If Economy Completely Tanks - Page 4 - Truckers' Trucking Forum

Rockatansky · **^ Top** #31 03.25.2008

Many O/Os are in trouble because of the poor choices they made when buying, or worse, financing which tractor.

I see way too many 379s weighed down with 10" wide 13' tall stacks, Texas bumpers, more lights than Vegas and a sleeper cab bigger and heavier than a industrial sized dumpster (full of more #### too).

If those drivers bought ProStars and T600s instead, they would be getting more than .0001 MPG and would have money left over after a run.

Non-aero rigs are going to disappear far faster than COEs after the length laws were lifted.
At least the COEs paid the same per mile even if they rode worse.

MickeyFIN · **^ Top** #32 03.25.2008

You can get good milaeage with classics if you slow down... no more than 55.
That means the warehouses of america (or the world in all) can´t be on wheels and containers.

MickeyFIN · **^ Top** #33 03.25.2008

Quote:

Originally Posted by Tip

I don't know, guys. Maybe 4-dollar-a-gallon diesel for the forseeable future? Think that may be a problem for O/Os? Might even hit 5 bucks a gallon if the Israelis decide to hit Iran and Iran retaliates against oil infrastructure in its region.

I wouldn't count on anything as being a sure thing. Chavez may decide to cut back on exports to the USA and ship more to the Chinese. But then again maybe Shell will figure out how to get the oil shale out of the rocks in Wyoming cheaply and you'll be saved in the nick of time.

There is no sure thing in the world except the fact that there is no such thing as a sure thing. My bet is most O/Os are as good as dead economically, but a miracle may happen.

Enter Russian oil to the rescue and forget Mid east... all you have to do is shake hands with Putin...well that might be quite hard to do...after all he´s a former KGB.
hint our diesel is as we speak at 2.6 and our COE´s aint especially aerodynamic IMO... but logistically efficient.

MickeyFIN · **^ Top** #34 03.25.2008

Quote:

Originally Posted by Big Don

Well, my crystal ball seems to not be working very well. . .

What do the rest of you folks think?

Slower Speeds, bigger total loads... Way bigger.
Not much improvement in the Otto engine technology, lifting Tag tandems but Not Team running..why ?
Because there ain´t gonna be Drivers willing to do that.
More Warehouses & better logistical planning.

roadkill439342 · **^ Top** #35 03.25.2008

Quote:

Originally Posted by Tip

The railroads will be resurrected and expanded, and most freight will begin moving from one marshalling yard to another. Day-cab trucks will displace the dinosaur 379, double bunk behemouth. Regional and local runs will become the norm.

Railroads are struggling to haul the meager 14% of the freight they haul the way it is. Their infrastructure has been crumbling for 40 years and there is no real way to resurrect it with-out an immediate cash-transfusion, where is that going to come from?
Freight has ALWAYS moved faster and more efficiently by truck, shippers aren't going to give up that "JIT" mentality without a bloody struggle. There are just some commodities that simply cannot be moved by rail and trucking is the only mode of transportation.

Brickman · **^ Top** #36 03.25.2008

Another place that the rail road cant produce working results is when you load a load of oil field pipe in Houston on a monday morning and are unloading it wed afternoon or thursday morning in North Dakota.

Now if the pipeline job would require a train load or two you might see them move a lot of pipe to a drop yard. But not for a couple truck loads.

Big Red · **^ Top** #37 03.25.2008

Quote:

Originally Posted by roadkill439342

Railroads are struggling to haul the meager 14% of the freight they haul the way it is. Their infrastructure has been crumbling for 40 years and there is no real way to resurrect it with-out an immediate cash-transfusion, where is that going to come from?
Freight has ALWAYS moved faster and more efficiently by truck, shippers aren't going to give up that "JIT" mentality without a bloody struggle. There are just some commodities that simply cannot be moved by rail and trucking is the only mode of transportation.

A good example of the truck vs rail...... truck is better idea.

A major Michigan Based office furniture manufacturer swalowed the Schneider sales pitch hook, line and sinker. Our company pulled all our trailers out of their yard because we couldn't compete with Schneiders lower freight rates.

Time passed...something on the order of two weeks.

We were right back in the door of the manufacturer and Schneider was pulling ALL their trailers off the property.

It seems that Schneider put a very important trailerload on the rail and lost it for a week.

Tip · **^ Top** #38 03.25.2008

Then I guess we're looking at mandatory teaming and no-idling laws for the next 3 to 5 years.

Brickman · **^ Top** #39 03.25.2008

Tip the gooberment won't be mandating team driving. More and more companies probably will.

heyns57 · **^ Top** #40 03.26.2008

Today's Herald Palladium printed a flashback to 25 years ago: "The Michigan Employment Security Commission reported that the unemployment rate in the Benton Harbor-Berrien County labor market area dropped from 19.1 percent in December to 18.1 percent in January." In Michigan, 725,000 people were out of work. I sold my truck at that time because there were no good leases available. I still had work as a fleet driver although the layovers were longer.

They say there is a strong foreign market for today's repossessed late-model equipment. I don't think it will get as bad as it was 25 years ago although we import more of everything now.

Thread Tools
Show Printable Version Email this Page
Display Modes	Rate This Thread
Linear Mode Switch to Hybrid Mode Switch to Threaded Mode	Rate This Thread:

Similar Threads
Thread	Thread Starter	Trucker Forum	Replies	Last Post
And Now For Something Completely Different	Southernraven	The Ladies' Room	6	06.08.2008 02.54 PM
How utterly and completely screwed up is this?	coachmark1	A Discussion About EVERYTHING	8	05.20.2008 04.03 PM
I'm completely stumped...	Skunk_Truck_2590	Questions From New Drivers	12	03.31.2008 03.39 PM
DHL U.S. Withdrawal 'Completely Ruled Out'	Cybergal	Truckers News	0	01.25.2008 04.59 PM
am i completely screwed?	HighwayCat	Questions From New Drivers	7	09.14.2007 10.21 PM

Truckers' Trucking Forum/Message Board - The Premiere Truck Driver Forum

Currently Active Users Viewing This Thread: 1 (0 members and 1 guests)