Truck Owners ANGRY and Scared Over Fuel Costs

Two of the biggest contributors to the failure of small operators is MPG and Out of Route miles. Maximize your mpg by slowing down, limiting idling, keeping your equipment properly tuned and resist the urge to run out of route even it is to see the family for a few hours.
Many O/O's drive in excess of 10 percent a year off the paying route which translates to the bottom line in the color red which is a loss.

 

Mommy and daddy will and has taken care of me, I don't care what happens to the industry as long as mommy and daddy don't go under....


You don't know ANYTHING! Grow up!

 

It appreers to me that you have not looked at my whole post now have you....Go figer

 

Its been a long time since we have been profitable. The general public does not have a clue what it takes to operate a trucking business. Most of the public think we are over paid, have bad driving skills. and are just plain Neanderthals. Well maybe I can shed some light on this with the truth that the government and our news media doesn't tell you. The average new tractor and trailer purchase can cost between $150,000 and up to $250,000 depending on what you purchase. Before you operate the combination vehicle you will have to pay for plates, comprehensive insurance, cargo insurance, intra or interstate authority, Interstate registration plan decals, united carrier registration, S.C.A.C. registration, D.O.T. vehicle inspections. This is a good start and it has an average start up fee of $10,000 and up. D.O.T. physical before you get behind the wheel to make sure you are healthy enough to drive - so a doctors visit and $100 more. Now you can take your new work tool to the fuel station. In my case twin 300 gallon tanks = $2400 to fill her up at $4 per gallon. 5 miles per gallon and then you have to figure in your road tax. Some states like Oregon the lowest at $.00 to Illinois the highest $.37. So for every five miles I drive I start paying additional. This is the money that goes to fix our roads. Now with that in mind, where did the money go, because our roads are falling apart. Now with big business not able to move the amount of product at what they feel a good price, they are asking our government to increase the maximum load to be more cost effective. We now have a maximum gross payload of 80,000 and we have major road failure ( not all caused by trucks but caused by poor engineering and use of non compliant product and workmanship) with an increase to the maximum of 97,000 we will be collapsing bridges all over like we did in St. Paul MN. Since our roads are so bad, yes even us truckers get flats. One of our tires can cost as much as a $1000. Just because they are bigger than you cars tires does not mean we don't get flats after we drive through a grave in the road. Bio fuel and e- 85 fuels are not working. Proof is out there we get less fuel mileage, less performance, it causes premature vehicle problems and failure, and we can not support it with what we have. Our fuel companies have made record profits over the last couple of years and most of them today can not meet a safe environment standard. In fact they are polluting more than ever, and our government just keeps giving them the tax permit to keep it up. Truckers on the other hand are not suppose to idle to maintain heat in the truck, or to keep the AC on in the truck to be comfortable and get a good nite"s rest so that when we do start driving again we are alert and well rested and ready for work. Some truckers have purchased APU units - auxiliary power unit. This runs off of diesel and the claim to fame is only a couple of gallons per night instead of up to 8 or 10 gallons from the truck engine. These units are now as high as $10.000 including installation. With the anti idle laws as vague as they are. Some drivers are cited for idling and even with an APU. So with a small list of what we have to do, you the general public I hope have become a little more aware of what the real facts are. Not all truckers are greedy like you think. It is what we have to do and have to keep us working. These figures do not include a house, personal car, or the kids college funds. As far as I am concerned there are many trucking companies I could go to work for. I would have a pretty tough time making ends meet on those funds. In fact if you really look at what most drivers make - it is less than school teachers in some cases far less. Don't get me started on the taxes it takes to keep our schools open when you see what some of these teachers make and benefits they have and actual time they work. My personal opinion is we are in a failing society due to corruption and greed, and I am not ready for socialism - because if we continue the way we are,that is how we will live.

 

Please forgive me everyone - GOOD MORNING

 

If your rate of pay has not changed AT ALL, then it is true you are not making the same profit as you were at $3.00/gallon.


For the sake of argument, I'll share my numbers and you tell me if I should shut the doors now or maybe hang on a little longer.

1. What is your MPG? 5.85
2. What is your cost of fuel per mile at $4.00/gal? $.68
3. What was your cost of fuel per mile at $3.00/gal? $.51
4. What was your average gross rate per mile in October 2007? $1.61 (includes DH)
5. What is your average gross rate per mile today? $1.99 (includes DH)

So in this example, fuel has increased $.17/per mile and rates have increased $.38/per mile.

 

Now everyone knows what your made of...........mommy and daddy's money. Your a joke!

 

I've been following the discussion too, and want to raise a
question/clarification even if this post will probably get lost
in the noise. What is the MESSAGE for the public and for
government/industry figures? Most of what I'm seeing is "we want
fuel prices to come down", without really taking the bigger
picture into account. The bigger picture being that fuel prices,
long-term, are probably NOT going to come down, end of story,
and anything that happens in the short-term meanwhile (releasing
reserves, back-room gimmes, whatever) is just a temporary bandaid
that pushes the real problem back a month or two.

So it seems to me that what the MESSAGE really needs to be is
this: traditional fuel is getting more expensive and we want
YOU, the public, to understand that it drives the costs of just
about everything else and you are hereby warned (by the strike/
slowdown in case they didn't notice already!) that this is going
to hit YOU in the wallet so be ready for it. I think that's
what people really need to understand. And that they, no, we
all, need to work like hell to get OFF this insidious addiction
and everything it trickles down to.

So think about that when you're painting up any signs you're
going to hang on the trucks. "We need cheap fuel" is unattainable
and unsustainable. "We need everyone to understand the real issue
and accept the REAL cost of oil-fired infrastructure", or something
to that effect, is more appropriate to what's going on, even if it's
much harder to understand (because most people are about as subtle
and discerning as a baseball bat).

That said, is anyone planning any public action around the
boston area? I'll come out and root for ya, if it helps.

-f

 

BD1 has been banned!

Let's cut out the insults or this thread will be closed down and more infractions will follow.

 

thank you cybergal, I am hoping that this thread which was a good one with a lot of info can now get back on track