All truckers unite april1,2011 shut em down

That is a very interesting point about the o/o numbers compared to company drivers.

The trend is for large fleets to have more and more o/o but this may end up backfiring. o/o are more likely to strike than company drivers.

 

I think owner operators would switch carriers rather than go on strike. Many owner operators are living paycheck to paycheck. The industry is too fragmented and not enough camaraderie to strike. Most who drive today can't save two nickels to keep them going for a few weeks. They think they need to buy everything they see rather than saving for their future. I could not tell you how many drivers and owner operators who have worked for me and that I have interviewed who have made $800-1,200/week and are broke. They live from paycheck to paycheck.

 

Maybe we can wait for the truckers who are hauling for $.75 to $1.00 a mile to go under because they can't make their truck payments or their mortgages or feed their family.

 

We lost quite a few of those idiots in the last go-round of high fuel prices and hopefully we'll lose a bunch this time too.
I have no sympathy for ANYONE willing to haul for those rates!

 

There is more than one person or one group that would be more than glad to organize a Truckers for America United Assoc. in a heartbeat.

Just last year I was inquiring about starting something like this myself, with a few other retired and semi retired drivers,

Guys that have been around for more than 50 years and some just getting wet behind the ears.

We met at a pizza house here in the NW and threw out some questions looking for answers to the question, can anything be done to unite the 0/0s into a powerful group with representation to bargain for them for better rates, conditions and health issues.

After 2 hours we came to the conclusion that, 1- most 0/0s will never stop running their rigs under any condition for fear of losing everything.
2- many 0/0s just dont like unions or anything that resembles a union. 3- 2 0/0s couldnt agree on one single subject or which color truck is the best color.

So, in my humble opinion and those of the pizza parlor pedal pushers,

It aint gonna happen until one thing comes first.

That thing is total takeover of the trucking industry, by the feds just like we are seeing in WI with the unions being told they cant have collective bargaining anymore. That means NO UNIONS, 100% government control.

Then and only then I believe, when 0/0s are threatend with their trucks and trailers and plates, permits, regs are all controlled and issued by the feds, will they look for someone to help them and save them

The problem will be,, there wont be anyone to help them,, they have turned their backs on eveyone that mentions, strikes, shutdowns, boycott states.

They hate the teamsters with a passion and think ooida is a club for disgruntled truckers and truckers or non truckers, everyone and anyone can join, it is not for owner operators and independent drivers assoc. its for everyone and they are not prepared at this time at least to enter into forming associates in all 50 states with offices manned and staffed to act as a negotiator for union contracts.

Plus I dont think ooida wants to go down that road, their happy with what they do at the level they are doing it.

So to say that more members gives a bigger voice, is unfair, unless that voice has the power of strike behind it.

Until then, the teamsters are whats left to fight the fight but dont count on 0/0s to join them anytime in the near future.

 

Who are the independant owner operators striking against?

 

There is a difference between drivers striking for higher wages or benefits and an independent businessman going on strike. We work in a free market. Rates are based upon supply and demand. If fuel stays high and continues to rise, we will lose more carriers and owner operators. That will reduce capacity, which will increase demand on that capacity and that will push rates up. There are just too many people who own trucks that don't know how to run a business. They take whatever is offered no matter what the rate so that they don't have to sit or deadhead to a better freight area. There are carriers and owner operators who will haul cheap freight. It isn't just one group. I think time would be better spent teaching these people how to operate a business and to operate at a profit.

One reason these people will take cheap freight is because they have over obligated themselves financially. They live from paycheck to paycheck. They think they are making money because they have cash flow. They buy a truck that they cannot afford and then stop at the chrome shop to add a few decorations to their truck. I could write a book on mistakes that I see these people make.

 

I support OOIDA and all that they do (well, most, insurance is a joke).

But you need to read the judges ruling. I was kinda like winning a lawsuite and being awarded $1. He made them take it off of his record and allowed the program with better training for the DOT to move forward. This will come up again. They are stilling asking the same questions and have the same bent attitude about how they view what a tired driver is.

But, yes they do fight for us and to join is cheap. Even company drivers should join and support them.

 

I have heard say that I cant shut down i will lose my truck my job etc. if everyone shut down do you think every bank is going to repossess all of the trucks? (not hardley) besides that if every truck shut down for a couple of days would be enough. if you cannot afford to park for two or three days something is wrong.. lets just all take a three day restart lol. and if every company driver shut down the company is not going to fire every driver what good would that do, how would they replace them? i am proudly an OOIDA member, and have recently gotten 13 businesses to join as support

 

anyone can join for 25$ for the first year if one of us post our member number 840751 OOIDA 800 444 5791