Coldworld

Well-Known Member
As I said, you are misinformed.

YOU are the Union.

YOU are allowing, and facilitating, this violation of our contract.

Changing Union logos won't solve anything if it's made up of members who share your attitude.

You get exactly what you fight for.
True but it's an easier march when we get some help from the top
 

retiredTxfeeder

cap'n crunch
Down here in Texas, they created over 25 sleeper team runs. Some of the runs were only 3-3.5 days long (though still mileage). What was happening was, instead of being happy with their short runs, these drivers were bidding to work on their days off for extra work. These jobs all paid time and a half. The feeder department budget blew up. Pencil pushers took note. Management took work off some runs and added it to the jobs that drivers were bidding for extra work, thereby keeping them busy at straight time. the senior drivers who were affected grieved it. The newbie drivers were afraid to grieve because they didn't want to make waves. The drivers who grieved it got big checks. I can't blame the drivers who took the extra work. It is hard to turn down $800.00/day when they they throw it up there.
 

Johney

Pineapple King
As I said, you are misinformed.

YOU are the Union.

YOU are allowing, and facilitating, this violation of our contract.

Changing Union logos won't solve anything if it's made up of members who share your attitude.

You get exactly what you fight for.
Misinformed? No. Allowing and facilitating? How? So please inform me oh knowledgeable one! We have very little sleeper runs in my area and none out of our building. So tell me who allowed them to cut sleeper runs and hand them over to independents? From what retiredTXfeeder says it seems they may have cut their own throat. Attitude? That's funny. I can work my 60 if I want why would I care if I'm pulling an empty back or a load? Please tell me. Every feeder driver on our list is working and they still ask some to work a 6th day(and a few do) so please explain to me again my attitude?
 

Dracula

Package Car is cake compared to this...
Misinformed? No. Allowing and facilitating? How? So please inform me oh knowledgeable one! We have very little sleeper runs in my area and none out of our building. So tell me who allowed them to cut sleeper runs and hand them over to independents? From what retiredTXfeeder says it seems they may have cut their own throat. Attitude? That's funny. I can work my 60 if I want why would I care if I'm pulling an empty back or a load? Please tell me. Every feeder driver on our list is working and they still ask some to work a 6th day(and a few do) so please explain to me again my attitude?

It doesn't matter if your area has sleeper runs. We are a whole. When they start cutting sleeper teams (bid jobs) for peak, and when we carry empties while contractors carry the real loads, it sets a bad precedent. And just because it doesn't affect you now, if it continues at this rate, it won't be long before we get phased out. My mileage run was carrying railboxes to the railyard from my meet hub. That was a lot of extra OT and miles. Now, this week, we are carrying empties back to our home hub. Management says contractors aren't taking the rail loads, but who's kidding who? Someone is taking them, and it isn't a Teamster.

If UPS is using contractors to move our loads while we carry empties, you can bet they won't be paying us 60 hours to move around empties for very long.
 

UPS4Life

Well-Known Member
Our sleeper teams got cut guys working the call board, have pre seniority guys working in the hub(offered work) and freight guys and contractors hauling loads. Just when you think it can't get worse it does.
 

Johney

Pineapple King
All I'm saying is what you all are seeing, we are not. Should they be using independents at all? No of course not, but they do. Just like hiring off the street p/c drivers they've been doing that for years for peak yet no one seems to care about that. Seems this practice has and will be allowed so who do we blame for that? The Teamsters? Oh that's right WE are the Teamsters. So whose to blame? If it's a violation of the contract, file and get your money for doing nothing seems open and shut. If it is not in violation of the contract? Then I guess someone was sleeping(no pun intended)during contract negotiations.
 

Jones

fILE A GRIEVE!
Staff member
I would be surprised if there is a load board listing it as hourly pay. If Coyote is putting up UPS loads on their load boards, they are mileage rates with time commits.
I know last year the independents around here were getting a flat rate, something like $660 for 10 hours.
 

Mugarolla

Light 'em up!
I know last year the independents around here were getting a flat rate, something like $660 for 10 hours.

That equates to $66/hr. See....I can do math!

Similar to what MaceFremonti posted. He said he heard $60/hr up to 10 hours.

After expenses, the contractors are making $25-$30/hr.

This is somewhat comparable to what they pay us.

Bottom line, they are not doing it to save money, they are doing it to get the loads moved on time. We do not have enough feeder drivers for these 4 weeks.

It is not right to displace the sleeper guys, but just like seasonal package drivers and part timers, it is what it takes to get the volume delivered during peak.

We all just need what Johney's local has. Feeder drivers should get as many hours as they want as long as they are using shiny wheels.
 

Bratty Brown

We Want Beer
Shutting down the sleeper teams for peak sets a bad precedent. It makes it easier to do it again and in different parts of the country.
Our hub did a sneaky thing when they had the dispatch drivers bid for peak runs. We thought we were bidding on longer runs with pickups/shifting/wad added to round out the shift but we're really just pu/shift/wad with an occasional pull that takes us out of town. We still get all the hours we want but not doing what we bid on. Not all runs are affected because pu/shift/wad is what some bid on. Anybody have a similar experience or am I just delusional?
 

BostonRStar

New Member
Sounds reasonable.

Don't forget, they burn about $20/hr in fuel.

They pay for their rigs.

They pay for maintenance on their rigs.

They pay for their registration and all DOT fees and taxes.

They pay for their healthcare.

No pension.

That $60/hr boils down to about $25/hr after expenses.
At $60 a hour is about a Dollar a mile (60mph) that is crap pay.
 

Jones

fILE A GRIEVE!
Staff member
At $60 a hour is about a Dollar a mile (60mph) that is crap pay.
They get paid whether they're rolling or sitting in the yard waiting for a load so it's not the same as getting paid by the mile. Most of these guys are working local so not running anywhere near 600 miles a day.
 

hondo

promoted to mediocrity
So I saw one of our older (much) vans, 45' (or 48'?), that had an an air control valve (push/pull knob) on the frame at the landing gear crank. It was long since disconnected, but what was it originally there for?
 

BostonRStar

New Member
They get paid whether they're rolling or sitting in the yard waiting for a load so it's not the same as getting paid by the mile. Most of these guys are working local so not running anywhere near 600 miles a day.
I have only seen road trucks here in the northeast. I was under the impression they were being used for long runs.
 

BostonRStar

New Member
Even if they are $1.00/mile is way better than industry standard.
For a Owner Operator A dollar a mile was good pay 20 years ago. Today you cant make it on that. But if they are running local then it's good pay. With the 70 hour rule that we are doing now they could put on solo sleeper trucks.
 

retiredTxfeeder

cap'n crunch
So I saw one of our older (much) vans, 45' (or 48'?), that had an an air control valve (push/pull knob) on the frame at the landing gear crank. It was long since disconnected, but what was it originally there for?
I believe it was a quick dump for air in case the brakes wouldn't release. Kind of like what is on the dollies now. I remember them as well, but never used them.
 
Top