run at our respective companies, but UPSF and EX are solid, stable, large established companies----practically institutions. They've been around, they'll always be around. SOLID. The smaller companies here and there may be "flashes in the pan." We ARE the big players in the game, with the best pay, benefits, equipment, sales staff, freight volume etc.

Yes, FXF is solid, an industry leader etc. But to say they will always be around, is a false guarantee. Best pay? Sure. Best benefits? Hardly. They aren't bad or the worst by any stretch, but far from the best.

When i look at a company, i don't just look at pay structure, equipment etc. i ask myself, would i feel comfortable retiring at this company(even if i don't PLAN on retiring from that company)-----a well established "institution" (post office, ups) or a small outfit (joe blows trucking co)?

My retirement comfort is derived from internal operational culture, which means that Joe Blow's Trucking Co could even be an outfit I'd be comfortable retiring at.

STABILITY (both company and financially), CONSISTENCY, BENEFITS, ORGANIZATION, LONGEVITY. is likely my first and possibly most important point.

2) Now about your shorty situation:
Family IS absolutely the most important thing.
With 4 shorties, it might be tough, but i'd like to propose a possible solution:
Why not just switch to city?

A switch to city does not yield guaranteed hours or work, especially with the warpath the company is currently undergoing with overtime. the bulk of city drivers in my barn do not exceed 35 hours, and that goes up the list to the top 20% of seniority on the city list. I'd estimate that we are overstaffed by 10-12 city drivers, but thats what the center manager wants to limit O/T.

Posts #753, #803 and the check i am likely to post today in the UPS freight diary, i think are good illustration of what one could make doing city for a 50-ish hour work week. (because UPSF and Ex pay similarly). $1600-ish gross.

a) With 50 hours, you will still have time (and hopefully energy) to spend a few hours per day with the shorties. Those few hours might make all the difference in the world?

b) i was going to suggest why not just make the weekends "family time?" (this seemed to work in my situation growing up)
But here's the problem(s) with that: If you stay on linehaul, are you going to be awake Saturday, during the day? You and i both know this isn't going to work. So, even though you're off from work, you're timing is off----you need to sleep at least part of the day.

If you switch to city and somehow end up working more than 50 hours, it could happen, but i don't see this being permanent, and family time can only be on weekends, then at least you'll be ready to go first thing Sat morning and this could make all the difference, although with 4 shorties you might have your hands full. What are their genders?

There is likely more, but i've forgotten. i stand down for now and respectfully oppose your proposal.
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jmz said: ↑

@Russian Rabbit im pretty sure he mentioned at some point that he wouldn’t be able to get enough hours in the city to make it worthwhile.

Some managers are really strict on OT.
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This.

USMC 3531 said: ↑

I don't know, a quick glance at cyro trucking jobs at different parts of the country on indeed, it looks like they do all right actually, some of them had $80,000 to $90,000 earning potentials posted, if its anything like hauling bottle trailers (propane/anhydrous ammonia, ect) it's cool because most those companies keep you in the same truck and alot times same trailer, no more doubles sets to contend with either, BUT if it's a smaller company which was my situation, the money was pretty good, but the cost of the benefits just for medical/dental alone was insane, yeah it was blue cross blue shield, but I was paying $1000 a month for me and my wife just for med/den, that was way to much, I don't pay no where near that at Saia now for benefits for me and her, and we get a considerable amount of other things besides med/den, ADD,STD,LTD,life insurance ect, I guess what I am trying to say is if McUzi does take the job, I hope that it is a good sized and reputable carrier and the benefits are very reasonable, that would be my main concern, everything else he has said about it sounds great
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For my family benefits, with BCBS, Eyemed and Aetna dental, I'll be right around $135/week. But you're right, assigned trucks, etc. From a monetary standpoint, I still have the opportunity to gross between $75-95k yearly, working in the daytime and having legitimate weekends, as well as having a rock bottom guaranteed 40hr paycheck.

hermyinaz · Nov 30, 2019

Yeah we got a lot of day runs here in Flag it just takes about 5 years to get them or maybe even 7 now with stuff slowing down the way it is. I don’t know I fill in with the city as well when they need help and I like it better then the linehaul but there’s just no money in it. It used to be good because you could get 10 to 20 hours of ot but not now pretty much a flat 8. You can make that in retail lol..

McUzi · Nov 30, 2019

hermyinaz said: ↑

Yeah we got a lot of day runs here in Flag it just takes about 5 years to get them or maybe even 7 now with stuff slowing down the way it is. I don’t know I fill in with the city as well when they need help and I like it better then the linehaul but there’s just no money in it. It used to be good because you could get 10 to 20 hours of ot but not now pretty much a flat 8. You can make that in retail lol..
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I've been on the edge of my seat on where you are seeing a $30/hr retail gig.

hermyinaz · Dec 1, 2019

Lol maybe not in retail.....

Bob Dobalina · Dec 1, 2019

hermyinaz said: ↑

Lol maybe not in retail.....
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I'm surprised you didn't say "flipping burgers," like every other truck driver.

Now an OTR guy driving for a mega, accounting for all his time in the truck and breaking it down by the hour, maybe. An LTL driver? Nope. There aren't many jobs left that compare to our wages. It's one of the few middle class jobs remaining. Try living the same way off of $500/wk gross or less working at the mall.

BigDog Trucker · Dec 1, 2019

Bob Dobalina said: ↑

I'm surprised you didn't say "flipping burgers," like every other truck driver.

Now an OTR guy driving for a mega, accounting for all his time in the truck and breaking it down by the hour, maybe. An LTL driver? Nope. There aren't many jobs left that compare to our wages. It's one of the few middle class jobs remaining. Try living the same way off of $500/wk gross or less working at the mall.
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We'll all be amazon slaves soon enough eating govt cheese with our universal income of 1k bucks a month and our very own pod to live in.

McUzi · Dec 1, 2019

Bob Dobalina said: ↑

I'm surprised you didn't say "flipping burgers," like every other truck driver.

Now an OTR guy driving for a mega, accounting for all his time in the truck and breaking it down by the hour, maybe. An LTL driver? Nope. There aren't many jobs left that compare to our wages. It's one of the few middle class jobs remaining. Try living the same way off of $500/wk gross or less working at the mall.
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Mathematically, an OTR driver making $1200/week working 67 hours of his 70 is pulling less than $18/hr. Screw that.

BigDog Trucker · Dec 1, 2019

McUzi said: ↑

Mathematically, an OTR driver making $1200/week working 67 hours of his 70 is pulling less than $18/hr. Screw that.
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Livin the dream, baby!

USMC 3531 · Dec 2, 2019

BigDog Trucker said: ↑

We'll all be amazon slaves soon enough eating govt cheese with our universal income of 1k bucks a month and our very own pod to live in.
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I hope they atleast distribute Spam with the cheese, so I can make some mean Denver omelettes with that ####.

McUzi · Dec 2, 2019

First bit of snow for the year and linehaul is called off for the region tonight. Oh well. Off to see the boy’s karate class.

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