Truckers work stoppage April 3rd ??

[Jim Smith]

I just was talking to guy in the checkout line at the supermarket about diesel prices etc and he mentioned that a work stoppage was planned by the truckers for April 3rd. It seems that they want to get a message across about diesel prices. If anybody finds out more info please post it for us. It could be something we should support. Jim

 

[JDiepstra]

Well, I'm no trucker but I hope they do it. I just better to remember to fuel up before hand since my idiot light is on.

 

[JGrefenstette]

yea me and some of the boys in town have been talkin bout doing somthing like this too. its a little harder tho when you drive a pickup instead of a ORT. but i hope they do it, and i hope the message is herd loud and clear!

 

[BILLVO]

They Would be shooting themselves in the foot by doing it as our southern neighbors trucks keep rolling in across the border now. Nothing like handing over business to those we are trying to keep out.

 

[MMeier]

Once again...

... never going to happen !!

 

[DJW]

Why add Stupidity and Ignorance to misery? Must be the French coming out of some. ( Strike at the drop of a Frog's Leg? You'd do the French Proud ) All of America's imported oil can be sold without any trouble or loss of profit to other world buyers, and all eager to buy, especially if it caused problems for the USA. This World is not your parent's world, we are falling behind so bad, we have protected former Enemies and Allies Borders but failed to protect our own, perhaps our wealth squandered on the defense of others could have been used to make the USA less dependent of foreign energy sources. Granted no use crying of what we could or should have done, but at least let's look at a problem and attempt to solve it in a sensible manner. Many oil rich countries have nothing to lose, as they will suffer any hardship to bring the Western World to it's knees, so Armed Might means nothing to them. Their Civilians are doing quite well with or without Explosives as it is. If all Taxes were taken off tomorrow, how much would fuel cost next week? I'll let the Strike Crippled Minds think that.

 

[JDiepstra]

Why add Stupidity and Ignorance to misery? Must be the French coming out of some. ( Strike at the drop of a Frog's Leg? You'd do the French Proud ) All of America's imported oil can be sold without any trouble or loss of profit to other world buyers, and all eager to buy, especially if it caused problems for the USA. This World is not your parent's world, we are falling behind so bad, we have protected former Enemies and Allies Borders but failed to protect our own, perhaps our wealth squandered on the defense of others could have been used to make the USA less dependent of foreign energy sources. Granted no use crying of what we could or should have done, but at least let's look at a problem and attempt to solve it in a sensible manner. Many oil rich countries have nothing to lose, as they will suffer any hardship to bring the Western World to it's knees, so Armed Might means nothing to them. Their Civilians are doing quite well with or without Explosives as it is. If all Taxes were taken off tomorrow, how much would fuel cost next week? I'll let the Strike Crippled Minds think that.

I'll bet what you are saying is that even if all taxes are removed, the price will be right back up to where it was within a week aren't ya? I'd have to agree with that. Then, the taxes would probably come back too and then it would be worse.

 

[ToolManTimTaylor]

Totally a moot point to "stop work" Fuel costs on every thing we as consumers pay for is simply passed on to us by the method of transport. The cost is not going to come down any time soon simply for the fact that a loophole has been found and obviously exploited.



Travel industry HAS to keep going but EVERY JET uses JP which is kero based . . diesel.



TRUCKING industry CANNOT fail with billions of $$ of product that ABSULUTLY needs to be moved ... . Diesel ... got em by the balls



Rail ... Diesel



Construction ... . Diesel



Power generation ... diesel (Take new york)



HEATING ..... diesel



Shipping ..... diesel



Ships (Cruise, freight, and military) ... oh wow diesel powered generators.



DIesel in ANY form as mentioned above is indeed the least expensive to produce but reaps HUGE profit because we have NO CHOICE the cost just simply gets passed on the the broken backed consumer.





The last time I checked the reason things go up in cost is because of a shortage, limited availability of sorts, or materials go up in cost. Oil is no where near being a shortage soooooooooooo if a work stoppage happens it sure won't help anything but reserves.



Hmmm the cost may have something to do with what American buisness has done to us. Import more than we produce, ship jobs overseas, and cut waaay back on mfg.



So lets make an example here. You buy a toy for your kid. Toy made in China, (Made in a facility that gets its power from diesel generators) Toy comes on cargo ship (Diesel) to U. S. A from there gets trucked (Diesel) to a toy store in PA where lil Timmy's dad gets it for him. Now all the costs associated with that toy are built into the END cost of the toy.



The whole "Lets boycott" thing is the wrong thing to do. Want to really do some damage STOP BUYING ANYTHING NOT MADE IN AMERICA!!!!!!!!

 

[Hammer]

Being a trucker I will honestly say it this way.....



IF your going to shutdown for the right reasons,then by all means please do it. However,if your shutting down because your not happy with fuel costs you are making a mistake. Fuel costs are directly linked to the crippling of this nations oil industry by those environmentalists who have been working hard to shutdown the entire oil industry. No new oil refining stations have been built in this country for years and a few of those damaged by Katrina have been taken off line and will not be restarted,leaving us now as a country to now rely on foriegn refineries. With that and the dollar being at its current all time low thus making us spend more to get the same volume we got for a lower price,the oil prices esculate and hurt us as a nation all over.



IF your talking about a nationwide shutdown because of the "Mexican" trucks and drivers please keep in mind also if you shut them down,then its only fair to not allow the Canadian trucks either. Since the same rules will be in effect for the Mexican trucks as they are now for the Canadian trucks I fail to see where the issues are at. If you think that all of the untis coming out of Canada are on the up and up with the rules you are sadly misinformed and there are as many bad unit coming out of the North as from our Southern Border. So if you protest one,then you need to protest both. Ppppssssssttttt... ... BTW,In case you have not looked or been awake there are loads of Mexican drivers already here and they already are driving for alot of big companies.



Now my last one and I'll step off my soap box...

Shutting down for the right reasons I support completely. Issues of drivers nationality and oil prices I consider last on the list. Now if its shutting down in protest of today's freight rates the same as the 70's,shippers and recievers not bearing the burden of loading and unloading,The Federal Government allowing outside groups to dictate rules and regulations instead of enforcing what they have in place already and not constantly changing those rules so we are allowed to make an honest living,then I say go for it.



I am most upset knowing that I have to take a drug and alcohol,at random no less,to ensure I am clean to do my job. Yet those on welfare who do ZERO for a living,can take or do what they want for FREE money,healthcare and housing with no random test repercussions. How screwed up is this country for that.

 

[kowaliga]

Regardless other rationales for changing the price of diesel at the pump, If purchases dwindle, prices will too. I can't afford to quit buying it but I deliberately keep my milage to the bare minimum. If refining capacity is the 'market', because there's no shortage of crude, the gov't should threaten to get in the refining business too. One can't force more product to the pump, but if EXXON wants to be a monoply, we should screw it before it screws us again.

 

[ToolManTimTaylor]

I am most upset knowing that I have to take a drug and alcohol,at random no less,to ensure I am clean to do my job. Yet those on welfare who do ZERO for a living,can take or do what they want for FREE money,healthcare and housing with no random test repercussions. How screwed up is this country for that.

GGGGGrrrrrraaaarrrrrrhhhhhhh God he said it!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I am just about SICK over the fact I need a background check, blood test, and a credit check for where I work... ... but welfare check recipients need not do any of the above to get paid with the money that I give!!! Oh man that frosts my oatie ' o ' s #@$%!

 

[DodgeWarlock]

Yeah, well wait til the Dems get their new minimum wage increase. They seem to think employers are just gonna eat it. Once they pass it on to their customers, we'll all pay more for everything yet again. The only people it helps are the politicians that need more tax money for pet programs. They get more income taxes off the little guy cause his bracket changes, and more sales tax off everyone. Meanwhile, that raise you worked your butt off for goes out the window and your paycheck gets set back a year or two. The minimum wagers think it's great, but don't realize it's driving up the cost of everything they buy. Not to mention that with pressure to keep prices low corporations decide to cut costs by sending more jobs international(which apparently will help jack the price of diesel). Or that it will devalue the dollar even more. #@$%!

 

[DJW]

Yes just keep kicking the crap out of your Crib. That will tell them. Grow up.

 

[JDiepstra]

Along with the minimum wage increase should be an equal increase in price of lotto tickets, cigaretts, and cheap beer, since this is all I see the poor suckers who make minimum wage buying anyway.

 

[DJW]

In Britain when the Labor Gov. advocated a minimum wage the Cons. said 2,000,000 jobs would be lost, when the Labs. passed it into law no jobs lost, 3,000,000 jobs gained. Who would think that? workers with more money to spend? Made retailers happy? P. S. I don't shop where Lotto tickets, and low cost goods are sold, so I don't know where the poor shop, plus I don't need to patronize those places.

 

[GIT-R-DONE]

I have heard alot of chatter on the CB about it locally, but I havent heard a date. I do believe if the trucking industry was organized, they would be able to prove their point by shutting the country down for a while.



I believe things like this would work, as it brings attention to the mater, not just saying, oh well, we have to put up with it and just go with the flow. . . nothing will get changed by doing nothing. Someone needs to take action and I hope they do shut the country down for a while.



Question brought up before about the refineries... ... the oil companies can keep their prices high by NOT building any more refineries, therefore maintaining there multi-BILLION yearly profit. Would you shoot yourself in the foot if you were in their shoes?



I still havent figured out why diesel is now one dollar more per gallon than gas though, just more gouging I suspect.

 

[Hammer]

kowaliga and Git-R-Done...



While I do understand your meanings with a shutdown,I still fail to see what we,the Trucking Industry,wil gain by a Nationwide shutdown protesting fuel prices. Again,with the US Dollars current value down nearly 37% against the Euro,which means for every barrel of oil we buy at current values we need to spend now 37% more per dollar to get what we used to get for a dollar. That cost is passed on to us no matter what and the trucking industry shutting down is not going to change that.



Again. .

A shutdown based upon unfair work rules and regulations,rates so low they remind you of the 70's and making big business responsible for loading and unloading are just 3 GOOD reasons for a shutdown and there are many more. Fule prices are high,no doubt about it but it would take more than the truckers to stop moving to do something about it. Since the fuel prices have gone skyward like the Space shuttle I have seen no reduction in personal travel and at times on the routes I run the traffic is twice what it has been in years past.



The ONLY way a shutdown is going to hurt Big Oil is for EVERYONE,cars-trucks-motorcycles,to stay home for a weekend and not move. Do that a couple of times and watch them start to squirm,until then nothing will change... ... Andy

 

[GIT-R-DONE]

The ONLY way a shutdown is going to hurt Big Oil is for EVERYONE,cars-trucks-motorcycles,to stay home for a weekend and not move. Do that a couple of times and watch them start to squirm,until then nothing will change... ... Andy

Its not about hurting big oil IMO, its about getting the govt's attention that this country doesnt move without the rigs on the highway. Get the truckers jacked, and the things dont move. You and I both know that. Basically, its the power of the people to wake up big brother to act accordingly, its just a wake up call to those in charge who still doesnt believe we are in a recession!



Did I just repeat myself. . . . must be getting late.

 

[Hammer]

Don...

Yes it was late and you missed my point entirely...



We could shutdwon the trucks all we want and with the dollars value on the open trade market our shutdwon would do nothing to change whats already going on with the prices of fuel. Sure the Government would see we were upset about those prices,but do you honestly feel they do not know that already,especially since OOIDA,the ATA and other groups which represent us are howling in their ears all week long?.



I will keep saying it again and again,shutiing down due to fuels cost is crazy,UNLESS ALL motor vehicles stay home. Shutting down to better the industry for other reasons,some of which I have touched upon earlier,would be the right thing to do. The dollars value abroad is not going to change when we stay home becuase of fuel prices,so if that is not fixed how do you feel our shutdown will lower the fuel costs???... . Andy

 

[bmoeller]

Well, I'm no trucker but I hope they do it. I just better to remember to fuel up before hand since my idiot light is on.

That is EXACTLY why it WON'T work.

I drive a big truck, and I can carry enough fuel for more than 2 days, depending on what I'm doing. Even then, we have fuel in several 500 gallon barrels at home. It won't matter, unless EVERYONE does it, and more than just a few days. Ever notice most trucks aren't on the road during a big holiday like Christmas and Thanksgiving? Did the prices drop? NOPE.

Want to stand a better chance for the prices to come down by shutting trucks down, the FUEL TRUCKS have to shut down for more than a week or 2. Even then, the oil traders will have to get scared, and drop the crude price as well. The oil speculation is one of the biggest reasons for the oil prices, and in turn, fuel prices.

We aren't short on oil. Plenty of it. Just not enough REFINERIES. Building more will bring the prices down. Basic law of economics. Supply and demand.