Truckers call for strike

[philamena]

I wish the truckers good luck with the strike.:clap:
I hope and pray the strike has some impact on our ridiculous gas prices.

 

[christine2448]

No striking here, yet, we have 21 loads booked today and already have 8 booked for tomorrow, I'm sure it will fill up.

 

[csds703]

No striking here, yet, we have 21 loads booked today and already have 8 booked for tomorrow, I'm sure it will fill up.

None of my truckers are striking either. I am hearing about slowdowns though.

 

[Trino]

If I'm understanding what I've been reading correctly, it is fairly common practice to basically try to screw the (independent) truck drivers as they try to make their way back home, by offering them sub-standard rates for loads, knowing the drivers have to get back home.

Anyone please feel free to correct me if I'm mistaken. I've read quite a few articles but am definitely no expert. Just my take on it.

My son works for a brokerage firm, which is your reference. I don't think it's called "screwing" truckers because they negotiate with people like my son. Here's the scenario. A trucker need a return load. He calls my son's company. (The company gets a "take.") My son negotiates the price and tells the trucker where to get the load. He, too, gets a "take," based on the negotiation. Honestly, my son is one of the good guys who doesn't always get what he probably could get.

If it weren't for this company and my son, the trucker would have no return load, but I don't think it screws truckers, since they negotiate. Some companies sign a contract, too. As you know, contracts can become outdated, i.e. the price of gas has gone up.

 

[christine2448]

None of my truckers are striking either. I am hearing about slowdowns though.

Ahh, thanks. I heard on radio this morning those that aren't stricking are going to go 45mph??

What is being effected?

 

[christine2448]

My son works for a brokerage firm, which is your reference. I don't think it's called "screwing" truckers because they negotiate with people like my son. Here's the scenario. A trucker need a return load. He calls my son's company. (The company gets a "take.") My son negotiates the price and tells the trucker where to get the load. He, too, gets a "take," based on the negotiation. Honestly, my son is one of the good guys who doesn't always get what he probably could get.

If it weren't for this company and my son, the trucker would have no return load, but I don't think it screws truckers, since they negotiate. Some companies sign a contract, too. As you know, contracts can become outdated, i.e. the price of gas has gone up.

I also am with a brokerage. We definitely help more than we 'screw' these drivers. We give 1/2 load in advance, we pay with proof of delivery before we even invoice! We have awards for quick pay and we also help get up and back loads for truckers...we give our truckers ALL fuel charge we get and all lumper fees, we only take cut of the flat rate, 10%.

 

[Trino]

It could very well be the same company that my son works for. I don't know exact details.

 

[c2cd208]

I don't necessarily mean a breed, just that they own their own trucks, pay their own insurance, etc. They definitely would suffer more than company truckers.

LOL, you tagged it right. We are a different breed! It takes a special team of people to properly operate independently. "Breed" is probably the best thing I have heard us called! lol We will not get into the naem calling game but I do get a good laugh out of it and a lot of heated stimulated conversation.

Someone asked about what it would do to others in the industry, well here is my side of what is happening right now. Yesterday my phones were pretty quiet. Today I am recieving 10+ calls an hour fom brokers and freight forwarders begging me to haul loads. I tell them were on strike but if they really need it hauled it will cost them. A lot of us are saying and doing the same. The brokes and freight forwarders are not being able to move the frieght, which means that they do not make money, because its all based on percentages. If they are not able to get the loads moved and the company makes no money the companies that are brokering or forwarding freight will be forced to offer better rates or get out of business. Yes, our refusal to move the trucks will create a chain reaction that will affect a lot of people, but you see, we have been eating it for years and were to the point where we have ZERO to little profit. But we can not be expected to keep sucking it up, that would be like asking someone to take a $3 an hour pay CUT. That paired with the fact that prices for everything are on the rise and risen, would really hurt the people who do not drive rigs for a living, it would open some more eyes and more people would be right there with us! I am trying to dance around this conversation as lightly as I can without russing up any hatred and anger, as it is very near and dear to me. It is going to take the regular working folks to protest with us in order for it to change for all of us.

 

[christine2448]

It could very well be the same company that my son works for. I don't know exact details.

We are very small, although, multimillion $$, there are 5 of us, 3 dispatchers (2 are the owners) safety director, and me in accounting. Opened in 1954....still going incredibly strong, considering.

 

[csds703]

Ahh, thanks. I heard on radio this morning those that aren't stricking are going to go 45mph??

What is being effected?

I haven't had an freight issues yet, even on my guaranteed deliveries.
The biggest problem we are having is with the rail. In some cases it is cheaper to go over the road.

 

[Glow]

Well, the national debt didn't stop congress from passing a totally unnecessary bill to give a tax stimulus rebate to almost all Americans, did it?

IMO, this trucking fuel crisis has the potential to have a much more adverse effect on the economy, than Americans not getting $300 on up, in an effort to 'stimulate' the economy, which estimated at $156 Billion, borrowed from China. (IOW, I would rather have seen the money go to a fuel assistance package for the Independent Truckers!)

These independent truckers not only have to pay these exhorbitant prices for their fuel, but they take another hit as a consumer, just like the rest of us.

Truckers should totally refuse to take loads that do not pay them a decent and profitable wage, which would cover the (high costs of) maintenance on their rigs, as well as all their other trucking related expenses.

Just my opinion.

Hi Liz,
Was the money to be given back to tax payers really borrowed from China? I did not know that!

 

[c2cd208]

We are very small, although, multimillion $$, there are 5 of us, 3 dispatchers (2 are the owners) safety director, and me in accounting. Opened in 1954....still going incredibly strong, considering.

Christine, we pushed well over a million last year as a small owner operator company, its not about the total braught in, its what is costs the owner operators to operate. Think about this were averaging 6.3 MPG, if were getting say $2.25 a mile, That would be equal to $14.17 that we took in for each gallon of fuel. Say fuel is $4 a gallon, that brings it down to $10.17 we take for a gallon of fuel. Sounds like a lot right? OK then there is $1500-$2500 a month truck payment, yeah we pay $135,000+ for a rig and have to pay it off in 36-48 months. Also we have insurance of $1000+ a month per truck, trailer and cargo. Trailer payments are running $800+ a month, then we have to service our rigs every three weeks. We cant just pull into Wal Mart of Jiffy lube and get a 30 minute $20 oil change, its costs us $300 each time we pull to that bay. One tire for the steers on the truck costs us $500, you cant just replace one, you have to replace them both at the same time to get more miles out of them so thats $1000 for steer tires alone every 80,000 miles, which the average truck rolls 134,000 miles a year so almost twice a year we spend $1000 for steer tires. The drive tires, we have to have 8 of those and we give $400 each for those. Plus we pay taxes to run the roads called IFTA tax which comes to a couple hundred a quarter per truck. Lor forbid you blow a turbo, a hose, a belt, spring an oil leak, crack a bushing, guess what truck shops get per hour? $85 just for labor and also they charge for the parts, and got the use of materials, they call is shop supplies. Have to have a tow truck on the side of the road or service truck? Thats $200 just for them to come out there even if they cant help you. This is the problem, all these little things add up. Then we have to have phone line after phone line, fax machine, software, load boards, ink, postage, internet, electric, water, and I could go on and on with the list, but the fact is that mere $14.17 just went to hell, that is the cost to operate, much less have any money to live on for our own families. I am glad to hear that someone is doing good, but you have to stop and look, your company does not have the same overhead that we have. Its the small guys like us that just keep taking a screwing. Do not tell a broker that you are from Tennessee and are looking at a load that he or she has that is going back to Tennesee, they will work harder to make more on their end and get the trucker to do it cheaper because they know he wants to take that load to go home with. I for one am dilligent as hell when it comes to negotiating rates, however, you need to take a look at OOIDA's website. Your company may very well be honest, however, I personally have had 4 loads I have hauled this year alone that I can not get paid on and it takes manpower to beg to get paid, you may pay fast, but not everyone does, and yes we credit check. Christine, when it comes out of your own pocket you account for every penny, and were to the point we do not have a penny to count. I am sure there are things that go on behind the scenes even in your brokerage office that you are not aware of. BTW, I used to broker, and when I did, I was honest and forthcoming about what I was getting paid and would provide proof to show that I was in fact only taking 10% of the load. Not all brokers are that honest.

 

[christine2448]

I understand the income/expense, I do all of our accounting for the trucks we lease to 10 owner operators and own 2 trucks ourselves and for 20-30 loads we broker per day. So we do have the expense of maintianing our own trucks/trailers (reefer)...we do have just as much if not MORE overhead then you....we have an office, also have a fax and 8 lines we have to pay for, high speed internet, DAT, ITS, taxes, insurance, WC, salaries, full benefits, 401K, I could go and and on, so we are experiencing the same as you...I guess the years of experience has made it run smoothly here, every month we turn profit...except maybe May-July...sometimes we break even or are a little under because we have to pay more $$ then we make to keep our customers happy at the hardest time to get trucks for us.

There is nothing that can go on here I don't know about. Our guys are the best and go out of their way...I understand that they are all not like us, we are told that daily. The truckers that haul for us have been pretty much the same 'crowd' for over 50 yrs.

Seems like you didn't pick the right business to get into? Maybe you should be brokering? Or, there has to be a smarter way to do it? Not sure, but I sure hope you can figure it out, you seem very frustrated, and I hate that you are struggling. So awesome to get out there and try to make it like you are, I'm so sorry you are having to deal with the downs of it right now.

 

[philamena]

We are very small, although, multimillion $$, there are 5 of us, 3 dispatchers (2 are the owners) safety director, and me in accounting. Opened in 1954....still going incredibly strong, considering.

Sounds like you need to run for office and get this mess straightened out.

 

[christine2448]

Sounds like you need to run for office and get this mess straightened out.

LOL! I'd be better than the 3 that are being looked at! :crazy:

 

[Liz]

My son works for a brokerage firm, which is your reference. I don't think it's called "screwing" truckers because they negotiate with people like my son. Here's the scenario. A trucker need a return load. He calls my son's company. (The company gets a "take.") My son negotiates the price and tells the trucker where to get the load. He, too, gets a "take," based on the negotiation. Honestly, my son is one of the good guys who doesn't always get what he probably could get.

If it weren't for this company and my son, the trucker would have no return load, but I don't think it screws truckers, since they negotiate. Some companies sign a contract, too. As you know, contracts can become outdated, i.e. the price of gas has gone up.

I apologize if you took offense to my rather poor choice of words, Trino. I didn't mean to imply that all the brokerage firms "take advantage" (better choice, I hope?) of the truckers; but it was my perception that it is a fairly common practice, from what I'd read. (Not saying they all do it, though.)

I realize that the brokers are the middleman, and they also need to make a profit in order to keep their businesses afloat, too.

Again, I apologize for any misunderstanding and for the poor choice of wording.

 

[Liz]

I also am with a brokerage. We definitely help more than we 'screw' these drivers. We give 1/2 load in advance, we pay with proof of delivery before we even invoice! We have awards for quick pay and we also help get up and back loads for truckers...we give our truckers ALL fuel charge we get and all lumper fees, we only take cut of the flat rate, 10%.

My apologies to you, too, Christine. (Please read my previous to Trino.)

I really used a poor choice of words! And, apparently it's not true of all the trucking brokerages! Please accept my apologies, if you took offense.

Sounds like you work for one of the "good 'uns", too!

 

[christine2448]

My apologies to you, too, Christine. (Please read my previous to Trino.)

I really used a poor choice of words! And, apparently it's not true of all the trucking brokerages! Please accept my apologies, if you took offense.

Sounds like you work for one of the "good 'uns", too!

Fortunately I do work for one of the good 'uns....I hear there aren't many, so you and c2c may be very valid in your thinking....no worries :blowkiss:

 

[Liz]

LOL, you tagged it right. We are a different breed! It takes a special team of people to properly operate independently. "Breed" is probably the best thing I have heard us called! lol

Well darn, c2cd208! I stand corrected! Again! :blushing:

 

[Liz]

Fortunately I do work for one of the good 'uns....I hear there aren't many, so you and c2c may be very valid in your thinking....no worries :blowkiss:

Thanks!

I *know* you do, Christine! I remember well your "Christmas story" from a couple (few?) years back! Brought me to tears! You definitely do!