I am a slave to Toyota

[Telvis]

I wrote this late last night after working and I felt like crap. I have modified the original post becaues I felt it was too negative. I have vented and now feel better. I still feel like the place is cold devoid of humor but I guess I will stay there as long as they keep paying me. I have never worked at a place that's all business all the time. People never relax and smile or joke with one another. It's a good thing I only work about 20 hours a week. Now that I have released some pent up frustration I can handle the rest of the week. Just in case they are reading this Toyota is a great place to work.

[Rocky]

Whatever you do, I don't reccomend a career in law inforcement.  Those guys are dicks!


I'd say it's just the sad P.C. world that we live in today.  Try for early retirement.

[Telvis]

That's funny.....I'm a retired cop. Trust me it was much more laid back than this job.  The Toyota gig was only supposed to be for a few months. It keeps getting extended. It looks like I will be there through March now. The last time I worked there several years ago I ended up staying a little over a year. It's not a bad job. The people are great. Toyota as a business treat their Team members with respect and provide them with great working conditions. I am just having difficulty adjusting to the stern, quiet, no smiles. no jokes. all business atmosphere. As the Police we did nothing but joke and cut on each other. Not at Toyota. It's a different world.

[Rocky]

Note my smiley 

I feel your pain, but have no real advice.

[Rocky]

You're the guy from "The Shield" right?

[Telvis]

That's what my wife says.

[Orange_Crush]

I wrote this late last night after working and I felt like crap. I have modified the original post becaues I felt it was too negative. I have vented and now feel better. I still feel like the place is cold devoid of humor but I guess I will stay there as long as they keep paying me. I have never worked at a place that's all business all the time. People never relax and smile or joke with one another. It's a good thing I only work about 20 hours a week. Now that I have released some pent up frustration I can handle the rest of the week. Just in case they are reading this Toyota is a great place to work.

Toyota is set to pass GM as the world's largest automaker.

Maybe we need to take a page from their book.

Hey, at least you have job security.

[TruckDriver]

You're the guy from "The Shield" right?

I never thought of that! I thought he reminded me of Benney Parsons a bit. 

[BB1]

At my work, we get jokes at the beginning of our shifts. I've posted some there that I got from here.
No PC stuff either.

And some of us fart on the radio.  We have no shame.

[TK73]

Ironic how the Japansese modelled thier business practices on theories proposed by an American author/businessman, theories that American corporations rejected.

The American auto industry never saw this coming when they were pushing gas guzzling, rattly ships out of the factory doors 35 years ago.  Granted they produced the coolest looking stuff on 4 wheels at the time, looks like quality and effieciency are the keys to long-term survival in thier industry.

[derailed]

looks like quality and effieciency are the keys to long-term survival in thier industry.

[Telvis]

They are definitely big on quality. They also treat the employees very well. However thay expect a lot out of them and all rules are enforced to the letter. It sometimes reminds me of a factory of humanoid robots. Everyone scurries around doing their job. No one talks, no one smiles. Just work..that's it. I personally have never worked in that kind of environment. I don't think factory work would be for me. No windows, all the noise and the cars just keep coming. I will pass on that. The cool part of my job is I have full access to the plant. I spend a lot of time walking to the various areas to interview people. It's very interesting watching everything work. It's a pretty fascinating process. They have two assembly lines pumping out about one car a minute out of each line. They make Camrys and Avalons. Now, if it were a Chrysler plant and they were making the new Challenger I would be a kid in a candy store. I would probably be trying to find a way to sneak me a car out one piece at a time.

[derailed]

well I guess it might sound corny but ive been a loyal camry owner for 10 years now and love them. They are great cars and if I worked in a plant that built them I would feel pretty proud of it but I see the point your making about being a dull work environment. I guess sometimes that goes with productivity.

[Telvis]

Don't get me wrong. The people that work there seem to be happy. I like working there but I can only take it in small doses. I've never had a job where I had to stay indoors all the time. I get a bit stir crazy. I like the money though. I keep showing up.

[moparjohn]

My job is so opposite we work really hard all day (10hours) but we enjoy it because we can talk/work and get it done.  I feel that I would rather drive a rattly gas guzller than  any toyota, and if GM is overtaken the USA will pay a price larger than the layoffs and job losses already has. Where has American pride gone? Please don't respond about toyotas being "American" because they are made here I just wish we were more self-sufficent as a nation.I want the USA of the 50's and 60's where we were #1 AND PROUD!

[Charger_Fan]

I feel that I would rather drive a rattly gas guzller than  any toyota, and if GM is overtaken the USA will pay a price larger than the layoffs and job losses already has. Where has American pride gone? Please don't respond about toyotas being "American" because they are made here I just wish we were more self-sufficent as a nation.I want the USA of the 50's and 60's where we were #1 AND PROUD!

Me too brother, me too.

I've probably already said how I feel enough times around here, that everyone's sick of hearing it...but there ain't no way I'm EVER buying a foreign car. I don't care how bad it gets. I'm an American, my money stays in America as much as possible, thank you...especially where cars are concerned.
The whole 'Toyota being American' thing doesn't hold water for me either. They do employ a handful of Americans & that money ends up being returned to the U.S. market (well, sorta)...but the majority of the money goes overseas.
The fact that GM & others have been forced into having a lot of their stuff made in places like China (& worse) is just downright sad. I agree that the 'higher-ups' in GM (& others) should have done things much differently many years before now, to avoid the quagmire they're in to day...but that's still not gonna make me cave in & buy rice.

[Telvis]

I got some real perspective last night. I talked to a guy who works in metal finish repair. He repairs defects on the unpainted bodies as they come down the line. He does anything from DA sanding to filing to mig welding repairs. Talk about a tough job. This guy lives with a perpetual sunburn from mig welding. The worst part of his job is he doesn't get to pick what he repairs. If the guy inspecting the cars and marking defects is overly picky he could work him half to death. With only one minute between each car there's not much time to fix a burr, repair a dent or redo a bad weld. Spme cars have multiple defects. Not to mention the cars are moving the whole time! Talk about stress! Man, I'm glad I don't have that job.

[Telvis]

Hey, at least you have job security.

The job is only a temporary contract. I have done it a few times over the past four years. The longest it has lasted was a year. This time was suppose to end next week but they extended it another month. I was kind of disappointed it didn't end when it was supposed to. I am a whore for money. I will keep showing up as long as they are paying.

[472 R/T SE]

BUY AMERICAN!!

Keep buying all your Toyotooo's.  When the economy's in the tank we'll know who to THANK!

[CFMopar]

That's funny.....I'm a retired cop. Trust me it was much more laid back than this job.  The Toyota gig was only supposed to be for a few months. It keeps getting extended. It looks like I will be there through March now. The last time I worked there several years ago I ended up staying a little over a year. It's not a bad job. The people are great. Toyota as a business treat their Team members with respect and provide them with great working conditions. I am just having difficulty adjusting to the stern, quiet, no smiles. no jokes. all business atmosphere. As the Police we did nothing but joke and cut on each other. Not at Toyota. It's a different world.

Thats funny. I'm kinda the opposite now. I work a factory job making the floor pans for the chrysler 300's while trying to get into law enforcement I kow what your saying though. The work isn't for me. Everyday I want to shoot myself in the face at work. Were a bit more slack than toyota or chrysler as were a supplier but still.... Same sorta crap. The whole respect thing is like that across the board with the Jap auto compaines. Thats how they keep unions out. The Honda plant in ontario built a personal hockey rink just for employees only. You only get what you deserve at those plants. Slackers get fired hard workes get rewarded.  My plant is unionised and you should see some of the crap the Union guys get away with. Slacking, abanding workstations, not showing up, STEALING.... They get fired and come back a few weeks or a month later. Really sad. And then they complain when the company is having a hard time.... 


About buying American... If the big 3 could produce quality like toyota then they would sell like toyota. Even my small plant is trying to implement the "Toyota production system" All the big plants are now. Won't work with a union though....

[472 R/T SE]

The stuff some "Union's" get away with gives the rest of the hard workin' trades a bad rap, IMO.  Nothing will change until they release their stronghold. 

What's better?  Having the masses work at Wal-Mart's and get state subsidized benefits due to being underpaid?  This is what our society is coming to.  What ever happen to what the first Ford believed in.  Was it Edsel, anyhow, pay your workers a premium wage with good benefits and reap the rewards of loyalty?



a little sideways there. 

[Mopar Madness]

Whatever you do, I don't reccomend a career in law inforcement.  Those guys are dicks!


I'd say it's just the sad P.C. world that we live in today.  Try for early retirement.

  Thanks for the positive attitude on Law Enforcement, it's appreciated..

[Telvis]

I think that was just a joke because he knew I am a retired cop. I don't thikn he really meant it as a negative comment toward law enforcement.

[Mopar Madness]

 I did not mean to be sensitive about that, I work in Fish & Wildlife in a county loaded with Knotheads..

[WM23N1]

I used to be a slave to Kubota. Now I have a job that doesnt require thought,effort,or even showing up on time. I drive a truck.

[Telvis]

Lucky bastard

[Lowprofile]

I used to be a slave to Kubota. Now I have a job that doesn't require thought,effort,or even showing up on time. I drive a truck.

I don't know what company you drive for, kinda sounds like JB Hunt though. 

I have been driving for over 20 years now, and if I had that attitude about my job, I would have been fired long ago. Thought and effort go into everything a driver does every day, at least the ones who care about their job. And in my segment of the trucking business, "Early is on time, on time is late, & late is Fired".

[derailed]

The truckin I know requires some thought. When your delivering gasoline and you crossdrop (i.e put the regular unleaded in the super tank) you just created a giant mess on your hands.

[5.9_Liter_Grand_Cherokee]

I used to be a slave to Kubota. Now I have a job that doesn't require thought,effort,or even showing up on time. I drive a truck.

I don't know what company you drive for, kinda sounds like JB Hunt though. 

I have been driving for over 20 years now, and if I had that attitude about my job, I would have been fired long ago. Thought and effort go into everything a driver does every day, at least the ones who care about their job. And in my segment of the trucking business, "Early is on time, on time is late, & late is Fired".

I am a little worried about that philosophy.  Either they are padding their time estimates for delivery, or they are expecting drivers to break the law to make the delivery on time.

[Lowprofile]

I used to be a slave to Kubota. Now I have a job that doesn't require thought,effort,or even showing up on time. I drive a truck.

I don't know what company you drive for, kinda sounds like JB Hunt though. 

I have been driving for over 20 years now, and if I had that attitude about my job, I would have been fired long ago. Thought and effort go into everything a driver does every day, at least the ones who care about their job. And in my segment of the trucking business, "Early is on time, on time is late, & late is Fired".

I am a little worried about that philosophy.  Either they are padding their time estimates for delivery, or they are expecting drivers to break the law to make the delivery on time.

Let me explain just what I mean.
I work for a Multi-Million Dollar Corporation Who puts on a Live Televised Event two, sometimes three times a week. There are thousands of people who depend on me [and the other 15 drivers] to be on time. Now that doesn't mean we throw the rulebooks out the window.....quite the contrary, we work within all DOT Rules and regulations to get our jobs done. We always have plenty of time to get to our next location. We plan our trips around bad weather, and we fly in "double drivers" when the runs get long and time gets short, so that every truck gets two drivers. Safety is always a top concern. Thats how professionals do it.

If you read the first quote, my comment was directed towards his lack of caring about his job.


BTW, everything you own was at one time on a truck & brought to you by a trucker.

[5.9_Liter_Grand_Cherokee]

Let me explain just what I mean.
I work for a Multi-Million Dollar Corporation Who puts on a Live Televised Event two, sometimes three times a week. There are thousands of people who depend on me [and the other 15 drivers] to be on time. Now that doesn't mean we throw the rulebooks out the window.....quite the contrary, we work within all DOT Rules and regulations to get our jobs done. We always have plenty of time to get to our next location. We plan our trips around bad weather, and we fly in "double drivers" when the runs get long and time gets short, so that every truck gets two drivers. Safety is always a top concern.

I'm glad that the company you work for is consciencious, but not all companies are concerned about safety.  We recently had a fatality collision here caused by a tarp off a flatbed.  I have seen trucks going down the road with unsecured loads.  I used to have a class B license, but I let it go a few years back, because the company I worked for at the time refused to put trucks out of service when they failed my air brake inspection.  When you look at it, the freeways are a scary place to be for a four wheeler.  You couldn't get me out there on a bike anymore, between the idiots in SUV's (I'm not saying all SUV drivers are idiots, just that idiots have SUV's), the semi's (you don't know how the service for that truck was performed), and inattentive drivers, there are days where I feel like I have a bullseye on my car and I am waiting to see when I get hit again. 

Sorry 'bout the hijack

[WM23N1]

I drive a concrete truck.