Transportation/Logistics...

[ghost]

I'm in the transportation/logistics business over here in Hartsville,SC and was wondering what you guys do for work? We are basically a truck broker if you know what that is. We arrange transportation for our customers products. I have to say this has got to be the worse year we have ever had. Nation wide the transportation sector is down about 17%. My current customers are not moving enough to keep us busy in this office. Anyone else see this slow down in there business? Anyone work in a business that might could use our servises?

 

[BIGWOODY]

Everyone is slow.....our government continues to give america away and we will be slow until we stop or something changes. We can't go on being a nation of consumers that produces nothing. It sux, I feel your pain.

 

[ghost]

Everyone is slow.....our government continues to give america away and we will be slow until we stop or something changes. We can't go on being a nation of consumers that produces nothing. It sux, I feel your pain.

No doubt! The guy who pioneered NAFTA needs to be strung up with the Judge that disbanded Bell South. JMHO! The damn Mexican trucking companies running in the US has got me very worried about business in the future.

 

[RenegadeT]

I keep designing heavy duty truck parts, one set for US and Canadian trucks at US-EPA2010 emissions levels, and one set for Mexican trucks at US-EPA2004 levels.

 

[gmcjimmy88]

I work for the government so I am not as affected as some folks. I see it elsewhere though. It is crazy.

Edit: I am in the Air Force.

 

[hobie]

Here's a thought, have you guys considered doing some marketing? Microsoft is the master of this trick, but it IS a fair statement. The process is called FUD. Fear, Uncertainty, and Doubt.

Microsoft killed off a load of competitors by paying folks to write up stories like how early competitors to Word may not work on the next version of Windows (And therefore you could lose your documents). They are trying to do the same to Linux (but too many people know that sites like Google, Ebay, and Amazon are all Linux based b/c windows can't do the job).

You could hit the following talking points:

Your equipment is safer -- This decreases the likelihood of an accident which means more on-time deliveries.
Your equipment is greener -- This can be used for their company literature. You could provide improvement measurements between the mexican rules and the ones you must obey.
Your team has more experience on US roads
Your bring local jobs -- Ok, this is for your local goverment when you are looking for tax breaks.

Don't you guys have an industry association (textiles does)? You could pool some resources together and get a marketing company to come up with some fancy literature that you could customize and use to go after your old customers as well as new ones.

J

 

[drkelly]

I keep designing heavy duty truck parts, one set for US and Canadian trucks at US-EPA2010 emissions levels, and one set for Mexican trucks at US-EPA2004 levels.

X2. I work at the same place, in the same group as RenegadeT. They have been keeping my ass busy working OT for three years now. Trucks sales have been down the last 14 months though (since the implementation of DPF's-Jan 2007). Sales will pick up dramatically either late 2008 or the beginning of 2009 as fleets pre-buy to avoid the new 2010 emissions models.

DK

 

[Ron]

X2. I work at the same place, in the same group as RenegadeT. They have been keeping my ass busy working OT for three years now. Trucks sales have been down the last 14 months though (since the implementation of DPF's-Jan 2007). Sales will pick up dramatically either late 2008 or the beginning of 2009 as fleets pre-buy to avoid the new 2010 emissions models.
DK

maybe, maybe not...

2010 emission compliant engines are available and WITHOUT SCR...

Being tested and certified as we speak...

Early word is more HP/better efficiency than 07 Tiered engines
We hope there is no boom bust cycle this time..

 

[RenegadeT]

maybe, maybe not...
2010 emission compliant engines are available and WITHOUT SCR...
Being tested and certified as we speak...
Early word is more HP/better efficiency than 07 Tiered engines
We hope there is no boom bust cycle this time..

and some of those 15L engines will end up in our trucks, they're gonna play both sides of that fence. The early word with the SCR "in-house" engines is better fuel economy.

 

[uncc civilengineer]

I jumped over from a pure civil design side to the construction side but we're more specialized (heavy civil and military contracts) and I'd say a pretty large company. However, due to the slow down in the residentual market I have seen more GC's bidding on all kinds of work.... Basically we dont even waste any time w/ public jobs, they're just going way to cheap anymore...

Also w/ the costs of fuel, etc... I dont see how the smaller guys are staying in business.. It's horrible...

 

[jrs1899]

I dont miss trucking at all, i would hate to see how much my old owner operators would be bitching about $4.00 a gallon fuel.

 

[Blkvoodoo]

However, due to the slow down in the residentual market I have seen more GC's bidding on all kinds of work.... Basically we dont even waste any time w/ public jobs, they're just going way to cheap anymore...
Also w/ the costs of fuel, etc... I dont see how the smaller guys are staying in business.. It's horrible...

You would think they would be all over anything they could get.

My company has been thru 3 contractors to date trying to refit a building so we can open our Raleigh facility.

NONE of them have done much of anything. We've had the property since November and it hasn't been touched save for a few places in the floor patched.

Granted it's a $300k job, not a huge deal by most commercial standards. but fawk, someone has to be hungry out there.

 

[BIGWOODY]

Here's a thought, have you guys considered doing some marketing? Microsoft is the master of this trick, but it IS a fair statement. The process is called FUD. Fear, Uncertainty, and Doubt.

Microsoft killed off a load of competitors by paying folks to write up stories like how early competitors to Word may not work on the next version of Windows (And therefore you could lose your documents). They are trying to do the same to Linux (but too many people know that sites like Google, Ebay, and Amazon are all Linux based b/c windows can't do the job).

You could hit the following talking points:

Your equipment is safer -- This decreases the likelihood of an accident which means more on-time deliveries.
Your equipment is greener -- This can be used for their company literature. You could provide improvement measurements between the mexican rules and the ones you must obey.
Your team has more experience on US roads
Your bring local jobs -- Ok, this is for your local goverment when you are looking for tax breaks.

Don't you guys have an industry association (textiles does)? You could pool some resources together and get a marketing company to come up with some fancy literature that you could customize and use to go after your old customers as well as new ones.

J

These are all good ideas...the biggest hurdle to overcome is $$$$$$$$$$$ that's the bottom line to most industry, doubt me? Go to Walmart sometime and watch everyone grab up Chinese shit at a fraction of it's US competitors price. Other countries haven't regulated themselves out of the market like we have. You think China or India give two shits about the environment or green house gasses? It's sad,I bet we see a big swing in those nations power and economies in our lifetime.Leavng the US by the way side unless we make some big changes.