I want to shrug
The worst thing about being a truck driver for a company is that you are at every-one’s mercy. I was trying to count the number of hours I lose each day due to the incompetence of other people. On a good day, I figure it’s about two. On a bad day, it can go all the way to 24. I decided there really was no way to calculate an exact figure, but if I were to low-ball it (and this is a serious low-ball), I’d guess the average at 4.
Four hours every day of my life. That’s 28 hours a week. Over 1450 hours a year. That’s 60 days a year of my life lost due to the incompetence of others. I’ve decided incompetence is too dignified a word for loss of this magnitude. I’ve decided to start calling it “boobery.”
The more I think about the boobery, the more pissed I get. But I can’t quit thinking about it. And that’s because I’ve been reading “Atlas Shrugged.” There’s not much that’s gets me more pissed off than reading “Atlas Shrugged.” It’s the sort of book that slaps you in the face and won’t let you keep pretending that this isn’t one screwed up planet.
It’s not just the boobery that has me worked up. Last week, when that man was trampled to death by shoppers at a Wal-Mart store, the bulk of the criticism fell on Wal-Mart. I’m not surprised, but I am disgusted. Heaven forbid we should place the blame where it belongs, on the slavering hordes of people who actually did the deed. Nope, it was Wal-Mart’s fault for not properly corralling the greedy graspers, and blah blah blah ad nauseum.
But as I said, I’m not surprised. Wal-Mart is everybody’s favorite whipping boy. If it’s not one thing, it’s another. That’s what you get in this country for being the finest retail company in history. Wal-Mart has no choice but to just pay whatever the whining piper demands. Then they’ll get on with doing business and making money. And pissing off the Jim Taggerts of the world.
Recently we were sitting at a Ford plant, waiting to be unloaded, having our time wasted by their boobery. As I sat in the truck, I watched the yard dogs (hostlers) doing their jobs. It appeared to go something like this: hook up to a trailer and move it somewhere else; unhook and wait for the other two yard dogs to do the same; pull trucks in a circle; chat with one another for 10 minutes; repeat. I couldn’t help but shudder at the thought of how much these union employees were making for three minutes of work and 10 minutes of chitchat.
And as I looked around at the other trucks waiting to deliver, I saw that they, like us, had trucks that were only about a third full of freight. We had hauled in a measly six pallets of goods. Once again I had to shudder when I thought of how much this increased the cost of those goods.
It shouldn’t matter to me how Ford does its business, except for two things: they’ve had their hands out in Washington of late, begging for alms; and the UAW is refusing any concessions. When you’ve been reading “Atlas Shrugged,” this sort of thing really chaps your ass.
Mostly, though, my mind keeps going back to when the investment banks started folding, the majority winding up on the public dole. That this happened at a time when nearly half the country was moronically shrieking about Obama being a socialist, is excruciatingly absurd. And all that talk about the poor folks losing their homes because the mean old banks took advantage of them, and therefore we must put them on the dole, too, well … those feelings of disgust rush back in even more force than they had originally, when you’ve been reading “Atlas Shrugged.”
I want to go to Atlantis, or Gault’s Gulch, or whatever you want to call it, and live a rational, productive life. I’m not an entrepreneur, but I am a fine worker, with exceptional problem-solving skills and an ability to streamline tasks. I wouldn’t be picky about the type of job. Just don’t waste my time. Surround me with competent people who give a damn and who know the score. For that, I’ll give everything I’ve got to the job.
Hello? Are you out there? Is there, somewhere, hidden from the looters, a haven of rationality? I want to shrug.
In short, no. there’s no where out there. Nadda.
I may get that book, but I’m not sure I can take getting pissed over what’s going. I’m trying to keep my stress levels down and just hearing about the bailouts and those idiots sueing WalMart, OMG. Brings it all back up….like a bad breakfast.
Yeah, you’re right, everyone whinning about Obama and socialism. DUH. Big duh. What do they think these bailouts are? People are soooo incredibly stupid.
Hope your business picks up soon. Chances are you’ll be truckin a lot to WalMart since they are the only ones actually making any money. There’s something to be said for smart business practice, and they know what it is.
I can’t wait to see what happens with the auto industry. Makes me cringe. And when they fail, the towns around them fail. The chain is very big on that one. That trickle down is gi-normous.
very good post, Stace. I agree about the crowd’s culpability, and heinous unconcern on the part of many. However Wal-Mart did not have the situation under control. I wonder if they’ll settle any lawsuits quickly, rather than taking it on the chin in public for their security/managerial negligence or incompetence.
Looking at that crowd, many of whom had waited so many hours, you conclude that W-M stinted on security (and likely did not want to pay big overtime bucks on a holiday weekend for calling in a more adequate staff, but it’s a cost of doing business — well — for them).
Re the wasted hours: hear you there. You are watching another’s employees waste their time and be compensated.
Office and cubicle land gets to sit through meetings upon meetings because somebody likes meetings (which greatly reduce one’s productive day, if the meeting is only marginally useful or a nose counting opportunity).
Glad you have that Kindle!! There’s great idea for a trucking company retention tool.
And even gladder that you use some of that wasted time to entertain and inform us.
As Belledog said, I’m grateful that driving gives you time to entertain, educate and amuse us.
But I have to respectfully disagree about the Wal Mart. Their business model requires that employees never get enough hours or make enough to afford healthcare and are told to take advatage of state programs for the medically indigent (poor) state residents. They discriminate against women managers by paying them less than they pay male managers. They use illegal labor to clean their stores by calling them “independent contractors” and paying them less than real employees because they know that they can’t complain or they will be deported. They fire employees that they think might be trying to unionize their employees. They sell almost exclusively goods manufactured in China by companies that have moved their manufacturing out of the US at the expense of US workers. They don’t let their employees take breaks as required by law; I could continue, but I know you get the idea.
Believe me, I understand how difficult it can be to find a place to park a truck and get supplies while you are on the road. But the days when Wal Mart allowed trucks to park in their lots are mostly over. Many of their parking lots have been relandscaped and posted with no truck posting signs. The only reason I would go in a Wal Mart when I was driving OTR was to use the bathroom. It seemed somehow poetic.
An interesting book is “Nickle and Dimed” by Barbara Erinreich. She takes jobs as a waitress, at Wal Mart, etc. to see what the conditions are like – and finds that these people cannot make ends meet as a single person, let alone for a family. Pretty interesting.
I hear what you’re saying, Decorina and Belledog. Everything you say about Wal-Mart is true. I believe that those who disagree with Wal-Mart’s policies and practices have every right to choose not to shop there or work for them. That’s my bottom line. No one’s feet are being held to the fire, no matter how much some people may feel that they are.
Yesterday, while at a shipper, we had to return to have the load reworked because they had overloaded the tandems and we could not legally scale it. That we had the effrontery to return and demand a reworking seriously pissed them off, so much so, that one employee (safely ensconced behind a wall and out of sight) said so that Hedon could clearly hear, “Tell the bitch to just take the load!”
They were angry because other drivers just take the load, and don’t force them to live up to the law. Do I blame the dumbass who called Hedon a bitch? Well, he could have been less nasty, but other than that, no, I don’t blame him. I blame all the drivers who come into that port every day and haul out illegally loaded trailers, rather than taking the time to do the job right. Do they think their feet are being held to the fire and that they must take the load as is? If that’s what they think, they are wrong. We got our load reworked and left the port with a legal load.
I feel the same way about Wal-Mart. Wal-Mart’s responsibility is only to itself, to grow and make money. It is a business, not a social enterprise. If enough people disagree with how Wal-Mart chooses to accomplish its goals, then Wal-Mart must either change its ways or perish, because those who do not like Wal-Mart, are free to stay away. If there is blame to be placed somewhere for the actions of Wal-Mart, let it be on the heads of those who work for and shop at Wal-Mart. Without them, there would be no Wal-Mart.
Personally, I greatly admire Wal-Mart. Their commitment to excellence is remarkable in the slip-shod face of most other businesses. While people complain about the exorbitant salaries of corporate leaders, they ignore that the executives of Wal-Mart do not work with unlimited expense accounts and in mahogany paneled offices. Wal-Mart executives share hotel rooms with other executives when possible. They work in small offices in a utilitarian office building in Bentonville, AR. Wal-Mart doesn’t allow much waste, even from those in charge.
I grew up near Bentonville. I know people who knew Sam Walton, the founder of Wal-Mart. He used to drive around town in his old beat-up pickup truck long after he was worth countless millions. His principles still hold sway at the company he founded.
I may not agree with some of Wal-Mart’s practices, but to me it still represents what America and capitalism is supposed to be. Founded by a man with vision, built from endless hours of intelligent labor, fostered into a behemoth of such incredible size and power it has literally changed the world. It’s an incredible achievement.
I shop at Wal-Mart because they offer the best prices, particularly on groceries and household products like laundry detergent, toilet paper, etc. No one forces me to do this. I choose it.
I do not work for Wal-Mart and will never work for Wal-Mart. When I was in my early 20s, I worked for them two days. On the second day, there was a store meeting, where everyone stood around and did some chanting thing that could only make me think of “Heil Hitler!” in its ferocity, though they were chanting about pushing stuffed animals, not Fascism. I quit at lunch time. No one forced me to do it. I chose it.
So, I guess I agree with you, and disagree at the same time.
Interesting counterpoint about Wal-Mart. One recalls that it was suggested that FEMA and other relief organizations study its ordering and distribution system; best in the business.
I wonder if they are considering a push to order more American-manufactured goods and up the prices a little as needed? I think they could make that fly.
I shop there too, not that frequently, for the prices and selection, and am always so conflicted on doing so.
On the one hand, you do have the Sam Walton image, the sharp and ahead of his time businessman who is frugal and doesn’t go with fancy trappings.
On the other hand: a behemoth that destroys the retail competition. Took an urban planning class taught by city manager of a central Virginia municipality. He said he was never that thrilled about a Wal-Mart (or presumably other superstore), because it merely replaced net jobs of the local/regional businesses that closed — not as much a catalyst for growth as you’d think.
Everything we know is subject to revision; especially what we know about the truth.
That is exactly what reading ‘Atlas Shrugged’ will do to a person.
Nice post.
Nice thoughts.
And congrats on getting some good lovin’ over at ‘Ask’.
LA Times on the Wal-Mart death.
A very dark Black Friday
Jdimytai Damour died on the floor of a Long Island Wal-Mart, trampled by a mob thinking only of bargains and buying.
Reporting from New York — He took his last breath on a gray floor, between a row of soda machines and a device that disperses change for cans and plastics.
Trampled by a mob of bargain-hungry Black Friday shoppers, Jdimytai Damour, 34, died by asphyxiation, leaving people across the world asking: Why, and how?
http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/nation/la-na-trample6-2008dec06,0,6380250,full.story
atlas shrugged is my #1 favorite book EVER.
btw, you’ll probably be pleased to know that walmart takes shit from no one when it comes to law suits. they fight the a-holes who file bogus slip and fall type claims tooth and nail. it’s pretty awesome.
Thanks, Stace for your thoughtful reply. In my mad ramblings I didn’t even get to the small merchants that are put out of business when a Wal Mart opens in their small town.
Atlas Shrugged is such a seminal book. It really was the first thing I ever read that even slightly politicized my thinking. At the time (around 1974 or so) we thought that the place they all went to get away was Aspen, CO. I need to read it again, though I fear for my blood pressure. Oh well, I have a new prescription for blood pressure meds coming soon. Maybe after that.
I don’t think I’ll ever be able to choose to shop at Wal Mart. Just can’t bring myself to do it. I don’t agree with you either that they have the best prices. I saw one study that said that they do use “price leaders” with lower prices to get people into the store and have products with higher prices. I don’t know, but they do have some low prices; hell, with the volume they do how could they not?
Sam Walton was a force to be reckoned with – and he marketed his creation when all the products were made in America. Not anymore. I suspect he is spinning in his grave over some of the policies that they now embrace.
April,
Me too on ‘Atlas Shrugged’ being my favorite book of all time… or is it ‘Pride and Prejudice’ that’s actually my number one fav?
Hmmmm. That’s a tough one. I would say that at any given minute it could be either one. I will say that reading ‘Atlas Shrugged’ changed me far more than ‘Pride and Prejudice’ did. I’m not sure how you read Atlas without changing some. I know that I was much more of a bleeding-heart liberal before I read it. Not that I’m a conservative by any stretch of the imagination, but I do think more now before automatically siding with the person (or bank or car maunfacturer) holding their hand out for my cash.
Hey Ms Decorina!
I don’t know how it is out in CO but in southern MO Walmart is the cheapest place to buy food type things — hands down. I remember when Stace decided she was tired of fighting the WalMart crowds and was going to buy our groceries at a chain grocery store. Good lord the exact same products she had bought the week before at WalMart were 30, 40 and in some cases 50% higher at the grocery store. We compared the tapes. It was crazy.
We have a good friend who’s husband has been having trouble finding work since the housing market started its skid (he’s in construction) and she feeds her entire family of 5 — mom, dad, daughter, and two teen boys on $50 per week. She is only able to do that because of WalMart.
Here’s the thing about WalMart in my opinion. They exist to try to give shoppers the lowest prices they possibly can. That’s their whole mission statement. And they tend to do it. That’s why around home they are so often cram packed with people. The products may be flimsy crap but you aren’t going to find it cheaper anywhere else.
Now as a side-effect of this plan some not cool things end up happening like Mom and Pop stores going out of business. But is that really WalMart’s fault? I mean they are doing everything they can possibly do to provide the people what the people want. If the people didn’t like what they were doing they would keep shopping at the Mom and Pop stores. When has it ever been considered wrong in America for a business to compete as hard as possible without breaking laws in the process?
As for WalMart selling goods made overseas, well there really aren’t many goods made in America anymore that they could sell. So many companies have gone overseas that it’s just weird to see the “Made in America” label on something. But it’s not WalMart’s fault all those businesses moved overseas in the first place. It was all the tax breaks they got when they moved and the cheap labor they could hire… damned Reagan.
But once all the maunfacturing businesses started moving overseas, what was WalMart supposed to do? They have to have product to sell and they’re going to try to get that product for the best price possible. That’s just good business.
As for the way they treat their employees… well obviously I would never agree with discrimination or breaking the law in any way. And if WalMart does break the law I think they should be prosecuted immediately and to the fullest extent of the law.
Beyond that though, I tend to think that the employees set WalMart’s treatment of it’s employees. What I mean is if they are so crappy to work for why do people flock to work for them? I know that part of it around home is who they tend to hire. They don’t tend to attract people who need a full-time job with benefits and healthcare provided.
Around home at least, they most often seem to attract middle aged women who are looking for limited hours to add to the family’s income. These women often have weird scheduling difficulities that WalMart happily works around when many other employers wouldn’t. I know a woman who went out looking for a job when her youngest hit Junior High and she only wanted to work Tuesday evenings, Thursday evenings, and Saturday afternoons. Walmart said “no problem” and she’s been there for several years now.
I think there is good and bad in almost every business, but, because they are so huge and have done so well, WalMart is often seen as only having the bad side. They do a lot of things right in my opinion.
Yah, Hedon, maybe they do some things right. But I won’t sell my own soul to save money by shopping at the Wal Mart. I even buy everything I can at the local Safeway instead of buying stuff at Costco where it is cheaper because I don’t want the grocery stores to go away.
I agree that the Wal Mart has gotten the distribution of massive quantities down pat. Hands down they move stuff as efficiently as possible. And the stores in Colorado are jam packed with shoppers too. It will just never include me.
If I hadn’t been a design major in college I would have liked to have studied urban design. So much of our experience as Americans has been dictated by our worship of the car culture. The main result is suburban development and big box stores. If mass transit hadn’t been removed by corporations like GM then we would exist in a different world. One can only dream about it now and hope that in the future things will be different. Better even.
Decorina,
I just love talking to you!
I had a sudden thought — did you ever read a book called “Woman on the Edge of Time” by Marge Piercy? (I think) If you haven’t you should. I think you would really really like it. I remember when I read it years ago it really moved me and still passes through my mind on a regular basis almost two decades later.
Actually… that’s a big old recommendation to everybody out there. It’s truly a great book. But especially to Decorina cause I think it would speak to her.