Some will. Some won't. As I wait for over 1 month now for Fedzilla to decide I can get HazMat I was told again by my company that they would not raise the wages of the routes or reimburse the expense.
I reminded the dispatcher of the laws of competiton and told him to expect significant losses of personnel when the mandatory requirement kicks in. When he asked why I reminded him of the fact that with another 10 bucks of investment we could get doubles and work for Fed-Ex Freight, Saia, Con-Way, R&L, Old Dominion, among several other LTL compaies, all of whom pay nearly twice as much.

By raising the bar without raising the pay Werner will be killing off the division that according to them has the best on-time success rate in the company. And that is how the free market works. Compete or be eliminated.

 

I've been in the shadows on this topic because I do not know a whole lot about unions, however, I did just want to add my two cents in on at least one point. Fair wages, job security, retirement, et al., these ARE NOT rights, but rather privelages. GMan was right, where else can you start out making as good of money with no experience? You shouldn't just be given everything, you have to earn it. If you do not have a proven driving record, why should a company pay you $.40 or .50 a mile to just go out and wreck their load the first time you cross a mountain range or drive in the snow? Not only is the company now out the money they paid you to drive their load off a cliff, but they are out the cost of the load and truck too (probably somewhere between $500K and $1M). You don't have a RIGHT to retirement, you should have to earn it. If you go into a career at 21, work 20 years and retire, you retire at 41....you earned it. Now granted that retirement, unless invested profitably, probably wont be enough to survive on for life, but put in another 20 and now you have retired at 61 and are drawing two checks...YOU EARNED IT. Fair wages are a joke, no one decides whats fair except the person willing to work for it. If you don't like the money someone is offering you, this isn't a communist country the last time I checked, go work somewhere else. You do have a choice to turn down the job offer. From a business stand point, it depends on your outlook...am I willing to pay someone who has proven themselves capable an extra .10 a mile or am I going to risk the value of my load in order to save a few hundred dollars getting it there. Depending on how you rate the risk factor changes who you hire. That is why some companies hire newbies for .25/mile and others want 5 years experience, no mars on your mvr, but they are willing to pay .50 or more for company drivers. Job security, well, I am a firm believer in if you do your job and you do it right, they have no reason to release you from it. I started at a company in an industry that I had 0 experience in just before the economy started to enter its downward spiral. While working there we went through three rounds of layoffs and I survived every one of them, despite the fact that I was the least senior person in the company by nearly two years. They pulled me aside during the first round and told me that they were promoting me after only a couple months with the company because I did my job and I did it well. I worked hard and earned the right to stay. I was also told that if they didn't get me out of the position I was in, I was not going to survive the layoff because they could not justify keeping me, being my experience versus everyone else. My point about this whole thing is, whether you are pro- or anti- union shouldn't matter because if you do your job and do it right you will have all the things that should be privelages not rights.

 

You are right, my friend..
As to why I stay away from most threads that have anything to do with politics. I'm not too keen on most things when it comes to politics, so I try to sit back. It don't matter if you say something about General George Washington and his men freezing at Valley Forge, it will somehow end up in a fierce battle of today's politics. :lol:

 

Can't take a joke? I guess I could've said big brother or obama or obooba or many others but I did give him the resepect of spelling his name correctly and useing a capitol O

 

Thats your opinion!!! Everyone wants to talk about the president of the united states!! Thats whats wrong with this country today no respect. If you cant respect the commander in chief, then who can you respect. Whether you like his views or not, he should deserve respect. Remember kids listen to everything adults talk about.. If everyone is bashing the president , what you think kids going to do? We all need to show respect towards one another. just me .02

 

My father brought us up to believe that respect is "earned" not demanded or expected just because of a person's status in life. He spent 21 years in the Marine corps, 1968 to 1989. He has been with the South Carolina State Patrol for the last 20 years and will be the first to tell you that just because he wears a uniform and a gun does not mean you must give him respect, he will earn your respect by the way he deals with you fairly and non judgemental.
I gave Obama respect in the beginning by virtue of his backgroud and the way he carried himself, but as time is going by I am not so sure of his ability to do the job, and my level of respect is slowing beginning to deminish. I gave the same respect to George Bush as well and everybody knows what type of idiot he turned out to be..


Jimmy

 

As far as unions go my only experience with them is sitting on my fat azz watching Hoffa, so if that movie is true to life then I say no way to Unions.. Who wants to end up dead..

Jimmy

 

You just proved my point!!! i have nothing further else to say!!!

 

Getting back on topic...

You guys can preach all you want about "doing a good job"... "stand up for yourself"... "American spirit"... "unions are corrupt"...BLAH BLAH BLAH BLAH BLAH!

The companies you work for are money thirsty soul-less backstabbing corporate criminals who wouldnt pizz on you if you were on fire. And if they find a way to make more money at your expense then they will. Even if that means shipping your job overseas. Union or no union. You are a necassary evil that they have to have but they despise sharing their money with YOU. If they can get some immigrant, or machine, or anyone else to do the job cheaper then YOU they will. So dont tell me about loyalty, honor, responsibility or any other BS when your dealing with SCUMBAGS. Its just a big game and you have to know how to play it. Why do you think actors and sports figures have agents? Because agents negotiate for them. Actors act, football players play football, drivers drive and AGENTS negotiate! Your just a driver, do you really think you understand the business end of it and how much money the company is holding out on you? Puhlease!

I dont give 2 sheetz whether you're in a union or not. But I would never let some OTR McMega carrier push me around and treat me like a dog for .35 cents a mile. KIZZ MY AZZ! So I'll take my union job and my .59 cents a mile all day long and I'll gladly pay my $59 monthly dues. Dont be an idiot people. Like I said its a game, learn how to play it or get shoved around by the bullies on the block.

 

VERY WELL SAID!!!!!!:thumbsup::thumbsup: