I said I'd never buy a vehicle that required the high cost premium-so what did I do?

[todt061458]

The company I am leased to buys fuel in bulk and we fuel our trucks thru a locked card system. we fuel at stations where we enter a code at the fuel island to get the special price currently I pay $1. 21 per gallon and we also charge the customer a fuel surcharge to offset any other unexpected charges. the fuel surcharge is paid to the owner of the trucks as we the owners are the one's who pay for the fuel. somewhere along the line I am sure the general consumer pays for this extra fuel gouging by the oil companies but who cares as long as the stock holders make a hefty return in their investment who cares about the little guy. Please don't blame the trucker for higher prices at the store blame corporations like wallmart (and others)who are out sourcing most of their business to companies doing business in china. Welcome to a global market economy. do I have to learn chinese as well as spanish to do business in this country? mabe so mabe so. sorry for the rant Tod

 

[sack]

Hey Tod,

I wasn't trying to imply that truckers are driving the price Up! I didn't realize you guys got special deals so I was saying it would be insane for big rigs to pay 2 bucks plus for a gallon considering how much diesel the trucking industry goes through. I realize that its no consumers fault, its the fact that in any economy where someone can control the supply with a huge demand they'll be able to set any price they want.

 

[todt061458]

we all are getting hurt in the pocket book the american trucking association cost for the trucking industry fuel bill for 2002 was 44. 7billion in 2003 it was 52. 2billion and in 2004 62. 6 billion quite a jump the extra cost must be paid by someone you can bet your bottom dollars it won't be felt by the fat cats in wash D. C. A 17. 9 billion dollar jump in the cost to due business in just 3 years and oil companies posting record high profits. Something really stinks here. I am not a dem or a rep but ole g bush and his oil buddies sure made out this past couple of years. again sorry for the rant but we are all getting hit hard small business or big fuel and high labour cost will put us all under a strain for a long time to come. the least the oil companies could do is build more refineries but than the EPA and the GREENPEACE crowd would have a fit so nothing gets built and we all suffer hugh fuel prices. such is life in the 21st century. the above info on fuel prices is just something to think about. I wonder how high it will go in 2005? Do any of you remember I think bill clinton had a meeting in europe where he promised the europe leaders at the time that fuel prices would go to 4. 00 a gallon for unleaded regular in the united states? Well we are on our way !check out www.thetrucker.com for more trucking info TOD

 

[R-N-R]

YUP, all the larger trucking outfits do is simply raise THEIR hauling prices, and pass their increased expenses on to the consumer!

Path of least resistance I suppose... .

 

[hammersley]

Diesel now has went up 60 cents in 2 weeks!!!!!

I'm so happy I could as the Mexicans say --- mierda

 

[Sled Dog]

Exxons last quarterly profits 28 billion.

 

[JPope]

Wonder if the price of diesel will go down as it has in the past when the home heating season is over?



Guess the guys getting hit the hardest are those who use diesel to drive, home heating oil to heat their house, business, etc.



Too bad about the profits for the oil companies stated previously for EXXON, or others, you surely would not want their executives to have to cut back on the lifestyles, to have to avoid their trips, yachts, airplanes, lavish homes, cars, etc. at the expense of us



Also you would not want the oil company executives to have to report to their stockholders that they did something for the good of the country, cause it might cut into their bonus, you know $10 million in lieu of $20 million or some other absurd amount. :-laf

 

[WyattEarp]

Well as a surprise to me, i called the service station which is closest to home, like 7 min away, there diesel was 1. 94 2 weeks ago it fell to 1. 90, yesterday when i called it was down to 1. 86 i smell something fishy going on, it must be where our winter has lacked in snow fall is the reason they obviously have a surplus and are needing to get rid of it, the funny thing is another station less than 4 miles from the station i mentioned above is still 1. 95...

 

[CMckee]

we are currently paying 77. 9c/litre up here in calgary, this works out to $2. 95/gal. We are suppossed to be the cheap spot in canada as most of it is coming from alberta anyway. i long for the good ole days of 50c/litre when it only cost me $60 to fill my truck not over $100. 00! At least i get 36mpg on t he highway and 22mpg around town. chris

 

[av8r]

Here's the answer.





The Dodge is "semi-retired" to pulling only until fuel prices get better or we get smart and start burining veggie oil.

 

[DKayser]

That dog don`t hunt!

i smell something fishy going on, it must be where our winter has lacked in snow fall is the reason they obviously have a surplus and are needing to get rid of it,

We have had a mild winter here, virtually no snow & very mild temps. Fuel went up 25 cents a gallon over the last 5 days. What the ? When it`s cold, they have a shortage. When it`s warmer, they need to see some profit to cover their losses due to a poor winter season. I guess we`re bent over one way or the other. If I didn`t just love this truck I would look for cheaper transportation. Maybe I`ll ride the Harley more? DK.

 

[DBrickel]

What I can't understand is when I bought my truck in 1996 diesel fuel prices were about the same as regular unleaded +/- a couple af pennys. Now it is more than premium. I don't understand what has changed. If it cost x amount to produce then and the refining process is the same, how can they justify the increase except they have the product and my truck don't run without it. They can pretty much charge what the hell they want

 

[EMD Diesel Power]

Railroads are also doing fuel surcharges as well..... so its not just the trucks getting clobbered by the fuel prices. Heck... . RRs have been doing surcharges since I left WC way back in '01. 4 years and things dont change. Oh thats right... Bush is in office. :-{}



Sad part is that..... yep..... cost gets passed to the customer... . None of the fat cat CEOs, stockholders, CFOs, etc feel the pinch. :-{}



welcome to the 21st century..... 5 years in and its gone down the tank.

 

[y-knot]

What are you going to do?... ... Walk to work? I doubt that very much. There is nothing anyone can do, they have everyone by the BALLS. Know one is singled out, everyone is paying high fuel bills and we will keep paying what ever they ask us to pay. Can you imagine the stink if all of the nations dairy farmers got together and collectively raised there milk rates to 5 dollars a gallon? Every politician in DC would be on the news fighting against the increase and vowing to seek Justice. They would have no problem putting the farmers in jail for trying to make a profit on their milk, but the GAS Lords can continue to play the insane gas game anytime they want. Holiday coming? Sure raise the price 30-40 cents a gallon to wring a little more blood out of the working man, know one will say a word... ... Why?? Why is it wrong for the farmer to make a profit and not for the rich filthy bas te rds that sell gas and diesel? Because every politic an in DC is on the take, they get paid to keep quiet. Bottom line is... ... their is nothing you or I can do about the situation. The truckers are in the same boat..... why should they strike and loose money while all the other SCABS continue to haul freight and take their work? Also, why should they have to be the ones that stands up for you and me. If you feel like making a stand, do it yourself. Don't expect someone else to fight your fight, thats pretty chicken shiitt. Gas prices will never go back down to pre 2000-2001 prices. We have been paying these higher prices so long, we actually think we are getting a bargain when they lower it to $1. 74, so if we are happy with $1. 74, why go lower??? You have been effectively brain washed, like it or not. I don't like the high prices of fuel, no one does, but I think there are many , many issues I would like to see resolved first before they lower the cost of a gallon of gasoline. To start with, I would like someone to grab their bag and come up with a workable solution to the Social Security problem. Second, how is it that in this country of such great wealth we continue to have schools that have operating budgets that stay in the RED. Shouldn't the education of the NEXT generation be a priority?? What about all the highways and secondary roads across the USA that are in desperate need of repair? Why are their so many HOMELESS people in America? What about all the jobs that are leaving this country for foreign soil. Oh, yea that bright shiny truck of yours was made in Mexico, so much for American made and built. In a time of such need here in the good old USA, why must we continue to support the world? Why do we have to rebuild IR AC? So far we have (the President of this great country) has spent over 110 BILLION dollars in IR AC. Are not they the richest nation in the world?? I can't they rebuild there own country with their own money?? Isn't it en ought that we supplied the lives for THEIR freedom?? Now we must sacrifice the future retirement of the entire nation for them as well. Something stinks around here. Maybe if they paid to rebuild their own country, the idiots would think twice about that before they blew it up again?? Maybe and maybe not... . but at least we would not always be the ones shaking the MONEY tree for the repairs. Has anyone ever thought about offering the money as a LOAN? That is usually the way people pay for things when in need, I know most people around here do anyway. Don't get me wrong, I feel for people in need just as anyone else does. But while everyone is looking across the oceans, I look around the corners right here at home. And trust me, their is plenty of need right here, that is if you want to see it. Thank you

 

[TBrennan]

Dude,



Breath in through your nose hold (count to three) exhale, repeat ten times.

 

[TSpecht]

Take a serious long hard look at China. Virtually any city you pick there (at least the decent sized ones) have construction going 24/7, and their private automobile ownership is going through the roof. Supply is limited by OPEC, and ultimately by the overall supply. In this case, China has an increased demand, and when you don't increase supply to counter the extra demand, guess what happens? (Hint: Something about prices going up)... And thanks to the extra demand they know we'll continue to pay the prices, or they can simply sell it to someone else who would. It's just simple economics. Price caps aren't the safest way to go either, since you remove some of the profit and may in the process remove suppliers, in which case you're really up a creek because the supply is lower than it was before the cap...



I'm surprised some people can't figure out that fuel prices aren't something many politicians like to touch on. It's just something that's not done, regardless which side of the aisle they sit on. I hardly think the only one responsible for inaction is Mr. Bush. If congress wanted to they could make Mr. Bush look particularly bad by loudly proclaiming they want to take measures to limit fuel prices, etc, and then slam him if he fails to approve it. They have more leverage than one would expect (even the minority party) and could at least bring the issue into peoples' minds. But notice, nobody is stepping forward to get the ball rolling. The national government is fairly out of touch with reality for most people (their retirement plans being seperate from social security is just one of the many things that reek of that). There needs to be significant reform on that front as well but that's a whole other discussion.



In my opinion, helping out the rest of the world is because the situations are usually the "either pay me now or pay me later" type, where it's usually harder to fix if you just let it go (think WWII and what would've happened the moment Germany left it's own borders)... This problem will never be completely solved short of killing everyone, but I bet it can be diminished. The budget is a problem but it would be a worse problem down the road by the time the situation would have required it.



In terms of the soldiers who have died in this conflict, I agree, it is terrible. But to put it in perspective in Detroit, one American city, nearly 400 Americans killed eachother last year. This is approximately 25% of the number who have died IN A COMBAT ZONE while trying to do something to make others' lives better. That is from one American city. Americans killing other Americans. I'd say we're doing fairly well considering more Americans have killed eachother in the past year than terrorists have killed Americans. Let me rephrase that, in no way are we doing well because of it. It's a shame really. The rest of the world kills less Americans than we do. But that is also a discussion for a different thread.



It probably won't help but writing to your congress critters probably works better than just complaining and not trying to do something... Although thanks to market forces, there's probably not a whole lot they can do anyhow...