It's time for a strike!

I do not know where this went awry, or if someone thinks they are cute buy putting words in my mouth. I think all of us here are old enough and smart enough to speak for them selves. I support the drivers who will stop and also the ones who have to work through this. Maybe this is the way I should have put it. For all the O/O and company drivers who have to work so they are not fired or loose their business - I support their decision. Only a fool would would do anything to place themselves in further financial disaster. I think what I expected is constructive criticism. I will agree this could use better organization, I agree it would work better if everyone was involved. I agree it would be better if every truck did stop. But to have some one who is not in favor of what we are trying to do, is one thing, but to be disruptive and degrading is another. I could go on for days in a dispute, I am sure you could to. Does this make you more money, does this make your life better, does this give you more family time, does this give your ego a boost. If you are an O/O or a company driver or even a company owner, the decision you make is your own. If it works out for the better it is positive, if it works out for the worst (now don't quote me on this is what I am saying about you) you must have made a mistake, wrong turn, or what ever, don't blame it on anyone else. I think if we make an impact, everyone will benefit. I also agree if we fail miserably we will look like bigger fools than we are now, as we have been referred to. If it takes a turn like this, you may find out the company drivers will take a cut in pay and benefits, and there will be no O/O, and small companies will become smaller and the big ones get bigger. It is survival of the fittest. there is no getting around that. But I also know if I was able to come into your area, and say undercut, undermine, degrade your name and end up putting you out of business, that you are not going to be a happy camper. Just to set the record straight you could possibly do the same to me and I would not be a happy camper. That to me is not constructive, but destructive. To say we will fail, we have no chance, we are wasting time, we are a bunch of Neanderthals. Instead if it was put to me this will not do well without more support, you need to get the word out better, you need to go to truck stops and ask for help, you need to go and speak to the unions, ATA, OOIDA the public. That is constructive. We are trying to be constructive. I am truly sorry that our effort at this time does not meet some of your standards. So what I will do, is ask you this. How should this be done since we are going about this all wrong. Now mind you we are asking for suggestions, not remarks on how stupid we are or how worthless this effort is.

 

I respect your efforts, I took up a bad habit many years ago. I like to eat. I know allot of people who have that habit. As far as the company, drivers laughing, so be it. If we don't make some changes, maybe they will have to work two jobs. Today we are all just numbers in a system. When times get tough, the employers have more control. If the profit margin for the CEO or company owner isn't high enough, he can lay off a couple of employees, make the others work harder, and still be comfortable. Good drivers will always have a place, Drivers today are dime a dozen, Good ones are hard to find, that is speaking from me as a company owner. Independents have to be good and not only as drivers but businessmen, accounting and all the other fine things that are involved in running a business. In our situation here, drivers are like family. They give me a days work and they get a days pay. Some that I have been around should have never had a license. That take me back to the days of the Illinois drivers license scandal. I have had driver come to our place that can't speak English. I have had drivers get in a truck and can't figure out how to move the truck. Example - Sitting in Desplains IL. I watched a driver trying to move a set of doubles. It had appeared to me that the brakes were stuck on the trailer. I watched the shop mechanic come out and get things working. With a short discussion with the shop mechanic, it was brought to my attention that the driver was from Russia, just hired and didn't know how to operate the truck. He was told to get the guy moving, the load had to go. This is what this company did to get more work when a union strike was in effect. If you could move it, you had a job. I don't want to see people like this, out on the roads I travel, with 80,000 pounds. I think if times get tougher, this will start again.

 

Everyone is very tired running and running and not getting a decent pay as we all know for sure flatbedPete.Oil companies and the government are the ones getting the bigger check and living it up not us.Tuesday is only two days away and i sure know they know whats coming down..i hope.They have far too many excuses of why they set things up like they do all the time and the hard working people are just fed up and losing everything they are working for.When the price gos up someone loses a house or their rig or even their marrage because money problems.All i can say is hope for the best

 

My company does not use O/O so that would do him no good. I might be able to get him some work if he has the proper paperwork. Does your company use O/O. If not has he tried to look into the bigger companies like Land star or Mercer. First off I should ask what does he have as far as equipment. Would not make any sense to have him try and haul a crane boom section in a box van

 

He was with TMC and went to pulling a box for DADS as a company driver. He bought a used truck and leased on with them for a few years and then just a few months ago bought a brand new eagle. Their old truck was eating them up on maintenance. He had a dedicated to CA and back with DAD's trailer. My wife said he just leased on to someone in MO I believe. I am not sure who it is. I told my wife to have him look into landstar, but she said that he had already found a new home.

You and I got off on the wrong foot here. I have nothing against you or anyone else that puts fuel in a truck. My assesment of a strike was and is that GM had a lot of organization and pull with the unions in play. My point was if they lost what they had and had good structure in a strike what will happen in a strike when there is no one representing you? My point was their jobs went to mexico. Most are fighting for mexico not to come here. With this on the table I see it as a excuse to bring in the mexican truckers and you lose what little you have. I am not trying to flame this again. I just want to make sure you understand what my point is with the strikes and history of the GM workers was. I some how feel that you are misinterpreting what I am trying to bring across.

 

Again, I can't speak for my husband (who is taking a nap) but I'm sure he'd rather let bygones be bygones and agree to disagree. You both see this from opposite viewpoints and have your own, very strong opinions. I'll direct him to your post when he gets up. This shutdown is quite draining you know, and requires much catch up sleep.

 

I am hoping with this shut down something good all comes out of this

 

I understand where you are coming from...but when you think about it...the strike is silly.
Silly in the sense that all the strike talk is coming from people who aren't getting any miles. Owner Ops who have no idea how much it costs to break even on their truck. All I hear is people who want to run at 2 bucks a mile..because it sounds like a good number, but they have no actual facts behind it. They don't know what their costs are, they don't save for maintenance, they don't negotiate for higher rates, they don't know what their fuel cost per mile is...etc. But yet they want to run their Pete Bricks at 75 mph. The fact is that there are tons of people out in the industry making money, and making good money at that! Because they know their costs, they know how to run their business, and they know how to make money when the money isnt there.

As far as medical insurance, just keep looking. I know that there is a new plan out that is mentioned on Kevin Rutherfords show on XM which is called THIS plan. Made specifically for truckers and he has been working on it for a year or so to create it. OOIDA also has another plan available out there. PLUS, there are quitea few medical companies that will shop around for insurance companies for you, finding you the best rates and insurance.

 

Scott, the strike is already taking form, it already started in parts of Georgia, it is just a matter of time before it is nationwide, the military will only get involved if there is violence, just like they can not force any business to open they can not force owner operators to work for fuel, remember we do not work for goverment.