Quick question on LTL Freight unloading

If my outfit had a quota, I never heard about it, so I must have done all right. I know some outfits will tell you to not take more than 10 minutes per stop. This is patently unreasonable when you are doing all different kinds of stops with all different types of freight.

There are loads that are going to take much longer than others. It's just the nature of the beast, unless you are running some type of dedicated accounts where everything is all pretty much alike.

 

The whole quota system is unreasonably stupid. Sure we don't want people riding the clock, but if a stop or two takes longer for some reason, you don't want drivers hauling ### to the next stop. They are driving a tractor trailer.

 

When I was p/d about 90% of the time I put in an honest days work. Was always where I was supposed to be. I didn't like milking the clock. I would only do so if they put me in a truck I didn't like like one of the old ghetto straight trucks they had. But doing an honest day got you whatever you wanted. Wanted overtime? No problem they would give you all you want, want to be out right o. The 8th hour? Ok no problem. Them there were the clock riders. Our last pickup of the day 2 of the guys would race in the yard to try to get as it was a 4-5 hour overtime stop. They used to race there routes like mad men just to get it. Used to love it when I got it and they were flying into the yard like mad men and I was doing my route as I do so everyday.

maybe we had a quota but I never knew as I did the right thing and never bothered me. I was once held up at a stop for 5 hours waiting one day and was speaking to the shop steward and he said don't worry the dispatcher knows your not messing around so you'll be ok

 

Too many McManagers running the show now. They just see numbers on a spreadsheet and try to figure out how to boost productivity. Do more with less... then make them do it at the same speed as when you had more drivers (all while slashing or freezing wages). Keep it up LTL, this is the same logic that got OTR in hot water when it comes to finding bodies willing to work for their outfit.

 

YRC, New Penn. Thanks for the list....

 

Not very positive R we...

 

I forgot YRC...New Penn isnt out west. It is a Northeast YRC regional company.

 

Just telling it how it is. I work for one of the big LTL carriers. We have lost over 15 drivers in three terminals over the past two weeks! Three walked off the job in one day. It is nice to get the extra miles, but our pay and benefits are not the same we had three years ago. Hell, they are far from what we had ten years ago when we couldn't stop the flow of applications.

 

Hey Woodys, I'm thinking the same way. I've been looking and looking for a local job for my husband..... super hard to find here in the Jacksonville area. Sure would appreciate any leads. He can't handle a lot of unloading heavy stuff (was a mechanic for 27 years and that took its toll on his back AND knees) and I'm thinking linehaul would be perfect for him. He is getting really burnt out doing OTR. Even a dedicated route, like running up and down Florida, would be great. Thanks for any advice!!!

the iceman's wife,
lisa

 

Icemans wife, Go do linehaul. Why does your husband have to do it?
You make it sound so easy...