Info on Monarch Transport

From Monarch to Pioneer !!!

 

Thanks, I have been in the industry for 36 years 17 of those years hand unloading 53 foot trailers as a company driver. And another the last 5 years tarping and strapping lumber on a flat deck. Unfortunately I am no longer able to do a lot of manual labour due to injuries sustained from those ones. The doctors are hoping the 1 will heal on its own and the other might eventually mean my back will be fused, So I am unable to do a lot of physical labour. That is why I am limited to what I can do in this industry. But after 36 years and only 1 no fault accident, and all the carriers I have contacted via e-mail, only to get nothing in return. There were a very few carriers that I was reluctant to talk to on the phone that said they were interested, and they sounded friendly enough, told me they would send out pay packages and applications, I have never received anything from them and even after returning calls or e-mails most refused to respond. So yes I do know where this industry is at. According to a driver at Kelsey's they hired a handful of Mexicans to drive their trucks the government gave Kelsey's a 40,000 dollar incentive, only for them to destroy their trucks and they only have a couple of those drivers left. I have heard a few time the government has brought in people from India and has given them 50,000 to start their own businesses and I was told this by 1 person that knew 1 of them personally. So if this is true, is our government giving this incentive to every carrier to hire on temporary foreign workers. By giving these benefits they are under cutting us who have dedicated our lives to this industry. And if this is in fact true, where are our incentives, to want to stay? This isn't a thank you for all your hard work and dedication to this industry, from neither the government or carriers that are using these practices, it is indeed a slap in the face. How long will it be before some carriers totally replace us for temporary foreign workers? You see drivers on Kijiji all the time looking for jobs, if there is a shortage of workers why should they have too. There are already job listing for drivers that advertise for punjabi speaking drivers, was there not a law put into place stating we could not discriminate against people for employment. And how long before the carriers start replacing office staff, especially if they can get them on a lower salary. RBC already tried it. So yes I could sell my truck and take a huge loss or I can try and find a decent company that respects their drivers. As long as I can make my payments and afford to eat, I will keep the truck going until I don't owe more for it then it is worth, and I will remain an owner operator. And again thank you.

 

Theres pretty minimal labour in hooking up a 4" hose to a tank n make alot better then van freight. If ya are out here for fun then thats one thing...but if yer like most of us then yer out here for $$. If yer inclined to look hard you can find big $$ out here

 

You know, for a retired guy, you sure put in long hours
(Just missed you when I dropped off my paperwork this evening. I think I need to drop in next week after my little holiday. Chris almost had me talked in to taking it in SK, but I explained that if I went, I best just stay there )

 

Let's have coffee. When you come in. Tell Chris you want to talk to me. Long hours ??????? Left there about 7 tonight. lol

 

Where's my coffee pb! I might have some free time tomorrow. Give me a call if you do.

 

Hey PrairieBoy,
We left what was remaining of RTL Robinson in 2010 after Tom Kenny/Westcan scooped management responsibilities from the last Robinson appointed manager put in place before it was sold to TriWest investments (the RTL manager was out-maneuvered and quit for BHP). ASAP Our wages went down, the truck computers arrived and the invasive Westcan sleep apnea tests started. We also had classroom on almost all of our days off for two months (ugh).

Since then RTL has sold their airline Arctic Sunwest, lost almost all their freight to Manitoulin, Grimshaw, Rosenau and Tli Cho.
Their fuel work was lost when Westcan took the RTL ice road authority on a big red march up to Diavik and BHP during the 2009/2010 season and failed to deliver the contracted amount of litres in the time allotted.
The bulk of the fuel is now done by Ventures West. RTL still has their name on the Tank farm in YKE and the building on airport road, but has ceased to exist on the road and is now called Westcan Freight Systems (WFS).

WFS is for sale now that it is no longer profitable. Half of the Edmonton yard was recently sold and carriers from the East and the USA are looking at picking up the remnants to break into the NWT ice road circuit. Canadian Freightways does most of the loading for WFS on rented doors.

The point of all this is: A completely cheap management company bought it, lost all the work by trying to make the company "more efficient" and lost a virtual ton of seasoned, capable drivers by making them a number and taking away all their incentives. This seems to be the accepted formula for success for most of these carriers today and if the Canadian kids don't like it then go buy some throw-aways from overseas.