How come you've never told me why you quit?Spot on. The more money you have at risk the more beholding you are to Fat Freddy and the hope that he'll do right by you. It's just hope nothing more. You're investment is completely unsecured. Now why would you're son work you to death other than the fact that he can't get anybody else?
As far as I have seen, you never ran more than one vehicle. How hard would it for a single vehicle owner to leave when they pay it off? I had many contractors that did this.
As I've said before. There's not a single move a so called "independent contractor" can make that is not subjected to FXG command control and oversight This is when you start. This is when you stop. This is what you drive. This is what you wear. This is where you go. This is how you do it, etc,....Is no embellishment whatsoever. And it's YOUR business....yeah right.
Your telling everyone that RPS/FedEx told you everyday how to run your route? You never ever ever made a single move without calling FedEx. Major BS in this paragraph. You could have expanded on what you said with examples to make it more clear, but again you didn't. My favorite statement in this paragraph is "This is where you go.". Did the terminal management have to tell you to look at the label on the package so you knew where to go or did you not know that?
And so if you're son still has you out there dragging Fat Freddy's junk just remember a verse from the Eagles song "Hotel California" .
"You can check out any time you like but you can never leave" And if he keeps working you like this , it should at least be comforting to know that your final trip back to the terminal will be in a hearse.
His choice, why do you care?
So why did you do this for 20 years?? You have never answered this. You owe it to this forum to explain why. You can't say something was so bad and I mean real bad, but stay for so long and not explain why you stayed. Fool me for a few years, shame on RPS/FedEx; fool me for 20 years, shame on bacha29.
Stupid arguments about the Ground business model
- Thread starter It will be fine
- Start date
Why should the reason why I stayed be so important to you when you have avoided by all means possible having to tell me why you quit?
Exactly. You are a so called 'independent contractor" but the economic fortunes of that so called "independent contractor" is 100% tied to the fate of just that one company. If that isn't a trapped I don't know what is. At the same time however a portfolio of stocks ETF's REITS and MLP's provides for much more limited exposure across a much broader range of the economy. And if one sector doesn't do well you sell or if the economy as a whole starts pointing downward you have your stop losses trailing behind the run up close out your position and move into cash. Something a contractor who has everything to his name tied up doesn't have. Even a simple utility stock T for example pays 7% and that's about as good a return as running a bunch a trucks out on RD's chasing thin volume all over god's green earth and due to as rough an operating conditions as you'll find anywhere you're lucky if you have them paid off by the time their junk.
oldrps
Well-Known Member
Why should the reason why I stayed be so important to you
You have been on this board for several years complaining on how bad it was for you and warning other potential contractors to not sign on. You constantly say you were lied to, they controlled every move you made, didn't let you build equity or goodwill for years, long hours, rough roads, many miles a day, unsecured debt, etc. I have never seen one post where you have said one good thing that happened. This makes me, and I am sure others, wonder why you stayed so long. As I have said before, if you stayed just a few years and left, I would not question it. You said you stayed for 20 years. We all want to know why anyone who hated it so much, stay so long and allowed the agreement to keep renewing.
you have avoided by all means possible having to tell me why you quit
You asked once and my leaving had no bearing on that conversation. I quit due to the long hours and the toll it was taking on my marriage. I got a job at a trucking company as a dock supervisor, after a few years I started my own business on the side and eventually started doing it full time.
Working4the1%
Well-Known Member
Tick Tock
There's no point in me trying to explain to you the reasons for my staying. Why? Because you're previous posts prove conclusively as WHY there's no point in trying to explain the reasons. Because with you it's all about "me, me, me". Well, my reasons for staying where NOT all about "me, me , me".
Furthermore your previous post confirms the facts regarding the difficult and treacherous daily work experience. So tough you couldn't hack it . So why do you continue to defend a company whose conditions and demands you faced during your time at RPS/FXG were too tough for you to handle?
59 Dano
I just want to make friends!
Of course not, LOL.
And you're just like him. Another it's all about "me.me me".
oldrps
Well-Known Member
There's no point in me trying to explain to you the reasons for my staying. Why? Because you're previous posts prove conclusively as WHY there's no point in trying to explain the reasons.
I never stated anything that says there is "no point in trying to explain the reasons". What did I say that made you think that? I have been asking from you from the beginning; reasons, details, examples.
Because with you it's all about "me, me, me". Well, my reasons for staying where NOT all about "me, me , me".
Of course it is about you. You had the agreement with RPS/FedEx or are you trying to say now you didn't sign it, someone else did. I am asking you to start backing up your allegations, but you are very resistant in providing details. You choose to be very vague in your allegations of treatment while you were there. I am not doubting if your terminal overstepped their end of the agreement and bad things may have happened, but you rarely give any facts to backup what you allege. You are the one posting on this forum and I am questioning you so it is about "you, you, you".
Furthermore your previous post confirms the facts regarding the difficult and treacherous daily work experience. So tough you couldn't hack it . So why do you continue to defend a company whose conditions and demands you faced during your time at RPS/FXG were too tough for you to handle?
Yes, the hours were long, yes, some days could be treacherous, but what management job isn't. "So tough you couldn't hack it." Not true for me, my wife, yes. My reason to leave was not about "me, me, me". I had no plans to quit, but my marriage is more important than any job or money.
I am not defending the company, I am questioning your allegations and lack of details when you post. My one question that you are refusing to answer is very simple, if your treatment was so bad as you post on this forum, why did you stay so long. You still have not answered the question.
I gave my reason for leaving, where is yours for staying so long?
Are you too afraid to admit there was at least one good thing that kept you there for 20 years?
Fred's Myth
Nonhyphenated American
Exactly, by your own admission you couldn't hack it and chances are it was for all the same reasons that I fought them over. Secondly having never married and no kids the people who were coming into that little piece of heaven were the same age as my kids would have been if I had my own. Kids who came from nothing had nothing. They called me "Big Brother" or "Sargent" I loaned them money to get their trucks fixed , helped get trucks started in the morning and flat tires fixed and I didn't leave the terminal at night until everyone was back in by the time line haul was ready to leave. If they weren't back and accounted for by 9PM I went out looking for them .As I said we 3 were the startups. It was up to us if the place was going to make it or not and that fact was pressed home from the beginning and it was made clear to us that we would be doing it more for the benefit of those who came behind us than for ourselves.
We started out with 82 boxes total the first day Three of us covered 11 rural counites stretched across 2 states working out of a terminal that was designated for closing twice in it's first 3 years of operation. All 3of us Day 1's stayed for 23 years all leaving within a couple of months of each other all of us beginning to deal with the accelerated rate of ageing the job inflicts and the health affects there in.
Unfortunately today the place is controlled by these so called "entrepreneurs" who are nothing more than anti union firewalls who have guys out there killing themselves for half the wages and zero benefits as that of their counterparts at UPS who will simply be disposed of when they can't take the beating anymore and will go away with nothing and likely will be heavily dependent on government social program benefits for their basic survival. It did not need to be that way but sheer greed has a habit of creating that result.
Fred's Myth
Nonhyphenated American
Instead of selling out, why didn't you expand and hire more drivers and pay them UPS equivalent wages/benefits?
Settlements are based in part on a wage rate Fat Freddy sets which overall runs about 50-60% of what the average UPS driver makes. If you don't believe me go over to the job boards and look at help wanted ads from FXG "entrepreneurs" . But don't be deceived those pay rates more often then not are based on stop and piece rates many of which cannot be achieved within the confines of a reasonable day's toil and effort which in turn given the physical beating makes it a job a person cannot do for long and still be physically well enough to still be employable someplace else. Therefore even if you were to give that guy every dime the route makes in terms of profit it still wouldn't match up with the total compensation package (wages/benefits) the average UPS driver makes.
It will be fine
Well-Known Member
Operating at a larger scale you could afford to pay that driver more than he would net as an individual contractor and he’d have less stress.
Here you go again , still trying to cover up the compensation disparity between what you pay and what the other players in the space pay. Not surprising given that the manner by which you pay has it's origins it the post Civil War South's share cropping method. And BTW the so called "entrepreneurs" at the terminal I was at are still paying the same to their drivers as was paid when I left 5 years ago and one is even paying less. Why, because that individual asked me to go out and help him get caught up.... I laughed right in his face.
It will be fine
Well-Known Member
Add economies of scale to the business concepts you don’t understand.
oldrps
Well-Known Member
If you mean by not hacking it because my wife didn't like me working long hours. Then yes I couldn't hack it seeing my wife upset. I gave up a good salary, benefits and retirement because my wife didn't like me working long hours. You may find out one day (or maybe not) that there is more in life than working or hacking it. I choose to live a happy life instead of being upset and bitter like you.
So the reason you stayed for 23 years was to help other contractors at the terminal, while you hated the treatment from RPS/FedEx, but felt what you did for others was important and kept you going. When they changed the requirements for the contractors to own multiple routes, you decided to not pursue that model and due to your age/health, sold out and left.
Fred's Myth
Nonhyphenated American
And remains bitter to this day........
And takes it out on anyone who has successfully adapted to the current business model.
The "current business model" is not decidedly different that the old business model . And one thing never has and never will change and that's the party with whom all power lies.
LOL So now you're blaming your wife. She's not the one who got you into this argument . You did this on your own so quit hiding behind her. As for being "bitter and upset". From what university did you earn your psychiatry degree and in what states are you licensed to practice in.
