Truck Owners ANGRY and Scared Over Fuel Costs

guys, a shut down is great, but it only brings the press talking about how your only a rabble rouser. And then again who choses the leaders when it comes time to speak for the general group. I remember the last time this was done in Washington DC in 73 or so. Congress got a couple of company drivers to come in and talk to them, wined and dined them, promised them the would look into the situation and asked them to go back to work , which was done on the promise from congress that something would be done. You guessed it, not a darn thing was done. Nixon lowered the speed limit to 55 from 65 and that was the answer that congress gave the truckers.
Im for a shut down, but you have to pick leaders (OOs) to do the talking , not companies. Big companies dont care, they just put a surcharge on everything and sit back and let the little guy go under.

You have to get congress to stabalize diesel---for the trucker since he isnt out there to have fun and he is providing a necessary service for the economy. I seems to me that more diesel has to be produced to lower the price or staballize it, and consentrating on producing diesel and not three grades of gasoline, and having big rvs running around burning it up---helps put more diesel on the market for use in transportation. There has to be a cap put on it so everyone can afford to stay in business.

Hey, the government can afford to bail out all the big financial insitutions, bear stearns, citicorp, merrill lynch---so why cant they help the transportation segment of this economy.

 

sitting here waiting to see if anyone will show up I have been noticing something disturbing, I have seen at least a dozen different dates to shutdown, some for a day, some for 3 days, some for a week ,some until the country is completely broken!

I am starting to wonder if the companies of the government or whoever is creating disinformation to stop us from getting together.

from what I am seeing at a guess 90% of the people driving today are wanting to do something, all that is needed is a FIRM plan ONE date to do it and it will happen.

I don' think it needs to be a large group to start it, one group of 4 or 5 hundred trucks with a strategic plan would be the catalyst as long as the had a plan, a message and started it in a what that would bring out all the major news companies fox,cnn,ect

I just heard on Forbes on fox that they are predicting gasoline will hit $4.50 by summer, what is that going to do to Diesel,right now fuel is .75 cents more than fuel if that trend continue we will be paying over 5 bucks a gallon by July.

 

your right, a date has to be picked, and places to stop have to be picked,--big arteries where it will catch the attention of the press---and then you have to have someone to speak for the group, be it one or more, someone with experience, and time business savy.

Now the delema, how do you get this started---and where???

 

ive talked to some small fleet owners here in OR and we all agreed something needs to be done..if its shut down just let me know when and how long...i counted already 50 trucks and keep counting that are willing to just stop for few days and its only in one state!

 

We should also spread the word all over the place..I will do my part in talking to everyone I know that has trucks..

 

you guys are not on your own when it comes to being pissed of with fuel price,over this side of the pond we are paying ten of your bucks a gallon.

 

What are your freight rates? Because lately ours are the same as they were 15+ year ago

 

Your freight rate could be the same as was 20 years ago because all costs are relatively fixed except for fuel costs. Making a flat rate for shipping only enables trucking companies to pay for the fuel of shippers and consumers. I love the idea of a shutdown but government will not pay for your shippers fuel. The taxpayers do not deserve to pay for your shippers fuel just so they can make a larger profit. Demand that our organization OOIDA get it's president up off his knees begging for a hand out and put forth a solution. Mandatory Regualted FSC. The government's position is that the taxpayer should not pay for your shippers fuel just because we have a competitive trucking market. It's not the shippers fault that or the taxpayers fault that small truck co's think that fuel is the truckers responsibility.

 

I been an owner operator for two years now and last week i had to shut down do to the cost of fuel the logging business is terrible right now I used to clear about 2100 after fuel last year now I'm clearing 800 750 and that has to go to my 1989 pete 400 cummins(love this truck) so i shut down I'm looking at driving for millis transpot do any one have any suggestions for me thanks.

 

I was in the logging bizness and me and about 25 guys shut down for three days and we got a small increse in our millage pay which before was 2.75 mile now we are making 3.10 mile and that!##$%^&* still don't help.....rrrRoger