Get ready to fly boys and girls

Discussion in 'Ask An Owner Operator' started by BigBadBill, Jan 2, 2013.

  1. moblue

    moblue Light Load Member

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    I think the sooner folks wake up and realize that both sides are squeezing the middle and get out of the left/right liberal/conservative mindset that has been programmed into the minds we will probably begin to really push for change that is meaningful and beneficial to the entire populace and not just a few.
    The talking heads on tv and radio all have an agenda and are bought and paid for. They slant their commentary and opinions to benefit the highest bidder.
    Occasionally a little truth will slip out.
    There is an old saying, "no man is an island, no man stands alone". So many fail to recognize that and believe that whatever they have made or contributed to society was solely on their own.
    Even the most successful entrepreneur has received some assistance. Assistance isn't only monetary either.
    Working together to achieve a common goal and compromise seem to be a dying thing.
     
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  3. Pilot1

    Pilot1 Light Load Member

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    Bill You have to be a pessimist to be in this group! LOL.. I watch the reports as well as you; however Forty said it right on man. Come Friday @ payday it's gonna be a WTF??? As a matter of fact my wife works in a doctor's office and I was on the phone with her this morning when a Corp. email went out about this friday's payroll going out. In short it said they were paying somewhere in the neighborhood of +6% in SS. Now my point is, if "WE" the workers are paying that; then you aready know the Dr's office is paying that as well.

    My wife doesnt follow politics; my advice to her was "YOU SHOULD"! Whats the use of a budget, when we just keeping raising the debt ceiling?
     
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  4. wheathauler

    wheathauler Trucker

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    You're right. They didn't renew the payroll tax cut...going from 4.2 to 6.2. Not much but just enough the average taxpayer will notice it.
     
  5. Pilot1

    Pilot1 Light Load Member

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    This sounds a lil bit high; but I read somewhere(cant recall where), that the difference to mr. Joe the worker, would be something like an xtra $250/mth he/she is losing in their paychk. Again please don't quote me. However that 2% hurts joe the worker from a "yearly" standpoint as well. Just so the Guv. can have more to spend and or borrow/steal from.
     
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  6. BigBadBill

    BigBadBill Bullishly Optimistic

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    OK, let's not turn this into a political discussion and get it moved to the un-moderated section. Nothing good will happen then ;) But trust me it is very hard for me to respond with my thoughts with what many of you are saying.



    What I was talking about was how this is going to effect trucking. And if you stop and put your analysis hat on and look at the biggest factor that is a positive for our industry - CAPACITY - then you will see that we need very little positive movement in demand to out stretch capacity. We saw it several times last year for periods that lasted longer than anytime since deregulation. And if you look at March through May you will see consumer demand was only slightly better.

    So for now forget all the politics side of this. The changes that the recession brought about that effect transportation can't be reversed over night. And in most cases the companies don't want to change them they are just accepting the new normal in trucking right now.

    Now I am not disagreeing what many of you are saying about the economy, taxes, debt and politics. My focus is on how little spare capacity we have in the market right now and even the worst estimate that I read before all this has 3 points added to consumer confidence. Now put that in prospective to what everyone is saying here. 3 points is not that significant in terms of what how we feel about the economy. But it will shift buying patterns enough to push truck indexes into the 15+ level in many markets.
     
  7. Pilot1

    Pilot1 Light Load Member

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    I agree with ya Bill. Just ribbing on you a bit thats all.. Your right about Transportation can't be reversed over night, and that 3 points are not enough for consumers to open their wallets and "let it fly".. Great post by the way! Also; were you watching the markets a few days prior to all this fiscal cliff ordeal? It appeared to open and somewhat fall down pretty rapidly. Soem of my obsevations.
     
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  8. fortycalglock

    fortycalglock Road Train Member

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    In regards to capacity and demand, I just don't see a huge jump in demand just because we all know now that we're being taxed more. If it was a huge increase, tempered down to a minor increase or no increase, yes I can see it with the optimistic glasses I sometimes put on (rarely lately). If .gov had cut spending by 4 trillion over the next 10 years with this resolution, I would join you with pompoms Bill, but that isn't what happened because the two parties don't have the stones to address the real financial cliff, our debt and interest payments.
     
  9. Wings2Wheels

    Wings2Wheels Medium Load Member

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    You haven't been around pilots much then.

    It's simply the nature of the beast. Pilots and owner/operators are, for the most part, realists. They hope for the best, but prepare for the worst. Hope in one hand and crap in the other and see which fills up first.

    Having said that, I am a God-fearing man and believe that He is the pilot and I'm simply along for the ride. Not to say that I am not proactive and simply rely on Him to do all the heavy lifting; God helps those who help themselves.

    I simply don't put any faith whatsoever in the likes of talking heads, politicians, the various markets, soft-ooey-gooey feelings on consumer spending, etc. Everything that was once considered 'normal' now seems turned on its head.

    I really don't want to repeat 2012 again from a personal or business perspective - but the reality is, it is very difficult to gaze into the crystal ball and have any certainty of what to expect in 2013. I am simply going to learn from past mistakes, try to find lanes that pay well for the type of hauling I do, and stay in them. I think the best thing you can do as a businessman in this climate is stick to the tried-and-true basic tenets that have worked in the past, yet stay flexible enough to adapt to any opportunities that may arise.

    While I have my business plan and 2, 5, and 10 year goals in writing, I am going to take it minute by minute, hour by hour, and day by day - and try to optimize my time to the best of my ability. If I learned anything in 2012, it's that time is such a valuable but oft-overlooked commodity.

    Above all else, may God Bless my fellow owner-operators and drivers, y'all be safe and careful and may 2013 be a blessed and profitable year for all of us.
     
  10. Wings2Wheels

    Wings2Wheels Medium Load Member

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    Just keep kicking the can down the road with the blinders on.

    From a political standpoint, the United States is headed towards a European socialist state at best and what we fought against during the Cold War at worst.

    There is no true leadership; after seeing how Paul Ryan voted on the fiscal cliff deal I don't know we'd be much better off even if they'd won the election.

    If 'We The People' could all come together behind the Constitution and drop the petty Democrat-Republican red herring arguments, maybe we'd stand a chance of getting back to a place where I'd recognize this country as they Republic I grew up in.
     
  11. dannythetrucker

    dannythetrucker Road Train Member

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    What does that mean ? Are you talking about a European socialist state like Germany ? Or maybe more like the Netherlands ? Maybe more Canadian than European ? Or maybe you don't even have a clue what you are saying, just parroting some radio or TV talking head.
     
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