What would a good ole fashion 1970s true STRIKE do to our Industry today?

Ive thought about this and how this Industry has left drivers in the rear view when it comes to Income and how the true Independent O/Os of the 50, 60, 70s have almost if not become extinct. I look back then at how things were then and now and really Im amazed we even have Truckdrivers at all sometimes when you look at the cost of living based on revenue and cost then to today. I myself remember Diesel fuel @ .69 a gallon to approx. .75 a gallon, This being in 1987. Today thats an average
increase of about 5 times.

I remember my dad(a real O/O in the 70s) could load out for Atlanta and back to S. FL. were we lived and make after expences 1500.00 easy.. I mean it was a so easy even a Caveman could do it type thing back then it seemed, Im not saying it wasnt hard work now,but was very rewarding.

But today true Independent driver are almost all but gone. At one time in history O/Os ( I mean true Independents, not lease Co. drivers paying for a truck ) way outnumbered it seemed Co. Drivers..

1) Whats the right amount it would take for you to give up all you go through in your life at home etc. for the people of America to exist? Because what you make right now is it.. ? is, is it enough to buy your life out here for America?

2)We are in the top 3 of Divorce rates and all the goodys that come with that ordeal, beaten only out by Airline Pilots. Lawyers are 3rd.

I think about how de-regulation has over time put us all right where we are at today with big business, and that this is why all these Bad reports on Cos. exist.

Its like Corporations and stock holders are the only ones that count when it comes to profits.. And the people that get them there barely survive it seems.

And what gets me even more is that the days of my father and alot of our before us out here wouldnt put up with this crap I really dont believe Independent or NOT!

So, what do we do? Wait for the next error of cheap labor to send us back to what I made back in 1987.. .18 cents a mile.. I make .35 now. Remember, Thats
only a wage increase of not even 100%. Fuel has increased almost 5Xs that along with everything else we consume. Would you do it based on all these Crapy Co.

Yes....... Or No........ and if so tell us what you think it would take! If Not! tell us whats so great about not doing it. Because I see something big business has
been working on for years, and personally and I include myself in this, but I think to the real world were all a bunch of No Counts! Clones that think jumping from one Co.
to another is going to fix things, and it never does.

I didnt know where to put this thread, but since it was about Bad Co.s in general and what to do, it ended up here. If this isnt the right spot, please move it to the appropriate spot Mr. or Ms Staffmember. It just seemed like the right place.

What would you do if you could, and how far would you go to get it?

Ill bet even the numbers that view this poll will be higher than the Vote count on even their opinions as to what to do. Thats the difference in Yesterday and Today though.. Yesterday they Stood together as one, today we fall apart as a whole..

Time will tell as to where this Industry goes, thats for sure.

 

As a O/O and even a Co. driver I always striked with O/Os in the 80s. There was very little power in the 80s that true Independents had because DeReg was taking a major toll on them then, but I didnt move then period.

My father as an O/O in the 70s I remember as a young man some really bad things that happened to drivers that went against Independents back then.
Some of yall may remember some bad things too. Today,most have no idea of the error ever happening.

The President himself could walk up to me and say 'Now!!!" and Id walk away.. (Probably go to Jail too, but so what. Is he going to put all 3,000,000+ in Jail? I dont think so.. lol)

We control it all, it just seems everyones forgotten that. And its just what every Trucking Co.s been striving for for the last 45+ years.
Do you really think Job Hopping hurts a Co..? It keeps all their trucks full and we just rotate the power from one Co. to another.

And still nothing get better. I would Strike in a Heartbeat!!!

 

Understand this is just an opinionated poll, not a lets all shut down by Aug. 1st Poll.. lol. In some cases here you are exactly right, No one sticks together, And I mean no one. a strike hasnt worked for drivers since the true days of the Independent O/Os, were talking late 70s. Its been a Joke every since.

And the steady supply of cheap labor? Well under the rules of supply and demand I say If we did an ole fashion 70s strike, we.d cut off supply of labor and increase the demand which would then increase rates and wages. Isnt this how the Oil Cos do it??

This cheap labor thing only put more money in everyone elses pockets except ours I agree. But If labor is so cheap now, wheres all the Cheese at?

Im betting Big Business and Wallstreet has it. Lets face it, we'll never work cheap enough for them. NEVER!! The only way would be is to shut down the supply by shutting down the trucks. But as you pointed out it hasnt worked in 10 yrs?? I didnt know we had a strike in the past ten yrs.. lol
This is because of the Hitler effect, Hochi Mon effect and even what our Gov, is trying to do to us today.

Get rid of the older and wise, and form the young which know no better. In our case this has happened to our Industry. Wages will only go up when America Shuts Down. Period! Will it happen? Most likely not, were all clones formed by big business and wall street when it comes to this. But it used to work, back before we forgot where we came from..

 

Yea but this is a 70s type strike... This your stating would never happen. And if anyone out there remembers the 60s and 70s in this Industry, well then you know what Im talking about.. Trust me when I tell you, these so called Bandits and their kin wouldnt cross true Independent back then. Theyd find themselves in real serious issues to say the least. I dont condone this act, but there were people even killed for doing it..