Drive for Marten Transport, you WILL lose!

[aces up]

I guess UPS could try and bust the union, then pay drivers 10,12 ,13 dollars per hour. Pay dock workers less. Then the training costs/lower productivity losses associated with turnover would sky rocket because people would not want to work as hard as UPS drivers and dock people do for that kind of money. Not to mention the lousy benefits package they would supply without the union. Lets face it package delivery at UPS is'nt gravy. As far as the "right to work state" issue, certain people will always take advantage of what others have fought for.

[avc]

If the union members stick together UPS will settle before the strike, UPS can't afford to watch their customers go to FEDEX like they did in 1997.

FEDEX could not handle the freight back then and closed their small facilities down at 10:00 am because there was no where to put the packages.

With some of the roll over drivers we have here and in this business truck driving is just another job, like working at McDonald's anymore.

I think the trucking companies have many of these newbies brainwashed for sure and the union has a lot of educating to do or you drivers and OO's are DOOMED to drive for peanuts and low rates !!!!

I think it would be in the best interest of OO's to honor a national truckers strike too, but many of them will sell out too !

[TimberWolf]

Well.
I make a great deal more then pulling fuel then I did as a city driver with UPS Freight, and I can safely say that no illegal immigrant will take that job from me or any other fuel driver that carries hazmat and twic. The best part of our company is that we just had a four lay offs due to business levels slowing down, I am the last guy hired on but managed to keep my job as I have good work ethic and a great saftey record the guys that got laid off kept screwing up on the job. with the union it is purely senority which kind of sucks for the hard working bottom guy. Then you get to sit around and listen to the 18 year guy complain and whine and bitch and of course not work as hard because he has paid his dues.... My father taught me to work just as hard on my last day as I would on day one. My benifit package at UPS Freight before the union was just as good as the one the union brought in, in some ways it was better. Ups frieght employees got screwed by both the union and Brown with the contract ratification in 2007. for the record I am on track to make peanuts of $60,000 this year that is with every Sunday & Monday off, home every night, and a pretty decent benifit package that includes comapny match of my 401k, even UPS cut out the comany 401 match..
Times are tough and you can bet Brown has bean counter figuring cost and numbers for an up coming strike in 2013 they may just say enough is enough lets plan for 6 months to one year of minimal revenue, rebuild our employee team with no union and start fresh. So for that 1 year Fed Ex will kick ass and take all they can get UPS will suffer and slowly rebuild the union wont bankrupt them and they will come out on the other side, it is a possibility....

Timberwolf

[avc]

LOL man, you are a real dreamer, UPS is a public company and is responsible to shareholders and large investors, if you think top management is that stupid to carry out a scenario as you discuss, you need to seek some non-union brain surgeons !!!!

[TimberWolf]

Time will tell...
Never say never..
The times and the way business is conducted will change over the next 10 years people are getting tired of greed.
It may never happen that way you are right but the point is it may and it could...

Timberwolf

[avc]

UPS should not be the target, FEDEX should be the target of the truckers national union because they are paying a lot less to many sub contractors acquired from their acquisition of RPS Package System.

[Phreddo]

What can I say? I've never worked for a union company. I can't see why I would want to. I'm about to leave a company that just voted to join the union, and all I can see is a $10/week pay cut for the privilege of belonging to the union. If I had my choice, I'd rather have cable.

Seriously, what purpose does a union serve besides feeding its own existence? Can anyone explain it in logical terms, minus any personal insults or attacks?

How does a union make UPS better than Fed Ex?

How would a union improve Fed Ex?

I have no desire to work for a union because those guys never seem to be happy. They always seem to think they're getting screwed by management or scabs.

I'm like DW, I just wanna race.

[greaterbaatezu]

Well, this thread was supposed to be about how shady and dishonest Marten Transport has become since randy stepped down from the president's seat and sold off the bulk of his shares. They hired that jerk off from Knight Transportation (Tim Kohl) and everything went to ****. Now there's a knight driver on the forums saying that knight has come around and is a fairly decent place to work. Imagine that.

This entire thread went into a WILD tangent about unions and fuel prices.

[Phreddo]

Well, this thread was supposed to be about how shady and dishonest Marten Transport has become since randy stepped down from the president's seat and sold off the bulk of his shares. They hired that jerk off from Knight Transportation (Tim Kohl) and everything went to ****. Now there's a knight driver on the forums saying that knight has come around and is a fairly decent place to work. Imagine that.

This entire thread went into a WILD tangent about unions and fuel prices.

Sorry...

[avc]

When you become a moderator you tell members what to post then, until then......

Unions and fuel prices happen to be hot topics that need to be discussed.

[Orangetxguy]

You non-union proponents are the worst thing out there in this business and most of you will be driving for companies like AAA Cooper for $10.00 an hour 10 years from now competing with Mexicans that will take those wages.

Damn some of you have no shame and deserve this fate, talk about no air conditioning and a West Virgina air conditioner, ask some of the local drivers about it that work for these rouge trucking companies.

And why is being "Non-Union" so bad? You are here for the last few weeks, crowing about the union, spouting the same typical crap about a "National" strike, when "Union" or not, a national strike will never happen, nor would one work, the way the strikers would intend it too.

The great thing about America....we all have a choice. Some of us chose to not be associated with a union.

My younger brother has 20 years with the teamsters. They just aren't that good. He doesn't see any benefit from being with them, and he is number two in seniority at his job.

Your here ACE, spouting off....yet...Who do you drive for? What is your interest in "Unionizing" the industry? What exactly do YOU stand to gain?

[avc]

Tell your brother to quit his union job and come to Southern Alabama to work for AAA Cooper then man !!!

PS: Unions benefit all workers, I was making $18.50 an hour as a dockman in 1977 for Roadway Express in Akron, Ohio.

PPS: Now I will be lucky to get $ 10.00 an hour at most jobs, get it through your head that people like you who will not stand up for your own profession are the cancer within.

[Orangetxguy]

Tell your brother to quit his union job and come to Southern Alabama to work for AAA Cooper then man !!!

PS: Unions benefit all workers, I was making $18.50 an hour as a dockman in 1977 for Roadway Express in Akron, Ohio.

PPS: Now I will be lucky to get $ 10.00 an hour at most jobs, get it through your head that people like you who will not stand up for your own profession are the cancer within.

Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah!!! Now we can all see the problem! Your in the south, stuck in a low wage job, because that is what those jobs pay, in the south! You have choices. Find a different company to drive for. There are plenty of them out there. If your a decent driver, finding one that pays well, should be easy.

If your stuck in a $10.00 an hour job, you most likely are only willing to drive local, or do "Out & Back" work. Big wages don't come with that type work....IN THE SOUTH. What is the matter? Are you having no luck at all, getting AAA Cooper drivers to "Unionize"??

I would suggest a "Union" job for you to apply for...but all the union jobs I know of....are going away. You could move down to south Florida..and haul gas. Or...for that matter...you could move to the Orlando area....and haul gas...like Timber Wolf. Move back to Indiana and haul gas...move to PA and haul gas.....move to Seattle...and pray! But...all those jobs would be non-union.

I worked for "Southern" wages for two years. I did my bit, to try and get the wages at "That" particular company, to rise to the level of work experience, that the company was requiring new drivers to have when they hired on.

Myself...to move away from the low wages....I bought a truck...and I make enough...even with the bad economy...that I am comfortable. If I have an issue...I take mangement to task...on that issue. I have done so, 3 times all ready this year. Oh...and I also work a lot less now, while making more.

NOW.......Stop blaming others for your problems...and do something to correct...YOUR PROBLEMS!

Something besides blaming others.

[tombestonebilly]

Well.
I make a great deal more then pulling fuel then I did as a city driver with UPS Freight

You should make more because there's alot more risks involved hauling fuel than there is hauling freight.

There was a fuel hauler who burned to death in this area 2 years back. I knew him because he fueld our trucks at night. Not a good way to go. He got rear ended while stopped in a construction zone by some over the road driver who fell asleep at the wheel.. He was trapped in his cab and they heard him screaming but they couldn't go near him because the flames were too hot. Sad thing is that the guy who hit him survived with only a broken collarbone.

[Phreddo]

Eh, hauling fuel isn't that much worse than any other haz load.
the thing is that, mostly, you tend to be more careful and minimize forseeability, and not take unnecessary risks. I'm sure there are non-fuel trucks that burn to death too.

My trainer told me how a fuel tanker had a tire fire, and only the #4 compartment burned, but the other 3 held. It can go both ways.

Last time I checked we're in (statistically) one of the most dangerous jobs out there.

"PS: Unions benefit all workers, I was making $18.50 an hour as a dockman in 1977 for Roadway Express in Akron, Ohio."

So what happened to that job? That's good money by today's standards.

[tombestonebilly]

Eh, hauling fuel isn't that much worse than any other haz load.

Keep tellin yourself that.

the thing is that, mostly, you tend to be more careful and minimize forseeability, and not take unnecessary risks.

Why would you need to be more careful if it's not that worse than hauling other haz loads?

I'm sure there are non-fuel trucks that burn to death too.

I'm sure there are. But when you're hauling 9,000 gallons of unleaded gasoline behind you, you're gonna light up like a pinball machine and payout in silver dollars.

[Old Salt_19]

Got to side with "OrangeTX" on this one AVC.

Unions may be good for some and not for others.

And if life's so bad down south, then maybe it's time to pick up and relocate farther north
where just maybe you might find a pleasing union job.

Speaking for myself, a former Teamster member, They weren't worth the dues I paid into
them. I was OTR, then landed that great "union" position in the foodservice industry.
No, I wasn't high on the seniority list, but I wasn't on the bottom either, but still got let
go when the company consolidated with another of our facilities in town and we closed
our doors.

More could be said but that would drag this way out.

[aces up]

The fact that he has been with the same carrier for 20 years is a tribute to the teamsters. Maybe he forgot or never knew what most non union carriers are like. If he leaves his current job he will find out in a hurry. How many drivers stay for 20 years at a non union carrier? NOT MANY.

[aces up]

And why is being "Non-Union" so bad? You are here for the last few weeks, crowing about the union, spouting the same typical crap about a "National" strike, when "Union" or not, a national strike will never happen, nor would one work, the way the strikers would intend it too.

The great thing about America....we all have a choice. Some of us chose to not be associated with a union.

My younger brother has 20 years with the teamsters. They just aren't that good. He doesn't see any benefit from being with them, and he is number two in seniority at his job.

Your here ACE, spouting off....yet...Who do you drive for? What is your interest in "Unionizing" the industry? What exactly do YOU stand to gain?

The fact that he has been with the same carrier/teamsters for 20 years is a tribute to the teamsters. Maybe he forgot or never knew what most non union carriers are like. If he leaves his current job he will find out in a hurry. How many drivers stay for 20 years at a non union carrier? NOT MANY. Why is he still with the teamsters? Caveman says "union bad, job hopping good."

[Phreddo]

Keep tellin yourself that.



Why would you need to be more careful if it's not that worse than hauling other haz loads?



I'm sure there are. But when you're hauling 9,000 gallons of unleaded gasoline behind you, you're gonna light up like a pinball machine and payout in silver dollars.

Somebody's gotta do it. I see lots of people hauling fuel. What's their secret? It's not for everyone, but it certainly interests me.

you'd need to be more careful because it's liquid, same as if you're pulling milk. except, milk is unbaffled, so that'll move around quite a bit more. And you also have to use common sense, don't smoke, avoid sparks, don't spill nothing, and check, double check, and triple check everything. They teach us how to be safe legal and responsible, and following procedures, rules and regulations simplifies the task of hauling fuel.

besides, if anything happens, i probably won't even know it :/