Yet more changes!! PART 2

lol... The insurance sucked in the first place. Remember that kidney stone i haad? You don't even want to know how much that cost me.. I might as well have not even had that crap.

Just because it's blue cross and blue shield doesn't mean it's good.

TMC Is a prime example of one of those "startup" companies that has effectively priced themselves under operating costs on many occasions, and now you, the drivers are paying for it.

Let me know when they start to liquidate trucks, so i can buy a few of them and put you guys to work LOL

 

What eckz said, their health insurance plan was CRAP in the first place. I didn't even sign up for it. Those co-pays aren't to bad but those deductibles are outrageous. I'm glad to be back on my Teamster insurance although to be fair it cost me a #### fortune compared to TMC's garbage insurance (which by the way is HIGHLY unlikely to qualify as insurance when Obama care comes into play).

 

anybody want to place a wager on how many more new threads we're going to see concerning companies (and truck drivers think it's just trucking companies) which are cutting pay and benefits in order to stay in business? and complaints that money is being taken "away" from employees and "given" to the owner/executive "fat cats" to "line their pockets."

 

Everybody has had to "tighten up"...but TMC just isn't looking so good these days, not looking good at all.

 

I diddn't say that! I said they priced themselves under operating costs...

It's their own fault for playing the "cut throat" game that is trucking. They should've focused on SERVICE and not slashing rates to 'steal' business.

Lot's of companies are guilty of this, and now they're paying for it.

Good.

 

There it is....the plain truth of it.

Many reasons and excuses can and will be given...but there is the cold hard truth of it.

 

"steal" business? it's called competition. wal mart slashed prices, and ELIMINATED service, and they're now the largest, wealthiest company on the planet. of course they've also slashed wages and destroyed America's manufacturing base and self sufficiency. but, there you go. and the shoppers are dumb enough to go along with it - enriching wal mart's owners while shopping themselves out of a job. just like truckers are willing to drive for 38 cents per mile. then 35. then 32. then 30.....how long will it be now before we start writing the company a check at the end of the week? currently only the lease option sheep have to do THAT.

 

Agreed...but ecks point is still valid.

Trucking companies sell service...nothing more, nothing less. When they sell it cheap, they pay for it in the end.

 

Cheif i agree with the competition end of it, however while i was with TMC they lost a multitude of high end, well paying accounts.. Which would include but is not limited to the likes of Boeing, John Deere, Genie, etc.

Many of these accounts payed excellent, these were high end customers that were members of the few 'high end' business that were willing to pay above and beyond for quality, and care to be taken with their freight. If i was ever in an area with freight coming out of one of these mentioned places i was extremely happy because i knew i'd be paid well for my time.

TMC Diddn't meet their standards after they continually sent new, lower paid drivers to pick up this high dollar freight.

That said, there are still companies out there willing to pay the price to recieve quality, high end service, and reliability. There is such a thing as finding customers based on service and not slashing prices, why would you even want to haul freight that doesn't pay your operating costs? You should be able to gain customers based on your reputation, not by weaseling your way in and saying "Oh you use this carrier? Well we can haul your stuff for .80CPM, given, it doesn't pay us anywhere near enough to make a profit, or keep our drivers happy.. but who cares? Our truck will look pretty going down the road with that on there!"

To clarify before the ninny's jump all over me (You know who i'm talking to!) TMC Diddn't lose ALL of John Deere, but they did lose some traffic to other carriers. As far as I know they still have the specialized dedicated which is mostly JD but from what i Understand as of a year or so ago they have slowed down.. Before i came off the road there was talks about this as well.

Also TMC has inhibited their ability to compete with the likes of other carriers due to their chosen marketing tactic, which just so happened to be 3,000 of the most expensive, and un economical trucks on the market. I still commend them for that, though. Harrold has balls of steel and you of all people know how much i enjoyed driving for them.

And yes i agree with Wal-Mart. I actually made a post regarding exactly what you specify not too long ago about wal mart and their service.. I blame marketing, sadly the ability for trucking companies to market effectively isn't quite as easy as a large supermarket chain.. The best TMC could do is get their name out there with ink pens and hats, and have some nice trucks that everyone look at... Or via cold calling which i personally consider to be a big waste of money.

From What i know of TMC they are also infamous for having an "I'm better than you" "We don't need you" complex, which also doesn't help business. Aside from that, within their operating cost i'm also figuring all the excess money that they have been spending on needless things for the last 2 years when things were just starting to go downhill. Harrold has always been the flashy type who wanted to impress everyone, nothing wrong with that i guess, but i believe TMC has been living beyond it's means for quite some time now.

And to conclude what i feel about your post, you are 100% right. America is slowly starving itself and doesn't even realize it. I know that i preached about TMC and how great they were in the past, and i did enjoy working for them very much when i did, i made great money, but alot has changed.