Allied Systems SOLD at auction

I hadn't forgotten, they sell so few anymore. Most of what they've been doing is refurbing and converting the Allied stuff, isn't it?

 

Correct me if I am wrong. But was it not Allied that backed out of the Teamster Master Agreement a couple of years ago? If I remember correctly, they refused to sit down at the bargaining table because they wanted a separate agreement. Which the Teamsters and the rest of the Employers said no to. So to say it was the union that caused this would not be correct. It was mostly caused by mis management on the part of Allied and also their parent holding company Yucaipa. The same one that drained Hadley Auto Transport (PTS) dry back in 2007.

But again I could be mistaken as I have been away a couple of years.

 

I have also been away from the auto transport industry for several years. I don't recall if there was an issue about a separate contract or not. Allied has been in trouble for several years. If I were them, I would have wanted to negotiate my own contract, as well. The unions pushed too hard and may have initially gotten what they wanted, but ultimately lost everything for their members. That seems to be the cycle with unions. They continue to push for more benefits, higher wages and less productivity. It is a formula for disaster. I would prefer to see unions out of the trucking industry. In fact, I would like to see them out of every industry. I won't say that Allied's only problems stemmed from the unions. They used to treat drivers like crap. But it may have been just a side benefit or drawback to being union. Unions tend to pit management against labor and that does create friction. Regardless, I hate to see Allied go out of business.

I am surprised that some of the other big union car haulers are still in business. But, apparently Jack Cooper felt strongly enough about the assets or company to buy them out of bankruptcy. It is difficult for a union company to survive in a free market. When you have non union carriers going in and competing with these union carriers, the non union carriers will win nearly every time. The only way some of the big union car hauler carriers have survived to this point is due to pressure from the UAW and the major car manufacturers. They pushed to only use union car haulers at one point. Some of that business still found it's way to non union carriers. I hauled Ford's out of Saint Louis back when I hauled cars. Fleet car was a primary vendor for them at one time. The union guys were not very happy about it. Every manufacturer is looking for ways in which to cut costs. Transport seems to be a favorite to cut, whether it is general freight or cars.

 

I have no clue where you would come up with such non-sense! In the last 26 years I have been a union company driver, freight and small package, non union company driver, non union owner operator and am currently a union company driver for Allied Systems. I have never worked with or for any better people than work at Allied! Also I and all other Allied drivers get paid for what we do, so the basis of your statement is shot down. People like you that spread your anti union rhetoric are either jealous or mis-informed on the topic you speak about. I and most of the people I work with, are some of the safest and professional drivers/carhaulers anywhere, and I dare you to think that because i am union I work any different than when I was non union! There is a reason I am paid well, because I have 26 years of safe, professional driving and most of my co-workers have atleast this many years. I also dare you to try and out perform my 47 year old but on a daily basis, you may work as hard, but you will not work harder. When you speak on topics you "think" you know about, you end up looking like a mis-informned fool.

 

You are correct in that I do tend to paint all union members with the same brush. Most union people that I have met or dealt with over the years do seem to fit the same profile. I will say, however, that anyone who hauls cars and do their own loading and unloading, does work harder than most other segments of the trucking industry. I am still not a proponent of unions, regardless of the segment or industry. Unions tend to implode under their own greed over time.

 

I guess one of my best friends, who started with Commercial and eventually ended up at Allied through the various acquisitions, doesn't know a thing about what went on in his shops. I didn't even touch on the crap the Allied drivers pulled when they lost the GM contract in this area. Rocks off overpasses, damage to STI units, stopping trucks leaving the railhead with a crowd and then damaging units. Hell, his best friend pulled out of being his best man and quit talking to him for 15 years because he dared to go to work for a non-union O/O outfit in order to feed his family after being laid off. Yep. Enjoy your koolaid. BTW, you notice in my post I put 'in this area'? And somewhere else up there^ that I mentioned that the non-former-Allied Jack Cooper guys where alright? Have a nice day.

 

Well you can look at any organization that has people and there are going to be a few bad apples! You might even have some in some of the circles you run in. Your former school, your VFW Post, your employer, your neighborhood, your family or even your church. So does the presence of a few bad apples make the entire outfit bad? I believe not, but we both have the right to our own opinion! I have met some great people in my work places and I have met a few losers, both union and non union. As far as the Allied drivers you speak of when Allied lost the GM. Allied gave up the GM and I worked for Jack Cooper in Ft Wayne shortly after Jack Cooper picked up the traffic and nearly every driver at that terminal was a former Allied driver and they too were a great group of people. You seem to have an axe to grind, but I can only speak on the experiences I have had, which have been working with a group of professionals who consistently deliver damage free.