What did YOU do?

[beeble736]

Well, here is is Sunday morning. The shutdown started a week ago and already most drivers I've spoken to in the past two days are heading back out tomorrow. We made a lot of fuss, and then it came time to to show up and speak up no one did. WV state police were planning on 600 - 800 trucks for the hillbilly convoy, fewer than 100 showed up. The convoy to Atlanta was planning on 250 truck, how many were there? I heard estimates of 50 - 75, what happened? My grandma has a saying that is so appropriate here, either poop (not her word) or get off the pot. If you're unhappy, tell the whole world. You don't need to come here and vent, WE know how bad it is.

I have offered to publish a newsletter that would be e-mailed to any driver, o/o, leased, company, farm or toyota camry. NO ONE acknowledged my offer, I was on 6 different chats at one point, no one answered. WE need an organization to provide communication and to speak for as many of us as possible, short of that, we need a central connunication, one which I offered to provide since it is something I do professionally anyway. Everyone wants a solution, but no one want to be the mechanism to make it happen.

I did THREE interviews on Tuesday. I was so sick I could barely talk, but I did THREE interviews, what did YOU do? I made over 250 phone calls, EVERY member of the senate, all the state reps from Georgia, the governor of GA, the big four presidental candidates, the WHITE HOUSE. WHO DID YOU CALL????

One more time, I am willing to put together and e-publish a newsletter addressing out concerns and "demands". We have to work together to make any difference. If we choose to sit and wait for everyone else to work, the we have and will continue to fail.

Bea Hall
Newington, GA

[iowabmw]

Worked and made money,....

[ssbowles]

Same here. All this strike talk is like pi**ing up a rope....it ain't gonna work.

[danc694u]

I woke up.

Can you tell me what you said to these people?

Was the discussion about fuel? Or, was it about the inability to compete with the huge companies who only need to make .004 per mile to show a profit?

I don't mean to sound condescending. I just want to be on the same page, or not. Depending on the argument.

[beeble736]

Basically I addressed 3 issues that some of us on one of the other boards had discussed for several days.

1. There must be access to contracts through brokers. We deserve to see the contracted price and fuel surcharge. If we contract a load at 85% and the load pays 1000 plus 200 fuel, then the driver should expect 1005 dollars for the load.

2. Investigaton of fuel prices. What has happened in the past year to cause prices to almost double?

3 No cheap freight. How can freight only pay $1 a mile as it did 5 year ago? Saying that increasing the cost of freight will increase prices is stupid I'm sorry. If a 53' trailer is getting paid one dollar to deliver 2000 cases of toilet paper, then even doubling the price to $2 will raise the price a negligable amount, NOT $2. A head of lettuce will NOT go up to $7, UNLESS everyone adds their own $2 to the cost, which makes no sense.

Everyone I spoke to last week listened to me, asked intelligent questions and made me feel like I was being heard.

Oh, by the way, I was not able to speak to anyone in Obama's campaign. I called probably 10 different numbers, starting with his headquarters and got answering machines and no answer. I did speak to a young lady named Stacey who admitted that she was a high school senior who was "just answering the phones and taking messages."

Bea

[iowabmw]

Originally Posted by beeble736

Basically I addressed 3 issues that some of us on one of the other boards had discussed for several days.

1. There must be access to contracts through brokers. We deserve to see the contracted price and fuel surcharge. If we contract a load at 85% and the load pays 1000 plus 200 fuel, then the driver should expect 1005 dollars for the load. Not a bad idea, but I don't need to really know, I charge what my operating cost is and either they pay me or they don't

2. Investigaton of fuel prices. What has happened in the past year to cause prices to almost double?

3 No cheap freight. How can freight only pay $1 a mile as it did 5 year ago? Saying that increasing the cost of freight will increase prices is stupid I'm sorry. If a 53' trailer is getting paid one dollar to deliver 2000 cases of toilet paper, then even doubling the price to $2 will raise the price a negligable amount, NOT $2. A head of lettuce will NOT go up to $7, UNLESS everyone adds their own $2 to the cost, which makes no sense. If everyone raised there rates to their operating costs, we would not have cheap freight problem. I flat out will not haul a load that is below my operating cost.

Everyone I spoke to last week listened to me, asked intelligent questions and made me feel like I was being heard.

Oh, by the way, I was not able to speak to anyone in Obama's campaign. I called probably 10 different numbers, starting with his headquarters and got answering machines and no answer. I did speak to a young lady named Stacey who admitted that she was a high school senior who was "just answering the phones and taking messages."

Bea

DId they just listen, or did they give responses?

[beeble736]

Originally Posted by iowabmw

DId they just listen, or did they give responses?

Mostly I hate to say they listened. The thing is, even if all they did do was listen, they are now at least aware that there is a problem, although anyone who drives should know that by now.

As for your 2 responses, you're lucky since you book your own loads. However, there are a lot of folks out in the world who are leased to companies who continue to only pay $1 loaded, $0.85 empty and $0.73 bobtail. Not everyone can run under their own authority for many reasons. In this area, we have a huge loggind industry. Not only are loggers jerked by the timber companies, they are stalked by DOT and now some of the yards are starting to charge them to deliver if they are over 84,000.

Unfortunately, there is no easy solution to the problem. Trucking is such a vast industry, with so many entities (the big 4, smaller companies, leased drivers, indys and co drivers) that coming to any consensus in going to be virtually impossible. The only other thing I can think of that comes close to the variety of entities is baseball. You have A-Rod and the t-ball league in your home town. Yeah, the rules are the sames, but the execution is vastly different.

I just hope that truckers can come to some community and support each other, whether they shutdown or just become more vocal about the situations.

Stay safe out there!

Bea

[iowabmw]

Well anyone who leased to a company for $1.00 a mile was stupid. I own my own truck OUTRIGHT and I couldn't show profit at that rate. Loggers are having a hard time mainly because the housing market has gone to ####. No houses getting built = not as much trees getting cut down = more loggers then logs.

As far as them listening, I figured that is all they would do. I am not so sure what they can do to help the ones who are not making it.

Here is a idea, ban compaines from leasing trucks to the rookie company drivers who don't know better at 90cpm, that should be CRIMINAL!

[danc694u]

Here's a piece of economic fact for you. I actually respond, not just listen.

The dollar has fell by about 40% against the global monetary exchange since this time last year.

Oil has been sold, based on the dollar for years. Too late to scream foul now. Be happy it isn't higher.

Current economic indicaters show us, it will not be coming up soon. As our Fed continues to devalue the dollar in hopes of preventing a total meltdown of the economy.

Driving down the dollar, creates an illusion of prosperity. It allows our goods to go to outside markets cheaper than normal. Driving their (other countries) companies to reduce prices even further, to gain sales. It's a self fulfilling recession for eveyone.

And, much like the depression of the early 1900's. It's stalling the recovery of the economy. It's like sticking your finger in a drain. Then expecting the water to run out of the sink faster. It doesn't work like that. Japan is/was just starting a recovery, from the same issue from 10 years ago.

It's a fairly simple idea to grasp, really. Some (a lot) of the owner ops will go out altogether. But, those that were on firm footing (solid business plan) will survive.

It's going to be painful for EVERYONE. Not just truckers who happen to own their own truck. The entire country is going to feel this pain. For a long time.

[iowabmw]

Very good and wise post!

I like the fact about your line with having a "solid business plan"

You should go read this thread "don't give OOIDA anymore money"
[LINK POSTED BY MEMBER] Only Members Can View This Truck Forum Link.

I was basically getting called stuipid for having a business plan and actually following it.