Is it time to move on?

And? It's still the Union model and more places DON'T use it than do.

 

Not in the LTL world. It's a tradition in the vast majority of companies.

 

Learn something new every day. Saddens me regardless though.

 

Which part? Bidding runs or start times by seniority, or bottom men getting layed off? Not everyone operates that way.

My company is non-union, and we bid on runs (on linehaul) or start times (in the city) as well as vacation times by seniority. That system rewards longevity and eliminates favoritism. However, the company isn't layoff-happy, so instead of letting senior drivers work all they want when it's slow while bottom guys struggle, they make sure to spread it out so everyone gets to work. If they need fewer drivers like they did on Good Friday, they'll post a volunteer sheet for guys who want the day off. Those days off are awarded by seniority and there are always enough drivers willing to volunteer off that anybody who wants to work can. As bottom city man, I was never forced to stay home during slow times, and the same was the case when I was bottom linehaul man. Now our bottom open(/extraboard) linehaul drivers (those without a set run) can suffer a bit on slow nights by getting shorter runs, but they aren't forced to stay home.

@doireann - According to my coworker who knows several low-seniority linehaul drivers at Old Dominion, the way they deal with slow times in Columbus is to ask if they want to stay home for the night or "bag out," which is their terminology for staying out in a hotel. If all the out-and-back runs are covered for the night, they can still work but they won't be home at the end of the shift.

 

not in ltl

 

Union shops don't base things on merit. Just because someone has "longevity" doesn't meant they're the best for the job. The Union shops I've worked at in the past rewarded the lazy while the hard workers got the same pay. Socialism in force in the workplace is not my bag. "Rewarding longevity" IS IN FACT FAVORITISM. I don't want to turn this into a political discussion. You won't change my mind on the matter so instead of us arguing opinions let's just agree to disagree and move on before this gets out of hand.

 

Nah, that’s not how it works. OT ESPECIALLY is offered up based on seniority.

 

I hear ya.

I understand your political perspective, but it's just not that serious. Allowing a guy with 30 years of service in to choose his run first is not socialism, nor would a company like mine allow a lazy man to make it that far.

The reason seniority systems exist even in non-union LTL companies is that it's a well-understood rule that avoids drama between drivers and management. It helps to maintain morale by preventing certain unseemly behaviors among both parties.

Everybody knows why Joe gets his preferred run or start time - it's not because he plays golf with the terminal manager or brings candy to his dispatcher. And it's not because they want to get back at Ed because he was grumpy the other day. Joe got his run because he's been there 30 years and Ed can't take things personally because he just started at the company.

If anything, a seniority system maintains order. If the company could manipulate drivers and drivers could stab each other in the back, there would be mutiny. Fistfights and slashed tires. And calls for unionizing the place to bring fairness and stability.

The owner of my company is extremely conservative, but there's a reason he has that tradition in place and even allows drivers to vote on certain rules: it maintains order and a sense of fairness and it keeps the union out. He has taken what works but also gotten rid of all the problems union companies struggle with and has created what is one of the fastest-growing, most successful LTL companies out there.

 

It's not that serious to you because you don't see the big picture. I was ignorant once too. Those blinders sure make it easier to swallow. Joe shouldn't have the run if Ed, or anyone else can do it better. I was a Teamster many years ago. I once did an old timer's run because he was out. It took me about 3-4 hours. When he returned he pulled me to the side and said to NEVER do it that fast again. It was taking him 12 hours to do the same run. He was a lazy POS milking the company dry and got routinely rewarded because of his seniority. Unions are a cancer and nothing more than a political vessel that keeps it's soldiers loyal with perks like mentioned above. It's repulsive. They serve no purpose in today's times other than furthering Marxist agendas. Like I said, we won't see eye to eye on this.