Pros
In recent years, corporate has invested in employee attitude and satisfaction surveys to improve morale. This "softer" side approach is relatively new in the freight business. 401K matching up to 3.5% has been On/OFF since COVID recession, but may have been recently reinstated. Several healthcare plans are available, including HMO/PPO and a Kaiser option, which seemed a major positive for both labor and management, depending on one's needs. When challenged with a major shortfall, the company has put forth major initiatives to mitigate loss and improve service, for example. Attempts have been made to improve personnel, work systems and equipment. Some department restructuring has resulted in improved operational performance and decreased personnel costs. Although, these moves tended to result in fewer employees working in the number of roles previous. All things considered, modernization and innovation efforts are an important part of the company. Attempts are made with some success in a very challenging business environment.
Cons
Operationally, a grind. Debt looms large for the company and remains a resource drain, impeding progress on investing in people (i.e. salary increases, training) and equipment (company owned, newer more efficient, vs. hiring out and/or renting). Margins on services remain low, with costs variable and high, LTL freight operations struggle for profitability. Legacy planning has been an issue, with upward mobility in the company and recognition for stellar performance oftentimes lacking, thus pushing talent elsewhere. Aging facilities, equipment and workforce. Sales department tends to enter a restructuring phase every 18 months, as they struggle to organize sales metrics with a dynamic service environment. Salary increases hard-fought, and seem rarely given, aside from a cost of living increase averaging roughly 1% annually (say, 1.5% given every two years), but this depends on company cash flow, earnings and debt restructuring. Sales bonuses in some departments (e.g. PFP, Pay for Performance) can easily remain a nebulous formula in a black box, resulting in confusion regarding what one can do to increase PFP. Organizational culture and values struggle to move beyond the framework of Yellow vs. Roadway. Basically, the merger was a disaster in terms of getting people integrated under one system, team, vision. A "separateness" exists in many places, as the older workforce invariably sees themselves as legacy Y or R. Simply, the company is a perfect example of how bankers win while employees lose.
