They were undermining us with the "flat rate program" and "outside carriers" like FedEx Freight. They mandated the use of EOBRs on all trucks. They are requiring contractors to sign on with the EPA's SmartWay. That means mandatory speed limiters are coming soon. I'm DONE!
Putting the comments of others aside about how people should or should not behave, or should or should not think, I'd like to, if I could, come back to the original post and request additional information from badger. Badger, I have 5 questions (items 1, 2, 3, 5 and 6):
1. May we know what kind of truck you drive, badger?
2. FLAT RATE: Diane and I drive a straight truck (CR-unit, White Glove). We have not operated under the flat rate program and know little about it. Can you share, please, how exactly the flat rate program undermines contractors, and who exactly is hurt by it? Note that it seems not to be hurting Diane and me at all.
3. OUTSIDE CARRIERS: Same question for outside carriers. If we have been hurt by it, I do not see how. Except for yesterday and today while our truck is in the shop, and for a week when we were at headquarters for qualification and training, we have been in service uninterrupted since mid February. For all but a few hours of that time, we have been either under load or dispatched to pick up a load. We have noticed a healthy increase in rates and are quite pleased with our revenues year to date (adjusting for a six week vacation taken in Jan and the first half of Feb). Can you explain, please, how we or any other contractor are being undermined by outside carriers?
4. EOBR: Yes indeed, FDCC has mandated the use of EOBR's in all trucks (except certain Hino's, I understand, because the ECM interface does not work on those). It is a mandate we resisted from the first day, spoke out against as the program developed and resent to this day. I could say much more about this but already have in other threads. You cited EOBR's as a reason to leave FDCC. If we left, it would be one of our reasons too. But as long as the money is flowing as well as it is, it remains in our financial best interests to stay and put up with this high-tech baby monitor in our truck.
5. SMARTWAY: The EPA SmartWay requirement you mention is news to me. No one at FDCC has announced a SmartWay compliance requirement to us (straight truck contractors) or to anyone else in the fleet that I know of. Did I miss something? Who exactly in the FDCC fleet is being required to sign on with SmartWay?
6. SPEED LIMITERS: Speed limiters were mandated for White Glove trucks some time ago because they were required by law in Ontario and Quebec and FDCC wanted their trucks to remain legal in those provinces to continue serving that market. As with the EOBR's it is a mandate that Diane and I resent and would be a reason we would cite for leaving FDCC if we left. But, as with EOBR's, we put up with it because we would be stupid to walk away from the money we are now making. I have not heard that speed limiters are being mandated fleet-wide. How do you know, or where have you heard that they are?