Truck Owners making drastic decisions about a Shut down

Outlaw? What is that I'm looing at in your avatar? Is that a KTTA? Wish I hadn't broke my glasses

 

I have been reading all the posts on this forum for the past several days regarding whether to "strike, shutdown" etc. and just couldn't read anymore of this....All this "talk" sounds just like the "CB Rambos" and "Solar -Powered" truck drivers you hear on the CB's sitting in the truckstops runnin' off at the mouth...
Face it...You will never get all the drivers to unite for a variety of reasons and there is no quick fix to any of the problems facing our economy or our industry with the so-called "government" that is in place. The only ones that will shutdown are those with nothing else to lose or the ones that can afford too..and given those numbers compared to the number of drivers total would only represent a small percentage. The problems with this industry have been escalating for years..same stuff, different day. You want attention, pick a date, call for a "National Truck Slow-Down" and have every truck drive at the minimum allowed speed for the area you are in at the time. Nothing illegal about that, no violence, displaying of professionalism, promoting "safety" and saving on the "soaring fuel prices". As more and more trucks "bunch up", all truck drivers will have no choice but to slow down and join in. That would definitely bring some attention at which point other issues facing the industry would be brought to National Attention. The ONLY benefit to the high fuel prices is that it will weed out the Owner-Op's that have not operated their business as that - A BUSINESS . No one's holding a gun to your head to haul cheap freight, operate without a sufficient FSC in place and COLLECTING IT, and idling your truck excessively, just to mention a few... If your not operating at a profit (marginable as it may be), who's fault is that?

Think speed doesn't have a big effect on fuel cost?

515 Detroit engine #1800 RPM/ 1650 lb Ft #1100 RPM/ 13 speed/ # 80,000 lb. capacity:

2500 mile average per week # 51 MPH -avg 8.03 mpg - 311.33 gals. #$3.899 gal = $1,213.89

2500 mile average per week # 66 MPH - avg. 5.75 mpg - 434.78 gals. #389.99 = $1,695.22

savings difference = 123.45 gals # $3.899 = $481.33

savings for one week = $431.33 # 45 weeks (factoring in 34 hour restarts)
Total savings on fuel only, in one year ( at current fuel price )= $19,409.85 (just one truck)

 

and yet you're still reading...lol

 

yeah it's a ktta - one of these days i'm gonna have one - then i'm gonna be looking for runs that are uphill both ways !!

i am gonna try and get something started tomorrow afternoon soon as i dump my last load - i'm gonna just pull off by the interstate get on the radio and see if there's any support

 

Yep.....you disappoint me.....I was waiting for the ##$ to hit the fan......

 

ya well you aint the first person I've disapointed.

I do what I can. I research the emails people ask for, I research technical data etc. I write letters, I spread the ideas but not surprisingly outside of this forum you just get the normal bs people start spoutig about trying to "unionize" them. Gets y down after awhile ad gets hard to keep it up. Plus I'm not out on the road right now.

 

You have a very good idea mothertrucker and you raised some very good points. Fortunatly for myself most of my accounts are very good with surcharges and rates. Unfortunatly for others there are alot of carriers out there that would slit your throat if the customer said take your rate increase and shove it I'll have someone else do it for less. when there is no other work and the customer has you in a spot where they no you are screwed either way what do you do? Personaly I would keep hauling it but at the same time look for something else and when something comes up...bye bye. There is no right or wrong answer to what will work as a means of demonstrating our frustration towards the many wrongs we see happening to the trucking industry by shippers, brokers, and ourselves. for the most part we are our own worst enemy, but bickering back and forth isn't going to solve anything either (because we all know truck drivers know everything). Just like the different types of trucking operations there are just as many different ways to "strike" that would work for each different company. no right and no wrong, just different. btw im not a radio rambo or truck stop hero, just an independent o/o concerned about our industry.

 

You know it has gotten so easy to get your authority these days that there is just a flood of people who have there authority who should not. It's good you'r customers are god to you, take care of the good ones. Unfortunatly the vast majority of these guys with there authority run nothing but broker freight and they are going to loose these butts. They deserve to and in my opinion they need to. If you don't have 50% of your freight coming from your own customers you should not have your authority and ost likely you are just draging the rates don taking any slops the brokers decide to throw you way

 

Yes, that is true "truck drivers know everything".....lol Just ask one.....
I did not intend the truckstop comments to be directed to anyone in particular...It's just what it's starting to sound like.....I do hope something positive does happen.....I'll be curious to see how, when and IF this all plays out.....I sure don't have the answers, just trying to survive just like everyone else....

 

You got that one right!