List of demands.

I side with you. We should all be paid near $1 per mile as company driver. In all honestly. There are not enough truckers to move freight right now. In unpressidented levels.

 

I have first hand heard and seen the grumblings of say 100 angry drivers in a truckstop intent on striking the USA when fuel reaches 2.00 a gallon back in the late 80's or early 90's It was a dangerous time to put it mildly.

Finally they did sell fuel at 2.00 or more and what happens? Nothing. Everything rolled on.

Fuel is about 2.95 to 3.10 today in my area roughly for big trucks made after 2007 (Low sulphur etc) but I don't know the Cetane value of the fuel sold as they no longer post that information.

I remember filling the morning of 9-11, 300 gallons plus at something close to 7.00 a gallon for both tractor and another 70+ into the 100 gallon tank. My company (That hauls medicine for McKesson) paid it without any resistance or complaint that morning in Stoneyridge hours after the first attacks were completed. Talk about really bad timing.

The most egregious or worst fuel gouging I have ever seen is a little independant off I-30 about Caddo Valley towards Hope Arkansas. For the life of me I cannot remember this name of that gravel truckstop now. Katrina had passed and we had 4.00 gasoline for a while because 4 of 5 pipelines that support Arkansas in NLR has been taken off line at Hammond LA, Sabine Pass TX, Baytown Tx and Houston TX. We were still able to get some fuel on that 5th pipeline and draw on the tank farm off US 70 at 440 and off I-40 at Prothro Junction for our needs state wide.

This one truckstop down there on 30 tried 10.00 fuel for big trucks. If I recall the story telling correctly, the Arkansas State Government stepped in and made sure that BS gouging got stopped. Not just stopped but traced back to those who bought it to be refunding them. I don't know if the State took punitive action to close that place outright.

I know we don't have very good truckstops (They really get shady, bad and worser the closer you get to Pine Bluff UGH...) but for what they are, Im glad we have something at least here and there. Just not found any that I could call a home stop with good people, wine, women, song and all sorts of good things to buy and culturing to visit in the local area.

 

Something is going to have to happen, the wages are to low, and the immigrant spigot is getting turned off. I see good things coming in the industry, even though others will disagree.

 

You need your own truck, the reason I own one is directly related to your initial post. I suffer from none of the issues you stated. And hauling sand is going to be hit and miss, along with the BS involved as a company driver in the patch.

 

I'm going to throw something out here, it is a lease deal, and I have run into a few folks that have worked for this outfit. I know who owns the company, as I haul quite a bit of their freight as a lease op with another carrier. Give RoadRunner a call, Homepage - Roadrunner Transportation Systems

They run expedite freight, and the rates are a bit better than average. They have a lease program, no clue what the terms are, but they may be worth a look.

And then there is this, running a business and how to make money with these lease deals. Read this book, I know the author personally and have seen him in action, along with his settlement sheets. He knows how to make money out here. The book is free, http://rawze.com/book/The First Time Class-8 Lease-Purchase Owner-Op Guide.pdf

I hope this helps.

 

I don't know anymore to be honest.

There are changes already. I was at doctors yesterday and learned of a Law that was quietly passed to ban a combination of Benzos and Pain medicine as of Jan 1, the entire USA is being cut off cold turkey as of this month exactly as the law is being implemented across the board. That's a minor change for me. They subsituted medicine for something better.

Changes on my end consists of pending medical visits for scans and stuff. As far as trucking changes... nothing really changes.

I recall eyeballing a mega carrier on our highway 64 from 67 while getting gasoline yesterday, all of his wheels were capped with covers, he had fairings everywhere on the tractors even between the drives behind the sleeper and the van trailer had more skirts and vanes than I can shake a stick at in addition to the big wings you have to unfold behind the doors. And the trailer wheels had more covers.

All in the name of trying to save a dollar in fuel. Probably caused the retail price on that entire vehicle to be upped about 20,000 dollars. The truck wont be in the fleet long enough in terms of number of years before it's disposed of never getting back that in fuel savings.