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Pearl Harbor Portfolio Day 18:

Merry Christmas and a Silent Night for Arrow Trucking

Dec. 25,2009

Last week’s Quadruple witching day for  re-balancing stocks in the current indies,the Dow Jones Index is set to close on the high for the year. YRC Worldwide, who were dropped from the Dow Jones Index earlier this month are still renegotiating their near $537 million debt for equity swap to ensure the company’s continued survival.  YRC is a major player delivering individual freight to small and medium sized companies who cannot order a full truck load of freight.   They serve LTL, (less than truck load ) market, usually delivering 1-2 pallets of freight to customers.  The LTL freight rate charges are higher to their customers than a Full Truck Load carrier.   Theoretically LTL freight companies, like YRC,  should have higher profit margins.

However, YRC has been bleeding money due to the poor economy.   YRC has unionized drivers, most are paid and hourly rate and a combination of mileage plus delivery charges.  YRC union, the International Brotherhood of Teamsters, has given concessions, but the  small and medium sized customers of YRC  have not be able to have reliable lines of credit for operations. Therefore, YRC has continuing high overhead while suffering from the slowing economy.

The same thing happened to the UAW workers, who gave concessions to automakers, but the small auto part suppliers were not given a reliable lines  of credit to continue with operations, many have gone out of business.  The American consumer has demanded lower prices, and the best way for companies to cut prices is to use non-unionized transportation companies.  Unionized companies cannot make money competing in a non-unionized world due to their higher legacy costs and benefits.

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This should be a sign for the Obama Administration, that small and medium sizes businesses are till suffering.   The credit crisis is still alive, despite the Stock Market making year end highs.

Trucking serves as a barometer of the U.S. economy, representing nearly 69 percent of tonnage carried by all modes of domestic freight transportation, including manufactured and retail goods. Non-unionized Trucking firms operate on low margins, several hundred companies exit the business each year.  In 2008, blindsided by higher fuel prices and the in-ability to recoup  fuel surcharges on freight, a whopping 3,065 trucking companies with five or more drivers went under. Currently the  trucking industry has lost 1,255 companies through the third quarter and will likely go higher just after the first of the year.   Trucking is a cyclical business with freight slow during the first quarter of 2010.

Economy  Kept Alive By Trucker’s Sacrifice

Non-unionized trucking companies have the majority of trucks on the road.  The non-unionized companies which survive in 2010, their drivers will be overworked and under paid even in a slowing economy.   There will always be a need for food and fuel, no matter how bad the economy failing.  ONE FACT:  95% of all the truck drivers currently on the road,  have less than 5 years driving experience.  According to the American Trucking Association, which started collecting data on driver turnover rates in 1995 and reported the 127% annualized rate for the first 3 months of 2007. The 6 percent increase from the last three months of 2006 showed the trucking industry ended the quarter with 1.8 percent fewer drivers than in the beginning.

Here is one of the reasons why trucking has a high turnover rate.

Non-unionized drivers are overworked and underpaid for the hours of service they provide their companies.  The Federal Government has imposed rules for safety, however the rules cost the drivers money not the company. Federal law states that a driver cannot be on duty, (loading/unloading) and driving more than 60 hrs per 7 days.   Once the driver begins work, he cannot stop his work time, and the maximum hours worked per day is limited to 14 hours in a 24 hr period.  So,Under the current guidelines, a driver who delivers in the morning at 6 am has a maximum work day ending at 8pm that night.   Then he has to go to the sleeper berth for 10 consecutive hours.

The problem arises when a driver does not have another load until 3-6 or 9 hrs  hours later. (6am to 8pm = 14hrs)  During a slow economy, a trucker may have to wait up to 24 hrs hrs for another load.  If a trucker does get a load, it may be later that day.  For example , at noontime, he has lost 6 hrs of pay for that day.  The average pay for drivers is between $18-20 per hour while driving.  If a Non-unionized driver is not driving, he is not getting paid.  So you can see this has a significant impact on his weekly paycheck!  There is no other industry in America, where you are required to show up to work, and give the company 3,4, or 6 hrs, or more  of  time and not be compensated for it!   Truckers that work for non-unionized companies have been helping consumers keep prices low, while sacrificing their own pay to keep a job. see chart below

“Consuming Nation”

Everything you buy at a store is shipped on a truck and most people are completely oblivious to that fact.

The Unionized trucking companies such as the newly merged Yellow/Roadway, will begin failing just at the banks have.  Unionized Trucking Companies have tremendous overhead from unfunded mandates and pension plans. The first signs of trucking trouble last year was with Yellow /Roadway trucking company.   Wall Street saw it as the “last merger” to benefit the big investment bankers.  The Yellow/Roadway would  benefit both  unionized companies.  Wall Street sites cost savings benefits for every merger.   I have always maintained that any and all company mergers are a warning sign for you to sell the stock!  All mergers, have had their share prices drop years after the merger has completed.  If you can find one merger in the last 10 years, whose company stock did not decline by more than 50% after the merger,  please bring it to my attention. As with the case of Yellow and Roadway merger being completed this year, those who headed my warning about selling early should be smiling.

Unionized VS. Non-Unionized

The current political climate is right for more unionized companies like Yellow/Roadway to have serious clout in the White House.  I expect more pressure to be placed on non-unionize companies as times begin to get tougher for truckers.   The non-unionized companies have kept transportation cost down for the consumer, lowering prices at the retail level.  Unionized trucking companies will increase the cost to the shippers and consumers.

The main contention between the unionized truckers and non-unionized truckers goes back to the last great Teamster strike and the disappearance of Jimmy Hoffa in the mid 70’s.  During the 70’s, the The Teamsters  controlled the majority of drivers for manufacturing and production in the economy with over 500k members.  Today, they have less members, but their political influence is still strong.  The Teamsters are the 11th largest contributor to the United States Election Campaign fund, with 92% of their 24 million dollars going to the Democratic party.  During the credit restructuring  and merger, YRC  received substantial credit assistance, leading non unionized trucking companies to cry foul.

Meanwhile Arrow Trucking of Tulsa Oklahoma, a non-unionized company, have sent their workers and drivers  home and suspended operations.  Many of their drivers have not been paid over the last 2 weeks, and the checks they did receive, bounced.   Maybe leaving their drivers stranded was not their intention, but without a line of credit to fuel the trucks, the Arrow Trucking  may not not had a choice.  If Arrow Trucking would had  similar unionized political clout as YRC, maybe they would still be in business.   The  failure of Arrow Trucking, with some 1,400 flatbed trucks and 2,600 trailers operating throughout the US,  will create ripples throughout the trucking industry. Non-unionized  company drivers should take heed of the current events affecting Arrow Trucking. The message  from the White House Administration is clear, if you are unionized you will be protected.  If you are not unionized, then may find yourself out in the cold in one Silent night!

Remember, non unionized drivers are being paid for miles driving, not for sitting, so as non-unionized companies struggle to find lines of credit and freight in a slowing economy, more drivers will be joining the unemployment line in 2010!

Meanwhile Congress Bails out Fannie and Freddie Again!

• Fannie And Freddie Receive Unlimited Future Funds To Stay Afloat (huffingtonpost.com)
• Arrow Trucking Strands Drivers During Layoff – ABC News (abcnews.go.com)
• YRC Shares Sink After Debt Exchange (abcnews.go.com)

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1. Pearl Harbor Portfolio: Day 9

However, the rational reality cannot hide from the sad performance of General Electric’s (GE) share price.  It is the worst performer within the Dow Jones Index over the last 9 years.  After all, isn’t that what CNBC viewer want, the “long term investor’s point of view.  Well, maybe they have a financial interest in becoming cheerleaders for the Dow Jones Index, since General Electric owns CNBC network. In fact, the worst performing stocks in the Dow Jones Index over the last 9 years, for long term investors, is self explained in this chart.

Is it ironic that none of the CNBC cheerleaders have shown you the actual long term results the Dow Jones Index?  What did you expect?  The never told you it was time to sell, only to buy, buy, buy.  I think their favorite line for morning guests are, ” So, what are you buying now?”  The predictable irrationality good ole boys are only too happy to tell them what they have already bought.  So you will place your orders to buy the stocks they already own.    If you look at the next chart, there are only 10 stocks of the Dow Jones Index which have a positive return over the last 9 years!

Notice the list of stocks in the top 10.  Who would have thought Caterpillar (CAT) would have out performed a technology firm.  I would think that given the furious buying activity within the NASDAQ market, the leaders would be technology stocks.  Someone asked me 9 years ago would the NASDAQ every get back to 5000 points.   I said, sure, around 2018-2020!   I am going to revise that to 2036 for the NASDAQ…. maybe.  Hey, look at the Japanese market, still in the tank from it’s all time highs.  Remember last summer, all of you were complaining about the “greedy oil companies” gouging you at the pump?  I told the complainers, “you had better hope that gas prices rise to $10 a gallon, other wise your 401k plan will be cut by 50%.   Which has more money in it, you gas tank or your 401k plan?  The Fed was trying to create inflation at that time, but they are always behind the curve!  Now they are creating the biggest liquidity trap in the modern  world.

Now the stock market is rebounding only because of the massive government bailouts and those who “day trade” the stock market with programmed trading.  The stock market has been manipulated once again by the “Feds Plunge Protection Team“, which buys stocks and bonds.  Why, just last week, the Treasury issued bonds, which no one wanted.  So the bond were sold to a primary bond dealer…. can anyone guess who’s the dealer?  I bet you a dollar, it was someone who received TARP money!  The Treasury bonds were then sold back to the Federal Reserve in 10 days!   Can you say “Enron?”  Once again, the middle class will pay for the parties for those on Wall Street.

Despite the Irrational Recovery of the stock market, looking at the stock returns on the Dow Jones Index, does not give me hope for the future.   None of the CNBC cheerleader have mention the words “toxic assets”, nor the 9 million mortgage foreclosures.  The commercial real estate collapse has yet to materialize.  Quietly kept under cover as the largest commercial property owners go to the Fed and Treasury to receive bailouts!  You have to understand, all markets are connected easily manipulated.  Everyone is talking about the “Wiemar Republic“, and the causes of hyper-inflation on the economy.  I don’t think we are heading for hyper inflation, but the “Mother of all Depression.”   The economist who are predicting hyper inflation have failed to remember the “baby boomers”, and they are “mad as hell!”    What are the baby boomers going to do?  They were told that if they have invested in a 401k plan, bought a home, maybe a second one at the lake,  they could retire in luxury and travel around the world!  You can bet, Wall Street is laughing all the way to the “Hampton’s” with all they money they have made off the 401k “dumb money.”   The Wall Street insiders call 401k plans “dumb money” because it just keeps pouring in as long as people have jobs.  Some point in time, when people begin to loose their jobs, they will be forced to take some of the “dumb money” out of the 401k plans.   When the baby boomers hit 59 1/2…. there could be massive withdrawals from these plans.  Can you stand another 50% drop in your “long term investment?” Will you be able to work another 20 years before you can retire?

I feel, we have less than 90 days to put a plan together to protect your ass…ets.  The first step will be the hardest for you to take, because it involve learning how to manage your own money, while you still have some.  I am putting the finishing touches on a free DVD to help you get started with the next financial disaster that’s coming.

Please post some comments at the end of this blog.

What financial  information would you like to learn?

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