Major trucker strike coming soon due to fuel costs.

[Todd Wilson]

 

What exactly should the politicians do about it? A better question is: what can they do about it? Other than grandstanding for the public there is really very little they can do. Oh, I guess they could clear the way for more refineries but that would require some foresight and they'd still have to convince some oil company to invest billions in building one (unlikely since the current approach is to mandate them out of existence). I'm wondering why our politicians don't spend more time doing their jobs instead of wasting taxpayer money on stuff like baseball and the price of gas/oil. If the truckers can't afford to drive then they should strike - but, as I am always telling my co-workers, solve the right problem. The cost of goods keeps rising so the money is going somewhere. If it isn't making it to the pockets of the driver then where did it stop in the chain?

Troy

The shortage of refineries doesnt fly. I am 1 1/2 hour driving distance from 2 CLOSED refineries in Kansas alone. The oil companies are simply gouging the price of fuel using the "supply and demand" story and the government wont let us build new refineries to increase output.  Exxon clearly stated in their big board meeting a month or so ago they are forecasting like 1.5% more fuel needed per year for the next 4 years and they clearly stated they are NOT going to increase production. If Mcdonalds said they are only going to make so many hambugers this year and we are gonna charge 10$ a piece fo them they would go broke. If AB said they are only gonna make so many cases of Bud Light per year and charge 75$ a case they would go broke.   The oil companies have something that everyone clearly needs to have for survival. No one in this country can go without energy of some sort unless you are homeless.  The governement screwed up by letting some of the oil companies merge creating just a few giants left with no real competition. Having oil as a comodity trading on wall street has really screwed things up. Lets go back to the old days and let the oil companies get their own oil and turn it into gasoline and sell to consumers.


The government has regulated electricity and they need to step in and regulate the other various  fuels. Natural Gas is way out of line as well as propane and diesel and fuel oils or bust up the giant companies. The government can do anything they want to do and if this country grinds to a halt and its on its way right now they will have no choice. If they decide to regulate some form of shipping price or haul price for the trucks so they can pay for this high dollar fuel is only gonna hurt things more. Everything the trucks haul will go up in price and people will start to do without so they can simply afford to pay to heat their homes or drive to work if they even have a job.

You want to see this country grow and go then the price of energy needs to get back down to a reasonable cost!


Todd

[TruckDriver]

You want to see this country grow and go then the price of energy needs to get back down to a reasonable cost!

Todd

My thoughts exactly.

Another thing people don't realize, is that what just happened to my Dad on Friday, could happen to any one of us here any day. My Dad, just lost his job (layed off) as a baker because the place he worked for can't afford all the employees due to the rising cost of fuel. Fuel that is for heating and baking, AND the delivery vans. Of course the rising price of flour didn't help either. This is the first time EVER he has been layed off in 50 years of baking! But, my dad said that they are now forced to raise the doughnut prices to .85 cents for a single doughnut to partially help cover the cost of fuel. I mean, think of this, they were selling them for .55 cents each 1 year ago. My dad's old boss told him that if this doesn't get better soon, they will have to close up completely as they are loosing customers because they don't wanna pay the higher needed prices. My dad is 65, and now has no idea how he will keep paying for their needed bills.

[Mike DC]

 
Cheaper energy = pipe dream.

There's a finite amount of resources on earth, and the number of buyers in the market is skyrocketing as Asia is developing.  So either we invent that "Mr Fusion" device on the trunk of the Back to the Future DeLorean, or else we pay more for oil for the rest of our lives.  It's pretty much that simple.

Every other specific issue we could possibly debate about gas & energy prices will eventually come back to this basic problem. 




Rising gas prices is a b*tch, but it's also the primary way we start accomodating for the future.  This problem is not going away.  We can put our effort into fighting it, or we can put our effort into changing to accomodate it. 

[69CoronetRT]

 

What exactly should the politicians do about it? A better question is: what can they do about it? Other than grandstanding for the public there is really very little they can do. Oh, I guess they could clear the way for more refineries but that would require some foresight and they'd still have to convince some oil company to invest billions in building one (unlikely since the current approach is to mandate them out of existence). I'm wondering why our politicians don't spend more time doing their jobs instead of wasting taxpayer money on stuff like baseball and the price of gas/oil. If the truckers can't afford to drive then they should strike - but, as I am always telling my co-workers, solve the right problem. The cost of goods keeps rising so the money is going somewhere. If it isn't making it to the pockets of the driver then where did it stop in the chain?

Troy

The government has regulated electricity and they need to step in and regulate the other various  fuels. Natural Gas is way out of line as well as propane and diesel and fuel oils or bust up the giant companies. The government can do anything they want to do and if this country grinds to a halt and its on its way right now they will have no choice. If they decide to regulate some form of shipping price or haul price for the trucks so they can pay for this high dollar fuel is only gonna hurt things more. Everything the trucks haul will go up in price and people will start to do without so they can simply afford to pay to heat their homes or drive to work if they even have a job.

You want to see this country grow and go then the price of energy needs to get back down to a reasonable cost!


Todd

Todd, the movement is to DE-regulate electricity not regulate it. (That's part of what caused the debacle in California a couple of years ago.) Natural gas was deregulated ~15-20 years ago. Don't expect re-regulation to come back anytime soon.

Energy prices will only go up.

Artificial price control by 'the government' is not the answer either.

The chickens are coming home to roost and people don't like it. Welcome to the real world folks.

Adapt, improvise and overcome.

[Todd Wilson]

 
Cheaper energy = pipe dream.

There's a finite amount of resources on earth, and the number of buyers in the market is skyrocketing as Asia is developing.  So either we invent that "Mr Fusion" device on the trunk of the Back to the Future DeLorean, or else we pay more for oil for the rest of our lives.  It's pretty much that simple.

Every other specific issue we could possibly debate about gas & energy prices will eventually come back to this basic problem. 




Rising gas prices is a b*tch, but it's also the primary way we start accomodating for the future.  This problem is not going away.  We can put our effort into fighting it, or we can put our effort into changing to accomodate it. 

Theres no shortage of oil.  Yes mother earth will run out some day but not in our lifetime. Sure Asia is growing and starting to demand more oil. Great! Thats more profit for the oil companies but to start gouging price is wrong.  Lets invest in our oil company and build more capacity and sell more gas. Every other company that wants to prosper and grow does it. We had one Mcdonalds in town here years ago and now we have 5. They didnt just keep 1 store and raise the price of a hamburger and said screw you.......you will pay the high price of the hamburger and thats the way it is. They increased their capacity and now are selling 5 stores worth of hamburgers now where before they couldnt have handled that much with one store. The oil company would get gasoline back down within reason I would drive my V8 Dodges more. I would go travel on some vacations and do more. Right now we putt the 2 4cyl cars around town as needed and thats it. There are no travel plans this year for us. I fill the Chargers and they will see local car show stuff but I seriously doubt there will be hours of cruising around with the windows down and the radio up every weekend like I used to do.


We will not see solar or a back to the future Mr Fusion car until oil is all gone.


Todd

[Todd Wilson]

You want to see this country grow and go then the price of energy needs to get back down to a reasonable cost!

Todd

My thoughts exactly.

Another thing people don't realize, is that what just happened to my Dad on Friday, could happen to any one of us here any day. My Dad, just lost his job (layed off) as a baker because the place he worked for can't afford all the employees due to the rising cost of fuel. Fuel that is for heating and baking, AND the delivery vans. Of course the rising price of flour didn't help either. This is the first time EVER he has been layed off in 50 years of baking! But, my dad said that they are now forced to raise the doughnut prices to .85 cents for a single doughnut to partially help cover the cost of fuel. I mean, think of this, they were selling them for .55 cents each 1 year ago. My dad's old boss told him that if this doesn't get better soon, they will have to close up completely as they are loosing customers because they don't wanna pay the higher needed prices. My dad is 65, and now has no idea how he will keep paying for their needed bills.

I feel sorry for your Dad. Theres the perfect example! None of us on this forum have to have a donut to live.  We all can go the rest of our lives never having a donut and all will be well.  But we have to have gas to go to jobs to earn money to live. We have to have energy in one form or another to keep warm in the winter so we dont freeze to death and die.


Todd

[Todd Wilson]

 

What exactly should the politicians do about it? A better question is: what can they do about it? Other than grandstanding for the public there is really very little they can do. Oh, I guess they could clear the way for more refineries but that would require some foresight and they'd still have to convince some oil company to invest billions in building one (unlikely since the current approach is to mandate them out of existence). I'm wondering why our politicians don't spend more time doing their jobs instead of wasting taxpayer money on stuff like baseball and the price of gas/oil. If the truckers can't afford to drive then they should strike - but, as I am always telling my co-workers, solve the right problem. The cost of goods keeps rising so the money is going somewhere. If it isn't making it to the pockets of the driver then where did it stop in the chain?

Troy

The government has regulated electricity and they need to step in and regulate the other various  fuels. Natural Gas is way out of line as well as propane and diesel and fuel oils or bust up the giant companies. The government can do anything they want to do and if this country grinds to a halt and its on its way right now they will have no choice. If they decide to regulate some form of shipping price or haul price for the trucks so they can pay for this high dollar fuel is only gonna hurt things more. Everything the trucks haul will go up in price and people will start to do without so they can simply afford to pay to heat their homes or drive to work if they even have a job.

You want to see this country grow and go then the price of energy needs to get back down to a reasonable cost!


Todd

Todd, the movement is to DE-regulate electricity not regulate it. (That's part of what caused the debacle in California a couple of years ago.) Natural gas was deregulated ~15-20 years ago. Don't expect re-regulation to come back anytime soon.

Energy prices will only go up.

Artificial price control by 'the government' is not the answer either.

The chickens are coming home to roost and people don't like it. Welcome to the real world folks.

Adapt, improvise and overcome.

And whats gonna happen when they deregulate electricty?  The power company will pull a price out of their backsides and thats what they will charge for electricty and you'll either be strapped to keep the lights on or sit in the dark.

As far as your Ca debacle is concerned  A few companies played games with buying and selling power to fill their pockets and it hurt the power companies out there from partial deregulation. I think Enron was one of the players that jacked around.  Our power plant in town here generates power by using natural gas. Since its unregulated now the power company at times is losing money generating power using natural gas. Thats why my railroad hauls tank cars of fuel oil into the plant for them to burn to keep thier costs down so they dont lose money. And from time to time the power company has to ask for an increase in price of electricty. And they do but they dont suddenly gouge the price because they can.


Todd

[Mike DC]

Theres no shortage of oil.  Yes mother earth will run out some day but not in our lifetime. Sure Asia is growing and starting to demand more oil. Great! Thats more profit for the oil companies but to start gouging price is wrong.  Lets invest in our oil company and build more capacity and sell more gas. Every other company that wants to prosper and grow does it.

Sorry but I just disagree with you on this.

It's not relevant when the world runs out of oil.  It's relevant when the world runs out of dirt-cheap oil.

-----------------------------------------------------------


The oil industry stands to make more money by selling more cheap oil, rather than selling less oil more expensively.


So, with record profits, why would somebody like Exxon NOT be building more infrastructure right now? 

Maybe because they're reading the tea leaves about the long-term situation, and they've decided that the US is never gonna burn a whole lot more oil per year than it already is.  The amount of cheap oil remaining in the earth, the demand changes from economic & population growth around the world, how much the US's current lifestyle & wealth patterns can possibly continue to expand at its current rate, etc.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------


I'm not open to any arguments about how the greenies or somebody like that is anti-business and keeping the oil industry from building more infrastructure. 

The oil industry is more powerful than God  in the halls of the US gov't.  (Think: for the last 50 years, the US gov't has actually cared at all about what's happening in the middle east.)  If the oil lobby wanted a new refinery or another pipeline very badly at all, then they would get it. 

If the oil lobby is not doing something, and real major long-term money is on the line, and they're blaming it on the greenies . . . then the greenies are just a bullsh*t excuse to hide their real reasoning. 

[Todd Wilson]

Theres no shortage of oil.  Yes mother earth will run out some day but not in our lifetime. Sure Asia is growing and starting to demand more oil. Great! Thats more profit for the oil companies but to start gouging price is wrong.  Lets invest in our oil company and build more capacity and sell more gas. Every other company that wants to prosper and grow does it.

Sorry but I just disagree with you on this.

It's not relevant when the world runs out of oil.  It's relevant when the world runs out of dirt-cheap oil.

-----------------------------------------------------------


The oil industry stands to make more money by selling more cheap oil, rather than selling less oil more expensively.


So, with record profits, why would somebody like Exxon NOT be building more infrastructure right now? 

Maybe because they're reading the tea leaves about the long-term situation, and they've decided that the US is never gonna burn a whole lot more oil per year than it already is.  The amount of cheap oil remaining in the earth, the demand changes from economic & population growth around the world, how much the US's current lifestyle & wealth patterns can possibly continue to expand at its current rate, etc.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------

If this country grinds to a halt. Serious recession or depression its a fact that not much gas will be bought as no one will have any $ to do it. Will the oil companies lower their price then or just keep it up at the gouged price?  The oil companies have an infrastructure in this country that is mind boggling. Closed refineries not producing that could be. Oil and gas pipelines all over the place. Theres several pipelines in Kansas that are no longer being used. They pump the crude to the refinery and out comes the gasoline and diesel. We have a refinery 30 miles north of here. A gasoline and diesel pipline that runs south. Our gas station trucks go to the terminal and hook up to the pipeline and fill their trucks and take it to the pump.



Todd

[Vainglory, Esq.]

Here's an interesting irony.  Government meddling in fuel economy, "alternative" energy funding, hybrid subsidies and tax credits, etc. is what is driving down expansion of capacity in refineries.  And you want the government to fix it?  It'll be putting a band-aid on a band-aid.  I have an idea of how it'll all work out: government forces expansion against the better judgment of the industry, oil prices drop, oil companies end up not being able to pay the bills, they get bailed out by the taxpayer, they change the laws to be even more restrictive than they used to be, and then the price goes up again, but even higher this time. 

Real smart.

[Mike DC]

Big oil is has allowed the price to rise beyond the point where we start cutting back on usage, and they're not investing in any more refinery capacity here either.

Q.  What does that say about our future oil usage prospects?

A.  It says that for whatever the reason, big oil does not see any more significant expansion of domestic US oil consumption in the long-term future.




Big oil would never willingly risk stalling the size of their long-term US customer base so much just for a few months/years of shorter-term gain.  The population is growing here, and the economy gains by burning oil. 

Q.  What else could put such a leash on the growth of our oil consumption? 

A.  In the future, the US population will just not have the wealth to continue oil consumption at this present rate.  We won't be able to buy as much relative to Asia's growing demand.
A.  In the future, the US govt will begin to curb usage & conserve more than they are doing right now.
A.  In the future, the manufacturing base of the US will continue to decline or at least not grow any more. 

 



Big oil is seeing a rain in the US's future.  So it is opening an umbrella. 

We're seeing them open up the umbrella, and then accusing them of causing the rain. 

 

[Lowprofile]

from   http://www.ooida.com/


OOIDA puts a face on the fuel crisis..........

'Truckers are consumers, too' It's no secret to truckers that the cost of fuel has an impact on the cost of everything, but mainstream media and the general public sometimes have trouble connecting those dots.

In an attempt to help American consumers understand that truckers are also currently in crisis because of fuel prices and the economic downturn, OOIDA is taking a simple but direct message to the streets: "Don't blame truckers for rising costs at store shelves."

In a news release distributed nationally on Friday, March 28, leaders of the Owner-Operator Independent Drivers Association came directly to the point.

"The rising costs of food and other goods caused by diesel fuel price hikes should not be laid at the feet of independent truckers," the news release stated.

The release explains how fuel surcharges are being collected but not being passed along 100 percent to the truckers who are actually paying for the fuel. Click here to read the complete OOIDA message.

In addition to raising public awareness about the difficulties truckers currently face, OOIDA leaders and staff are also fielding dozens of media inquiries every day about whether drivers will strike. The media also want to know what impact a strike would have on the price of diesel and the prices of the products that are delivered by trucks, which are fueled with that diesel.

"We are repeatedly asked by the media if a strike will have an impact and so we remind them that it's not just about one day, or one week; it's about the longer term if diesel prices do not change. Truckers are consumers, too," said Norita Taylor, OOIDA media spokesperson.

Truckers themselves are also speaking out about the situation. Here are excerpts from comments received at Land Line this week.

"I, for one, don't think the shutdown will work either. It never has before," wrote Eileen. "If truckers would just refuse to haul cheap freight, we would all be better off."


"Brokers will not disclose how much they are being paid on the load or how much of a fuel surcharge they are receiving. When we ask we are told the load is covered, wrote Misti. "So we can urge the brokers all we want, but it will not change their practices. All we can do as owner-operators is not take a load unless it pays. That is the bottom line. As far as staying compliant, until shippers and receivers respect truck drivers and are held accountable for delaying loading and unloading, most drivers will never be able to run compliant."
"I heard a lot about April 1, that truckers are going to shut down for a few days. I know OOIDA cannot encourage a strike, and I'm just not sure if there is any one person or organization that is backing this up," wrote Carl. "I think it's about time we all go ahead and voice our opinions. I notice on the load boards there are still a lot of brokers trying to move freight at $1 a mile. What is it going to take?"


"I am not asking OOIDA to sanction a strike. ... We need to get more drivers involved. If there were more drivers writing letters and contacting their reps and congressmen in Washington we might be heard," wrote Bobby.
OOIDA leaders say that while the Association cannot legally support a strike, it can and does support individual truckers. The Association also encourages individual truckers to contact their lawmakers now about the fuel situation.

"We do not tell our members what to do; instead, they inform us of what they ARE doing and we support their decisions," said Todd Spencer, OOIDA executive vice president.

Spencer said that truckers need to make it known to their elected officials that they are being exploited in the current fuel situation and that action needs to be taken to change the industry.

"Lawmakers need to know what's going on in trucking, how devastating this record hike in fuel prices is for 90 percent of the nation's fleet," added Spencer.

"There is a disproportionate burden being placed on small-business owners who are truck drivers because they depend upon diesel to run their businesses. If diesel is the lifeblood of ground transportation, then truckers are the heart. And many are in need of life support."

OOIDA would like Congress to enact legislation mandating 100 percent pass-through of fuel surcharges and full transparency in those transactions.

– Coral Beach, staff editor
coral_beach@landlinemag.com

[hemihead]

No matter what happens in the world , the oil companies or the paper pushers on Wall Street will find a reason to drive up prices . Nobody cares about anyone or anything but themselves and their bank accounts . People today are more greedy than any generation America has ever seen . I hate to say it but maybe we do need another Depression .

[69charger2002]

the greed of this generation being like no other.. man i couldn't agree more. it's gotten pregressively more noticeable just in my lifetime.. and i'm 30
trav

[Khyron]

naaa, we need another Civil war is what we need.

[Vainglory, Esq.]

The hard data doesn't bear out the idea that we're getting greedier.  We as a society have more than ever and we give more than ever.  My guess?  We're all just more jealous.  Sound familiar?

[Mike DC]

 
We only "have more than ever" in some ways.  Not in others.

I think most of the ways we measure how well we're doing as a society are biased to make us sound better off.  Certainly in material things. 

[Todd Wilson]

No matter what happens in the world , the oil companies or the paper pushers on Wall Street will find a reason to drive up prices . Nobody cares about anyone or anything but themselves and their bank accounts . People today are more greedy than any generation America has ever seen . I hate to say it but maybe we do need another Depression .

Sad to say it but I agree. Let some billionaires take a tumble like they did back during the depression.


Todd

[Todd Wilson]

naaa, we need another Civil war is what we need.

YEAH!  I am ready for it!


Todd

[hemihead]

The hard data doesn't bear out the idea that we're getting greedier.  We as a society have more than ever and we give more than ever.  My guess?  We're all just more jealous.  Sound familiar?

Yeah but give to who ? We give to a bunch of ingrate foreign countries who tell us " Americans go home . we hate you ! " after they have bled us dry . Meanwhile there are people in this country in need . Prime example is the people that get flown into ths country for expensive operations , all paid for . But people that are citizens don't get squat . Isn't it time we take care of the citizens of this country first . All the other countries of the world do .

[Brock Samson]

ATA Airlines went belly up this AM, ticket holders were given a list of other airlines that fly to the same destinations and left holding worthless tickets... again, because of fuel prices...

[TruckDriver]

I saw that too. You have to wonder how many more to follow now.

[PocketThunder]

I sometimes try to imagine what life was like before discovery of Drakes well in Titusville, PA on August 27th, 1859. 

[Charger_Fan]

I sometimes try to imagine what life was like before discovery of Drakes well in Titusville, PA on August 27th, 1859. 

That's easy...




Finding that pic made me realize something...the Amish are about the only ones who will be affected the very least if the USA is brought to it's knees. They will be pointing & laughing instead.    

[PocketThunder]

I sometimes try to imagine what life was like before discovery of Drakes well in Titusville, PA on August 27th, 1859. 

That's easy...

Finding that pic made me realize something...the Amish are about the only ones who will be affected the very least if the USA is brought to it's knees. They will be pointing & laughing instead.    

Oh they will feel the heat when nobody has money to shop at the omish made furniture stores!