Big 3 Plants to idle/layoff

[unorthodoxneon]

Well the news is that the BIG 3 plans on shutting down a few plants for a while while they push some inventory. Also a few plants are going to be closing here in the next couple of months and last i heard Ford wants to layoff more workers and so may chrysler. So thats just leads to less freight.

 

[greg334]

And?

What I find rather hilarious is the contract that was so great for these guys and it has plant shutdowns listed and a continuation of the jobs bank. The important thing is that the Volt will be produced at the pole town plant if it ever gets to production.

 

[Jack_Berry]

THE VOLT CAR

it HAS to be produced. pres of gm is on the record stating that diesel cars are NOT the way to go and even though many foreign car makers(vw, bmw in 2008 honda in 2010)are going to introduce clean diesels GM says.....electric cars are the way to go.....and we all know that what is good for GM is good for the country. yeah okay. what happened to the esv1, huh? o yeah all destroyed.


Jack Berry

 

[OntarioVanMan]

RE: THE VOLT CAR

Jack...your supposed to be in O class????

 

[Lawrence]

Drive Toyota and Hondas - this is what happens. It's real simple.

Toyota and Honda = Little or no expedite freight.
GM, Ford, Chrysler = Lot's of expedite freight.

What are you going to drive?

Lawrence,
Expediters Online.com

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[greg334]

John,
GM is a bunch of hypocrites, like you asked what happened to the EV1?

The thing is they are going around telling people that they are leading the way to a real hybrid - the Volt - but forget to tell anyone that they are buying existing technology and using it. They jumped on the flex fuel thing and spun it as a new technology when in fact almost every car produce can use E85.

As far as GM saying the diesel is dead, ok pull all the diesels out of their product line and see what happens to their sales. It is far from being dead and VW and D-C (which by the by both have been working on the fuel cell thing) are showing the way to cleaner diesel engines without the cr*p that we have. It is funny that GM has outsourced a lot of their diesel engine development but D-C and VW have put a lot of money into further development in house.

I think that the Volt will not sell anywhere but the US market, I think that the Asia and European markets will continue to use Diesels.

Lawrence,
It is funny you mention that, I have gotten more work from Toyota and Honda than I have had from Ford or GM. Seeing D-C was a foreign car company until sort of recently, I haven't counted them as domestic and they rank ahead of Ford.

 

[mrgoodtude]

>
>Drive Toyota and Hondas - this is what happens. It's real
>simple.
>
>Toyota and Honda = Little or no expedite freight.
>GM, Ford, Chrysler = Lot's of expedite freight.
>
>What are you going to drive?
>
>Lawrence,
>Expediters Online.com

Ok me going Dickwad
Just a few links for manufacturing facilities not of the big 3 but providing jobs to American workers
http://corporate.honda.com/america/
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Toyota#Toyota_Motor_North_America.2C_Inc.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kia_Motors_America
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hyundai_Motor_Company#Hyundai_in_the_United_States
I won't even bother to pull up Nissan, Mercedes or BMW all of whom have a significant stake in facilities located right here in the dirty south...
Ford has been in bed with a few for awhile as have GM and Chrysler.
The significant difference lay with the management and IMHO the big 3 have failed miserably.
"Yes" I said miserably..
Joe entitle head decides he needs $20 an hour plus an additional $20 in benefits to make stupid decisions like I need a $5 box of rivets for the line but am running low cause I didn't have the time to pre plan as I am only available to work 5.5 hours of my 8 hour schedule as set forth in the bylaws of my Union contract yada yada yada.
I need to spend 2k for the rivets to be here on time to save my deadhead azz but as long as the line moves management won't mind...
And they don't.
Enter the need for exclusive use expedite.
I implore everyone here hauling automotive to think outside the box lest you become extinct.
Align yourselves with business revolutionaries that have vision and a plan that doesn't involve automotive, doing so may mean you can enjoy the fruits of expedite till we are no more.
Turkeys to Jackson Hole WY, Pharmaceuticals, Military componets there are many uses for our service.
I hauled one automotive this past year and did so w/out prior knowledge and although I am not anti auto I will decline for the aggravation factor.
I drove by a Mercury plant in MI I had delivered to 2 years ago and there was nothing interesting to see but 7 cars (security) and crickets..
This plant is huge and dead.
RIP
Mike

 

[cheri1122]

My experience has been the same as Greg's: more expedite loads from Toyota & Honda. The loads pay more than NLM, and the plant employees are easier to deal with, too.
The biggest factor in my decision making process, though, when I'm buying a personal vehicle, is that while the 'American' manufacturers are cutting jobs & laying folks off, both Toyota and Honda are creating new jobs. They aren't the overpaid UAW kind, but they pay a reasonable wage, and have benefits. Who else is doing that?
Without jobs like those, the middle class will cease to exist, and we will be a country of 'haves' and 'have nots'.
I am sorry that American companies aren't doing it, but the fact is, most of them aren't. The corporate mentality is stuck in the mgmt vs labor syndrome, instead of pulling together as a team, with the same goal, as the Japanese do.
It wouldn't matter if the American manufacturers come up with 10 new vehicles that people want to buy, just as all the cost cutting isn't working, because the whole system of mgmt vs labor is fundamentally unsound, based upon corporate and individual greed. As long as upper mgmt continues the practice of rewarding even the grossest incompetence among their own ranks with truly excessive compensation, why would the union want to restrain themselves?
And why would I want to reward any of them with my business?

 

[buckeyewildman]

like i keep saying buy Toyota or Honda
Toyota the only completly american made car

 

[greg334]

What did you say Cheri?

Easier to deal with, as under paid and under represented as they are, they are easier to deal with?

I would think that they would be angry that they are getting the short end of the stick working in conditions that are clean and sometimes air conditioned while the company is making all those profits and sending back to the community that they live in, wouldn't you think?

They should be like their auto working brethren, when they see something that needs to be unloaded at the dock that just arrived in time before a line is shut down and cost the company $8 million a minute, they should stop and take a one hour break - just like they do at Ford and GM.

 

[arkjarhead]

Not only have I hauled more toyota expedites than for any other auto company they seem to pay the best as well. If all you are hauling is automotive I feel for you.

 

[LDB]

My experience has also been that more loads go to Toyota, Nissan and Mitsubishi than to Ford, GM or Chrysler. They also pay decent fuel surcharges for the most part compared to the domestics (sic) that pay poor fsc for the most part.

Leo Bricker, 73's K5LDB
OOIDA Life Member 677319, JOIN NOW
Owner, Panther trucks 5508, 5509, 5641
EO Forum Moderator
----------
Support the entire Constitution, not just the parts you like.

 

[davekc]

I agree with Leo in that we haven't done a domestic car manufacture load in quite some time. The Toyotas and the like pay much better than the Fords and GM's.
With that being said, I am mindful that the expedite industry is reliant of both. Many of the suppliers etc. service both the imports and domestics. When GM went on strike, it still affects the whole industry whether you haul a GM load or not.
Any company that isn't moving because of those affects, quickly become your competition.
One must look at ALL of the picture, and not just a small part.
Ninety percent of the industry is price and market driven. Not name brand as some would like to think. The remaining ten percent that want that "name brand" will remain loyal, but it is hardly enough to support any kind of fleet.









Davekc
owner
23 years
PantherII
EO moderator

 

[greg334]

Dave,
I respectfully disagree.

I have seen that there is an inconsistency with buyers when it comes to the price theory.

I mean when you look at the pattern of car sales in many markets and the price reductions used in those markets, the price does not really mean much in comparison to brand reputation.

For example here we have the employee discount program offered 24/7 to friends, family, employees and pets of employees but many people will not take advantage of it, instead will buy Honda or Toyota or Nissan and pay a little more (or in some cases a lot more) because of brand reputation. You would expect to see a lot of Ford and Gm products out number other brands by 2 or 3 to one but it is not happening region wide. There are enclaves of Ford products or GM products but they are all around Ford or GM locations.

Out in LA, Ford had some program that they would buy out your lease and offer you a great savings (better than the employee discount cr*p) for one of their products, it didn’t matter if you leased a Yugo or a Ferrari, they would buy it out and put you into a Ford product at a substantial discount (lets pay $219 for a Lincoln). This program was not successful because it seems that the public out in LA didn’t find the Ford products having the reputation that Toyota, Honda and other have and kept their cars. This information came from Ford.

 

[davekc]

Gregg,
I think you misunderstood my post. I was refering to expedite companies.










Davekc
owner
23 years
PantherII
EO moderator

 

[greg334]

Opps, I have been bashing the two home town companies so much today for their ridiculas comments on the plight of the auto workers (by the way D-C workers are making $75.98 an hour or $155,000). So I apologize for not reading it twice before opening my mouth.

 

[cheri1122]

I agree with Dave, that expediting is more about the price, than name recognition. T'would be ironic, if it were otherwise, considering how much freight gets brokered to another carrier...
One thing I'd have to admit the mgmt of 'the big 3' is really very good at, though, is directing outrage for their problems away from themselves & their failures, and onto the backs of the hourly workers. I know it's not too hard for us to blame the workers, coming into contact with such shining examples of the breed as we do, but I still can't believe that no one suggests that the idiots who MAKE the decisions might be to blame for the whole sorry mess.