Never Stand Still

Maybe CF's leadership was so fixated on air freight service because they had the foresight to know that as deregulation changed the trucking business environment they knew they could use their massive amount of money to create a robust air freight division giving them a unique position (advantage ) in the LTL industry? After all I doubt any other LTL carrier of that era had access to CF's level of capital? In theory airfreight service would differentiate CF in a highly competitive crowded LTL industry? That's Just a theory that crossed my mind as I was reading your posts.

 

C.f. people always had a bit of swagger about em and some I knew even carried that swagger with them into their new jobs after c.f. closed ...that didn't go over well with they're new employers.

 

"CF people always had a bit of a swagger".

I had my swagger before I went to CF and still have it, however I refer to it as confidence. I always felt the employer who payed the best would get my skills and several of my employers have been Teamster represented companies. Even the non union employers I have had tended to hire folks with swagger I.E. Strong personality folks with Confidence and skill and they payed well to get it. Most good employers respect confidence when it is backed up with skill and a strong work ethic. Not saying there weren't some big jerks who worked at CF, but every job has them Union and non Union.
My experience with other truckers who didn't like us CF drivers without even speaking to us first were often envious of our pay and benefits. I once had a JB Hunt driver at a DOT physical tell me "If you guys didn't make so much money I would be making more". I just had to laugh because JB and CF weren't connected in any way, but in his mind there was only so much money to go around in the world of trucking and CF was getting too much of it. The same people who complained about Union drivers talk about how the trucking industry needs to stand together I.E. Nationwide shutdown. The reason most of the union jobs payed so well is because the drivers did stick together. Whether one likes unions or not sticking together works.
I am not picking on you bzinger but want you to realize that someone who walks a certain way and carries their head high with confidence is not looking down at someone who doesn't have it as good. I know I have it good, but it I don't see anything wrong with striving to be the best at whatever it is I do. In trucking what most people consider the best jobs often pay the best, but not always. That doesn't mean that someone making $50,000 driving a rig isn't a great person, employee and truck driver and very well could feel he has the best job going. I just won't work for the companies who don't want to pay for the best as you usually get exactly what you pay for whether it is an employee or an employer.

 

Were good no worries !

 

The company I work for is one of the few trucking companies that still participate in the Teamsters pension plan. As a result of this we get a lot of ex CF guys looking to finish out their time in the plan. I always found it interesting that these old CF guys have so much pride because they were once a CF employee. It's rare to find that level of employee pride in this industry these days.

 

Mike2633,

Did Conway ever interact with the airfreight division?

 

When I first got the privilege of working there, I thought to myself, I am getting paid to do this! My how 30 years has changed me, but I still love being a trucker, however I wish I still felt like that everyday!

 

Lol I remember that feeling too !
In our earlier exchange I was only pointing out how the c.f. closure brought a couple friends of mine down to earth ... I did and still do feel bad for them but the fancy campers and boats got sold fast and we still joke about it .

 

As bad as it was to see great jobs go away, it and other events similar have helped to ground me and cause mean to be more self sufficient. One should never get complacent or rely on anything or anyone too much! I guess that has helped me to not be totally married to any one employer no matter how much I like them. Life is constantly evolving and you best be prepared for it because it is coming, you just don't know when.