Random LTL Rants (all are welcomed)

Yeah I seen all them trucks collecting dust. I thought for sure our hub would have gotten a few but we’re using rentals.

 

I had a guy tell me that it is a really good job (which it 110% is) but if you worked there in the golden years it never will be to you again. I thought that was a good way to put it and described my and a lot of others situations. Like the healthcare thing two contracts ago....we were the guys that caused everyone to go a year without a contract because we didn't want to give up what we had but eventually it happened (we all knew it would) and now that door is open and can't be shut again. That's not to say teamcare is bad because it's not but compared to what we had it's not the greatest. I don't mean to sound negative because the best working memories I have and will probably ever have were in a package car (soooooo much better than feeder in my opinion).

 

UPS doesn't have any problems holding on to drivers at $40 per hour. They are just having trouble attracting new drivers at $20 per hour in a metropolitan area. Life is very expensive here. It's hard to put your life on hold for 4 years. The only reason I was able to do so was because my wife has a good job.

 

There are 11 drivers at my terminal who have been with the company longer than I have been alive. Once you get to scale, you generally don't go anywhere. At least at my terminal.

 

I work with a bunch of guys that left and even before I did there were more and more guys leaving starting about five years ago. Fewer and fewer guys are willing to stick out the 30 now. Metro Philly (Chesapeake district) has had this going on for a while. Guys are now jumping to a feeder from a package car not because they want to but because they are trying to get away from bull #### lol. I guess that was the one huge upside to starting so young...run my ### off, save money and set myself up to do whatever I want. Another guy that had 23 in left right around the same time I did and started a cabinetry business and another that had like 19 went to run a family business. That was three in one shot lol. Starting pay has always been low and people have always dealt with it, just gotta do what ya gotta do. At least starting out in feeders you get more consistent work. Starting out in package car you basically have to bribe guys to take a day so you can work and now if you don't work two day a week you lose your benefits? I could be wrong in that but I think that's what it is, you get thrown on cobra. I will agree it seems like the starting rate hasn't moved up with the cost of living. When I started driving in 01 I think I was at like $15/hr. $5 in 18 years doesn't sound like enough.

 

i know what you mean as for ‘how it was’ heard that a lot in the former factory gig. Ran into one of the guys i use to work with (retired) at the county fair. Kept looking at me like he couldn't figure out who i was lol.

Been here a couple months now. Got familiar with a lot of things. Usually work a Saturday if i didn't get enough punches in through the week. Not a bad gig except for the 1-2 hr notice to be in. Sometimes i get a heads up but its not often. Going well overall. Just glad im not stuck on the road week in/out. Still got the honeymoon eyes.

Reason company's needing bodies is a mix of things. Growth from e-commerce boom, fed ex dropping amazon, contract adding jobs getting loads off the rails, not to mention the unhappy people resign, or the increasing number of people eligible to retire. All adds up. Peak should be interesting.

 

Given that I was making $18.75 an hour when I was hired full time in 2016?

Well thank God Mama has a good job.

 

Is this gonna be your first peak? You might actually like it. When I was a feeder driver for the first few years it was run your clock every week but near the end they brought in so much seasonal help it was actually the only time you could get an 8 hour day here or there. But then they cried the stock took a hit because they brought on too much seasonal help (shareholders.... probably 95% of why I left). Peak usually don't hurt feeders too bad unless you are doing a local mall run dumping trailers or something because then it's just back and forth, back and forth, back and forth lol.

 

Let me know what truck you run and ill sabotage the AC so you can hang around the water cooler a bit more driver. Lol let me know what you find out.

 

I guess they're going to be hiring a bunch of team drivers! (God I'm so far behind on everything. Lmfao)