striking for fuel costs is just one of many

I often hear of trucking boycotts, but how many of you have gone on strike?

 

I'm not to sure this is the best place for my first post on this forum, but here goes anyway.

In answer to lindasands question, the answer is yes. Independent truckers did go on strike back in the late 1970's.
Haven't heard of anything since.

 

Strikeing for fuel?
Strikeing for Higher rates?

We have drivers constantly complaining about government involvement in trucking. With regulations etc.
Now drivers are once again bringing up an issue where they want more government involvement in trucking?

The large company's that are lowering the rates to the point of no money in them are hurting right now. They are going to eventually lowball themselves into non-existence.
The brokers on the other hand are making the same money now as ever, if not more.
I can see maybe some oversight on brokers, but I really do not want the government involved in rates or fuel.
Accept maybe where a fuel surcharge is involved, which now 100% FSC charged on all government loads now legally must be passed to the truck. That is some help for haulers of government loads.

 

OK here's a plan!If the load doesn't pay you enough don't haul it.Now you can feel all warm and fuzzy about your "strike against fuel cost and rates".

What do they put in that truck stop coffee that keeps drivers from having the first bit on common sense about this issue?Must be a good drug that is undetectable by common testing because most drivers are afflicted with a severe lack of reason and logic!


Who precisely are you gonna strike against?

What precisely are your demands?

What manner of enforcement are you willing to use on those that have achieved a prospering business despite your inept attempts at rabble rousing?

 

My involvement in the transportation industry began in 1995 and ended in 2009. One theme was recurrent during that period. Talk of a strike. Shutting things down. It never happened and it never will. The majority of freight is hauled by corporations with contracts. The CEO's of the trucking companies pal around with the CEO's of their big customers. They are friends. Companies don't pay pump prices for fuel. Their price is negotiated based on fleet purchases. The same for equipment and tires.

Now it is popular for trucking companies to pass off the equipment costs to the drivers in the form of lease purchase plans. This is really a travesty because it is done under the guise of convincing a driver that he can share in an ownership dream. In reality the driver gives up the benefits he enjoyed as an employee to become what amounts to a modern day share cropper. Now instead of the equipment risk falling on the company it is carried by the driver. One only needs to read the lease purchase forums to see that these plans overwhelmingly favor the companies over the leasors.

I hate it that this is the way things have evolved. Drivers deserve better for the job they do.

 

I should have added this to the last post. Sorry for the omission.

A strike will work but first there must be organization. That is the one thing corporate America fears the most and attempts to stop at any cost. The time has come for a new drivers union. The new union should represent all drivers involved in the OTR industry, both owner operators and company drivers. Each group should have a separate contract because needs are different for each group.

Once the union is formed with all legalities completed so that it is recognized under labor laws pertaining to collective bargaining, a company would have to be selected as a test case for organization. This would require a driver to approach the company with lawyers at his or her side and a plan for launching the membership drive and voting by all drivers in the affected bargaining unit.

I would recommend a smaller company with about 1500 drivers that has a good mix of o/o and company drivers. Once a union is in place, then talk of a strike can take on real significance. The logistics of making all this work would be difficult, but not impossible. Organization is the key to getting your demands met.

 

Did you see what happened to DHL employees when they ratified a union contract ? They all lost their jobs . Haven't you read about all the pay cuts and job loses at YRC ? Your target company would o the same thing DHL and others have done - close the doors . There is no way you'd get an adequte number of drivers to join .
Why can't OOIDA get drivers organized ? Did you see how pathetic the attempts at speed limiter protests were in Canada ? Organizers made fools out of themselves predicting hundreds of trucks would show up and they got a dozen or so .
Many drivers won't strike or unionize because they have good jobs with good carriers that have good contracts with good customers . Don't bite the hand that feeds you .
As far as OOIDA in Washington goes , I don't know what they do with the membership money but it doesn't go to political contributions . Their 2008 political contributions amounted to about $.15 per member . That didn't impress anyone when the Teamsters gave $10,000 to Obama (OOIDA gave him nothing ) and $5,000 or more each to several top Democrats .
The drivers complaining are the ones that went to work for and stayed with abusive companies . As long as drivers put up with the abuse it will continue . It's been that way for years .