Working with the ILA ?

[shortcircut]

I hope you are NOT talking about the Tidewater Motorcarrier Trucking Association ! I have talked with several Agents and Terminal Managers and they have told me all TMTA does is sit around and discuss how to "manage owner ops" how to control and keep rates low, and how to screw the drivers out of money with new and creative ways.

[Long circut]

It is because of this Shortcircut type driver that nothing is getting any better around the ports, he does not want to try and work with the companies and associations out there to try and make things better, he would rather bash the ports and trucking companies and hope that things will "CHANGE".... But just like the President, we will have to wait till 2012 to get some better "CHANGE".

[dailyctywk]

the trucking companies are not bad people. they want to change things so we can each make money. it's not the companies fault that so many drivers cannot make ends meet because of bad business decisions. some don't know how to handle their own money or they don't like working when offered loads to take. sometimes we must take the good with the bad to keep our customers.

[workingdude]

Dec 8, 2010 7:32:32 GMT -5 @dailyctywk said:

the trucking companies are not bad people. they want to change things so we can each make money. it's not the companies fault that so many drivers cannot make ends meet because of bad business decisions. some don't know how to handle their own money or they don't like working when offered loads to take. sometimes we must take the good with the bad to keep our customers.

Crawl back under your rock

[pkd5757]

Trucking companies aren't the sole cause of our situation, your right! But their not helping either. We will always hear about the company who screwed his drivers and all companies are labeled as the same. It's true with the O/O's too. This is why I don't understand why the companies don't try to embrace the "Hiring Hall" system. The companies can't unite for better rates, because of the law. Let the O/O's be the excuse, if we won't haul for less than the fair rate we agree upon, then the containers won't move. Even the companies with their own drivers will decide to hold out for the higher rates. We are all in this together, whether we like it or not. Let's try working together to find a solution. We're all getting jerked around fighting for pennies. Let's work together and grab for the dollars!

[shortcircut]

Dec 7, 2010 18:03:16 GMT -5 @Long circut said:

It is because of this Shortcircut type driver that nothing is getting any better around the ports, he does not want to try and work with the companies and associations out there to try and make things better, he would rather bash the ports and trucking companies and hope that things will "CHANGE".... But just like the President, we will have to wait till 2012 to get some better "CHANGE".

And it is because of morons like this who run their mouth and talk about things they no nothing about, that the drivers can't seem to come together. You are a fool who thinks every thing that spews out of his mouth is right and every one else is wrong. Losers like you are why things are the way they are. They shoot off at the mouth and every thing that comes out is completly stupid and useless ! I have tried the "right way" by trying to get every one to work together but there are these idiots who have only been out here for a short time, who can't manage a business and who can't handle driving trucks and run the ports daily , yet these fools think they know every thing. I learn something new almost every day, I watch what happens on the ports, and, I ask questions to learn , unlike some fools who just assume they are always right.
I try on a daily basis to better my self and how I do business, unlike this jack ass who comes on here to start trouble with me. I only hope one day, he or she will grow a pair and confront me face to face so I can see who you are LOSER

[confusedtrucker]

shortcircut, don't worry about that jerk running his face, he isn't worth it.as far as the local trucking groups go, those agents who formed their group are a bunch of crooks and I know that first hand, and the local organization for owner ops is a total waste of time as well. I went to about 6 or 7 of their meetings and I haven't seen any positive results come from any of their actions yet. They just take money and show no progress. One meeting I went to only had about 8 people at it, wow, that was so impressive.
Like I said, don't sweat these idiots out here, the ILA has screwed themselves so they have no one to blame but them selves, and, these other fools will only be out here for a year or two at most because they lack the knowledge of how to run a truck and make money at it. It these clowns were serious about doing something, they never would have waited as long as they have. how pathetic is that LOL

[twinstack]

what does the longshoremen have to do with stupid truckers who pull cheap port loads? one minute drivers ask for help or talk about working with the dock union but then there are still those few in this group that constantly bash them. better wake up. the goal is to make things better not alienate all truckers that want change. go it alone is what we have been doing for years but that doesn't seem to work well. if we ever expect to gain an edge on the corporate mentality at the piers we had better focus on who we want in our corner when it's time for the big fight. you can bet the trucking companies are not going to stand up for our interest or do anything that will cause them to have to pay an owner-operator any more money.

[shortcircut]

as you can tell by the jackass who calls himself long circut , he has a small brain if any and absolutely nothing worth listening to . All he does is come on this site and runs his mouth and contributes absolutely nothing positive at all. I am sure he is one of those clowns who has been out here a year or two at most yet he has seen and knows every thing . too bad that puny little brain can't come up with anything positive or creative to say, maybe his mom should have used other birth control methods like , oh lets say, SWALLOWING .
i FOR ONE WILL TELL IT LIKE I SEE IT ON THE PORTS DAILY. I HAVE GOTTEN TO KNOW MANY OF THE ILA, SOME OF WHOM CALL FRIENDS, and I talk with many of them on a daily basis. I also know many dispatchers and Agents and there is only one , maybe two whom I would trust and believe what they say .
I will gladly sit down and talk with anyone who is serious about finding solutions to the problems on the ports , but, unlike most of the steering wheel holders out here, I will NOT blindly put my faith into those who say the want to make things better for us. I don't know of any VIT personnel or Agents who want to see any driver become a more efficient trucker for any reason other than their own personal gain.
If these drivers don't want to help them selves, then nothing will change.

[90centsamileisajoke]

Think about how you run your business. I run a very fuel efficent tractor 7 to 7.75 mpg. I take the most sensible direct routes. I am always on time. I do everything I can to save money and not waste any time. I know most of us operate the same way. My brother was laid off from the port last year. He has told me many times that the port workers are very lazy. He was a straddle carrier operator and was yelled at many times by his co workers to slow down because he was making them look bad. Everything would be so much better for us at the port if the workers were more efficient and just moved like they had a job to do. The problem is that they cannot be yelled at for working slow. In a day and age where time and money is so valuable. So much time and money is wasted at the port. I wonder why they are not bankrupt.

[dropnhook]

Bankrupt? Your kidding right? The port industry players are making billions of dollars in profit. The ports themselves are back to spending on bigger equipment and dock improvements. just look at the latest industry news. Liner companies are once again ordering newer, bigger ships. We still are only ones who continuously get screwed over even as port transportation is on the rebound.

That's great your tractor is so fuel efficient-mine is not at 5.5 / 6 miles to the gallon-the fact remains-most of this work is dirt cheap. I have been in this business for twenty-seven years so many of us who are still around must be doing something right. I wouldn't discount my hauling services even if my truck suddenly started doing 10 mile to the gallon next week. Everything is on the rise not just the price of fuel. we should be making a dollar-fifty to call this a business but the majority don't even come anywhere close to that.

It doesn't have to remain the cheapest freight but until there is a way to establish a floor on rates the greedy will continue to take advantage of the confusion. We would be in the exact same situation if the ILA didn't exist and they tripled the labor force with illegal Mexicans who could have us out the gate in thirty seconds. I can tell you these rates would drop even lower if we were able to move twelve boxes a day or make faster deliveries. As truckers the ball is in our court to take action. Why should anyone else bother do anything about our plight? hell to mnagement nothing could be better. They're making plenty money from our stupidity to control our own.

[Mike]

I am a port driver. I can understand how union needs to support there workers.this is america. Ila workers hide behind there union. But the same workers that hide behind there union. Would not tolerate that treatment are disrespect out in the real world so union yes i can understand.but u can never justify how nasty and lazy they are taught to be as a worker.maybe the union should take some pride in how there ports are run. Then maybe they would start getting the respect they think they deserve. So if u think its all about your union. And union union union.then thats sad. Partners breaks disrespect lazy overtime stoppages etcc. If everywhere u went u had 2 wait and got treated like a piece of crap wouldnt that annoy u. So hide behind your union in fantasyland. We all know the truth.