Never Say Never

Well ya’ll I took this dream job for me a year ago and preped for it for 3 years. I could do this with this company until I was ready to hang up the keys for good. It’s that great a job in my opinion. I can’t say alot right now because I was never supposed to find this out. But loose lips sink big ships. The family that owns this company and treats us very well just sold the company to a large corporation. I have a round about history with the corporation and they are not good. I guess the next few months will be interesting to say the least. If they are true to form I won’t stay with them. I’d rather go back to otr first. My wife worked for a company a few years ago they bought and I lived through the nightmare with her. It was so bad she quit and went elsewhere after a year of them forcing major changes that were not in the best interest of anyone.

Was just last week I remarked what a great gig you had...

Sorry to hear this.

Thanks G yeah I’m not thrilled to say the least. This has been an awesome job that suits my wants, needs, and desires list very well. I’m just gonna keep my mouth shut and ears open for awhile and see what happens. Good news is they bought the entire package except the interior countertop business and they have to ship this stuff somehow. Since they now own trucks I don’t see them changing that, at least in the short term. This is a first for them on the transportation side, the other company had contracts in place with a local trucking company and they just left that in place. At the other company after a few months pay packages and benefits started getting changed and in many cases was worse for the employee. I’ll just wait and see how they operate once they take over and if I don’t like it I’ll do something else.

Wow PJ, unbelievable. We were just talking about this a week ago in this conversation when another member of ours said they were hoping to work for a small to mid-size company:

Looking For A Small To Mid-Size Company

I had said to you:

Hopefully the company you're driving for is on stable ground financially. If so you should be in good shape, as long as someone doesn't convince them to outsource their trucking needs.

...and you replied:

yeah these guys are very stable and expanding. Unless the current owner sells out we won't be outsourcing.

You must have a crystal ball. Such are the perils of working for a small company.

Pat, who had been a member here for four years, blasted me in that same conversation for saying small companies are unstable. He even questioned my integrity by claiming I was only saying that to please my big company advertisers. Now a week later your small company is being bought out by a larger one. Go figure, eh?

How do you like me now, Pat?

PJ, all hope is not lost. It's impossible to say what the future holds. I suspect even the company that has purchased your company may not know exactly what changes are coming. There is usually a lot of overlap in the offices when you merge companies, so some of the office help may be at risk. Larger companies also have more bargaining power with their suppliers which is what worries me when it comes to the trucking aspect of it. I believe you said your company has cranes on the trucks to offload freight. Having more specialized equipment like that might help your chances. I want to say that Old School had trucks with cranes for delivering signs for his company but I'm not sure. He might be able to shed some light on this situation.

Well the nice thing of course is that you don't have to worry about standing in any unemployment lines as a truck driver. In fact, even if they did outsource the trucking part of the business you might be able to land a job with the company they're outsourcing to and keep on doing what you're doing.

These transitions tend to be pretty slow, though. I wouldn't expect any quick changes. I'm sure you'll keep us updated. I'm certainly curious as to how this will play out and I wish you all the best for a great outcome.

I want to say that Old School had trucks with cranes for delivering signs for his company but I'm not sure. He might be able to shed some light on this situation.

I almost responded to this earlier with comments very much akin to Brett's. I don't know a thing about the companies involved here, but I do know when one company buys another, you can bet they've done their homework and already have ideas on how to operate it more efficiently. PJ is taking the right approach, but my suspicion is that they would see significant reductions in costs if they contracted out the delivery of their products.

Unfortunately the realities of business are harsh at times. What is often considered the best way to manage something is usually based on a dollar figure, and not so much how it affects the people currently involved in the process.

Like Brett said, a driver with PJ's experience can have another job lined up within about ten minutes. A simple phone call can have him in the driver's seat at just about any place he'd like to go. That's the beauty of having a good solid track record behind you in this business. There is a huge demand for good solid drivers.

Thanks guys, yeah its a bit unnerving. I don’t have a crystal ball but I almost feel like I jinxed myself lol. I’ll be back tomorrow morning and I already know they are loading my trailer monday for next week. I’m not going to stress over it. My retirement pays the bills so this is just for pleasure and to pay for my toys

Good evening ya’ll. I’m finally back on the road in maryland. Oh the northeast, my favorite. lol not. Anyway I got back and oh boy how the rumors are raging over this situation. However I was able to get my hands on some good solid info, and as I suspected my job and pay will be on the chopping block before long. How quickly things can change your life. The bottom line is the new owners are planning on doing away with our company trucks and selling the equipment to the company they already use for the other plant in town they bought 4 amost 5 years ago. I wouldn’t work for the other company for anything. They have their own issues. It will take a bit for the change to get done. I made some calls and by 0805 hrs monday morning I have another job on the line. This is going with a small trucking company in town. I know the folks and they have wanted me too come over. I should get the official word the end of the week. I’ll still haul granite out and they always get commercial backhauls usually lumber or building products going to atlanta. They will start me at what I’m making now and go up from there. Back on mileage instead of salary, but they stay busy so all in all probably a slight pay raise. They run great equipment so that isn’t a concern. First time I’ll be driving a long hood truck. All these guys road trucks are 389 pete’s. Fitzgerald gliders with 550 or 600 cats. I’ll still be home on weekends. I hope this all works out. Fingers are crossed.

Good evening ya’ll. I’m finally back on the road in maryland. Oh the northeast, my favorite. lol not. Anyway I got back and oh boy how the rumors are raging over this situation. However I was able to get my hands on some good solid info, and as I suspected my job and pay will be on the chopping block before long. How quickly things can change your life. The bottom line is the new owners are planning on doing away with our company trucks and selling the equipment to the company they already use for the other plant in town they bought 4 amost 5 years ago. I wouldn’t work for the other company for anything. They have their own issues. It will take a bit for the change to get done. I made some calls and by 0805 hrs monday morning I have another job on the line. This is going with a small trucking company in town. I know the folks and they have wanted me too come over. I should get the official word the end of the week. I’ll still haul granite out and they always get commercial backhauls usually lumber or building products going to atlanta. They will start me at what I’m making now and go up from there. Back on mileage instead of salary, but they stay busy so all in all probably a slight pay raise. They run great equipment so that isn’t a concern. First time I’ll be driving a long hood truck. All these guys road trucks are 389 pete’s. Fitzgerald gliders with 550 or 600 cats. I’ll still be home on weekends. I hope this all works out. Fingers are crossed.

Sorry to hear about your current gig, but the new one sounds fun! Hope you have a blast at the new job and it lasts a good while for you.

It's too bad about the current situation with the new company coming on board which often happens. Hopefully the gig will work out good and make the whole thing meant to be and you continue doing what you love to do.

Well it's great to hear you have your next gig lined up. What a bummer that last job had to end. Here's to hoping there's more stability at the next place!