Truck driver strike

[Dan-IA]

People around here are talking about some big truck driver strike that's supposed to commence tomorrow. Now I'm not finding much about it in the news and all that, and I am noticing the date (being April Fools' Day and all) but I am hearing that this is supposed to be a week-long thing--enough to make it start to hurt.

Maybe. I do suspect that the corporate for-hire rigs will run anyway, it's just the owner-operators that might take a little time off.

Anybody else heard anything?

 

[Texasmark]

No! But when I gave up the 18 wheeler thing diesel went up from $1 to $1.10 and I took it personally....like this SOB reached in my pocket and took out a $10 bill every day. Well, I certainly would be deranged in today's market.

Mark

 

[Bill(Wis)]

I've seen a lot of trucks riding on trains lately. I also saw the longest grain train I've ever seen about a week ago. The relatively weak US dollar has made our grain a bargain on the world market.

 

[Jim H SW-PA]

In our local paper tonight; About 30 rigs from W PA going to Harrisburgh today to protest fuel prices
Truckers drive point to Harrisburgh

 

[Anonymous-0]

All the gravel truckers up here went on strike a few years ago because they haven't had an increase in over 4 years to compensate for the increased costs of running a truck, including fuel costs. It got pretty ugly and a lot of jobs were at a stand still. No concrete because no materials to make it etc. They got their increase. You don't realize how important trucking is until the trucks are stopped.

 

[ericlb]

thats the point of the strike make it hurt, the big corp, will probably not shut down but they should, heres my take, the last 2 days of last week i ran my gravel truck hard, and got paid, 1200 and change, after fuel, and ins. i actually got to put 150.oo im my pocket! now i might have been born at night, but it wasnt last nite, i can paste a dumb look on my face and work at walmart or micky D's and make that!, i didnt buy [and pay off] a big truck to make that kind of money if i still had a truck payment id just have to go toss the keys to my banker and tell him to drive the thing

 

[Mike M]

On the way to work today on rt. 30 and no shortage of truck traffic. I guess they have bills to pay too ! the bill collectors don't take a day off.

 

[Dale(MO)]

I know the feeling. Finally got to work 2 days last week - one hourly, one by the ton (asphalt). The hourly - 9 hours@ $70.00= $630.00. Over $200.00 for that day's fuel, plus expenses, I figure I got $230.00. I can deal with that. The next day, by the ton. Only hauled 2 loads, got 1.5 hrs. waiting time, made around $235.00 - in 5.5 hrs. Bought around $125.00 in fuel, figure in expenses, I'm in the hole for that day. We do more and more by the ton every year.

I'm starting to think greeting people at Wal-Mart might not be so bad.

Dale(MO)

 

[Anonymous-0]

shouldnt have voted for bush then fuel wouldnt be so high

 

[john in la]

I have heard about the strike...BUT....
A over all truck drivers strike has never worked and never will work. Just look at the last strike when people were being shot from over passes. Even with this many trucks worked as normal.

As a driver I am happy with my pay rate and my company still has people calling for us to haul their freight.
I have no reason to strike and since my company is making money they have no reason to strike.
I will say rates are high right now because we are getting over 30% in fuel surcharge right now.

Now when you get into owner operator trucks that is a hole differant ball of wax.
In this setup you have 1 guy setting the rates (the broker) and one guy trying to make a living at these rates (the trucker)
It is a brokers job to bid as low as he can on a haul. This is how he gets work by being the low bidder. He in turn has to find a truck willing to haul it at this rate. As long as he can find a truck to do the job he will not bid higher in fear of losing the work.

So truckes strike. SO WHAT!!!!!!!!
They take a week off in protest of pay rates but come back next week and haul the same loads for the same old rates as last week. What good did they do other than shorting themselves a weeks pay.

As long as truckes are willing to haul cheap freight (what ever the reason may be) there will be cheap freight to be hauled.
If they ever start being selective in the loads they haul and letting the tomatoes sit on the dock to rot; or the dirt sit at the pit; then and onlt then will rates go up.

It is much like the farmer that grows corn thet cost him $10 to grow. He figures he needs to sell at $12 to make money but the elevator is only paying $10.25
Trouble is the neighbor across the street is willing to sell at $10.25
So the farmer has 2 choices.
Sell at $10.25 and complain all year about how he lost money or find someone willing to pay $12

In the trucking world to many people are willing to sell at the $10.25 rate and cut cost by running broken trucks; or over hours; to make up the differance so $12 is hard to come by.

 

[trucker40]

Right.If you own your truck,and you have to have a certain amount of money to make a living,then you cannot find a load that pays that much.Brokers get loads with fuel surcharge,that pay good enough,but only offer ridiculous pay.These"brokers"who are thieves need to be in prison.Plus,they are driving lots of good truckers off the road.The ones that wont run over you,the ones that know what they are doing,the ones that take care of their truck,the ones that own their truck,are being ruined.All the government does is take the profits away in taxes.Companies a lot of times do very little to fix anything.They can look for higher paying loads,but big time freight haulers haul stuff too cheap to start with,but they make up for it by putting trailers on trains.The owner operators dont have this option.So it comes down to this,its the railroad,which is owned by the goverment and crooked brokers then its the oil companies,and the government is in there with unfair taxes.All of this adds up to a stressfull life,and not worth it.The pay is not good enough any more unless you have a contract for a certain rate both ways.These contracts dont exist much anymore.
The price of fuel wouldnt matter if there was a law saying there had to be a fuel surcharge that was paid in cash to the man in the truck buying the fuel,not a broker or company that will steal it.

 

[JT]

A buddy of mine is an O/O, says with the fuel surcharge he gets, he actually gets more in surcharches than the fuel cost him. He also has a laptop and will check fuel prices when he stops, and will plan his fuel stops at the lowest prices he finds on the route he is driving, he said that fuel prices will vary by 15-20% sometime. So most of the big company drivers and the contracted drivers are not going to park, they are making good money.
Jim

 

[Jim H SW-PA]

You did'nt mention what priofit you would have made if you blowed a steering tire and bought a burger, fries, and a small coke for lunch.--lost more than you made.Whats the family going to eat? After utility bills, etc.-- My electric,and gas bills jumped $20.00 each this mo.

 

[Anonymous-0]

the strike is a good thing it might help and it might not but if something isnt done bush wont only see a hard reccion but alot og buisness closing up drop the fuel prices