Should we be on Strike?

reefer does pay good..
However, you have to work smart and not hard.
Leave that cheap #$$# on the dock.

Prime lease ops need something to pull for $0.98 a mile right?

 

question are,

can YOU afford to strike?

you wanna lose drivers since if you go on strike, you cannot pay them?

you got enough money in your bank account to continue the insurance payments? health benefits, taxes?

as an owner (you say) of a small fleet, you ain't using your noggin much.........

 

Shafer is still $1.35 a mile last time I checked.

 

I would barley drive my recliner to the fridge for that rate.

 

"Strike" seems to be the new buzz word lately, you're in a tough spot, my friend. If you were a one person operation, be a different story, but as a boss, this is one of those times, either take it in the shorts, or get out. You have drivers and their families depending on you to keep the doors open, profit or loss. It's why they drive for YOU, and not themselves. When I was an O/O, I took the good with the bad, not to the degree a fleet owner has, but it was the nature of the business. I know a dairy farmer that lost $1,000/month, and kept on going, he couldn't afford to fail and neither can you. If it's any consolation, it's going to get a lot worse before it gets better, we're just BEGINNING to see the affects of todays news. You may have to diversify, meaning have tractors that can do several things. To rely on one venue, probably not a good idea today. Best of luck, really.

 

Brokers are the last ones to find out (wink) about fuel price increases. You need to have a war chest to sit out lean times so that brokers are put under pressure to renegotiate rates from their shippers. And then put under more pressure to actually offer that extra money to drivers, which is the most hurtful part of the process for them.

 

There was a load posted today for $3,600 on 800 miles, but it was going to a dead end. I offered $5,000. They countered at $4,700, and I declined. There's money in these loads. You just have to extract it. Funny thing is, I told my wife while the broker was "getting authorization" that I would haul it if they came back at $4,800. They missed me by $100 bucks.

 

THANK YOU!!!!
Definitely alot of strong divisions amongst us these days. But, as a country, we've been here before. I'm thinking of how divided our country was in the late 60's and 70's over the Vietnam War as the most recent example. In the end, both sides of that divide were both right and wrong. I figure the same is probably true in our current divide. But, as you stated, we need to all at least be united as Americans, even if we seem to strongly disagree about everything, including what it means to be an American. Just my thoughts!
As to the OP assortment about a strike. Well, I'm a Unionist and have held numerous positions, including President in the local I was part of. Problem with 'organizing' drivers is if you get 3 truckers together, you'll get 4 different opinions on just about any issue. We just aren't a cohesive enough group of folks in my opinion and don't ever see us coming together enough to effect anything like you suggest. My opinion at least.

 

The only issue with that is the cold produce won't rot at the dock while its actually in cold storage.