Truckers Who Haul Vehicles Approve New Five-Year Deal

The Teamsters union said late Tuesday that the truckers who haul most new cars and other vehicles in the United States had ratified a new five-year contract.

The deal covers about 9,000 drivers, mechanics and other workers at Allied Holdings Inc. and 14 other trucking companies. It increases wages and benefits by 13.4% over the term of the agreement, the Teamsters said.

These companies haul vehicles directly from auto plants to dealers or from intermediate locations such as railroad yards and ports.

The contract with the National Automobile Transporters Labor Division and Allied Automotive Group was ratified 72% to 28%.

The accord is actually parallel agreements with two different groups, the National Automobile Transporters Labor Division, which represents the 14 closely held companies, and with Allied, the single-largest employer of union car-hauling drivers.

Allied said in a release Tuesday that employees of its subsidiary, Allied Systems, also had ratified the deal.

Truckers averted a threatened nationwide strike on May 31, reaching an 11th hour tentative contract agreement just before the midnight expiration of the previous contract. (Click here for the related story.)

Decatur, Ga.-based Allied is ranked No. 23 on the 2002 Transport Topics 100 list of the largest U.S. and Canadian trucking companies.

(Click here for the press release from the Teamsters.)

(Click here for the press release from Allied.)

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