I spent 23 years as a day1 contractor at a small terminal in a depressed rural area. The facility was designated for closing twice in it's first 3 years of operation. While under RPS a Roadway subsidiary the daily work experience was hard but manageable. When a depserate for returns X took over in 1997 and remember they had to buy RPS with stock, they didn't have the cash, a completely different and far more beligerant attitude toward contractors emerged. Given the fact that migrant farm workers had better protection under the law than a X contractor X took full advantage of it and continues to this day . The fact that you as a contractor had your own money in the game meant nothing to X. The only thing they cared about was using the industry leading returns ground offered to pay for the acquisition binge they were undertaking 1314 is at a maturing Xpress but the quality of his employment is owed to those who came before him. What he doesn't understand or refuses to understand is that the quality of his employment is being undermined by a company that now has a greatly reduced level of repect for the average employee and the veteran X couriers are trying to make him realize that all that stands between him and his seperation from his beloved X is a signature on a single piece of paper .