Why a strike won't work for YOU

Look bud, if you can't laugh at something then maybe you better find another way to de-stress. It was not a dumb idea if you read much on here you will see that strikes will never work for truckers. Sorry if my being a cut up is to much for you. I am familar with trucking. If you find that you can't smile because your face might crack you can always hit the back button when you see something not serious enough for you! Plus while you are advising me that I can keep my dumb ideas (which was a joke) under wraps as far as I am concerned you can keep your views of me knowing about trucking to yourself. I am a former driver, also a human that likes to laugh!


This was my original reply. {Well thats the point. Shut em down and block traffic. That will get their attention! }

See the smiley laughing? Does that look like I was serious??????????????????????????????????????????????????
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Someone mentioned shuting down the tankers so the gas stations will run dry. That WILL never happen. For many reasons but the best is the money. Now I can only speak for one company but most of the majors run the same. If a terminal was to go out on strike they go to the other non-union terminals and offer them strike pay. That's three times your base hourly wage plus living expenses. Now if you side with the union drivers all the company does is turn the loads over to a common carrier that are already in their system to handle the over loads.

Years ago my company saw the big strike coming (1974). What they did to prevent scabs from driving they took their non-driving suspervisors and trained them to drive. Then they told the union that the supervisors would be in the truck and not some scab. It worked because they had no trouble during the strike. The union realized that someone had to do the job and they would hurt the company more if the supervisors time was away from his normal job. Of course the supervisors couldn't do the job like the regular drivers in fact one of them ran over a newspaper reporter and killed him. It was an accident and the courts found the supervisor not guilty but took away his class A forever.

The company has done away with that system because they know it's cheaper to sign the contract. They also know that there will never be a wide spread strike like that one. The unions are almost gone and they know it. At the Los Angeles terminal half are union and the other are not. Since the right -to-work law came in, in my business of hauling gasoline there's really no need for the union. That's at my company anyway and I have worked for a few companies that a union would clean up. I believe that a driver should get paid for every minute he's on the job. But you'll never get the number of trucks to shut down to make an impact. People need to eat.

 

I still maintain that the word "strike" is too ugly and bad public relations. I still suggest that people just go on "vacation" the third week of June. It might be hard for the employee truckers to do, getting everybody to take that week off, but if all the 0/0's and lease drivers did it, it would make an impact. I don't know. Just a thought.

dave

 

So if I am hearing this right (seeing) a general strike is being called for. That can be easily done by all drivers for what ever week is picked by running 100% legal. NO CHEATING ON BOOKS OR SPEED. Just about 95% of all loads would be late with nobody getting a useless ticket from a boneheaded DOT or local cop. All drivers must be willing to contact local media and inform them of what is happening and why. Once this is done, I bet it would get some quick attention from our "sit-on-my-buns-and-fleece-the-taxpayer" government when the bread, milk,meat, and most important, toilet paper does not reach the empty shelves.

 

Strike won't work, because there is no union, but there is SO MUCH that can be done, if drivers, and others concerned about the industry, would just do it.

1. Run legal - And I MEAN run legal. When you are sitting at the shipper or receiver, or doing your paperwork, log it on duty. Don't fudge it in order to show a break at any time.
2. Do your research and vote - And this doesn't mean the big Presidential election. Vote for all offices in your voting district, at every election possible. Know where the small time politicians stand on issues and do your part to help them advance, or get them out of office before they get into the corrupt big government positions.
3. BE VOCAL - I have said this in a few other threads here. When something is happening that affects the industry in a negative way, do what you can to stop it. Just complainin on a message board, or on the CB isn't the answer. Getting the word out on message boards and such does help, but you have to take it farther. Don't hesitate to use the media to your advantage. (if you are afraid of losing your job, get a family member to speak for you)
4. Be a Positive Influence on the Trucking Industry - There are many great drivers out there, but sadly, there are too many out there that don't give a rat's rear about anyone but themselves. They throw there trash out on the ground at the truck stop because walking 40 feet to the trash can is too much work. (REPORT THESE PEOPLE). Unsafe drivers is another example. When you see another trucker tailgating a 4 wheeler or another truck simply to intimidate them to get out of the way, REPORT THEM. We don't need these jerks out there giving all of the drivers a bad reputation. And I know, a call here and there is going to do nothing. But a group effort will result in a pattern of calls, and at that point, safety departments will step in and do something. And you can bet that we we talk about how too many truckers wont unite to improve things, the majority of those that wont unite are probably these worthless scumbags that are out there giving us a bad name.

#4 is a real pet peeve of mine. Industry pay is far too low for the job that is required of a responsible truck driver. As long as the responsible drivers continue to turn their heads and ignore the scumbags that drive with you on the interstates, the pay will continue to be low because companies will continue to be able to bring in people who simply don't care.

 

Amen! Too true, and too bad. I'm not sure if it's true, or a fuzzy memory; but it seems that we fall into a public safety, RICO catagory as far as the right to strike goes. Similar to if a city police force were to propose it. I've heard of the government stepping in and telling said P.D. "You go on strike, YOU go to jail" logic being if either refuses to work, even a short gap before scabs are brought in, it will cost lives, and create havoc. I dearly HOPE that's not the case, cause it'd mean we had NO DEFENSE against any power that decided to shaft truckers in general.

 

Think about this a minute....

Go to a truck stop or near one with a CB radio and listen to all the talk on it about what "needs to be done to make things better", most of these drivers think that they have the answers to the problem, yet none will ever act upon it. Have you ever really heard 2 truck drivers agree on anything other than to disagree? I very rarely do.

Another things is that if every OTR truck was to shut down in this country at one time, you can bet your sweet ### that the President would have no choice but to do something about it. 80 percent of everything that this country uses has to hit a truck to be moved at one time or another. Not only that, where would they all park? There is on average 4 trucks for each (1) parking spot that is made for a truck.

The problem isn't the companies pay scale totally, it is a large part but not even half of it is that. The problem is companies like Swift, JB Hunt and Schneider came in and under bid the companies that were paying the driver's good wages and ran them under because they would haul the freight for less money....

Another problem is the fact that when the minimum wage law's were passed, the transportation industry was left out in the cold. The government never set a minimum wage for truck drivers. No company could really afford to properly compensate a driver for all the day's and night's that we spend away from home and loved ones. There is really no price for all the lost moments that we miss from being able to watch our kids grow up. Think of all the first words, first step's and things that are held dear to most parents missed by truck drivers and tell me how anyone could possibly put a price on that? I know I couldn't.

David "HIGHLANDER"

"There can be only one"

 

I don't think we need to strike for anything,other than to protest fuel prices,but,if there was a strike,Jb and swift and others I will not mention will keep on trucking and steal more customer base from others as they have for years. Again,there is nothing wrong with truck wages,the lousy cheap companies are hiring the undiserable drivers with high risk,like multiple tickets,accidents,drug test problems,they will always be there. If you want to strike join a union,but,the union drivers are really getting paid justly for what their worth. The small companies like mine that I work for has to make a profit to stay in business,I am happy here,we all could use more money,but,so can the owners of these companies. Again,there are gumptions of driving jobs out there,high pay,if you qualify,medium pay if you qualify,low pay if you qualify for that. You can work for walmart and get 70000 a year,holland for 70000,roadway for 70000,fedex for 70000,again the big IF,If you qualify,,you get what you want out of life. Trucking has never been a doctors type pay and never will be.There are highs and lows,paying jobs in trucking,and the same is true of most jobs in our life,if you really think you need to strike for anything,think again,clean your act up if need be,find the connections and connect the dots,APPLY AND GET YOURSELF A BETTER PAYING JOB<WHETHER IN TRUCKING OR RELATED JOBS OR GET OUT AND DO SOMETHING ELSE IF YOU REALLY THINK IT IS NOT FOR YOU, Sorry if I sound too real or harsh,but,that's exactly my opinion,too many want union wages and don't want to work that hard and still get paid,there is a limit on what one can afford to pay especially in these days with environmental costs and fuel costs,insurance cost,there is no end to it. THE HECK WITH IT<LET THE WHOLE COUNTRY GO ON STRIKE AND WE"LL ALL BE BURIED IN GARBAGE<BE DIRTY AND HUNGRY AND WHO KNOWS WHAT ELSE AND IN THE END WE"LL HAVE NOTHIN BUT OURSELVES TO BLAME.

 

High fuel prices? That is a damand issue. How many cars do you see screaming down the highwy at 80 miles plus per hour? Those cars get the best fuel mileage at 55 and it gets worse the faster they go. How many Trucks do you see going 70? That also uses 20 percent or more fuel.

the higher speed limits is the cause for higher prices. Its been 10 years since speed limits where raised and the prices went up.

when was the 55 speed limit set? we had 85 cents per gallon fuel in the late 90's. 10 years after the 55 mile per hour speed limit was set.

face it, 55 is the BEST speed for fuel mileage.

we dont need to strike, just run 100 percent legal. Out of a 14 hour day it can take shippers at 2 stops 8 hours to unload total. this means you have 6 hours to drive.

we can add to that by doubling our 32 hour break to 64 hours.

 

55 miles an hour is the most fuel efficent speed to drive ONLY IF your vehicle was Speced that way. Cut and dried! This nonsense that if we cut the horsepower down we'll get better milage is also nonsense. Has everybody forgotten the "fuel squeezer engine" days? Shift progressively,keep the proper amount of air in your tires and run your truck like you have a brain in your head and you too can get good fuel mileage.