MILE MARKER #54
Spring has arrived, and everyone is patiently waiting for the freight tonnage to increase. Maybe the stimulus package will flex its muscles and lift the economy. We'll see. Some of us were lucky enough to hang on to our jobs, others have involuntarily left, and haven't punched-in for some time. For those hanging on by a bungy cord, cross your fingers.
I am a part of the YRC brand and went through the Roadway/Yellow merger myself, but luckily, still hanging on. I went from number five to thirteen, with the seniority combination. My dreams of transferring to line-haul crumbled when they eliminated the road board at my terminal. If the guy I was waiting for retired when planned, I would have went into the merger with six months of seniority on the line-haul board and would have been squeezed out of the equation in the merger. Things happen for a reason.
I've watched co-workers lose their jobs or get laid off. Those guys are scrambling for jobs around the city, jobs that are just aren't there. Minimal freight. Some are fortunate to get hired with a different company, but outsiders waiting to get hired with YRC are going to have a long wait. Drivers that got laid-off stay on the seniority list for four to five years, and will get called back when the freight increases. A long list.
Before the merger, rival companies used questionable sales tactics to land additional freight, by telling customers that YRC was going out of business. Bad practices when freight is scarce. Simply, bad business. I personally have spent extra time with my customers reassuring them that YRC is alive and well, and is not going anywhere. The combination of Roadway and Yellow was a huge task, but overall, the merger of this LTL giant makes competitors nervous. The heavyweight of LTL. Truth of the matter is, when the economy is strong, there is enough freight for everyone, but when weak, competitors will do what ever it takes to get an additional skid. Minor glitches and bumps were inevitable, but expected. Now, YRC can look forward to the future, to gain and retain customer's and their needs. Transportation innovation at its finest.
Spring has arrived, and everyone is patiently waiting for the freight tonnage to increase. Maybe the stimulus package will flex its muscles and lift the economy. We'll see. Some of us were lucky enough to hang on to our jobs, others have involuntarily left, and haven't punched-in for some time. For those hanging on by a bungy cord, cross your fingers.
I am a part of the YRC brand and went through the Roadway/Yellow merger myself, but luckily, still hanging on. I went from number five to thirteen, with the seniority combination. My dreams of transferring to line-haul crumbled when they eliminated the road board at my terminal. If the guy I was waiting for retired when planned, I would have went into the merger with six months of seniority on the line-haul board and would have been squeezed out of the equation in the merger. Things happen for a reason.
I've watched co-workers lose their jobs or get laid off. Those guys are scrambling for jobs around the city, jobs that are just aren't there. Minimal freight. Some are fortunate to get hired with a different company, but outsiders waiting to get hired with YRC are going to have a long wait. Drivers that got laid-off stay on the seniority list for four to five years, and will get called back when the freight increases. A long list.
Before the merger, rival companies used questionable sales tactics to land additional freight, by telling customers that YRC was going out of business. Bad practices when freight is scarce. Simply, bad business. I personally have spent extra time with my customers reassuring them that YRC is alive and well, and is not going anywhere. The combination of Roadway and Yellow was a huge task, but overall, the merger of this LTL giant makes competitors nervous. The heavyweight of LTL. Truth of the matter is, when the economy is strong, there is enough freight for everyone, but when weak, competitors will do what ever it takes to get an additional skid. Minor glitches and bumps were inevitable, but expected. Now, YRC can look forward to the future, to gain and retain customer's and their needs. Transportation innovation at its finest.
Like I expected, YRC drivers giving back with wages would become a trend with other companies, some less, some more. Think optimism, and hopefully trucking will get rolling again. Fingers crossed. As drivers, we are all in the same trailer.
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