>> Posted: 08 May 2008 by george wilkins at 3:00 PM
Idling Guide Available
The American Transportation Research Institute recently published a free quick reference card that can be used to remain knowledgeable about idling restrictions in various states and cities. It can be quickly downloaded and kept in the cab for a quick reference. It is is available here.
Interestingly, among those on the Board of Directors of ATRI is Mike Card who recently represented ATA and testified before the House Subcommittee on Highways and Transit which was addressing fuel surcharges and other topics of concern to the trucking industry. Card is an officer of Combined Transport Inc., a family owned trucking business located in Oregon.
Representative Peter De Fazio (D), Oregon who chaired the Subcommittee represents the 4th Congressional District which is home to Combined Transport Inc.
>> Posted: 08 May 2008 by george wilkins at 10:42 AM
Diesel Fuel Prices Subcommittee Hearing
TruckerToTrucker watched every minute of the 4 hour Subcommittee Meeting Chaired by Rep. Peter DeFazio, D-OR. One had to be impressed by DeFazio's sharp questioning of witnesses and one can surmise that the committee will favor passage of the TRUCC Act known as H.R.5934 in the House and S 2910 in the Senate.
Mr. Todd Spencer representing OOIDA was impressive and members can be assured that with a individual of this caliber representing them, that they are getting great value. His anecdotal story about a trucker receiving only $600 from a broker when the load paid over $1400 was impressive and should be instructive to all truckers to let others know about their difficulties as it can change the way business in conducted. Spencer used a number of statistics to illustrate the plight of the independent trucker. Among those were;
935 companies with 5 or more trucks have gone out of business this year..
96% of trucking companies have 20 or less trucks and 86% have 6 or less trucks.
Spencer was asked a variety of questions and was authoritative and knowledgeable. He said that the average trucker has about as much leverage with a broker as a “guy at a payday loan shop.”
Opposing the TRUCC Act was Robert Voltmann, President of the Transportation Intermediaries Association (TIA) which represents brokers. He stated that all fuel surcharges are being passed on to truckers and that the TRUCC Act was not necessary. He suggested that a “freight recession” was responsible for the demise of so many small truck companies. Clearly he was unable to articulate a rational position to oppose the TRUCC Act.
Another witness at the hearing was Michael Card representing the ATA. He also owns a family trucking company that controls approximately 500 trucks. He supported the TRUCC Act and presented several other suggestions to the committee to save fuel. He supported the use of APU's to reduce idling time and suggested the 12% federal excise tax on the APU's be eliminated in an attempt to reduce the cost for the small independent company or owner/operator. He also suggested that the speed limit should be reduced to 55mph (note 1:this may have been 65 mph- see comments below- the tape will be viewed again to ascertain the exact speed that was quoted and the context of the remarks) (Note 2: I regret the error - he said 65 mph - he did refer to the earlier fuel crisis in the 70's when the speed was reduced at that time to 55 mph). Finally, he stressed that the EPA Smartway program could be improved.
TruckerToTrucker urges all to contact their Senator or Representative and request their support for the TRUCC Act. This is vital legislation that will help all.
>> Posted: 08 May 2008 by marc hess at 5:38 AM
I titled this post, "Off the beaten path" because I came across something that I found to be a really good read, but it has NOTHING to do with truckinig  So, I hope that if you are a NASCAR FAN and a Dale Earnhardt fan in particular, you will enjoy this read. Just something to take our minds off the day to day of high fuel prices and all the other crap we deal with on a daily basis.
http://sports.espn.go.com/espnmag/story?id=3382132&lpos=spotlight&lid=tab2pos1
Marc Hess
MHC Truck Source - Kansas City
www.besttruckskc.com
>> Posted: 06 May 2008 by george wilkins at 5:58 AM
Diesel Fuel Legislative Happenings
The Subcommittee on Highways and Transit is scheduled to meet on Tuesday, May 6, 2008, at 10:00 AM to receive testimony on the causes of rising diesel fuel costs and the impact of this trend on the trucking industry. The Subcommittee will also examine the relationship among motor carriers, brokers, shippers, and independent drivers with respect to setting and collecting fuel surcharges.
This hearing will be conducted live on C-SPAN 3 at 10 am and is scheduled to be rebroadcast at 2 pm today.
The summary of the subject matter to be discussed can be found here.
A few highlights that all are familiar with from that summary include the following statements;
Trucking fuel surcharges are not fixed and not regulated by any Federal entity. In contrast the Surface Transportation Board determines the reasonableness of fuel surcharges assessed in the rail industry. (Note: OOIDA does provide guidance on how owners-operators can apply the fuel surcharge. It can be found here. )
Independent truck drivers contend that they do not control whether a broker is charging for the rising cost of fuel; the amount of the surcharge; or whether the surcharge is specifically itemized in the rate agreed to by the shipper (as opposed to just a flat increase of the charge for the load). These drivers argue that lack of disclosure requirements makes it difficult to verify whether the fuel surcharge is being passed on to those that are paying the higher price at the pump.
This hearing is the result of action to implement the TRUCC Act. TruckerToTrucker will be monitoring and reporting on the activities of this Subcommittee. Stay tuned for details and let us know your thinking.
>> Posted: 05 May 2008 by keep on truckin' at 5:56 PM
Click and ticket! Your next ticket might come from the 'puter posse. More cities and states are turning to surveillance cameras to nab speeders and red light-runners. Called "photo-enforcement technology," the strategically placed cameras catch you red-handed, taking a picture of your license plate as you speed through the intersection or down the highway. The ticket arrives some weeks later in the mail, long after you've already forgotten that little infraction you thought you got away with.
>> Posted: 04 May 2008 by george wilkins at 11:48 AM
Do People Care About You?
I like to think that we care about each other, but sometimes I'm not sure. I know when disaster strikes, Americans send money to others, sometimes millions of dollars. The 9-11 disaster, Hurricane Katrina, the Virginia Tech killings immediately come to mind. Millions of dollars are donated to churches every week, ostensibly to help others. But what about day-to-day activities?
If I lose my job, will my neighbors give me money? I know they will say they are sorry it happened, but what else can I expect? I will get advice, some sympathy, perhaps a job reference, but not much else. Should I expect help?
The trucking industry, particularly small operators and independents are experiencing economic difficulty to say the least. So who cares? There are some initiatives that will help – the possible fuel tax holiday, the TRUCC Act, the OOU, and the OOIDA will push for changes to provide a level playing field for competition, but I can't see much else happening. The truck shutdown and a number of stories on television and in the press have focused some attention on the issue, but the average American outside of the trucking industry is largely unaffected and unaware of any difficulties and even if they were – what can we expect them to do?
An illustration about Wal-Mart might shed some light on the issue. Americans are concerned about job losses, but Wal-Mart makes millions of dollars by offering inexpensive goods made overseas and Americans flock to their doors. So the short answer to what can be expected in the trucking industry is not much. Perhaps the question that needs to be addressed is what can we do?
The answer is not particularly appealing. Try to survive by actively supporting organizations that have your interests in mind, support legislative initiatives on the local and national level that will help, look for innovative ways to provide services, cut your costs wherever you can and stay actively abreast of industry news that might provide a worthwhile suggestion or idea.
This article is really a follow-on to a previous comment here. In looking about for what is possible, I read some articles by Walter Williams, an economist at George Mason University. He writes in a manner that is easy to understand and presents the economic picture in realistic terms. He wrote an article titled “Do People Care” which was the basis for my ramblings. His article ends, “how you make it in this world, for the most part, depends more on what you do as opposed to whether people like or dislike you. In order to produce a successful life, one must find ways to please his fellow man. That is, find out what goods and services his fellow man values, and is willing to pay for, and then acquire the necessary skills and education to provide it. Whether your fellow man cares about you or not is largely irrelevant.”
Those are some tough words. I fear they may be true.
>> Posted: 04 May 2008 by danielaudet at 10:35 AM
"On the Road" with the original florida kid
Hello again fellow truckstars! It's Week 33 and......
......you're on the road with the original florida kid.....
Grandma, Barbie, Pup the wonder dog and the whole gang here at the ranch say a big cowboy howdy "HEY!"
KITCHEN TABLE TALKIN'- Alright, so, I'm not sure where we're at with the nationwide shut down, I haven't heard much lately, it's kind of gettin' skimmed over in the headlines but there are still pockets of activity across the country. I wonder where our radio heroes have been in all this.........probably afraid of repercussions from their employers and sponsors and waiting to see which way the wind blows so they can jump on the big gravy train and act like they were there all along.....hmmmmm....someone(that means us) needs to keep this in the headlines and try to get some organization rolling. Truckers started it and truckers need to(as usual....) lead the way, and believe me when I tell you the Public is WITH US ON THIS ONE - GOT IT???? I know the public,(and by public I mean yours and mine next door neighbors, including the little old lady down the street whose husband died and can barely afford to feed herself and now can't afford to go anywhere either.....) in general, has even started their own little protests, I've seen it in the news and heard it on the radio, they're definitely on our side. The longshoremen in California are planning to shut down the ports(awesome!!....) and the localized driver protests are continuing...... Sooooooo what's it going to be?? (you've noticed fuel prices rising day by day I'm sure......)
>> Posted: 03 May 2008 by george wilkins at 12:41 PM
Gas Tax Holiday – Will it Lead to Unintended Consequences?
I quickly jumped on the bandwagon for this one, but I've reconsidered and now I'm not so sure. As a temporary measure it might provide some relief for the troubled trucking industry, but over the long term some critical analysis is necessary. Secretary of Transportation Peters has posted an interesting blog on Fast Lane which proposes discussion and debate on the topic. She suggests “It is time for our country to embrace a far more efficient, clean, and technology-based approach to charging for road use.” She further states, “Through the broad deployment of high-speed, open road tolling technologies coupled with hundreds of billions of dollars of private sector capital, we can begin eliminating our dependence on a failed gas tax-based transportation model.”
The fact is that our road infrastructure needs to be funded and paid for. The how part is the issue that will garner the most attention. The reality is that most people would say we need to have a well-defined road construction and maintenance program, but I don't want to pay for it - or at least it must be fair. So what's fair? Peters seems to be suggesting tolls as well as private sector capital. Tolls I understand, but private sector capital needs definition. Does that mean trucking companies, truck and automobile manufacturers, tire producers? We're all dependent on our transportation infrastructure either directly or indirectly, so exactly how will the money be acquired for construction and maintenance from private sector capital? And private sector capital really means the individual citizen, because ultimately all taxes are paid by individuals. The cost of a tax is part of the cost of goods sold or services provided, no matter how you disguise it.
Dan Little, CEO of Owners Operators United Inc. addressed the issue briefly in a recent CNN interview. He expressed concern about “pork barrel” legislation that brings road construction projects to many areas where the project may not be necessary. He also suggested that many highway infrastructure dollars are diverted by our legislators to other non-road projects.
The rising cost of fuel has focused attention on this issue. It's an important topic for discussion, but no simple answer may be revealed. You can weigh in with your thoughts at Fast Lane.
Or post your thought here.
>> Posted: 02 May 2008 by george wilkins at 12:52 PM
Dan Little On CNN -
Dan Little CEO of our non-profit Owners Operators United made an appearance on CNN today and explained the plight of many owner/operators and small companies who are facing increased fuel costs. He stated that he has shut down his business because there is no sense wearing out his trucks and making no profit.
One can only hope that other truckers are supporting his efforts to gain the visibility which is necessary for this effort to be a success. He further stated his support for the TRUCC Act which TruckerToTrucker has reported on in the last week. This bill, S2910 needs our support to get it through the legislative process as quickly as possible.
Many thanks to Dan for representing us so well and securing some visibility in the national spotlight. CNN does have this report available about this weeks shutdown.
TruckerToTrucker will post the video of Dan's interview if it becomes available on CNN.
Than you Dan for representing us in so important a matter. You did a great job!
>> Posted: 02 May 2008 by keep on truckin' at 10:25 AM
With all the problems that have beset truckers this year, it was refreshing to run across a piece of good news. I read about A. Duie Pyle Cos. of West Chester, P.A. on the Business & Money website. Founded 84 years ago, this family-owned trucking company is flourishing where others are floundering. They still haul for their first customer, Mittal Steel and boast an enviable driver turnover rate of less than 7%.
>> Posted: 02 May 2008 by TruckerJim at 9:28 AM
Dan Little Live On CNN Today
Show your support for Dan Little and Owner Operators United today at about 3:10pm EST On CNN.
Good Luck Dan!
>> Posted: 02 May 2008 by TruckerJim at 7:08 AM
It has come to our attention that some guy is calling telling trucking companies listed on our site that
Dan Little & uscattlehaulers is endorsi'ng a product called DPS.
This is a lie, neither Dan Little or any staff member at uscattlehaulers has ever or ever will endorse
this product.
If you get such a call please log as much info as you can from this call complete with phone #s and salespersons name , time of call, any any reference to either Dan Little or uscattlahaulers & forward this info to our office at dlittle@uscattlehaulers.com
If you have purchased this product as a result of the sales person saying we endorsed it please call me as soon as you can
at 1-660-322-0783
Thank you
Dan little
>> Posted: 01 May 2008 by george wilkins at 2:27 PM
Capitalism is Tough – Survival Depends on Many Factors
I feel like I've been consumed by issues involving the trucking economy. I've read hundreds of articles and thoughts by folks that are much more knowledgeable than I am. I've read the stories from the perspective of the trucker as well as from the perspective of the economists that are evaluating issues. What's to be learned? These are general observations, there will be exceptions, but the overall picture is valid.
The news isn't good. The high cost of diesel fuel will be around for a while. Even a 25% decline would only bring it back to around $3 per gallon. I'm not sure that the price of diesel is really the problem. Even if it was $10 per gallon and truckers were making a profit, I don't think they would be concerned. The real issue is profitability. This applies to a company with a thousand trucks as well as to a single owner/operator.
So what is happening to profitability? It's down the tubes for many. Even large companies are cutting the number of trucks they are using. Why? It is reported that there are just too many trucks for the freight that needs to be moved. If that's true, it explains why a broker can offer a ridiculously low amount. Even if one trucker refuses the load, another will do it. Some will go out of business. That's good news and bad news. I read a recent report which said there are almost 90,000 trucks that are in excess to the demand for movement. I have also read a report that freight requirements have decreased. Commentary is everywhere, but it doesn't appear as if the issue has been fully analyzed.
Truck transportation operates on supply and demand. We all know that. If truckers are vying for loads the price will go down. If there were less trucks to move commodities the price per load would go up. It is also a function of the amount of freight to be moved. As the amount of freight vacillates so to do the prices paid for truck loads.
The answer is really about survival, especially for the small firm or owner/operator. It's about waiting for the excess trucks to disappear as companies and individuals go out of business and the number of available trucks aligns itself with demand as well as the demand for freight which needs movement to increase. In economic terms - market equilibrium needs to be restored. The high price of fuel has exacerbated the problem.
This is going to be tough – in fact it will be devastating for many. The same freedom that enables us to start or operate a business also presents risk – that's capitalism.
Can the government help? Certainly they can. The proposed TRUCC Act will insure a level playing field to prevent unscrupulous brokers from taking advantage of the present situation. There are a number of other areas that can insure fair opportunity for all and there are many in the trucking community that are working toward that end. That is a critical calling.
Dan Little,
has started an organization called Owner Operators United (OOU) which is dedicated to protecting the interests of owner/operators. The price of diesel can be reduced somewhat by eliminating some taxes. But, the overriding issue appears to be is that there are just too many trucks right now combined with less freight to be moved. That may not always be the case. The swings of the economic pendulum are often hard to predict until after the event. Right now small trucking companies and owner/operators are the most challenged group.
So how can one survive? The innovative, creative and perceptive will make it. There is no one solution. Look for a niche, watch to fill in for those that drop out, pay attention to industry news, look for particular gaps that may exist in specialized trucking, stick together and help each other whenever possible, conserve resources and support the efforts of Dan Little and others that seek to make the playing field level.
TruckerToTrucker will provide news and suggestions whenever possible. This is our world too and we want success as much as anyone else.
Your comments and observations are invited.
>> Posted: 01 May 2008 by george wilkins at 8:58 AM
We're Not Alone
UK Lorry Drivers Feeling The Pump Pains Too
I just read a report from the BBC. It's the British equivalent of CNN
The first sentence reads - “Lorry drivers protesting against the 'rocketing' price of diesel have arrived in a convoy in central London.” A lorry is a truck in Britain. Seems these folks are confronting many of the same issues that we are experiencing. Diesel prices in Britain are about $8 per gallon.
The good news for the British is that their country is much smaller than ours and hence the total cost for truck movement is not as high as in the US. Nevertheless, the price of diesel fuel is an area of concern in many countries around the world.
>> Posted: 30 April 2008 by keep on truckin' at 11:34 PM
It's time to shut down your engines and say "Enough Is Enough!" The nationwide truck boycott starts Thursday, May 1 and runs a week, through May 8. Truckers transport most of America's food and industrial and commercial goods. With the price of diesel running at $4.20 a gallon, we can't afford to fill our trucks. At a truck rally in Washington D.C. on Monday, Pennsylvania trucker Dave Gares told the Associated Press it cost him $1,400 to fill up his tractor-trailer with 220 gallons of diesel fuel. Independent truckers and small firms are lucky if they can break even. Many are in debt, can't pay their mortgages or loans, are having trouble keeping their business going, much less providing for their families. Enough is enough!
"If the truck stops, the economy stops," William Lockridge of the Washington Metropolitan Area Truckers Association warned the crowd of 100 at Monday's rally at the Capitol. Truckers urged Congress to stop subsidizing big oil, release oil from Strategic Reserves, and end oil exports from Alaska to other countries, among other things. "The high price for oil is hurting our economy," said rally organizer Mark Kirsch. "It's hurting middle-class people."
Prior to the rally a truck convoy circled the National Mall. One truck carried an Enough Is Enough sign, its driver shouting, "Enough is enough!" through a bullhorn. Today and all week long, it's your turn to tell the President, Congress and the country that "Enough is enough!"
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