Jefferson3000
Expert Expediter
By the way, the last two automotive loads I moved were over three months ago, and these two back to back loads didn't involve any of the big three.
Time to take action...
- Thread starter Lawrence
- Start date
My real concern is with Chrysler . Cerebus is desperately trying to unload it . The GM deal is still possible but real iffy . Should we loan Chrysler a few billion dollars so they can enhance their sale to an Asian company ?
But I have another concern . I doubt bankruptcy will put them out of business . But if GM and Ford stop producing does that only leave the Sprinter for a cargo van ? What about contractors in other businesses that need 1 ton and medium duty trucks ? There is no foreign version .
But I have another concern . I doubt bankruptcy will put them out of business . But if GM and Ford stop producing does that only leave the Sprinter for a cargo van ? What about contractors in other businesses that need 1 ton and medium duty trucks ? There is no foreign version .
Jefferson3000
Expert Expediter
Companies as big as an auto maker don't usually just go out of business. As long as there is a product, someone will want an opportunity to rebuild the reputation of that company. It will just get worked out in the market, like Chase buying up WaMu. Two hours and the deal was done. But none of these guys have the virtue to do what Iococa did. Just seeing their response to taking a $1 a year salary spoke volumes.....
Highway Star, Lawrence owns this site. I see nothing wrong with his opinions. Remember he was an expediter at one time too, so he understands the business part of the big three. If they go down, so will alot of expedite companys. When Lawrence was doing this with Robert's Express/FedEx Custom Critical 80% of our business was from the big three. If the BIG THREE go down, you may not have to worrie about being a taxpayer if YOUR company goes under. Even when I started in 1995 80% of our loads was from the big three. Something to think about.
I see nothing wrong with his opinions either. I may not agree with them, but I see nothing wrong with them.
So what? If an expedite company is so tied to the big three for their revenue; then to quote Bob Seger, and one of the big three's truck commercials: "Like a rock"; in my opinion, and I don't own this site, they can sink like said rock! (hope I used colons, semi-colons and comma's correctly in this wacky compound sentence)
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Believe it or not, the big three were the first major industry in the U.S. to latch on to the Just In Time business model. J.I.T. was born in Japan, a small island country where the time and space continuum was not as great as in the geographically larger U.S. (Wow that sounded impressive)
. Even when I started in 1995 80% of our loads was from the big three. Something to think about.
So now your loads come from the Jap Three. Your trucks load and unload quicker. What's the problem?
Even if a bailout (or bridge loan as the automotive CEOs called it) somehow saved the American automotive industry, there will be no pickup in automotive freight until people start buying more cars than they are buying now. With the recession now in progress, that may be a while.
Piper,
As many know here...when I speak about America...almost in the same breath I'll include Canada. As goes the US...so goes Canada economically. No doot aboot it.
How about "as goes G.M.; so goes the U.S." Let's hope not!
Jefferson3000
Expert Expediter
Nah. Who didn't see that these guys were in trouble before the financial meltdown? To me it seems that they are now just using that as an excuse to try and get a deal from the govt. Do we really need another ungrateful AIG to pour money down while they are sending their people to expensive spa getaways.
Let the big 3 suffer at the hands of the market and let a worthy company take possession of then. Don't worry. It won't be some Russian company. Remember: Most of these buyouts must be approved and they go through great scrutiny.
Let the big 3 suffer at the hands of the market and let a worthy company take possession of then. Don't worry. It won't be some Russian company. Remember: Most of these buyouts must be approved and they go through great scrutiny.
Tennesseahawk
Veteran Expediter
And a sports star is supposed to give his money back when his team starts losing?
Where was the UAW at this committee hearing? I'm sure their fat cats wouldn't have taken Greyhound.
Oh... BTW... did Bush fly coach to Saudi to beg the king to raise oil production?
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well i am here to say........... i been taking loads even if they are short ones...... they add up.
im on short one now that delivers in south of balimore in the morning..... then i have another to pic up about 13 miles north from i am now and only going 157 miles..
over to va.
I'm not sure what kind of analogy that is supposed to draw. A sports star is the paid talent, not the owner, CEO or COO of the sports team, as these three guys are. When a sports team starts losing money the first thing that happens is the guys at the top start getting paid less, as their pay is directly tied to the health of the company. That's not the case with the automaker CEO's.
It's not the private jet I have a problem with, it's all three of them taking three separate ones from the same place, to the same place, at the same time, to beg for money. A CEO of a corporation, or even Bush, cannot just get on any ol' commercial airline and go. There are too many security risks, like, say, kidnapping for ransom, to not have a CEO flying in a private or chartered jet.
It just looked really, really bad. They should have all flown in on a single plane, be it one of the private jets or a charter. It would have shown they "get it" about the how the very real perception is about them wasting money, being overpaid and over pampered while the companies they run are going down the toilet.
Highway Star, Lawrence owns this site. I see nothing wrong with his opinions. Remember he was an expediter at one time too, so he understands the business part of the big three. If they go down, so will alot of expedite companys. When Lawrence was doing this with Robert's Express/FedEx Custom Critical 80% of our business was from the big three. If the BIG THREE go down, you may not have to worrie about being a taxpayer if YOUR company goes under. Even when I started in 1995 80% of our loads was from the big three. Something to think about.
My comment on the sticky thing should have been followed by a smiley, my bad. It wasn't meant in any kind of mean way. Lawrence has never shown a desire to use this forum as his own bully pulpit.
To expand on the history that you talked about, that has changed a LOT since the 90's, hasn't it? At that time, it was a lot of freight. It wasn't the best rate, but it sure kept the lights turned on. That was then, this is now. The writing has been on the wall for some time now and many expedite companies have diversified their freight bases.
All three going down? Very doubtful. More than likely they'll be downsizing in the form of some kind of merger. For expedite, it's worrisome for the small carriers that are living and breathing the NLM board. The carriers that have diversified will be fine.
not for THE HT!!!!!!!!!!!!
THe HT can do it all by himself.
Just like your Super Truckers Fleet Owners.
The auto industry has abused the american consumer for decades. Their greed, not a desire for a fair profit, has pushed them to brink of destruction.
Arrogance not innovation was their posture in the '70s and 80's while the foreign competition created reliable and efficient cars.
They are still at a loss on how to compete.
Golden parachutes, outrageous bonuses, unions that dont work, contracts that are unreasonable, and inferior products.
They should go down.
That is the American way.
The strong survive in a free economy.
But, for some reason, some feel after years of abuse at the hands of these companies, they feel we should help them, at our expense, again.
Let them burn and a new order arise.
Rest assured someone will take their place.
What continent the owners come from makes no difference.
Take a look at your American car. How much of it is domestic. In name only is it an American auto.
Waving the flag and saying we should save a bad situation will only put a bigger burden on America.
Arrogance not innovation was their posture in the '70s and 80's while the foreign competition created reliable and efficient cars.
They are still at a loss on how to compete.
Golden parachutes, outrageous bonuses, unions that dont work, contracts that are unreasonable, and inferior products.
They should go down.
That is the American way.
The strong survive in a free economy.
But, for some reason, some feel after years of abuse at the hands of these companies, they feel we should help them, at our expense, again.
Let them burn and a new order arise.
Rest assured someone will take their place.
What continent the owners come from makes no difference.
Take a look at your American car. How much of it is domestic. In name only is it an American auto.
Waving the flag and saying we should save a bad situation will only put a bigger burden on America.
warlordblee
Seasoned Expediter
It's simple, if there are no jobs there is no stuff. What do trucks haul, stuff. The let them fail crowd is going to be in for a rude awakaning. I suggest you ask Panther, Fed Ex, Tri State how much of there product is related to auto. GM, Ford, and Chrysler fail, so do the suppliers.
banditt11
Seasoned Expediter
Hey, let them go belly up. I have been to to many of those places picking up and delivering and was treated like so much crap. Let them see what it's like working for an honest wage and working for that wage and respecting that wage. Just like out of control spoiled kids. Toyota and Honda and GM are the parts I haul day in and day out. GM drops out I still have Honda and Toyota being built by american people HERE. GM dumps the dead weight I'll start hauling for them.
Interesting timing on this post. This morning we delivered to a non-automotive plant where the shipping/receiving guy was plain awful. In several years we have not met the likes of him but from what we read here in the Open Fourm this kind of treatment is common at U.S. automotive plants. (We have not hauled an automotive load in quite a while so don't know from personal experience).
As I left the plant I wondered how many UAW folks left lasting impressions with thousands of their fellow citizens, and how those impressions are now influencing how people's sympathies and thoughts about a carmaker bailout?
I would always tell the guys at the dock. You treat the hard working people who bring your freight to you like crap, who do you think is buying your cars? Maybe this will be a wake up call for the UAW on how they treat the people that moves their freight to all the plants.