Truck Drivers Say They Won’t Deliver To Cities with Defunded Police Departments

a reply to: AugustusMasonicus

There are close to 4,000,000 CDL's in the United States. A thousand saying they wouldn't do something isn't exactly a big concern.

If they don't want the money someone else will.

Don't be so sure.

When I was driving, California threatened to pass a law banning the use of CB radios because someone claimed they were used to bypass weigh stations. That proposal was withdrawn within a couple weeks because they suddenly couldn't get enough trucks to move their freight.

Minneapolis tried a stoopid too. They banned idling for trucks and forgot to leave an exception for reefers. That got taken care of quickly as well when fresh produce and ice cream suddenly started disappearing.

There may be some rookie company drivers who will still drive in, at least at first. Owner Ops will refuse; there's just too many other loads out there. Those trucks are not cheap, and that is their livelihood. They are also easily damaged... the frame is heavy and tough, but the body is mostly lightweight fiberglass to keep the gross weight down. It can be damaged easily, and current DOT regulations treat body damage, even cosmetic damage to any real degree, as just as serious as mechanical malfunctions. It won't take more than a few damaged trucks to make the trucking companies decide it is not worth $50,000 in damages to try and deliver a $5000 load. It is already against company rules to park or fuel in some truck stops where theft and damage is commonplace. So there go the rookie drivers as well.

Drivers aren't dumb.

TheRedneck

a reply to: carewemust

I don't think Truck Drivers who work for a corporation (vs being independent) can NOT go where they are assigned.

Technically true, but it won't be the company drivers refusing to enter; it will be the trucking lines refusing to allow their trucks to go there.

Some company drivers will refuse, mostly older, seasoned drivers. They can sometimes get away with doing that, or it is very easy to just switch companies. In 8 years I switched companies 8 times... every time over a disagreement with the company, most of those over safety issues. It's easy... just wait until a truck passes, call the number on the back, and ask if they want a driver. I've never been told "no."

I also got a raise every single time.

TheRedneck

originally posted by: beyondknowledge
The big companies will last about a week longer than the independents. After the first couple of trucks or loads are lost and insurance companies will not pay because of where the truck or load was at the time, they will have no choice but to stop service to that area.

Same with DHL, FedEx, UPS. They will not be able to pick up and deliver to those addresses.

Anyone selling on eBay or Amazon will have to move out or stop selling.

Armored car delivery services would sprout up but would be very expensive. Do you want your pizza delivered in a armored car with four armed people keeping it safe until it gets to your door?

Good point about DHL, FedEx, UPS.

As to armored pizza trucks add to that the expense of the pizzas themselves...the price of everything that makes up the pizza would skyrocket food would be scarce and expensive if no or very few trucks are brave enough to deliver.

a reply to: Jason79

they have huge trucker unions that would fight for employees safety if faced with enough pressure.

No, that is not correct. I have never heard of a trucking company being unionized, with the exception of dedicated fleets like UPS, FedEx, or Walmart. There is one organization, OOIDA (Owner/Operator and Independent Driver Association), that lobbies for the truck drivers, but they only lobby for laws favorable to drivers... the drivers still deal with their company the same way whether a member or not.

One of the companies I worked for was JB Hunt Dedicated Services. JB Hunt is one of the largest trucking companies in the nation. No union.

TheRedneck

a reply to: TheRedneck

So in your opinion do you see a strong likely hood of what was mentioned in the original article becoming a possibility?

If cities implement these policies.

It has been confirmed that Minneapolis city counsel all voted yes for abolishing the police and the vote is veto proof I believe they have a year to implement it.

So that would be a case of not just defunding but getting rid of police entirely.

a reply to: SolAquarius

Would it be likely that these companies would provide security or allow the drivers to be armed?

It's not just the companies that refuse to allow drivers to be armed. There are 50 states and a driver can travel to 48 of them at a moment's notice. I have covered 6 or 7 states in a single day. Every one has their own laws and most do not recognize permits from other states. It is simply not feasible for a driver to arm themselves.

Most drivers instead keep long, pointy instruments at easy reach, but still hidden out of sight.

TheRedneck

Enter Zuckerberg with his automated truck proposal again ...

originally posted by: TheRedneck
Don't be so sure.

Money motivates, I'm 100% sure.

originally posted by: AugustusMasonicus
a reply to: SolAquarius

There are close to 4,000,000 CDL's in the United States. A thousand saying they wouldn't do something isn't exactly a big concern.

If they don't want the money someone else will.

Never heard of "sampling" I see.

You realize most national political polls only sample around a thousand people right?

a reply to: ketsuko

Pretty much all the moves being made are to remove humans from the equation and consolidate All The Things.

Want to drive somewhere? Welll, hope you arent commiting WrongThink. Want truck deliveries? Wellll, hope your community is compliant. Want a pan to fry up some fish? Welll, hope that social score is high enough to "afford" it.

I think the main goal here is to establish corporate automated systems of centralized dependency and compliance before the general public figures out all that technology can be applied in their homes in a decentralized manner.

Look at the narrative shaping of "decentralized," "autonomous," etc. too.

Because at that point, they can see what you are buying, match it up with everything from search history to forums to live speech, and stop the shipment. Whether thats because its parts for self-sufficient systems, or based on complaints from "community led public safety systems."

According to the technocracy, The Plan is to have this established in cities, at least, by 2030.

a reply to: TheRedneck

Great, I always thought Teamsters had their hands in too many pockets, this is welcome news.

a reply to: SolAquarius

So in your opinion do you see a strong likely hood of what was mentioned in the original article becoming a possibility?

I can all but guarantee freight will stop to any city where the danger to the driver, the truck, or the load becomes unacceptable. Understand, I have hauled loads that were valued at well over a million dollars. These types of loads are typically targeted for theft, and as a result the drivers have certain restrictions placed upon them by the companies. For instance, one shipper I picked up from had had a rash of trucks emptied while the driver was asleep, so I was not allowed to pick up until directly after my required HOS rest period. I then was required to have a full tank of fuel when I picked up, and my truck was not to stop for a minimum of 200 miles (preferably 300). If I was forced to stop for any reason (DOT inspection, breakdown, etc.) there was a special department I had to call in to so the load could be repowered.

As I mentioned, there are certain truck stops that are well-known as "stop at your own risk." They still sell fuel, but only rookies park there. Many companies will fire a driver for parking or fueling at these. I got a sweet load repowered to me over that once... the driver parked in a "no-go" truck stop and picked up a lot lizard... next thing anyone knew his truck was missing. They found it later in a housing development, filled with a bunch of doped-up joyriding lot lizards. It was a high-value load that luckily, the lot lizards were unaware of. I picked the load up at the terminal after the police dropped it off and delivered it to Atlanta... which was a good thing because I was trying to get a load home.

What was really crazy is that that particular truck stop was something like 20 minutes from our terminal. No idea what happened to the driver; last I heard they were still looking for him.

I got a dispatcher fired on the spot once over a high value load. He gave me bad directions that routed me through a high-crime area and I wound up parked in a dilapidated mostly-abandoned industrial park. I called in and told the night dispatcher where I was and why I was there, and he immediately approved me for unlimited out of route to get myself to a safe place. The dispatcher that put me there was fired the next day as soon as he walked through the door.

That is the only time I can remember when images of Reginald Denny were literally running through my head. I wound up parking at the top of a rise, facing outward, with a clear view of the street in before I called in... just in case. I was prepared to turn that truck into a fleshplow or bulldozer if need be.

Now consider: all these things, all this attention to security, all these restrictions, are happening with no reason other than normal criminal behavior. What do you think will happen with excessive criminal behavior? High value loads won't even be permitted to go through Minneapolis! Normal loads might go through on the Interstate as long as it remains safe, but they won't be allowed to exit in the high-crime area.

Too many people think driving a truck is just holding on to the steering wheel; we call the rookies who think that "solar-powered steering wheel holders." No, it's all about route planning, reaction to the unexpected, security, and common sense on one's own. Someone earlier said it ranks as one of the ten most dangerous occupations in the nation; I believe that.

TheRedneck

a reply to: AugustusMasonicus

Money motivates, I'm 100% sure.

How is it about money when the damages far exceed the potential profit?

Do you realize how little freight usually costs to ship compared to the cost of the freight itself?

TheRedneck

a reply to: carewemust

Career criminals are, or will soon be, relocating to urban areas where there are no traditional police officers.

ah hell naw, it's bad enough now, bastards are already here, and will steal anything not nailed, chained, welded, bolted or permanently fixed in place. hell sometimes even if they are and you don't have a dog, motion senor light, alarms, they'll bring their tool box.

a neighbor down the road told me they stole his job box out of the back of his truck, cut the bolts, sat it down in the drive and painted it.

no we don't need no more stinking criminals dragging all that sh@@ here.

originally posted by: face23785
Never heard of "sampling" I see.

of course I have, which is why I don't trust many polls.

Just like this one.

a reply to: SolAquarius

I mean , Can You Blame Them ? Seems a lot of SJW's better start honing their Survival Skills in Blue Cities right Quick . Or the Alternative will come Down to " Dog Eat Dog " . Two Men Enter , One Mans Leaves with the Bacon.......

a reply to: Identified

are you f---ng kidding

a reply to: hounddoghowlie

Defunding the police inside of U.S. sanctuary cities, will attract the worst Riff Raff from all over the world.

originally posted by: Spacespider
This will all end badly..

There is always repercussions...

Wait and see what the real estate prices look like in a year in places with defunded police.

originally posted by: AugustusMasonicus

originally posted by: face23785
Never heard of "sampling" I see.

of course I have, which is why I don't trust many polls.

Just like this one.

Sampling is a well-established and sound method. That's not why polls wind up being inaccurate. Polls wind up being inaccurate because of pollster bias.