the winds of war are a blowing

[riverrat]

I have just got done looking at several different trucking sites and a few news sites, what I am seeing is that the word strike is being used a lot!!!
the way it looks its not a matter of IF but WHEN. what worries me is the longer it takes the uglier it is gonna get and lets face it even the die hard it will never happen crowd are changing their tune, news sites in CA,TX,ME,GA, NC all had news of groups of truckers saying that they are about broke and are ready to strike.
I think what will light the fuse to this powder keg is there is going to be a small group of truckers that are going to shut down somewhere and make the news that will set off a chain reaction that will end up with everyone shutting down.
In 74 it basically started that way with a few trucks just shutting down all lanes of the highway somewhere and it snowballed from there and it did get ugly, I was hoping that it could be done with someone setting up an agenda and having the backing of most of the drivers out here but I think that it is going to just happen spontaneously.

 

[kwexpress]

Do you really think anyone will care about owner/ops they will say go get a company job.
I was reading that towne air is going to phase out company drivers and are going to lease purchase trucks new and used to anyone that can qualify as a a driver.
they will have alot of straight truck and day cab tractor work.
here is a copy of what I read

TOWNE AIR FREIGHT
Where RESPECT and HONESTY meet

Come on over to our Towne and see why our community of drivers continues to grow. Our driving force at Towne Air Freight and Rocket Expedited Services enjoys the honesty and respect that drivers deserve, while receiving one of the most lucrative and attractive benefit and compensation packages in the industry. Our number one resource is our drivers and we are driven to succeed by attracting and retaining the number one resource that will help us serve our customers - the best drivers on the road.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

We are currently looking for Owner/Operators OR Lease to Purchase prospects ONLY to do local pick up and deliveries. (straight trucks and Daycab tractors) Fleet owners who are willing to hire for these positions and regional linehauls are also available. In order to expedite the process, you may scroll down and read important information below.

Job Details




Local pick up and deliveries

Home Daily!!!

Loading and unloading required

Settlement Deducted Health Insurance

Base Plate, Permit & Fuel Card Programs

Affordable Truck Insurance

Direct Deposit
Lease to Purchase program




Settlement deducted payments

All drivers approved by TAF, automatically approved for lease

Maintenance account
PLEASE READ THE FOLLOWING INFORMATION CAREFULLY


Due to the high volume of interest in these positions, we must ask that you read the following information to understand what we are looking for and what you would be doing for our company, should we choose to enter into an agreement in the near future. If, after going over this information, you are still interested in requesting to contract please fill out the questionnaire mentioned below and return it to our recruiting dept as soon as possible to be approved and added to the list of IC’s waiting for these positions to open up in your area. If you are not interested in being an owner/operator but would like to work for our company, we have fleet owners that are interested in speaking with you. Please let me know via e-mail or phone and I will connect you with the right people.




STRATEGIC BUSINESS DECISION:




Towne Air Freight has recently made a strategic business decision to start utilizing “Independent Contractors” (IC) for most driving and delivery positions. This includes our local pick up and delivery routes. Over the next year we will be converting our company drivers to IC’s on a by terminal basis. Unfortunately, some of our company drivers will not take advantage of this opportunity and will choose to move on to different companies. As this happens, we will need outside drivers who are willing to take over these routes as independent contractors. This is where you come in.




LEASE TO PURCHASE PROGRAM:




Towne Air Freight has put together a top of the line Lease to Purchase program for qualified drivers who do not already own a truck. If you are approved to be a driver for Towne, you are automatically approved for the Lease to Purchase program, no matter what kind of credit history you have. The only upfront money that you will need is the documentation fee, which varies with each leasing company. We will take your payments right out of your pay settlements and send them to the lease purchase company. There will also be a certain amount per mile deducted from your settlement and put it into a maintenance account that is to be utilized for all preventative maintenance on the truck.




The maintenance program is a simple voucher system. Whenever you need work done on the truck, you take the voucher to the service station, they will bill back the leasing company and the leasing company deducts it from your maintenance account. This system is nice for a couple reasons. First, the leasing company will be able to negotiate better rates for you with the service stations since they have buying power, thus saving you money on truck service. Second, at the end of the lease, when you own the truck whatever money is left over in the maintenance account will be given back to you. Both leasing companies that we do business with have a reporting system for you to be able to keep track of the activity and balance on your maintenance account.




USED OR NEW TRUCKS FOR LEASE:




You will have the choice on whether you want a used or new truck. Since we will no longer need company trucks, we will be selling our fleet to one of the leasing companies who will sell them back to the drivers. These are used trucks, all 3 yrs old or newer and already have the Towne Air Freight logo on them. If you prefer a new truck there are a couple different options, depending on which leasing company you go through.




LOCAL PICK UP AND DELIVERY ROUTES:




The position itself will entail, you as the independent contractor, having a certain zone that you will be required to service on a daily basis, Monday through Friday. You will be home nightly, as you will not be traveling far from the terminal. Towne Air Freight already has a large customer base that you will be required to provide world class customer service. The pay for these positions will largely depend on the distance and the amount of freight you have on your truck, so obviously, the better you service the customers in your area, the more they will want you to come back, therefore the more money you will make.




Income potential is unlimited. You are not limited to one truck and some routes will require the same owner to have more than one truck leased on with us for that zone. For instance, a zone may require both a straight truck and a daycab tractor to service that area. These zones will include enough revenue to make payments on both trucks and pay another driver that the owner would be responsible for finding and maintaining. As an independent contractor, it is important for you to understand that it is YOUR business and your responsibility to maintain that business, including your employees and/or contract labor.




PAY:




Pay will be based on several different factors but a single truck will average $1800-$2000/ wk before expenses, depending on what kind of truck you are running. If you are part of our Lease to Purchase program you can expect to bring home $1000- $1200/ wk on average for a daycab, $950-$1100/ wk average for a straight truck, after expenses. Expenses include truck payment, fuel, maintenance, plates & insurances. Basically everything you need to run your business.




It is also important for you to understand that you are responsible for your plates, insurances, taxes etc., HOWEVER, Towne Air Freight has secured relationships with third party vendors that are here to support you as a business owner, if needed.




HOW TO GET APPROVED:




As stated above, we will be converting our terminals in phases over the next year, meaning that some routes are not available today but will be in the near future. These positions are already filling up quickly and will be on a first come first served basis. That being said, it is vital for you to get your information in to our recruiting department now so that we may start the approval process and add you to the list of drivers who are interested in these positions as they come available. As we approach each terminal to figure out which company drivers will be converting and which ones won’t, we will be referring to these lists and contacting approved independent contractors that are ready to take over. Please download the mandatory questionnaire from our webpage at Towne Air Freight (careers page, bottom right hand corner) and fax or e-mail it back to Towne, recruiters will immediately run your MVR and background check. If you are approved, someone will contact you right away to go over any further questions you may have about our program. Please feel free to call if you have any questions on filling out the questionnaire.




Thank you for taking the time to read this information and I look forward to working with you!





Requirements

Experience Requirements


Tractor: CDL A w/ Hazmat endorsements and 1 yr verifiable tractor trailer experience
Straight truck/ 26,001 or less: Chauffer w/ hazmat and 2 yrs straight truck experience
Straight truck/ 26,001 or more: CDL B w/ hazmat and 1 yr straight truck experience

Owner Operator Equipment Requirements:

Vehicle must be 7 years old or newer
Must have a current USDOT inspection
Contact information: Jennifer Whitney, 1-800-788-8135 Ext 2388, [email protected]

 

[kwexpress]

I dont know if this is a good sign or bad on one hand 1k week and being home every night sounds pretty good but I see it more as a sign that even bigger companies are feeling the pinch of higher cost to operate and want to pass this cost on to the drivers.

 

[OntarioVanMan]

KW...sounds exactly like the company is dumping their liability onto unwitting drivers...The excitement to a young person to own their own rig without the business savy to know better..Most lease to own programs have a dismal failure rate. In the taxi biz we called it "The Never, Never Plan " for a reason.

 

[davekc]

Sure looks like a sinking ship to me. They are dumping assets to raise capital. One can certainly bet they have a close relationship with these leasing companies.
Nothing wrong with hiring IC's to handle an overflow if they are busy. But, not in this case. They are as mentioned, transferring their debt and liability to another party.
They clearly indicate they are selling off their company vehicles.
The real surprise for ones is when they close an office and your standing there with a truck you may not be able to take to another company because of how the lease purchase is written.
Could turn very ugly very fast.
One would be better served to buy thier own truck and then solicit business on your own at the airport if they are seeking this type of opportunity.

 

[greg334]

Strike?

What this crap again?

Look guys, if these truckers think that a strike will help, it will not. It will p*ss people off to the point that the public will be less sympathetic than ever before. Nothing more than a bunch of angry people stuck in traffic trying to get to pick up their kids or get to a doctors appointment.

I think that we need to see the struggling companies go out of business, maybe this will drive down supply of trucks on the larger end of things and allow freight rates to rise a bit to a more realistic level.

 

[x06col]

Thats it Dave. The folks that wanna do it "for themselves" will. To expect that, getting rid of drivers with "driver" attitudes, and contracting with owner operators with "driver" attitudes IS a recipe for some interesting times. Seems someone at Towne Air had a wet dream. Me think they'll find it takes 30% more o/o to do what they do now with driver and company equipment, just because of the "i'm an owner operator by god" attitude, an YOU ain't gonna TELL me anything.

 

[LDB]

The two favorite phrases in the American language are "let's strike" and "let's sue". The only way a strike would work is for everyone, that means every single driver who isn't a criminal alien or relative of a criminal alien, to park for a week. When they do they better have stocked up well at the grocer. The grocery shelves on the 6th and 7th days are what will make a difference and bring changes. Other than that, it will be some of the truckers driving 40 on the interstate which won't solve anything and will greatly diminish the public's already low opinion of us. That is what you have to look forward to because quite frankly too many drivers are too stupid to see that's the only result a slow drive will have so they'll do it thinking they're solving our problem.

 

[Robsdad]

I don't know if there is a strike coming, who does. I do however do believe that you will see shortly, rates beginning to fall as shippers shop brokers for lower rates to offset the higher FSC. This should and rightfully so get everyones attention as the only survivors of such an act would be the larger companies (JB Hunt, Swift, Averitt etc.) who have the assets to endure the onslaught. I for one am hanging on the best I can. How much longer am I willing to work for less revenue (freight slowing down) based on lack of freight, I don't know. I will not however run my savings into the caufer to continue to get closer to the enevitable cliff that seems to be looming if fuel keeps going and rates begin to drop. Just some thoughts.

 

[kwexpress]

I dont think a strike will help at all It just scares me to think that companies like towne air that operates 400+ trucks are going to do away with 600 company drivers or put the screws to them via some lease purchase.towne air did pay a decent wage for drivers

 

[Robsdad]

I agree KW. I do not believe a strike will solve anything. This whole fuel thing may be a ploy to get the tree huggers off the stump and start drilling in the protected areas. I don't know, But someone with a higher authourity might ought to wake up and smell the roses. America moves by truck. Higher prices to get it moved hurts all Americans. What's ol redneckerson say?

WAKE UP AMERICA!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[kwexpress]

J.B. Hunt Transport Inc. - Load Posting

before you give up you may want to take a look at what jb is offering outside carriers

 

[kwexpress]

last time I was down in florida they offered me $2.40 per mile of yes it was only a 300 mile run but not bad for florida

 

[Robsdad]

You may want to clarify that you were in a t/t and not a straight truck shown in you avatar. LOL

 

[Jefferson3000]

Sure looks like a sinking ship to me. They are dumping assets to raise capital. One can certainly bet they have a close relationship with these leasing companies.
Nothing wrong with hiring IC's to handle an overflow if they are busy. But, not in this case. They are as mentioned, transferring their debt and liability to another party.
They clearly indicate they are selling off their company vehicles.
The real surprise for ones is when they close an office and your standing there with a truck you may not be able to take to another company because of how the lease purchase is written.
Could turn very ugly very fast.
One would be better served to buy thier own truck and then solicit business on your own at the airport if they are seeking this type of opportunity.

All of the local guys do this. When freight volume drops, they ditch their assets (Who wants to pay some guy hourly to sit around the warehouse and play checkers 4 of his 8-9 hr day?) and hire owner ops. If business is good, then everyone wins, if not, then the O/O suffers. You watch. When freight volumes surge again, they will want to ditch the IC culture for company trucks to keep more profits in-house.

I know of one account of mine here in Orlando.that laid off a company driver at the end of January, because freight was so bad for them. Now that it's picked up a bit, they want to add another route guy, but this time they want another owner op. It's a no risk situation for them.

I don't know that it's a sign that Towne is sinking. It is a sign that a lot of people are making pre-emptive decisions to avoid further loss.

 

[davekc]

I don't know that it's a sign that Towne is sinking. It is a sign that a lot of people are making pre-emptive decisions to avoid further loss.


You might be right. But, I lean towards the sinking ship theory because they aren't just selling assets, it is the way they are doing it through a lease purchase of their existing fleet. When I have seen this in the past, the companies are usually disolved or bought out.
It will be interesting to see what happens.

 

[Jefferson3000]

You may want to clarify that you were in a t/t and not a straight truck shown in you avatar. LOL

It doesn't take a tractor to get those rates. $2.10 to $2.50ish is very common for FL intrastate runs. I get them in my little cube van.

 

[Jefferson3000]

Dave,

I guess it is kind of surprising about the lease purchase plan, but then again, why wouldn't you try and sell these trucks to your existing drivers? Lease purchase is a scary proposition, but if you have drivers you are trying to squeeze out, then they probably won't have to fill as many vacancies if they offer to sell them a truck. Drivers who can't get approved for a loan on their own will flock to it. CD&L couriers (now a part of Velocity) did this. The other option to them is to hire an outside cartage service to handle all of their trucking.

 

[CharlesD]

It doesn't take a tractor to get those rates. $2.10 to $2.50ish is very common for FL intrastate runs. I get them in my little cube van.

I've come across loads like down there from time to time, but I don't go down there that often. There are a lot of problems with rates being low, but often it's the rate to the driver that's so darn low. Sometimes it's a pretty good sized cookie jar that comes from the shipper and by the time everyone takes out a cookie before it's passed to the driver, all that's left is crumbs.

I won't name the companies, but I saw something recently. I am an approved outside carrier with several of the bigger companies. That's how I get most of my loads, grabbing the stuff they broker out when they don't have a vehicle in the area. One of these companies has a bid board where the loads are posted and you can bid on them. Most of the other companies put their outside carriers on an email list where you receive load offers via email. The other day I saw a load on the bid board, but it wasn't close enough to where I was sitting for me to bother with it. It didn't last long on there at all, disappeared within a minute or two. Then about three minutes later I had an email from one of the other companies and the load offer was for the same load that had just disappeared from the previous company's bid board. I've seen this happen about six times this week. Is this a case of one company grabbing a load from another carrier, just so they can grab some of the revenue before brokering it out again to someone else? Or is it a case where they grabbed it and then their driver turned it down? I hope it's the latter, because if it's the former, then that's one of the problems in our industry. The closer you can get to the origin of the load, the more revenue you're going to see as a driver.

 

[Jefferson3000]

Is this a case of one company grabbing a load from another carrier, just so they can grab some of the revenue before brokering it out again to someone else? Or is it a case where they grabbed it and then their driver turned it down? I hope it's the latter, because if it's the former, then that's one of the problems in our industry. The closer you can get to the origin of the load, the more revenue you're going to see as a driver.

It could be your first scenario. It could also be that the carrier took too long to secure the load according to the shipper's liking, and the shipper canceled and went to another carrier, who also made them big promises about covering the load