Verbose or Diatribe?

[mrgoodtude]

Reading this but unable to reply to the FECC forum
http://www.expeditersonline.com/for...478-new-technology-fedex-custom-critical.html
Sorry folk but am technologically challenged
Having become tolerant of Philly's scribe over the last 5 years (suffice it to say I may even have become a fan) I would like it to be known up front this is not a personal attack..
That being said..
Phil are you really that successful at the day trading thingy??
If so that is great and I will probably try to pick your brain in the shadows so as to shore up my portfolio.
That also being said I would have to respond with a little levity about your inability to cope with operating expense..
Looking back you have grandstanded on how to be the Successful Expediter with so much detail one would think you invented the biz.
Have your priorities changed?
Guess I can't understand why you would feel compelled to passionately express your disdain for a policy birthed by the very carrier or company that has made you the success you are today.
You know that you have a responsibility as a self prescribed mentor and with that being said are you really doing justice to yourself, to FECC or to the industry as a whole?
Words like variable costs come to mind when it is clear that this a a fixed cost yet you feel compelled to put your views up my posterior with a sense of urgency that well scares me..
If you are done giving "good advice" on EO it is ok.
You have done a good job
Serious.
This however is out of character for you and unless you are prepared to teach everyone how to be successful day traders as opposed to expediters you should digress and move on with the market.
Again not picking..
Just keeping it real

 

[Dynamite 1]

after this , even though i am not a fdcc contractor i think i will ask permission to post in the forum. this new technology as i see it is going to happen. the only problem as with most carriers is no fleetwide input on the impact to contractors. this may sound funny, LOL, but phil you are exactly rite. the premise goes much further, but your comment sums it up in leymans terms. 260 $ a year to send and recieve faxes and i will add have gps. all things that all of you already have. so throw your fax machines and gps in the trash cause we are going to make you buy another and another and another. yes it is a tax deduction and as phil stated a cost that i also would figure into my new rate for accepting loads and make known. we fax and mail bol's, the issue of tripak as been brought up w/no response so in preparing ourselves to do all from the truck i informed them not to get it once we purchased our stuff cause we would have an issue. i know my situation is different cause we have a little say so and you basically dont because of fdcc's size. but my point is typical in that most carriers dont take contractor cost into consideration. good post phil.

 

[greg334]

Mr. 'tude,

That's too funny and I saved it for my all time greats. It hits the subject between the eyes.

The issues with some FedEx contractors seems to be rather silly at times, complaining about $260 extra a year but making all that money - who would have thought.

Isn't this a business?

Having the tools that gives you an advantage may seem to be a better thing than to be living in the technology dark ages. FedEx is making the move that they should have had done a while a ago when the products hit the market but the bigger the company, the slower they are and the less they listen.

 

[davekc]

Hey,
Look at the bright side. It took a few years, but it looks like he finally figured out you can't be a millionaire running a single truck operation. There is some money to made in trading as I have posted in the past, and we have done well over the years with it. Have to applaud the guy for taking a shot at it. Just have to be careful you aren't doing it with "rose colored glasses" on.
As for the new technology, this has been in place at the Cat for several years now, but still isn't fully utilized to its potential.
But, it does have some nice features.
I do agree that the charge for it should be less based on what the carrier actually pays for the service.

 

[Humble2drive]

I have seen many changes on EO over the past 2 years, but one thing remains constant.

That is the need for Greg and Dave to comment on anything Phil. It is as predictable as death and taxes and just as amusing.

 

[davekc]

I have seen many changes on EO over the past 2 years, but one thing remains constant.

That is the need for Greg and Dave to comment on anything Phil. It is as predictable as death and taxes and just as amusing.

And like clockwork, you have the same response you always have..............yawn.

 

[Moot]

Mike, where did you get that photo of me? Great use of Photoshop to remove my beard. Thanks for leaving the bandage on my head. It's become a permanent fixture.

 

[Humble2drive]

And like clockwork, you have the same response you always have..............yawn.

Yea, I guess it is the Greg, Dave and Humble show. I hope it gets cancelled this season.

 

[TeamDriven]

It does seem that the mods and some mega-posters do more to divide and drive away members than they do to build a balanced community. It is much more imprtant to be a part of the inner circle than to post ideas and contrary opinions. Isn't it about time for a certain mod to mention killing someone? It has been a couple of days.

 

[Bruno]

Mike

I was reading that post last night and thought about putting a post in regards to it because some of the things in it I feel don't paint the whole pictrue. Ateam said he was un able to see his load acept rate for the last two years. Now I'm not saying he is lyeing but after being with FedEx Custom Critical for 14 years and leaving only 18 months ago to go to Panther. I also didn't move the last truck to Panther until last December, so I could still check on the truck stats and load accept rate of the truck. Now that was 13 months ago.

Now Roberts Express/ FedEx Custom Critical has always been a leader in this business when it come to tech/computer systems in the expedite business. Now I will say that Panther was the 1st expedite company to go to paperless logs which every company will have to do by 2012 and its a great system to use. Some of us long time expedite people like Davekc, Terryandrene, RichM, Greg and myself was told we just picking on Ateam. When five guys that have almost 100 years in this business together and help fight for what Ateam enjoyed today at FedEx Custom Critical. It just upset me that Ateam comes on here and what I thought Slams FedEx Custom Critical because he is not doing as well as he did two years ago. Some of us don't work there anymore for our own reasons, but we will always be a part of the history of Roberts Express/FedEx Custom Critical and we don't take kindly to someone coming into this business like they know everything about it when they really was a rookie. I been in 15 years and still call DaveKC or Greg when I need help.

Sorry for the long post I just had to get this off my chest. Oh and by 2012 everyone will be going to paperless logs.

 

[greg334]

TD,
I see your point, and it is well taken so here are a few thoughts spurred by the thread that is sitting in the FedEx forum;

1 - stop crying about changing technology.

2 - the company didn't do this to screw with people but it was done to further help them battle their competition.

3 - the company is not looking out for the 800 to 1200 or so contractors that are in the little tiny CC division, they are looking out for themselves first.

Why do I say this;

1 - because people don't want to understand what's going on or understand the size of the business determines the speed at which change comes, they are sometimes shocked at it when it happens and don't see the positives. The use of technology in this business is frankly p*ss poor on the contractors end and I only see one company so far that is actually making an effort to treat this all like a business by making internal system changes so numbers can be moved from company to contractor on demand. But it goes right back to the most important question is this a business or a pleasure cruise? When you have people acting as if it is a cruise, you get cruise like info back.

2 - this company is being assaulted by several different things; congress, teamsters, some states, Panther and so on - all of this matters to them. They are in the business to make money and if something comes along to help them, they will use it. The money normally trickles down to the contractor in the way of more work that is paying better or more often obtained.

3 - the fees and forced contract changes have to do with business, seeing this is a business and not a paid vacation - it only makes sense that the company that provides the work has the right to change the rules. FedEx, which is a good company, isn't looking out for the contractor but like many many other big business, doesn't make sense a lot of the times.

With that said - I don't pick on Phil because he posts, I rather think there is a need to counter the "all about me" stuff sometimes.

AND

here is my suggestion for FedEx contractors;

If it is important to you to get things "fixed" like acceptance rates (or what ever), then take time to go to green and meet with Virginia (or one of her staffers) and present valid reasons why these things need to be fixed. Don't meet with your CC or someone else they will pawn off on you, your CC is clueless and sometimes your message is ignored or forgotten. But get to the top of the food chain, and be professional about all of it (meaning not the emotional "that's unfair" stuff). Lay out what is needed for you to conduct business in a more efficient way in detail but present it in concise form to who ever. Make a case that it would help the company (example say "I don't like to call into the company for my acceptence rate because I am tying up company resources and the one who answers the phone can be doing something else), Don't make it just about you. Then be polite, tell her (or who ever) how much this would help every contractor (again) and leave. Let them go to the IT department with the project as sponsors that need to get something done. Let them determine the time line and the budget and what is needed for you. If it doesn't work, then do it again. BUT one W/G truck owner who sends in emails and calls who ever may not have a clue what the process really is and then we get that long thread about how bad it is.

And that's my suggestion.

Thanks for making me a megaposter.

 

[Bruno]

I have seen many changes on EO over the past 2 years, but one thing remains constant.

That is the need for Greg and Dave to comment on anything Phil. It is as predictable as death and taxes and just as amusing.

Are you jealous of Davekc and Greg? Oh it's not nice to rolleyes they leave the floor wet when you roll eyes on the floor. lol

 

[fastrod]

Some of us long time expedite people like Davekc, Terryandrene, RichM, Greg and myself was told we just picking on Ateam. When five guys that have almost 100 years in this business together and help fight for what Ateam enjoyed today at FedEx Custom Critical.

I am curious as to what you five fought for and achieved at FCC?

 

[davekc]

I am curious as to what you five fought for and achieved at FCC?

Good question? Not quite sure what I contributed?
Wait a minute;
I did teach several fleet owners how to convert non profitable TVAL trucks at the time into flatbed tow trucks and resell them for a profit.
I wonder if that counts?

 

[Bruno]

I am curious as to what you five fought for and achieved at FCC?

Well, lets see. You don't have to go where the planning department tells you where to layover at or go home. You now can go any where you want and be okayed for that Express Center. You have the Extranet to use which we didn't have back then to check our stats which me and others pushed very hard for. Message 55 which I came up with after the passing of my father and I pushed for that. Terry pushed for a lot of things over the years because he was on the driver board at Roberts/FedEx. Davekc and his wife was on with Roberts/FedEx before moving to Panther. Rich Moore and Greg was also at Robert/ Fedex and pushed for many things over the years. Lawrence and Dale was on with Roberts
Express too. Thanks to Lawrence you now have EO.

 

[cheri1122]

I am curious as to what you five fought for and achieved at FCC?

Don't know about the Fed, but I do know that all of them have been here for years, helping whomever they could. Not one of them presented himself as an 'instant expert', but just offered valuable advice to those who asked, without expecting a pat on the back for it, or worse, patting themselves on the back.
Thanks, guys - I've learned a few things from you too.