So..... is it over?

Seriously. Get a grip. First of all, quit believing everything a President says, and every thing you read on conspiracy websites. The Euro is a European Union currency. The latest conspiracy theories describe the "Amero" as the currency for the Western Hemisphere.

The United Nations cannot order every country to use the same currency. And even if they did, the United States would not be the only ones laughing at that demand. I've read all of the "Illuminati" websites that you have so obviously been glued to, and until there is some concrete evidence confirming these theories, you may want to take it with a grain of salt.

Of COURSE Obamasamalamadamadingdong is going to go on live tv and try to scare the bejeezus out of you. Every President since the invention of broadcast television has done the same to further their own agenda. Do you think he is the first prez to do that? Osamabama's agenda is massive spending and getting the American people more dependant on the government. At least that is MY theory, which can not be proven any more than your wild theories.

As far as catching up on what is really happening in this world, I would surmise that I'm a little more educated about what is going on than you are, and I dont get my worldwide facts from internet conspiracy websites. Right now, I'm on Active Duty with the Marine Corps and I live in Okinawa, Japan (love it here!!). I got here in November of 2008. I am a Health Insurance Broker in the "real" world. I came here because I was asked to by the Marine Corps. I know the Health Insurance market, and it's painfully obvious that you do not. People are still buying health insurance. Believe it or not, I still get referrals from my current list of clients asking for quotes. Business was doing just fine before I left in November, and folks on the IHIAA website (Independent Health Insurance Agents Association) had two of the best months ever in December and January. That is because more people are coming off of their employer plans and going onto more portable individual policies.

See, on one hand, you say that people need to be dependent on themselves, then in the same breath, you say that people wont be able to afford health insurance if they have no employment. Did you ever consider working for yourself? Before my brokerage, which I only began in May after turning in the keys to my Arrow truck, I have had a few other businesses. Of course, that was before I got stuck in Corporate hell and was laid off. First time in my life getting laid off. Dont ever want to do that again, so I'm going to work for myself. I'm paying for my own health insurance policy, just like you can. All you need is the income to do it. Take a job, ANY job, add another one to it.

I need to catch up on whats really going on in this world?


Hey, I got an idea!!! Why dont we take this thread back to the original question? I'll even reword it:

How is freight? Who is still getting decent miles (or well paying loads if you are on percentage)? Has the bottom dropped out of trucking altogether?

 

Yes, I do know sweetheart. I suspect you have no clue. I also know the breakdown of the people in that number of uninsured. The illegals, the folks who simply choose NOT to purchase coverage for whatever reason, and the people who are simply TOO YOUNG to purchase coverage. Last estimate was 47 million uninsured Americans in a country with a population of just over 300 million. Of that 47 million people, almost half are under age, illegal aliens, or uninsurable (but in most cases eligible for a state run "Risk Pool" where the licensed carriers in that state share the very high risk of insuring them).

That number, by the way, has decreased since 2007. Can you explain that? No? I can. A lot of people are waking up and realizing that a) their employers cannot afford to subsidize their coverage so they buy their own. and b) A huge number of people are going ahead and getting rid of their $700/month SUV's and opting for a health insurance premium instead.

Yes, I have looked into it. As an Insurance Professional, my business and livelehood depends on me knowing the market trends.

I need a wake up call? Hon, I think you might need to look in the mirror. You think I'm in a "comfort zone"? Wow. Just wow. And if you think that I've taken the "Easy Life" by being mobilized by the Marine Corps Reserve, then it is painfully apparent to me that you have no clue what being in the military is like. The government is not feeding me, nor taking care of me. I have a family at home and I have to pay for my own food, as well as theirs. I currently live in a concrete barracks, work 10-12 hour days on average, and dont get to see my family, much like a truck driver.

You know the trucking business, which is why I ask the questions on the business in this thread. You obviously do not know the Insurance business. Fact is, while at home up until November, I saw my business increasing on a very fast clip. People are buying individual coverage (all I sell is individual health plans for business owners and people who decide that they would be better off getting out of their employer's group plans), and people are buying small amounts of life insurance (hate selling life, but if someone asks me for it, I provide it). This was only three short months ago. I also maintain my professional licenses with online courses, several subscriptions to industry periodicals, and correspond online with my colleagues in the IHIAA (a professional organization for independent health insurance agents and brokers).

Fact is, I know this business. YOU know the trucking business. I recommend that you stick with what you know and stop making wild claims about what you dont. I will continue to ask advice and questions from those in the trucking industry with more experience and knowledge than I, because I like driving trucks. The diesel is in my veins as I was warned of before I started driving. Why you drug this thread in the direction you did, I will never know. But this will be my SECOND attempt to bring it back on track.

 

Oh, by the way folks, I'm well aware of the dire employment situation. It's a mess, definitely. I think in the long run, we will find more small businesses created out of necessity. I've only been laid off once in my life, that was in May of 2007, two months after my wife was laid off. It was horrifying to my familiy and I and I'm not about to let that happen again.

 

Wildbill, I'm on Camp Courtney. Hate this little hole in the ground, there is nothing to do. There are only a few little snack bars in Uruma down the street. To tell the truth, I'd rather be in Hanson, at least you had the huge thriving modern metropolis of Kin City! But I love Okinawa itself. It's really beautiful and the people are great. I was born here, so I guess I have to love it, right?

And no need to get into detail, I know what you did to keep things "upbeat".

Foster is by far the best place to be. Good restaurants and bars right across the street in American Village, Okinawa City right up the road (Gate 2 of Kadena), and Naha is just that much closer. I'll probably be going back and forth to Korea and Thailand in the next few months, and if I'm lucky, at least one pump to Afghanistan. I'll bring you back some Afghan dirt.

Not sure what the economy was like when you were here, but it's an absolute mess now. Even like night and day from last summer when I came over for UFL/UFG and in 2006 when I came over for UFL. These folks are hurting, probably more than we are in the States. And as far as I'm concerned, no government "Spendulus" plan is going to jumpstart the economy. I figure we have to keep pushing on as individuals. I gotta buy stuff you deliver to make sure the company keeps producing more, and trucking companies keep having to ship it. We'll recover, but we cant toss in the cards and call it quits. You have to keep eating, you need shelter, you need a car, lights, health insurance, etc.

Just like most people I met on the road, I figure nobody has the luxury of being too proud to take what work you can get. It's all scarce right now, especially in clerical/corporate/office work. I just happened to return to the Insurance biz (I was a Financial Planner / Insurance Broker about 16 years ago) at what I consider a good time. There is a huge transition going on from group health (which puts a financial strain on businesses) to individual plans (which are better overall because they are portable).

I saw on a few other threads that some folks are still getting some decent miles, some over 3000+ on a regular basis. That is good, considering it appears every company and driver has taken a hit in the pocketbook. I would have thought that since people wont stop eating, reefer would be safe, but it even appears that reefer companies, like KLLM, are tightening their belts.

Still interested in everyone's experience with available work these days. I'd sort of like to identify a pattern, if possible, to see where the freight is still moving, and what kind of freight is moving.

Semper Fi!!