Consolidated freight ways ?

And there is the big problem all over the country. Sue happy people. The company I work for is an outside contractor for CSX RR. I mostly run the trucks /equipment, we are looked down upon by RR employees who feel we are taking their work. But here is the thing, the RR has had so many employees play the RR lottery and win so many times, they decided it's cheaper to hire a contractor....(who has their own insurance, and can't sue the RR)...
Than it is to use their own men on all jobs. Lot of good men on the RR, but I can tell you for a fact it is full of slackers!! Lazy slackers looking for a free ride. We have one right here in town, finest brick home on Main Street, only worked for Csx for about 2 years! It's a shame how lazy people can drag a company down, like lions on a buffalo.

 

@OLDSKOOLERnWV - Yes, you're right. Lawsuits are one reason trains no longer have a caboose. RR workers that rode the caboose usually could find a reason to sue and get cash and a big disability pension by saying they got hurt when the train braked or some other reason. Many of the caboose workers got mugged also when the train would stop in a city and the caboose would happen to be in the ghetto.

 

As a teamster O/O with CF,if we were laid over in L.A. over the weekend,and didn't feel like sitting around drinking beer for two days,we could go to the CF terminal in Mira Loma,and hook up to a set of joints,and do a turn to Flagstaff and back.Paid very well,plus they would fill us with fuel when we left,and when we got back,no charge.When you would leave,they gave you a huge pack of bills for everything in both trailers.Relay system,and the trailers were headed for the Poconos distribution hub.I asked once how much revenue was in a set of trailers back then and was told it was probably around the $30k range.Lot of money,but a lot of pickup and deliveries,too,I guess.

 

@ Chinatown. Very true. That red light that took place of the caboose is referred to as Fred, Federally Regulated Electrical Device. They are stolen for the battery inside them, so I'm told.

 

I thought they did away with the caboose as many of them were some form of hard core degenerates, that made the hard core degenerates in trucking look like boy scouts.

 

Speaking of a caboose.......I have an Old Tyco Train Set from the 1970's in Mint Condition..I Bought a Caboose for it separately if I recall..I Was a Kid then, It's an Black Caboose from the Illinois Central and Gulf, Their trademark was the Lower case "i" in a round circle.

Bet it can catch a few bucks today.

 

CF shut down Labor Day of 2002. There's one heck of a lot of history involved with that company - it's association with a certain well known brand of tractor and it's CNF spinoff. The CNF growth as a result of deregulation and, arguably, it's theft of CF customers was, in my opinion, the precursor of ruthless capitalism and lack of caring for workers in the freight industry.

A lot of misguided opinions on Unions here, I respect each one, but to diminish CF as insignificant or irrelevant in the history of trucking is completely irresponsible. A lot of #### good people lost their jobs that day.

 

Not sure if you were aware, but @Mike2633 has a thread on here regarding the book "Never Stand Still". It's about the history of CF, supposedly an excellent read. I need to get around to ordering it one of these days.