The good old days of expedited freight.

Bruno

Veteran Expediter
Fleet Owner
US Marines
I was looking up some things on the web and came across a article that was wrote about Roberts Express back in 1998. It was a great article and a great read. I thought I would post the link to article on here for everyone to enjoy.

Roberts Rules the Road | Fast Company
 

skyraider

Veteran Expediter
US Navy
"You have to know the drivers' personalities to know how to deal with them," says Brenda Arthur, a dispatcher who came to Roberts in 1983. "There's one couple, a husband and wife team, who was near-impossible. They took everything personally. Later I learned they were having money problems and that they had a grandchild with leukemia. The next time I talked to the wife, I asked for the grandchild's name. She was taken aback. I told her I wanted to pray for him in the Sunday school teen group I lead. Well, that broke the ice. After that, she warmed up to me."

The most carrying paragraph , someone actually prayed for a family member in need, now that was truly a Hallmark moment. God bless Brenda.
 

canesman07

Seasoned Expediter
I am curious. I have been doing this for a while, a tad over 9 years, I never recall anyone ever saying 'this is the best time I have ever had'. People generally only complain then remininence about how great things were but in reality there has never been a great time. People do the same thing about the economy in general or who ever was president.....Bush sucked. Clinton was great...as an example. Life is what u make it and how you perceive is really not based on reality. Sorry to burst everyone's bubble but man really?

I remember paying 1.40$ a gallon and getting a "GREAT" .06 fsc. Now as a van I avg over a 1$ mile. These are the good times, next year will be a good time and the year after and you want to know why? We do not get paid by the hour with a 40 hr max week. We control our income, pay no taxes of the income type and do not support the social insecurity or govt med programs.

Tirade over feel free to dispute me.
 

paullud

Veteran Expediter
I am curious. I have been doing this for a while, a tad over 9 years, I never recall anyone ever saying 'this is the best time I have ever had'. People generally only complain then remininence about how great things were but in reality there has never been a great time. People do the same thing about the economy in general or who ever was president.....Bush sucked. Clinton was great...as an example. Life is what u make it and how you perceive is really not based on reality. Sorry to burst everyone's bubble but man really?

I remember paying 1.40$ a gallon and getting a "GREAT" .06 fsc. Now as a van I avg over a 1$ mile. These are the good times, next year will be a good time and the year after and you want to know why? We do not get paid by the hour with a 40 hr max week. We control our income, pay no taxes of the income type and do not support the social insecurity or govt med programs.

Tirade over feel free to dispute me.

I think when people are referring to the "good ol' days" in the transportation industry they are referring to a time when there was less regulations and more money in the '80's. It is an undeniable fact that regulations have increased and rates are down, but it is the world we are faced with today. It is still worth it to me to be out on the road rather than being stuck in a cubicle wishing the clock would speed up. In life sometimes a certain past is easier to deal with than an uncertain future.

Sent from my ADR6400L using EO Forums
 

LDB

Veteran Expediter
Retired Expediter
Ah, the good old days, when eyesight was good enough to read even the whispering that many are now too old to read comfortably.
 

Bruno

Veteran Expediter
Fleet Owner
US Marines
The good old days we didn't have cell phones and had to rely on pagers and C-link pagers. Everyone would hang out at the Detroiter truck stop or at the Denny's at eight mile road for coffee.
 

skyraider

Veteran Expediter
US Navy
what would have been the good old days to an 18 wheeler pilot who retired in 1960. omy well I guess most of them are gone now.
 

x06col

Veteran Expediter
Charter Member
Retired Expediter
US Army
I was looking up some things on the web and came across a article that was wrote about Roberts Express back in 1998. It was a great article and a great read. I thought I would post the link to article on here for everyone to enjoy.

Roberts Rules the Road | Fast Company

Actually, this was about the time that a once great Company (Roberts) started the steady decline because of a couple ownership changes. Too bad!!
 

Bruno

Veteran Expediter
Fleet Owner
US Marines
Actually, this was about the time that a once great Company (Roberts) started the steady decline because of a couple ownership changes. Too bad!!

Yes, sir you are so right. I was thinking the same thing and can remember all the Roberts Express people in the article.
 

ATeam

Senior Member
Retired Expediter
Actually, this was about the time that a once great Company (Roberts) started the steady decline because of a couple ownership changes. Too bad!!

Suppose Roberts did not get picked up by FedEx like it did and instead managed to continue on as the independent expedite carrier it once was. What made that company great back in the good old days and -- with all the new technology and competition that emarged in the last 25 years -- what parts of the greatness would have survived? What path through expedite history might the Roberts of yesteryear have taken to live to haul freight today?
 

Deville

Not a Member
"You have to know the drivers' personalities to know how to deal with them," says Brenda Arthur, a dispatcher who came to Roberts in 1983. "There's one couple, a husband and wife team, who was near-impossible. They took everything personally. Later I learned they were having money problems and that they had a grandchild with leukemia. The next time I talked to the wife, I asked for the grandchild's name. She was taken aback. I told her I wanted to pray for him in the Sunday school teen group I lead. Well, that broke the ice. After that, she warmed up to me."

The most carrying paragraph , someone actually prayed for a family member in need, now that was truly a Hallmark moment. God bless Brenda.

I like Brenda so much. We have helped each other out over the years & she is truly a wonderful women.
 

wimpy007

Veteran Expediter
Retired Expediter
US Army
I was with Roberts from 1996 until the FedEx purchase, at a meeting in Chicago we were told it would be the best thing since slice bread. We argued to keep the Roberts name in some manner but were told no way. For the next year or so when you said to shipper "FedEx" they would say not today. When we said how about Roberts , Ohh you should have said so. I tried retire after 11 year with FedEx, that lasted about 3 or 4 months got another van and went back to it. Now at 78 I guess I should thing about retirement again. It sure has had its ups and down, but all in all its been fun and met some great people.
 
Top