Truckers park rigs in protest

By Reed Fujji
Record Staff Writer
May 06, 2008 6:00 AM
For the second time in four years, hundreds of independent truck drivers went on strike Monday against companies that hire them to haul cargo containers out of railroad terminals near Stockton.
And again, as in 2004, the issue was the failure of freight rates to keep up with rapidly rising fuel prices.
Ajit Gill of Stockton, a truck owner-operator and a spokesman for strikers, said the truckers face fuel costs that have more than doubled since 2004, as well as higher costs for insurance, stiffer inspection fees and more. But freight rates have not kept pace.
"There is nothing raised," he said Monday by cell phone.
The drivers would prefer to keep working, if it was practical.
"Unfortunately, we have to stop," Gill said. "Nobody can afford $4.35 diesel."
The strike's immediate impact was uncertain.

read the rest http://recordnet.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080506/A_BIZ/805060307/-1/rss01

 

It was reported differently at http://www.my58.com/news/16166559/detail.html

part of that article

""Well, you figure it costs $1,200 to fill it up. And we have the same rates we had 20 years ago. The price of fuel has gone up, the price of trucks has gone up the price of tires has gone up, everything else has gone up -- what are we supposed to do?" truck driver Richard Bancroft said.

The fuel surcharge is 30 percent for independent truckers.

The group that is picketing is asking for a 50 percent surcharge. "

 

I am sitting here in Lodi Ca waiting while my agent negotiates trying to get a rate I can accept on a load back east.

I unloaded in San Francisco yesterday, and dead headed over to here to wait thinking it might take a few days to get a decent rate.

I drove past the Lathrop road exit yesterday and saw about 20 people ( men women and children) lining both sides of Lathrop street holding signs up.

Traffic here at the J has been steady all day yesterday and today, I have only seen a few containers here. ( parking 20 miles from the rail head probably isn't done all that much anyway)

By 5 pm the lot here was full to capacity and the usual rodeo of OTR truckers circling waiting for someone who stopped only to wait out rush hour had begun. All night long the J pick up and security men were busy rousting out illegally parked trucks who tried to park in the driving lanes because the lot was full past capacity. ( normal here)

Today the traffic seems to still be normal, comings and goings for dry poxes and some reefers, most of the spec com people waiting for loads to be consolidated or offered at better rates as time passes and no one takes them for low rates.. again normal for here.

 

Stuck in Lodi again!Last time I tryed to get out of there it took 5 days just to get a haul to Las Vegas.Good luck. The traffic in S. Dakota is still moving well, Nebraska still has much truck traffic,on my way to Texas,still lots of trucks on the road. I think I going to head toward home because this is going to turn ugly.Good luck to all.

 

Why did Yoda get banned?

 

Heard a former Sunoco exec on the radio talking about the gas situation in the 70's. As gas was heading upwards of $2/gallon the Trucking Industry went on a nationwide strike for 10 days. Gas prices went back down and things were relatively ok for 30 years. Maybe its time to do it again? I believe you would also have support from the general public.
Also the guy said that limited supplies of oil is a myth. He said the earth makes oil all the time and that we have enough for 10,000 years.

 

In Lorain, Ohio, where gasoline tends to a few cents cheaper, the going rate for Diesel this morning was $4.69/gallon. Whew!!! I don't know how long folks can tolerate this!!!

Louie

 

I'm just south of you in northern Ashland county, and I get my fuel in southwest Medina county, and we've been "fortunate" at paying "as little as" $4.63, for about a week now. It topped out early last week at $4.67.