All truckers unite april1,2011 shut em down

I was going to participate in this April Fool's Day Joke.... But then I booked a good load out of California tomorrow.


So I guess ya'll are on your own on this one.

 

1 Down........who's next ? C'mon, don't be shy............

 

I was never in, so technically I don't count.

I believe you all are foolish for thinking a strike is going to do anything. If you are truely a O/O or independent or what ever you want to call yourself & have true control over your equipment..... Then you will know what you need to make to be profitable. If you not setting your rate to make a profit, then why should I participate in a strike to benefit you?

 

Thats why I kept out of this thread, I was reading to what everyone was posting. So it's been quiet for awhile and I figure I'd come out and rattle the cages who started this thread. The reason I ain't trucking tomorrow (april 1) is, I don't have a load...... BTW, Im with you REDD...

 

We all should think and prepared for the following issues:

1/ EOBR's. (Where is our freedom ! where is our privacy ! feel like we lean
more to the communist govt. now ? )
2/ Hours of Service. (Our body know when to rest and when to work NOT
to decided by the polictical peoples whom seating in the office and tell
us when. )
3/ Mexican Trucks can roam and get any load, any where in the low 48
states. (Will work for anythings. Result = Lower paid loads, shippers
and brokers love this deal.)
4/ Mandate speed limiters on truck. (Why stop # this ? why not setting
the load paying scale too ! heh. And what kind of loads we should
haul ! ect...... see issue 2/ above.)
5/ Increase truck size and Weight (Driver: Look and feel how bad the
road right now. Rough and big pot holes every where. Drivers get
more fatigue due to the bouncing, rocking and noise from these bad
roads, and off course fatigue will get to more accidents. GET IT !!
Again, Shipper and broker love this supersize our truck so they can
squeze more freight into 1 load. Hello !!! WASHINGTON : please use
your head, you want to supersize the truck and at the same time want
to get more SAFETY on our highway. !!!!!!! How smart are you ?
6/ Last is the TRUCK PARKING. Every year the DC peoples will come up with more regulation on TRUCKING, but none is about the truck parking and rest area along the highway, espcially at those closer to major metro area of the big city. (With all the TAX we paids, the TAX when we spend
our hard earning $$. And we get treat like dirt bag ! harasses by DOTs and law enforcement peoples. ) How about any LAWs that can help us to make LIFE ON THE ROAD alittle easier. So our family can be less worry for us at home.

Driver, please think about all these issues and start to let our BIG GOVT. know about our right and our concerned so they can back off alittle, and concentrate on other social problems

 

Oh Boy.....


Another pro striker has emerged to the boards with a total of 4 posts telling us whats wrong with the industry.


Ya'll have fun with your strike. I have work to do.

 

Reply to G/MAN ---- FYI the cost plus program price for a gallon of Diesel at T/A OK city as of 3/20/11 is $3.60 compare to the cash price that posted is $3.819 !!!! avg mark up per gal. is ~$.22

 

All my trucks are down except for one delivery at 10AM today and then it will shut down. I don't feel the strike will accomplish anything. GMAN has the right idea, don't haul cheap freight. You need to make a profit both ways, which is what I have been saying all along. Target states that have cheap freight and don't go into that state. That way you don't have to haul cheap freight to get out of it, if you do go into a state with cheap fright get enough to deadhead out and leave the cheap freight on the dock. I like GMAN's idea of targeting Pilot, don't buy their fuel for a whole month and see what starts to happen. You owner operaters need to get some business smarts. However, if you are head over heels in debt for your equipment, I can see your point also. Haul anything so you can make your next payment.

 

Well choke me up as one the little Indians that is driving today.
Not because I have to keep running to make the truck payment. I am for making a statement on things that need to be changed. But what is it that is being said with this so called "strike"?
Rates are low? But I am getting $2+ a mile with my dry van and don't accept the cheaper rates.
Fuel Prices? That is what FSC is for. Not getting it or rate not keeping up? That comes back to accepting low rates.
Brokers are stealing from us. Really?!? On the rate occasion I have a broker pay me less than agreed upon. Who are all these brokers that you are getting loads from that are not paying what you agreed upon? Oh, you are talking about the rate they are offering compared to what you think they are being paid by the shipper. Hmmm, never had a bottom feeder jump into my truck, hold a gun to my head and tell me I am taking this load at $1.40.
The point is that anyone with half a brain that stops and thinks about what is being talked about will wonder about why someone is hauling at money loosing rates. It is not like the rates are regulated.
And being organized - been listening to the news outlets this morning and no mention of this strike. What PR firm is being used to get the message out? Oh, wait, you really don't have a clear message.
Mexican Trucking bringing rates down will be a valid grip. Detention time with changes to HOS that do not account for this. The cost of installing and maintaining EOBR's for the O/O while the Mexican trucks are going to get them installed at the expense of the tax payer. These are issues that can be explained and are not about a truck driver not being able to run his business properly.
Get a real issue with real backing and organization and I will be parked , waving a sign and

 

I have no intention of shutting down today or any other day...But then I'm not one of those idiots that hauls $1.00 a mile freight and then blames the industry/government for the fact that I'm not making money!

If you aren't bright enough to set your rates so that you can make money, You need to get the hell out of this business!