Truckers line up to protest fuel costs

reply to post by TXRabbit


Sounds like you know the area... Try WHP...(TV21) Their AM station, 580 announced the convoy yesterday, and the Traffic updates have all mentioned it.

It really was an impressive sight.

reply to post by Finn1916

A strike is a group of people protesting against a company or industry for relief. Usually there is a union, including a spokesman to negotiate the conditions causing the strike.

There is no truckers union. the teamsters do not represent the vast majority of truckers and are not striking. There is no one to speak for the drivers. And the thing being protested is governmental fuel taxes. There is no company that can alleviate the concerns (save the oil companies, who this will not affect).

It's a protest. In many cases, a forced protest, because a lot of drivers simply can't buy the fuel to deliver freight. This may be a bit semantic, but protests do not bring out the anger and violence as much as strikes.

TheRedneck

I think you can relax about Wal-Mart joining in. If anything, they'll start sending out more deliveries in a happy effort to take business from their out-of-stock suppliers.

They're a pretty anti-union company, also. They've shut down entire stores because a handful of employees attempted to unionize. I don't think they'd condone any sort of strike or mass protest that would risk giving the unions a leg-up in their trucking business.

Truckers are having hard times at the pump and meanwhile Exxon is posting record profits...

www.huffingtonpost.com...

Absolutely ridiculous.

It's not about goods or services anymore...it's about oil and greed.

Good luck guys, I'll be keeping my lights on in support!

reply to post by mattifikation


Also, I haven't been driving in about 3 years, but isn't Wal-Mart all company drivers. I've never seen an owner-operator tractor in front of a Wal-Mart trailer.


I know that Hunt won't participate- they have a big intermo terminal in Harrisburg that needs to keep moving (I operated a packer there before I got my CDL- They NEVER stop loading and unloading trains!)

Carlisle is a MAJOR hub for the Northeast corridor- I will follow this closely as I only live 11 miles east!

reply to post by TheRedneck


It's good to hear from one who is "living it".

I definitely support the protest even though the list of contributors to the pain at the pump is overwhelmingly massive.

Perhaps we could be more effective at singling out one the more flagrant oil corps for a boycott?

reply to post by cbianchi513

I have your answers. WalMart is mostly company drivers, although they can and do use trucks from the larger companies to cover spikes in demand. Usually, these trucks are from the company drivers, although there is nothing stopping an owner-op from joining in (except the pay ). I ran a WalMart account when I drove for US (Useless) Xpress.

I drive a JB Hunt truck now, and they have already sent out a Qualcomm statement fleetwide that while they support the owner-operators, they will not be participating.

TheRedneck

Well, it's time to get the old rig ready. I want to thank everyone for your support and concern. Wish me well, and hopefully I'll be back on tomorrow night (with some info straight from the sources).

Till then...

TheRedneck

reply to post by TheRedneck


The main companies that are going to be hurt are not the oil companies at all... The shipping companies that rely on owner-operators to supplement company drivers, like (around here) Arnold Logistics, Ward, etc. The larger, corporate lines like Fed-Ex, UPS, etc. won't even notice (most are unionized).

The guys that are really taking a pounding are the little guys. My buddy has a scrap hauling company that operated around 15 trucks... He's nearly out of business due to the price of fuel.

Geez- I really feel for you guys, having "been there" myself... I'm pulling for you too, drivers.
(Honk, Honk.)

Here's to the brave truckers who are willing to protest. Kudos to them. Redneck be careful. We will be eagerly awaiting your report. Drive safely. Anyone know how long this is supposed to go on? Is it just a one-day thing?

reply to post by forestlady



From what I've heard, it's supposed to last for the remainder of the week. I hope it does.

Seems like the media is trying to downplay it a bit,no? I think they need to publicize it more.This is a major issue which needs to be dealt with.Not just truckers,everyone in society.I'm personally tired of oil companies and govt's dictating,yes, dictatorship. Telling us we basically have no choice.Everyone needs to step up regardless of the circumstances.We need to take back our country.Instead everyone rolls over like a dead dog.This is a very vane and materialistic world which has gotten way out of control.Something needs to give.We cannot sustain this pace much longer.

My father has drove long haul to the west coast for about 30 years now. I support this in full in fact these truckers are the best hope to get the fuel prices to come down. If they stop the country stops...Point blank thats it! Support this by all means. This is the only power that can shift change in the big oil companies. I have family who work for one of the big three oil companies and it's a shame that one side of my family has more money than they know what to do with and the other is living pay check to pay check. And it wasn't the case just 10 years ago. These guys are the front line on the fight for fuel cost being brought down.

The Redneck has returned.

I didn't have any major problems, none that weren't usual (the silly four-wheelers trying to commit suicide in front of my truck ). I did pick up a report from a driver that called into XM on the Rollye James show last night (April 1) about 11:30 PM Eastern. Someone was throwing objects off an overpass at trucks in NC, I-40 about the 64 mile marker. From the report, it sounded as if they were apprehended by the local serve-and-protect squad.

Target has had no indication from corporate about the protest whatsoever.

So far as I can tell, this isn't going away any time soon. Looks like the owner-ops are sticking to their guns. I hope they do, and I hope they can get some changes made. One big change that needs to be made is this: Most brokers/companies now charge a fuel surcharge on the loads. This surcharge is supposedly to offset the spiking cost of fuel; at least that's what the shippers are told. What they are not told, is that this surcharge does not always go to the independent trucker paying for the fuel. Far too often some or all of the surcharge is kept by brokers and companies who employ owner-ops.

OOIDA, the lobbying group that represents drivers, has tried several times to get a bill passed in Congress to require that any fuel surcharge be passed on 100% to whoever is actually paying for the fuel. That would be owner-ops themselves, or companies that employ company drivers. It would also require complete disclosure to everyone involved (shipper, broker, carrier, independent driver) of any and all such surcharges. While it sounds fair and reasonable to me, as well as to everyone I know who has heard of it, this law seems difficult to pass.

So if you want to support the truckers, write, e-mail, or call your Representatives and Senators and demand they work with OOIDA to pass this law. It'll do a lot more good than throwing rocks off overpasses.

ooida.com...

TheRedneck


[edit on 2-4-2008 by TheRedneck]

I'm not a driver of a big rig but I am a courier.Last August I was paying 90.9 cents per litre and no it's at 122.9.
I'm an owner operator who works for a known name (in Canada) but isn't a big league player in the courier business.
My contract expired last month so I asked for more money to cover the fuel bills (they don't give us a fuel surcharge).So far all I hear are crickets chirping.
I've decided to combat this on my own.Once my odometer hits the magic number I park the truck until the day is over.Yes,customer service hurts but I can't afford to drive all over hell's half acre for what the company pays.
Until they pony up, or prices go down,I'll continue to do what I have to.
Without truckers,couriers and shippers NOBODY would get their products.

I'm still confused as to why diesel fuel is more expensive than gasoline. And I watched the news on CNN and I don't recall hearing about this protest. It appears they need to protest until it's all over the news media for more than a day. It also has to be a major topic for the presidential race. I can imagine if they block the lane for exits, that this could get really ugly and stagnated.

Do you think anyone will sell something in order to show support on their cars also? Maybe a bumper sticker or magnet that says: " Nationalize Fuel and Power Companies Now! "

Or is it the secret or same government that runs big oil?

These high fuel prices might be the norm in Europe but this can't happen here in the US without a major protest and change.

I wonder what would happen if an Independent was to gain votes strictly over this issue? That would be a revolution.

So just how many truckers are involved in the protest? I thought I read 1,000 somewhere, but that just doesn't sound like enough to make a really big dent.

It'd be great if the people driving the gasoline trucks would get involved. Now that would make the oil companies take notice... They wouldn't be able to sell it if they couldn't get it out of the refineries!

Originally posted by kelbtalfenek
Truckers are having hard times at the pump and meanwhile Exxon is posting record profits...

Actually, its the Frakin GOVERNMENT that makes 3 times the money from "big oil" in taxes, that BIG OIL makes in profit.

The answer to the first question is that over the past 25 years, oil companies directly paid or remitted more than $2.2 trillion in taxes, after adjusting for inflation, to federal and state governments—including excise taxes, royalty payments and state and federal corporate income taxes. That amounts to more than three times what they earned in profits during the same period, according to the latest numbers from the Bureau of Economic Analysis and U.S. Department of Energy

www.taxfoundation.org...

For every dollar big bad oil makes the US Gov gets 3 dollars. Congress are all liars or idiots...............

reply to post by aleon1018

I'm still confused as to why diesel fuel is more expensive than gasoline. And I watched the news on CNN and I don't recall hearing about this protest. It appears they need to protest until it's all over the news media for more than a day. It also has to be a major topic for the presidential race. I can imagine if they block the lane for exits, that this could get really ugly and stagnated.

Check out this post I made a while ago about the gas/diesel prices. It was stagnant for a while, but I just looked and it's getting some attention now.

As for the news, they covered it the first day, but you're right; apparently CNN has ADD. Maybe we should send them some Ritalin? Or if someone in the Presidential race were to mention it, it would definitely give a booster shot to the cause.

Anyone got Hillary's cell number?

Do you think anyone will sell something in order to show support on their cars also? Maybe a bumper sticker or magnet that says: " Nationalize Fuel and Power Companies Now! "

Not sure I agree with nationalization, but I could see windfall profits taxed out the wazoo. We did that in the 70s, remember?

These high fuel prices might be the norm in Europe but this can't happen here in the US without a major protest and change.

Well, there is one big difference in Europe and the US. Mobility. From my (limited) knowledge, I think each country in the EU functions still as a country. In the US, the states are not much more than lines on a map. The cultures do not differ, the topography does not differ. Crossing from Colorado into Utah would not be noticeable if it were not for a little green info sign. We aree one huge country and it takes more fuel to move people and goods longer distances. Someone correct me if my concept of the EU is wrong here.

I wonder what would happen if an Independent was to gain votes strictly over this issue? That would be a revolution.

Third party? Dream on. I've got it all warmed up for you.

TheRedneck

Redneck: I'm so glad you made it back safe and sound. Thanks for the report as well. If the MSM won't publicize it, then I say let's wallpaper the internet with this information. I'm sure the candidates henchmen are researching the internet for public opinion about them all; if it becomes big enough, maybe MSM will be forced to address the issue.

I read your other post on gas/diesel - thanks for the info, good post.