The Sinking Of The Titantic - FDCC

[Turtle]

I don't think there will be a mass exodus.

I don't think there will be, either. But if they tip their hand too soon and reveal their plans, there could be, and that's what I was getting at. They won't reveal their plans until they are prepared to handle a mass exodus, should one occur. They leave little to chance. They want to make sure that all contingencies are planned for, including a mass exodus. They'd much rather control it with things happening just as you said, with contractors drifting off to other carriers, their own authority, or other opportunities, as well as not replacing contractors as they retire.

 

[Slacktide]

As I sit and read the multiple posts in this thread and others it gives me pause for thought.
I see that there has been a growing theme of disgruntlement building among many contractors and their given carrier for any number of reasons. I sympathize for all of those that are having difficulty coming to tearms with all of the changes that are happening within their carriers.
What I find odd is how freely and repeatedly people air their "dirty laundry" in an open forum. I understand that the intent may be information sharring to help your fellow driver, but as this all seems to have started as innocent venting please tell me how this has helped your fellow driver.
What had started as chit chat around the campfire has turned into yelling AT a wildfire. Do you all think that your carriers don't read this site??? Have any of you thought what concequences may come of that????

Constructive criticizism is ONE thing and should be done through the proper channels. Ranting on an open forum for ALL to read is an entirely different thing. And when you couple that with name, truck number, and carrier it turns into a slippery slope to keep traction on. Do any of you think the ranting may be perpetuating the hard times you now find yourselves dealing with?

While we all profess to be "Professionals" it would seem that some here have forgotten what that includes. There are two important parts to being a professional, First being how you DO your job. Second is how you present yourself not only while doing your job but how you present yourself in your daily life.

IMHO

Just my two cents.

 

[scottm4211]

As I sit and read the multiple posts in this thread and others it gives me pause for thought.
I see that there has been a growing theme of disgruntlement building among many contractors and their given carrier for any number of reasons. I sympathize for all of those that are having difficulty coming to tearms with all of the changes that are happening within their carriers.
What I find odd is how freely and repeatedly people air their "dirty laundry" in an open forum. I understand that the intent may be information sharring to help your fellow driver, but as this all seems to have started as innocent venting please tell me how this has helped your fellow driver.
What had started as chit chat around the campfire has turned into yelling AT a wildfire. Do you all think that your carriers don't read this site??? Have any of you thought what concequences may come of that????

Constructive criticizism is ONE thing and should be done through the proper channels. Ranting on an open forum for ALL to read is an entirely different thing. And when you couple that with name, truck number, and carrier it turns into a slippery slope to keep traction on. Do any of you think the ranting may be perpetuating the hard times you now find yourselves dealing with?

While we all profess to be "Professionals" it would seem that some here have forgotten what that includes. There are two important parts to being a professional, First being how you DO your job. Second is how you present yourself not only while doing your job but how you present yourself in your daily life.

IMHO

Just my two cents.

Eloquently stated from a guy with a glory hole avatar.

 

[Slacktide]

Eloquently stated from a guy with a glory hole avatar.

Thank You Scott,, If nothing else in this life we all choose to lead one must remember there ARE many things out here on the road that you see that make you belly laugh. That pic is proof positive if we keep our eyes open on the road there is still enjoyment to be found.... that happens to be in the land of fruits and nutts along CA49.

 

[xiggi]

As I sit and read the multiple posts in this thread and others it gives me pause for thought.
I see that there has been a growing theme of disgruntlement building among many contractors and their given carrier for any number of reasons. I sympathize for all of those that are having difficulty coming to tearms with all of the changes that are happening within their carriers.
What I find odd is how freely and repeatedly people air their "dirty laundry" in an open forum. I understand that the intent may be information sharring to help your fellow driver, but as this all seems to have started as innocent venting please tell me how this has helped your fellow driver.
What had started as chit chat around the campfire has turned into yelling AT a wildfire. Do you all think that your carriers don't read this site??? Have any of you thought what concequences may come of that????

Constructive criticizism is ONE thing and should be done through the proper channels. Ranting on an open forum for ALL to read is an entirely different thing. And when you couple that with name, truck number, and carrier it turns into a slippery slope to keep traction on. Do any of you think the ranting may be perpetuating the hard times you now find yourselves dealing with?

While we all profess to be "Professionals" it would seem that some here have forgotten what that includes. There are two important parts to being a professional, First being how you DO your job. Second is how you present yourself not only while doing your job but how you present yourself in your daily life.

IMHO

Just my two cents.

My money says those who work for the fed and are venting here have already done so to the company without results.

 

[Turtle]

I don't see any ranting, nor the airing of dirty laundry. I see legitimate concerns of a changing carrier and a changing industry being discussed which are widespread in scope, and not of the personal airing of a gripe or dirty laundry. You want to know how this helps fellow drivers, well, it makes them aware of things they might not have thought about, and now they'll think about it and weigh their situations accordingly.

"Do you all think that your carriers don't read this site??? Have any of you thought what concequences may come of that????"

Oh, we all fully well know they do, in fact, read this site. For some, that's the very point of this.

 

[greg334]

But Turtle, isn't it the case that if FedEx didn't change with the market, they would have lost more than a few contractors?

What I find odd is the comment that this is stirring up contractors who are in a difficult situation which I want to know what constitutes a difficult situation - a lack of profit as they expect to see or no work?

What started this stuff was a complaint over a temp recording that the contractor felt wasn't being compensated for taking the temp in that other thread - like it was such a big deal. If this nitpicking is a contention with contractors and the company feels there shouldn't be any issue, then FedEx will respond by changing things to their advantage.

 

[Brisco]

You are drawing inaccurate analogies, making false assumptions and taking a lot of liberties stirring things up with contractors who are in a difficult situation at the moment. And for what? Your online entertainment?

Inaccurate Analogies?

False Assumptions?

Online Entertainment?

Explain how my analogies are inaccurate, what assumptions I have are false, and where you get I am "entertaining myself" here.

Sounds to me like my use of common sense metaphors has really struck a nerve here. Yes, you are in a difficult situation. My analogies are formed by words coming from you, of which I am reading about in more places than one. "Mass Exodus" was a possible plight used here a couple of times, and it was covered well on how that mass exodus from FDCC WG is not taking place today. But, the writing is on the wall, and IMO, you are holding on tight to that railing for now. I wanted to bring this up down in the Fed Thread, but couldn't, so here I am trying to bring it up so that others could get involved too, that's all.

What kind of shape would you be in if you kept waiting out the inevitable, especially with your experience and equipment, and when the time finally came where you decided to go to another carrier, no "contractor positions" were open for your equipment because dozens of other "WG" equipped contractors jumped ship long before you did???

Believe it or not Phil, even though I act like a goofy phart every now and then, I've got little more experience behind the wheel than you do. I was behind the wheel of truck running OTR back when you were working for that "Quack" that is now hosting a goofy ash "Conspiracy Theory" failure of a show on some cable channel. I've seen many ins and outs within the trucking industry. Like I said above, it doesn't take all of your education to see the writing on the wall. All it takes is common sense, of which I am using to comprehend what is going on with FDCC right now. And, as an "outsider" at that.

Case in point with the Rv Hauling industry back in 2007. Sure, hauling RV's aint the greatest paying OTR gig out there, and I made 3 times the money running auto parts for 3PL companies, but I did it for the ease and the enjoyment of being out there OTR. in May of 2007 I invested $33,900 for a brand new '07 Dodge Cummins (stickered out at $45K), and another $5K for new 20ft Cargo Trailer to take over this "Auto Parts/Tire" route for this 3PL company I was contracting with for almost 4 1/2 years. That "route" did not work out, was not what was promised or covered in the contract, so after 3 weeks, I walked. Sold that trailer a week later for exactly what I paid for it, and got back into hauling RV's out of Indiana.

Signed on with a company, basically the "FedEx" company of the RV Transport companies about mid June of '07. Was on the road rest of June, July, and August. During this time, diesel prices were slowly climbing. I was watching the "writing on the wall" when it came to our FSC rates. The FSC would only go up a penny for every .15 - .20 cents a gallon rise in fuel. One week in September, diesel went a whole .40 cents a gallon that week, and our FSC went up just .02 cents. After several calls, not only to the company I was under contract with, but also other RV Transport companies, I had a bad feeling about what was going to happen with our rates due to the fact the Manufacurers were playing hardball with us contractors when it came to paying a fair FSC to keep up with rising diesel prices.

It all came to an end one day when I was filling up at that Flying J just south of Indianapolis. I paid $3.49 a gallon filling up my truck on a delivery I was running down to Beaumont Texas. I remember filling out my logbook after filling up and before hitting the road thinking to myself "Yep, Shats about to hit the fan and this WILL be my last run for a while". I took that trailer to Beaumont, headed home to the DFW area, deleased, and that was it. Second thing I did was put that $45K truck I paid $33.900 for just a few months earlier on EBay and sold it for $38,500.

Did the Shat hit the fan??? You better believe it. What were guys paying for diesel in late '07 - '08?? Close to $5.00 a gallon??? How much of a hit did you and others take with your overall revenue due to high fuel prices and shippers not shipping due to rising shipping costs??? Don't tell me, I was here reading it all. I will tell you this though, there was a LOT of RV Transporters that tried to ride the storm out who were paying $5.00 a gallon fuel and running for $1.20 a mile one way pay, who just about lost everything. Hundreds of RV Transporters either gave their truck back to the bank, or who had their trucks straight out repo'd over this.

So again, where do you get that I started this just for my "entertainment"?? Yes, I do have a little business insight when it comes to trucking issues, whether I'm in that particular field of trucking or not, IE - Expediting. I see the writing on the wall with what your concerns are with these T-Val equipped company owned trailers FedEx is buying, and also believe that others are jumping ship as we speak about this, thus making the available opportunities with other companies that could utilize your equipment becoming less and less available the longer you keep that tight grip on the railing of the sinking ship called the "FedEx-WG-TVal" division.

I wonder, did you update your Blog today before or after reading this??? Just wondering.............that's all.

 

[layoutshooter]

"What started this stuff was a complaint over a temp recording that the contractor felt wasn't being compensated for taking the temp in that other thread - like it was such a big deal. If this nitpicking is a contention with contractors and the company feels there shouldn't be any issue, then FedEx will respond by changing things to their advantage."


It is a big deal. For one, we are told NEVER to provide that tape unless that service has been paid for. The equipment we pay for, at rather great expense, is there for a customer that needs it for certain types of freight. If they need that service they should pay for it. It is NOT free for use to own/lease/maintain, why would anyone WANT to give away a very expensive service? One even wonders why FDCC would suggest that service be given away gratis.

 

[Slacktide]

Turtle, that was not meant to be dirrected at this particular thread but as part of the overall, and my perception of what I have been reading as of late in multiple threads.

I will be one of the first to admit that this site has much to offer on multiple levels to those that choose to wade through and sift out what they can apply to their business.

But the point I was getting at with my question about concequences is it seems that there is a "concequences be ****ed" attitude among many contractors and was mearly offering a reminder that if there is indeed preferential dispatch ones comments here could adversely affect there performance financially and their overall attitude. It has been said time and time again "you catch more flies with honey", ya know.

 

[greg334]

Well Layout don't take this wrong but I got to say that if you run your business by expecting every penny to recoup the cost of all the equipment with todays competition, maybe you need to look at what others are willing to give to get the customer's business. To me that little thing, which it is because I have provided them before AND never got paid for it by FedEx - THIS little BIG thing may allow you to make more money in the long run by running more often.

THIS really is a trivial issue as is putting a seal on the back of the truck and charging for it. Again it is about what competition the company has to deal with and why they changed their operation policies.

 

[layoutshooter]

Well Layout don't take this wrong but I got to say that if you run your business by expecting every penny to recoup the cost of all the equipment with todays competition, maybe you need to look at what others are willing to give to get the customer's business. To me that little thing, which it is because I have provided them before AND never got paid for it by FedEx - THIS little BIG thing may allow you to make more money in the long run by running more often.

THIS really is a trivial issue as is putting a seal on the back of the truck and charging for it. Again it is about what competition the company has to deal with and why they changed their operation policies.

$3200 per year is NOT trivial. Again, as I said, we have been told time in and time out, by FDCC, that we should NEVER give away TVAL service. There is far more to it than just that tape, as I am sure you know. The cost of running TVAL equipment has gone up, a lot. To now have to give it away is NOT earning MORE, it's making less. I cannot make more by running more often. There is less work out there for me. My costs go up, available offers and rates going down.

IF they changed that policy those of us who pay the bills for that equipment should be told. Then we could decide IF we want to remain TVAL. Rising costs and lower revenue is never good. Volume cannot offset this.

 

[ATeam]

Inaccurate Analogies?

False Assumptions?

Online Entertainment?

Explain how my analogies are inaccurate, what assumptions I have are false, and where you get I am "entertaining myself" here.

I'll pass, Brisco. Believing you to be an internet troll, I am putting you on ignore.

 

[greg334]

Congrats Brisco, you are another member of the exclusive ignored by Phil club. We meet once a week by the way.

I'm still trying to figure out how someone who has their truck paid for, makes millions and is part of an elite group can be in a difficult situation.

Oh and Brisco, I read the other site and your posts, I don't believe you are the troll among us by any means.

Layout, sorry about that, but if your investment is $3200, how much do you derive from that investment in overall revenue with the type of targeted load you are after? 60% of the time?

The problem I see is you are a contractor and have no say into what is quoted. Not downgrading you but that seems to be the fact - the load is booked before the negotiations are complete.

 

[Slacktide]

Layout, I am sure many wonder why FDCC would offer that service as gratis. IMHO it takes just a bit of thought to come up with a reasonable explaination from their point of view. Competition for the customers out there. With the other major carriers out there plying for their piece of the pie that FDCC has had wrapped up for years IE validated freight, I am sure FDCC has lost part of their customer base to competative rates from other carriers as they have grown their own validated fleets. For them to offer former customers a tape at no extra charge to get their foot back in the door may well seem like a sound plan. As for it being a big deal to the contractor that could go either way depending on how one looks at it. If you look at it from the "I'm getting scrooooood" vantage point yes it is a big deal. On the other hand if you are looking at it from "we are getting a customer back" vantage point its not that big of a deal, especially if that customer has now lost the tarrif they had before they left to go to the other carrier.

I would bet that if anyone had asked before, you and many others would have gladly printed a tape to get rid of a tarrif.

 

[layoutshooter]

Congrats Brisco, you are another member of the exclusive ignored by Phil club. We meet once a week by the way.

I'm still trying to figure out how someone who has their truck paid for, makes millions and is part of an elite group can be in a difficult situation.

Oh and Brisco, I read the other site and your posts, I don't believe you are the troll among us by any means.

Layout, sorry about that, but if your investment is $3200, how much do you derive from that investment in overall revenue with the type of targeted load you are after? 60% of the time?

The problem I see is you are a contractor and have no say into what is quoted. Not downgrading you but that seems to be the fact - the load is booked before the negotiations are complete.

We keep VERY good records. I can tell you what each type of load makes over a year. I know what percentage of the overall runs and what percentage of revenue each piece of equipment on my truck earns. I know what each piece of equipment needs to earn.

When my costs go up I expect a raise in rates, or at least a big increase in volume to cover those cost and allow for a profit. My cost are going up, volume is down and rates are down.

Again, cutting rates? Tell me. Preference to other trucks? Tell me. We were given NO option, other than hit the road jack, when we were required to pay this increase and change equipment. We should have been told, at that time, of the changes they were putting into place. That could have made a difference right then as to what our plans were to be. It is very difficult to make sound business choices without valid information to base them on.

 

[lugnut1]

Ahh…. How I love to visit the EO, it TRULY is the Mad Magazine of the trucking industry.

My business senses says Phil and Diane need to stay at FedX for the following;

1. Their business model was built around a specialized service offered by FedX.
2. There is not another freight company that offers the quantity of specialized freight their truck can carry.
3. They would not be satisfied with dedicating their truck to a single shipper who could utilize their truck at a higher pay than FedX. They would be too limited to a routine route and that seems outside of their trucking goals.
4. When they tune out the “noise” that is produced by the internal workings of the freight industry they will likely see their services will still be best utilized by FedX.

Before you disagree with me, don’t. You’d be wasting your time on the Golden Lugnut.

 

[layoutshooter]

Layout, I am sure many wonder why FDCC would offer that service as gratis. IMHO it takes just a bit of thought to come up with a reasonable explaination from their point of view. Competition for the customers out there. With the other major carriers out there plying for their piece of the pie that FDCC has had wrapped up for years IE validated freight, I am sure FDCC has lost part of their customer base to competative rates from other carriers as they have grown their own validated fleets. For them to offer former customers a tape at no extra charge to get their foot back in the door may well seem like a sound plan. As for it being a big deal to the contractor that could go either way depending on how one looks at it. If you look at it from the "I'm getting scrooooood" vantage point yes it is a big deal. On the other hand if you are looking at it from "we are getting a customer back" vantage point its not that big of a deal, especially if that customer has now lost the tarrif they had before they left to go to the other carrier.

I would bet that if anyone had asked before, you and many others would have gladly printed a tape to get rid of a tarrif.

There is no need in going any further. There is too much going on right now. No matter what I would say, in here, I would be wrong. Let it suffice to say that things are not right and are likely to remain that way. Which is why I continue to explore more viable options.

 

[scottm4211]

Greg do you meet at White Castle?

 

[Turtle]

But Turtle, isn't it the case that if FedEx didn't change with the market, they would have lost more than a few contractors?

Almost certainly, yes.

What I find odd is the comment that this is stirring up contractors who are in a difficult situation which I want to know what constitutes a difficult situation - a lack of profit as they expect to see or no work?

The difficult position is, "Things just ain't what they used to be." Not all that long ago one of the contractors in question, and maybe more, stated that the more specialized your equipment is, the better off you are. That assumed many things, namely that FedEc would continue to cater to, and aggressively sell that specialized equipment and service. Now, the Fed and their customers have found cheaper alternatives, and therefore there is a reduced need for specialty equipment, and that puts those with the most specialized equipment in the most difficult position.

What started this stuff was a complaint over a temp recording that the contractor felt wasn't being compensated for taking the temp in that other thread - like it was such a big deal. If this nitpicking is a contention with contractors and the company feels there shouldn't be any issue, then FedEx will respond by changing things to their advantage.

That much is true. Sometimes the squeaky wheel gets the grease, sometimes it simply gets replaced.