An effective Strike

I am not a trucker, but an end user. I am not wealthy and could only imagine you aggrevation of having to pay the increased fuel charges while filling your tanks and then again paying it when you need to go shopping. I have family who are truckers and knew nothing of the April 1st strike until I told them, and I was informed by a truckng friend of the family. I was very hopeful for the strike and all the non-truckers I spoke with regarding the strike was very positive. You may not hear our support, but we are out here and we are all tired of the escalating fuel prices. We are all tired of having our loved ones work hard for their income just to have more of it go into the tank and the cash register and walk out the door with alot less. I have heard of the 1970's strikes (too young to remember) but, if the truckers back then (your fathers) were able to ban together without the use of the internet and cell phones and Wifi, why are so many of you gripping about how this can't be done?? Their efforts worked and so can yours. Yes there are more of you and the highways are bigger but maybe this is the fight for your generation and your families. Maybe this is the fight that you can tell your children and your grandchildren how you made a difference. I trully believe this needs to be done and led by the truckers. You have the power to stop the economy and make Washington, D.C. listen and take notice. You can make a difference in you world, my world, this world!! All of us need all of you to stand up and say I have had enough, I am parking my truck and taking a month long vacation, maybe longer if you can afford it. I believe the longer you are on vacation the more willing the government will be to put our concerns at the top of their to do list. God Bless and God Luck

 

I really dont think its so much the Independents not sticking together. Ive seen 2 so called jokes of a strike in the almost 19 yrs I was on the road, and the biggest problem about the strike was convincing company drivers to participate..Independents stopped, and company owned trucks made more money..Its got to be all or none.. And all Ive seen since the strike in the 70s is none...Sad, but true!

 

I am for an effective strike and yes we do need a couple leaders, but I think one of the major problems with enlisting a couple good leaders is funding. I would love to take on something like this because obviously I am seriously frustrated by all that is going on out here, but I couldn't take the time away from work to be effective. I'm assuming there are many others in the same boat. Another issue I would be concerned with is being black balled. To elaborate, I believe in a market economy, price and demand dictating rates, but ever since they deregulated the industry, the brokers have taken price and demand to a new level. Giving you fair rates to a bad area and then sticking it to ya to get out of that bad area for example. This is one of my pet gripes among many others concerning brokers, and brokers would be my first target. Hence, I would be afraid that once I started bad mouthing brokers, I would not get any freight. I don't know, that's just another of my concerns.

I have only been driving for three yeas, and an O/O for almost 2 and I dearly love this job aside from being away from my family, but the industry is so riddled with corruption that unless something is done, I don't believe I will stay with it. I do hope this leader or leaders step up to the plate.

I do not believe that fuel prices will stabalize anytime soon, but I also believe that the money is there for the freight, but the brokers are pocketing too much of it. A broker told me the other day for example, that he normally would not touch a load unless he could realize at least 20%. This I think is rediculous, but I am also certain that with many brokers this 20% figure is much much higher. I could go on and on, but I think you catch what I am trying to say.

There are just too many wolves(spelling) out there gobbling up the pie and just leaving you the crumbs.

 

I'm not so sure. I'm not so sure you need the company drivers to strike. I for one believe that if you could organize a strong O/O strike against the brokers, not the industry in general, you would get some attention. You would essentially be striking against the industry but the trick I think is targeting one group and making it look like its them you are against as opposed to making it look like your striking against the whole industry. You are essentially striking against the industry, but just shifting the blame.

I believe if you organize a very strong strike against the brokers, and it wouldn't take long, the shippers out there would start asking why the he....... are you not getting my freight shipped. Then you could start the dialoge. (excuse my spelling please)

Not an expert, just my opinion.

 

I've read it but never saw the part you referred to. I was just hoping you would point me to it, save me some time and all. Only business I know with a bottom end on price is the gasoline industry. That was done by the government to keep big companies from under cutting small ones. Kinda funny that the same station can be investigated by two different government agencies for price gouging and gas dumping even if the price is the same for both. I too run a small business (Can I spam here?) and there is no bottom end for us. We can and have undersold competition at a net loss for us in order to get more business elsewhere. It happens, everywhere, everyday, every industry. Please understand that I am not saying you are wrong but rather might be misinformed. If so that is changable and can only benifit you in long run.

 

Ummmmm..............NO

 

Wow these people are quick

 

at least she thought about it lol

 

I see what your saying, but dont you think the brokers would just pay big time trucking companys to move their freight? I think theyd do it even if they made very little in order to maintain customer relations with their customer and survive...Freight gets moved, O/O sit. And Big companys make even more, while O/O go broke..I think if theres going to be a shut down, then there needs to be a shutdown!...Back in the 70s they didnt care if you were a co. driver or Independent, if you were on the road you were taking very big chances..Just my oppinion here too..