Dashboard Confidential – October 2020

This truck driving business isn’t that hard to figure out. Or so I have been told. Any driver worth his chain drive wallet and double-clutching boots and with more than a few weeks experience knows everything about trucking and can show dispatchers and company owners how it should be done.

Backing up on that statement just a bit. Chain drive wallets are a rarity, unless you are a musician and going for the effect of having anything in their wallet. Double-clutching boots have become even rarer with the advent of an automated-shift transmission and their replacement by flip-flop shower shoes. But still, my observations are correct.

My job is now “power only,” meaning I do a lot of trailer relocations for manufacturers, dealers, stage shows and more. For the past five years, I have had the great opportunity to see changes in many different segments of our industry, most of it good. It’s a usually pleasure being the bearer of new equipment. Unfortunately, that is not always the case.

I recently did several moves for one of my dealers who bought out a manufacturing company’s entire stock of barely used flatbeds. Arriving at the plant, the security guard took me to the staging area and showed me my three-stack of flatbeds and verified the VIN numbers.

As we visited for a few minutes, doing the paperwork and inspections, he told me of the changes underway. An interesting chap, you could tell he was proud of the company he worked for.

The company made their own product, had their own drivers, a fleet of very nice Peterbilt tractors, and well spec’d top-of-the-line trailers with polished, on-board scales, extra lights. Sharp equipment all the way around.

Their rates were solid, he said, offering the customers flawless service by well-paid drivers in top-shelf equipment. Backhauls were arranged to keep the trucks loaded and the company profitable. A long track record of safety, service and dependability. It almost sounded like an ad for a Fortune 500 company. Too good to be true, but these guys were the real deal.

I asked him if the trailers were being replaced by new equipment, and he looked sad.

“Unfortunately, no,” he said. The trailers and trucks were all being sold.

It seemed the company had hired a young man, fresh out of college with no transportation experience, no marketing experience and, obviously, no loyalty. Stepping into the task of “streamlining” the company, he fired all the drivers, sold off the equipment and revamped the traffic department. In their place, outside trucking companies were brought in to haul the product. I was told that it was not going as well as they had hoped.

I won’t mention the names of the trucking companies they brought in, for obvious reasons, but I witnessed some raggedy-looking equipment, some drivers who were not dressed for safety (going back to the shower shoes and sweatpants thing). It’s not my place to judge, but if one of those guys drops his winch bar or some product topples over, this cat will lose some toes. I kept quiet and observed. But the company is saving money.

My new best friend also told me the logistics problems they were having with the cut-rate carriers. One driver was three days late delivering, and the customer was waiting for the product to finish a job.

The driver would not return calls and had disconnected his tracking unit. Another driver took an exit ramp too fast and turned over in the ditch. The driver was OK, but the truck, trailer and product were a total loss. Another lost it in a storm and went out into a farmer’s field.

Another driver forgot to check his fifth wheel and dropped his trailer at a busy intersection, collapsing the landing gear legs and, as a result, damaging the product. But the company was saving money.

This whole conversation came from the security guard who was quite well informed about all the changes taking place. Quizzing him further over coffee, he stated that he was among those affected by the downsizing and cost cutting.

He was formerly the head of the transportation office, made the dispatch orders, booked the backhauls and worked to keep the drivers happy. His reward, instead of being terminated by the “new guy” was a transfer into the guard shack.

Better than no job, he said, but you could see the anguish and frustration. At no time was he disrespectful or rude about it, but I had to wonder if I would be as understanding.

About two weeks later, I was again dispatched to the same location for another three-stack for my dealer. Not much had changed. They were still making product, the shipping area was still active and busy.

Transportation issues were still a problem, I was told, but the company was reconsidering. Product damage and loss of prompt service was still an issue.

Perhaps they should have listened to their drivers. After all, as everyone knows, truck drivers know best. Happy trails. LL