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Ford drops auto hauler Jack Cooper after 40 years


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7 hours ago, tbone said:

Interesting situation here.  I’m curious to know the details behind the termination of this contract. Can it mean that we’ll see a reduction on the Destination Charge on the vehicles, which has gotten out of control?

 

https://finance.yahoo.com/news/ford-drops-auto-hauler-jack-175022540.html

 

Quote

Ford has already lined up alternative haulers, according to sources.Most of the work performed by Jack Cooper is undertaken by company drivers, with some brokered freight in the mix. Sources close to Jack Cooper and Ford have different views of what comes next: Jack Cooper believes it is being replaced to a large degree by companies that will heavily use brokered transport while Ford is suggesting that it is mostly asset-based carriers that will get the business.

 

A transport broker is a company that finds carriers for clients who want to transport a load from point A to point B. They have access to a wide network of carriers and connect the clients to the one nearest them.

 

Asset-based carriers are transportation companies that own and operate the equipment and facilities used to move goods

 

So take that as you will and I don't think Destination charges are going to change anytime soon-its expensive for everything now. 

 

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Retired Teamster here, I didn't work in Carhaul but got notice of an emergency Jack Cooper Teamsters meeting. I suspect Ford has decided to flirt with the "third rail" of U.S. automakers by going to non union carriers. That theoreticly could save a few $$$, but result in the Teamsters throwing up a picket line which the UAW will honor. At best, Ford's savings will be overwhelmed by inconsistent delivery times as there's a very limited supply of auto carrier trucks and qualified drivers- Heck, the plants may get shut down when they run out of places to park completed vehicles!

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For sure new car hauling business  is nothing like it was. In my 44 yr oil industry career when I started we supplied most of the big car haulers in the northeast- for Ford, Nu car, Automobile Transport, for GM, Anchor and for Mopar  M & G Convoy.

All teamster for sure.

 

With the closure of so many regional assembly plants, the transport distance on completed vehicles all of a sudden led to the viability and growth of rail transport.  Now from the rail hubs you see all sorts of small outfits serving the regional market.

And often the carriers are not using 10 car rigs but small class five "tractors"-F-550, 5500 Rams etc  pulling 3 car rigs.  Easy entry for the owner/operator.

 

Will not be a pretty scene at the plant gates for a while IMO. 

 

 

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On 1/8/2025 at 10:06 AM, Bob Rosadini said:

For sure new car hauling business  is nothing like it was. In my 44 yr oil industry career when I started we supplied most of the big car haulers in the northeast- for Ford, Nu car, Automobile Transport, for GM, Anchor and for Mopar  M & G Convoy.

All teamster for sure.

 

With the closure of so many regional assembly plants, the transport distance on completed vehicles all of a sudden led to the viability and growth of rail transport.  Now from the rail hubs you see all sorts of small outfits serving the regional market.

And often the carriers are not using 10 car rigs but small class five "tractors"-F-550, 5500 Rams etc  pulling 3 car rigs.  Easy entry for the owner/operator.

 

Will not be a pretty scene at the plant gates for a while IMO. 

 

 

Remember when back in the day, Ford cars were hauled by Ford truck tractors, GM by GMC, Chrysler by Dodge? And the tractors themselves had ramp accommodations for at least 2 cars above the cabs! I think they still do on some of the Peterbilts I've seen.

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On 1/19/2025 at 11:56 AM, Joe771476 said:

Remember when back in the day, Ford cars were hauled by Ford truck tractors, GM by GMC, Chrysler by Dodge? And the tractors themselves had ramp accommodations for at least 2 cars above the cabs! I think they still do on some of the Peterbilts I've seen.

Joe, 

Back in the "day" the single axle F-750's, C-800 dodges etc would have one car on the tractor racks.  Today when they use "Stingers" -which don't have a fifth wheel but a low frame hitch of some sort-don't know proper  name, but the truck has two on the overhead rack and one on the frame plus I think at least 5 if not 6 on the trailer..depending on car size I guess.

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On 1/8/2025 at 9:21 AM, GearheadGrrrl said:

Retired Teamster here, I didn't work in Carhaul but got notice of an emergency Jack Cooper Teamsters meeting. I suspect Ford has decided to flirt with the "third rail" of U.S. automakers by going to non union carriers. That theoreticly could save a few $$$, but result in the Teamsters throwing up a picket line which the UAW will honor. At best, Ford's savings will be overwhelmed by inconsistent delivery times as there's a very limited supply of auto carrier trucks and qualified drivers- Heck, the plants may get shut down when they run out of places to park completed vehicles!

 

It sucks for sure for all those drivers and as a fellow Union member (AFSCME New York Council 82 local 2951) I would be less inclined to blame Ford but instead, find out what went wrong at Jack Cooper that led Ford to make that decision. Not try to speculate, but get down to what the actual issue was. I am sure it was less about $$ and more about other issues that caused this because you just don't snap the lights off over something like this after 40 years without a good root cause.

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On 1/25/2025 at 7:30 AM, twintornados said:

 

It sucks for sure for all those drivers and as a fellow Union member (AFSCME New York Council 82 local 2951) I would be less inclined to blame Ford but instead, find out what went wrong at Jack Cooper that led Ford to make that decision. Not try to speculate, but get down to what the actual issue was. I am sure it was less about $$ and more about other issues that caused this because you just don't snap the lights off over something like this after 40 years without a good root cause.

 

The truth is always somewhere in the middle of both parties' stories.

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