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Walmart threatens to cut ties with truckers that also haul for Amazon

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Re: Walmart threatens to cut ties with truckers that also haul for Amazon

#41

Post by fanpuns »

kissickas wrote: post #38
fanpuns wrote: post #12

If this is true (keeping in mind the source is an analyst who is relating conversation between other parties for which they were not involved), it might not necessarily be a negative for the freight market. If the contractors become territorial about which freight companies they will hire it will effectively reduce the supply available for both (once a freight company commits to one or the other) meaning Walmart/Amaz…

But higher prices would also encourage Amazon to invest more in automating their fleet, at which point the market will collapse.

If Amazon invests in their own self-driving fleet, the whole discussion is basically moot. If instead (and maybe more likely) there are a small number of carriers who have invested in big fleets of self-driving trucks and Walmart/Amazon blackballs any carrier who works with the other side they would still be limiting the supply side of the market and have to pay more.

Re: Walmart threatens to cut ties with truckers that also haul for Amazon

#42

Post by toomuchtodo »

Upvoter33 wrote: post #40
toomuchtodo wrote: post #21

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It's not desperation, it's using your leverage to your advantage. Isn't that the smart business decision? How is that any different then Amazon, Uber, or anyone else deciding to raise prices once they're the dominant participant in their respective marketplace? "Competition is for losers." - Peter Thiel

You misattributed the quote: ""Competition is for losers." - Peter Thiel." -Michael Scott. More seriously, I hate this quote, for so many reasons. Sure, it's great if you can do something no one else is doing and do it so well that no one can really compete with you. But there are plenty of people who compete with others and the world is often a better place as a result. It feels like people lose sight of the goals:…

I agree with you entirely though. That's the problem: the delta between the way capitalism is current running and how it should.

#LateStageCapitalismProblems

Re: Walmart threatens to cut ties with truckers that also haul for Amazon

#43

Post by skinnymuch »

solotronics wrote: post #18

fuck Walmart. You don't hear anything about Amazon workers being on public assistance because they are payed enough and get enough hours to survive on their own. Around the holidays Walmart takes food and toy donations for their workers inside their break rooms. It's a bad company and I hope it gets killed off.

Amazon is notorious for their awful treatment of workers. Just recently a local NPR station had a re-run of a story where (1) even when the AC broke inside the warehouse, Amazon wouldn't give them a break or let them open the door or windows to cool things off. A person eventually passed out. (2) They tempt and fake promise temp workers with good future outlook like better pay and benefits after they work for X amount of time. But then Amazon lets them go right before X amount of time is done. (3) Overall they overwork and are brutal with some warehouse workers.

I'll try and find the NPR link. But like someone else has already linked to 3 article, this isn't a special one off case.

If you're going to upset at how Walmart treats blue collar workers, a similar amount of anger should be aimed at Amazon.

Re: Walmart threatens to cut ties with truckers that also haul for Amazon

#44

Post by CalChris »

How is this not restraint of trade?

> Restraint of trade means any activity which tends to limit trade, sales and transportation in interstate commerce or has a substantial impact on interstate commerce.

https://definitions.uslegal.com/r/restraint-of-trade/

Re: Walmart threatens to cut ties with truckers that also haul for Amazon

#45

Post by thrillgore »

syshum wrote: post #30
ceejayoz wrote: post #7

Will they include USPS, UPS, and FedEx in this?

USPS is barred by law from signing an exclusive contract like this, to Walmart would just have to refuse to use them. UPS and Fedex, I highly doubt either would agree to it, but it is not impossible to see one of them go with Walmart and One go with Amazon but highly unlikely

Wouldn't matter, Amazon is already singling out all three with LaserShip and its own Logistics firm.

Did I mention how terrible AMZL is at their job? I spend the better part of a day tracking down a package marked as "delivered."

Re: Walmart threatens to cut ties with truckers that also haul for Amazon

#46

Post by mxstbr »

madamelic wrote: post #8

"Amazon offers $0.10 more per mile, leaving Walmart with no truckers" But really, Wal-mart needs to get over themselves and do what they need to do to adapt, rather than being the bully they've always been. It isn't like they refuse technology, they have a pretty decent technology team as far as I can tell.

Except they don't anymore. They laid off ~1,000 employees in the HQ, many of them in their tech department. (Source: http://www.foxbusiness.com/markets/2017/01/20/wal-mart-begin...)

Disclaimer: Some of the workers that got laid off in that department were friends of mine.

Re: Walmart threatens to cut ties with truckers that also haul for Amazon

#47

Post by skinnymuch »

austenallred wrote: post #5

Walmart is lashing out like it already knows Amazon is going to win. The only play it has left is to bully partners.

Even with them historically always bullying businesses, this and the other recent stories certainly do feel like Walmart is acting like they have already lost to Amazon. I was hoping Walmart would get better in their fight against Amazon. Naive me hah!

At least they are letting Lore handle online business for now.

Re: Walmart threatens to cut ties with truckers that also haul for Amazon

#49

Post by petra »

kissickas wrote: post #38
fanpuns wrote: post #12

If this is true (keeping in mind the source is an analyst who is relating conversation between other parties for which they were not involved), it might not necessarily be a negative for the freight market. If the contractors become territorial about which freight companies they will hire it will effectively reduce the supply available for both (once a freight company commits to one or the other) meaning Walmart/Amaz…

But higher prices would also encourage Amazon to invest more in automating their fleet, at which point the market will collapse.

Money isn't the thing that prevents self-driving trucks from becoming a reality.

Re: Walmart threatens to cut ties with truckers that also haul for Amazon

#50

Post by gech »

__d__ wrote: post #37

I've posted before about Walmart and I'll post here again. They routinely would pay us late and underpay invoices on delivered products. Sometimes racking up to $50-$100,000. The worst part for us is it would be an average of one year before they would pay it in full. You'd have to submit a claim and fill out endless paperwork to get paid. It was so hard on us as a company. You also had to pay them a per package fee…

Does current economic theory include this common malfeasance among successful dominant businesses as efficient?
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