With high cost of diesel, let's park them

[Grizzly]

With high cost of diesel, let's park our trucks

I like to know if most of us would be willing to park our trucks and our RV for two months. I realise that many of you can't do such a thing because you depend on you trucks in your business or transportation to and from work. I can do it because I'm semi retired and I have an economical car to drive. If 50% of us can do such a thing for two months, what impact would it do to the oil companies. If a lot of you think this idea had merit, we can talk to the dieselstop.com and whatever Chevy web site. We can pick a starting date and pass the word on. Big problem is that a lot of Dodge/Cummins owners don't belong to TDR and we can't ask the Dealers for help in spreading the word because they are in business to sell trucks. Grizzly

 

[Tony T.]

My RV TT has not moved from under the awning since Aug 2004,thats the last time we went camping. Heck it still has the RV anti-freeze in the lines from last winter. Partly due to a wreck my wife had in March 2003,she just does not feel like going as much. We use to go camping at least a couple times a month up until her wreck. Now since she can't work it's down to one income, and the way fuel prices are these days our fun time is pretty limited anymore. So I feel like I in away have already parked mine. Anyway I have to have it to get back and fourth to work, but here lately have considered asking my uncle to start car pooling again, that way it would be parked for two-weeks every month.



Tony

 

[jnelson]

"Today, the country's total refining capacity is almost 10% lower than in 1981. In the same period damand for gasoline has increased 40%. " Aug-Sept 05 OOIDA Magazine page 24.



The problem is that US oil companies export millons of gallons of deisel to Europe. We may be paying $2. 50 per gallon but their paying $1. 50 per litre. Do the math. If we dont buy it, they'll sell to Europe.



The only way there will ever be a change is if the big trucking companies (JB, Schneider, Swift) along with a few million owner operators (such as myself) go on strike. Then nobodies getting nothing.



Guess what? Did ya'll know that gas (natural gas) is up to $9. 00 /100 cuft. When winter gets here and its up to 12. 00 > get ready!! It's gonna be an exspensive winter.

 

[DBentley]

I got so much time and $$ in this clunker (with a great motor) I have to use it up cause it aint going to be worth crap when decide to get rid of it. Wish i could park it.

 

[Jeff H]

A shippers strike would definatly shake things up! But can families afford that? I would totally support them if they did strike!!

If every body wen't out this week and bought a vehicle that got 40 mpg. The price of gas would still not change. Opec oil companies set there price.

 

[I-6DZL]

The only problem with going on strike is



once the oil companies lower prices people will drive more again... ... .



once people drive more again



oil companies will raise prices that very instant, maybe even higher than before



I would just rather pay the money and cry later, let the world work out it's frustration. It's not only gas/fuel prices that people are pissin and moanin about, it's the whole damn economy. It really sucks.



Curtis

 

[Nyoest]

The economy sucks but times have changed as well. I remember when people didn't think something was fair, just or right they would get off their duff and do something. Trucks clogging the interstate at 5 mph,Farm Tractors as well. They would write letters to their Congressmen and Senators and do everything they could to not use any more fuel than absolutely nesisary. Maybe next election we can get another Texas oil man so we can see $6. 00 a gallon



rant off.



My truck is parked indefinitely.

 

[RoryTek]

My truck is also parked with fuel over $3, going on two weeks now.

 

[Casey Ray]

Last week started by me parking the truck because diesel hit $3. 29/gal in my town. That boycot by me lasted a total of 2 whole days. I know what a person addicted to drugs must feel like trying to quit. Guess I'm going to have to join Diesels Anonymous and get on a 12 step program.



Casey

 

[SHobbs]

I work for Union Pacific RR, they go through 1 billion gal of diesel a year, woyld be nice to see them shut down for 2 weeks. Pipe dream I know.

 

[Nate]

My truck is my econmical vehicle.

 

[JUeckert]

im a small construction buisness owner,the fuel prices[changing everyday] are killing me. i would be willing to shut down for a whole week and just sit at home. yep i would loose a little money,but the way i figure the long term savings would more than make up for it with the amount of fuel i have to buy. but to get results the country has to make a effort,esp the truckers. oil makes this country go round,the increased prices are makeing every thing but a mans wages go up,things are getting to far out of balance and the little guy will be hit the hardest. read somewhere that over 500 small trucking outfits have gone under since the first of the year,really sad. just the otherday i was in the local lowes,fellow working in the plumbing dept was telling me he has been selling lots of 5 to 6ft lengths of 3/8 hose because he is out of the little factory made siphon made hoses ,he said up till about a month ago he hardly sold any of the premade hoses,maybe one a month. local paper is also reprting fuel thieft on construction and logging sites, its gettin uglyier...

 

[tractorface]

We need to start getting the Bio-diesel thing going. Not sure how to do that, but I would think if the production went way up the cost would come down significantly. Why could we not get say $1. 95 Bio and not even have to worry about the low sulpher BS. Some oil folks must be keeping this down on purpose.

 

[KBennett]

Like Tony T, we have cut our camping way back this year. Most of it has to do with the move but it also has to do with the price of fuel. Last year at this time we went camping six times, this year only once.



I went out and bought a VW TDI Beetle that averages 45+ MPG. That's twice as much as the truck gets.



I am going to build a biodiesel plant when I get settled in Utah and run 20% in my diesels. It a small dent but it's still a dent

 

[Headshot zod]

how about not using petro at all (weather permitting) and using biodiesel and or new or used veggie oil.

 

[Nightram]

The fuel/gas thing does suck. No matter how you look at people, people have to have fuel/gas. As a country, we have become way too dependant on easy things, and driving is much easier than the hassle of public transportation, or riding a bike, or (ughhh!) walking! I think the heads of the petroleum industries just sit back and laugh at us and how we complain but keep coming back for more!

 

[cannongeorge]

Diesel Fuel Costs - Too High!

In Southern California, last week a local refinery in the Los Angeles area posted a record-high "Crack differential" of $28. 00 per barrel. This represents the differential cost between money it takes to refine a barrel of crude and the actual sales of what could be realized. Somebody is getting enormous profit... .



Lack of competition is part of the equation. In the 1980's, we had 30 refineries in Califonria. Now, we have only 5 or 6 left in the LA area. Also, the California refineries also supply NV, OR, and AZ; states which lack refining capacity. And then figure impact of low sulfur diesel (unique to CA) and Oxyengated fuels (also unique to CA). Finally, "NIMBY" attitudes have all but cancelled LA area projects to add things like more gasoline storage tanks, loading racks, pipelines, etc.



I always though diesel was cheaper to refine than gasoline. But price jumps this past week make me wonder.....



Tractorface, Kbennett, are right. I would love to see somebody push an alternative source for biodiesel in this area. The POLA and POLB generate a lot of truck traffic, somebody ought to cash in on this somehow...

 

[FATCAT]

I have all but parked my truck and drive my Jetta TDI everywhere.



Its interesting that no one is talking about an "oil shortage" ... which is usually the case when the prices go up this much. This time it "demand" that is up that is the "reason". Like the bull about China using up the oil, then about a month ago China admitted that they over estimated how much oil they were using by some huge figure. Yet I only read one story about that on FoxNews.com. You'd figure that the oil traders would drop the price per barrel on that news ... but no that story was hussed up. I remember there was terrorism and oil refinery shut downs and fires at refineries and such back in the mid to late '90's, but the per/gal price was below a $1!



I have to think there is collusion going on between the oil traders, oil companies, and gov't (EPA) to keep oil high. Traders and companies make record profits and people are "forced" into buying small cars and even hybreads (sp. ) which is what the EPA wants. (oh ... also the EPA making it almost impossible for new refineries to be build or existing ones to be modernized is another twist).



Bill Buckley has a good artical at http://www.nationalreview.com/buckley/wfb200508121447.asp

about how people will begin to "brown bad" lunches now to save a buck and how this will ripple through the economy and lead to a recession due to the high energy prices.



And by the way, the economy is doing pretty good right now despite the high energy prices (deficite is falling like a rock and tax receipts are buldging) ... for now that is.

 

[cannongeorge]

FATCAT:

Yes. As of today, there is not an oil shortage. But commodity brokers are pointing to China, Indonesia and India and reason to jack futures. And not enough strong rebuttal arguements to offset price hikes. And yes, adding any more refining capacity to CA is pretty much out of bounds. (Environmental concerns). It is only a matter of a few days before truckers (operating out of POLA and POLB) start to jack their transportation costs to cover their diesel fuel costs. We may see an intersting fight develop between cost of diesel (truckers) and cost of gasoline (everybody else).



I hope I am worng...

 

[Grizzly]

Well, I'm trying to think of some way to beat the high cost of fuel gouging and that the best I can come up with. Park them big bad diesels. Mine's parked.