The Way We Were

hockey

Member
10
Cleaning out files from the 90"s. A lot of trucking companies no longer around. Not the easiest business to be in and my kudos to the ones who are still around. Obviously doing something right. After 27 years we still use the tried and true who are honest and tell you the truth. Problems happen and if you tell the truth people will work with you. I think all we want in this business is the truth so our customers can make their own decisions. Honesty in this day goes a hell of a long way. I guess my point is I have been lied to so many times in the last year and I looked back on those 90's files with nostalgia knowing I wasn't being lied to as much as now. And Covid is not an excuse for poor service. That seems to be everyone's excuse these days. To the carriers who are honest thank you.
 

tasuinam

Well-Known Member
20
I was just thinking about this the other day - without smartphones how did paperwork get processed, how did we track where a truck was - no ELD, if a driver got stuck in the middle of nowhere how do you send help? And yet despite all of these 'communication' limitations - the service was somehow better and more reliable
 

Jim L

Well-Known Member
20
I don't know if the service was really better - I think that the expectations were not as high in the 90's. You still have the same chance for breakdowns, drivers getting lost or sick, the freight leaving too late etc. Take LTL for example; I remember saying that LTL was one week service. Now its expected that you pick up on Friday and deliver on Monday with no exceptions oh an by the way, the receiver closes at 2pm so make sure you deliver my freight first. Truckload freight somehow gets calculated at 100km/hr and you should do a 1000 km run overnight after loading at 5pm.
In the 90's I think customers were happy it got there eventually-within reason. Now within reason is a lot smaller. Couple that with longer wait times at shippers, more confusion about paperwork and who is doing it, dispatchers calling Livingston 8 times more than they should to get something cleared and a whole lot of other circumstantial issues that somehow never ever happens but seem to happen only to us and you get a seemingly bad service. When you think about it, I think that the service is much better - just not the result you wanted.
 

tasuinam

Well-Known Member
20
I don't know if the service was really better - I think that the expectations were not as high in the 90's. You still have the same chance for breakdowns, drivers getting lost or sick, the freight leaving too late etc. Take LTL for example; I remember saying that LTL was one week service. Now its expected that you pick up on Friday and deliver on Monday with no exceptions oh an by the way, the receiver closes at 2pm so make sure you deliver my freight first. Truckload freight somehow gets calculated at 100km/hr and you should do a 1000 km run overnight after loading at 5pm.
In the 90's I think customers were happy it got there eventually-within reason. Now within reason is a lot smaller. Couple that with longer wait times at shippers, more confusion about paperwork and who is doing it, dispatchers calling Livingston 8 times more than they should to get something cleared and a whole lot of other circumstantial issues that somehow never ever happens but seem to happen only to us and you get a seemingly bad service. When you think about it, I think that the service is much better - just not the result you wanted.

I guess with more accessibility comes more accountability...there is very little flex room for unforeseen circumstances. As a carrier - I feel appointment times need to be more flexible - like instead of 10am Monday ... how about 10-12pm Monday
 

RAINDOG

Active Member
10
Maybe service and demand expectations may have gone up which make it seem like carriers are failing more? Technology has made vast improvements to the point that a 3PL can track a carrier's assets, border crossings are set up ahead of time for the driver, access to most companies is 24/7 yet how much have the freight rates increased in the last 15 years?
 
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