Trucker News

I am glad to see this. Our Government and Wall Street are trying to destroy America. Check out the super highway that is planned. You will see that a "port" in Kansas City will be run by Mexicans. And the toll road NAFTA highway will be owned by a Spanish company. Someone please tell me how someone who is retired can support your shutdown.

First of all- thank you -all of you guys (especially the independants!) for what you do. I am a chef- I depend heavily upon you folks, but - dammit- strike if it will help. My next door neighbor is an independant trucker- his wife is battling cancer- he can't afford to go out or afford to stay home. I am sure this situation is not unique. Is there any way I-a consumer- can find out who does or does not support your efforts? I am the purchaser where I work and I would like the opportunity to buy from those who are sympathetic to your situation (And to my neighbor's, the Winstons, situation). To the blog owner, you have my email address. Please feel free to use it and give me an update of sorts. My best thoughts to you all. M. Hegwood

You will be heard believe me. You are not on your own here. Good luck

Hats off to you! I totally support you. Personally, I think we need to shake up the powers in Washington (who do not represent us, but rather corporations) and your strike will start a conversation about what is wrong with govt. policy. Plus, I am sure that you are concerned about trucks that will be coming in from Mexico. http://www.etrucker.com/apps/news/article.asp?id=63061 Chances are they don't pay their workers what is regarded by Americans as a living wage--and so there go your wages, too,...like other industry workers in America. NAFTA needs to be changed. Workers and unions should talk with union members in other countries, as well. Our American corporations exploit workers in Latin and Central American countries, too, by paying them substandard wages and not ensuring environmental standards. Those non-living wages paid by our corporations hurt us, as well. Also, I believe this war in Iraq has to end. It is driving up fuel costs, as well (think of all that fuel those planes and trucks use) for what good? Iraq is suffering and we are going bankrupt as a nation. Good luck!!! You have my support and I will tell others about your plans. Wendy New York City (designer)

I am new to this country. I think this strike to be very bueno to me and my cousins and brothers. I now start to driving trucks soon. Thanks for to type these words from my cousin maria. Jippy Martinez

I'm not sure as to how much support we can give you from the west coast in such a short time but a few of us will be meeting Wed. night to discuss. I understand that the Port of New Jersey is on board and that Houston will also be discussing it. If there is no response from the Gov't after an April 1 protest then I suggest that we shoot for a May 1-8 shutdown.

Sounds good to me. I am not a trucker, and to be honest, I haven't always had the best things to say about truckers, but I think you guys can really shake things up. I know how important your work is, and your voice will be heard. I am excited to see what you coming together teaches the rest of us. If we all got in on the strike, we'd take care of our high gas prices right away. I take the train to work daily, but I'll try and find ways to get this strik everywhere...not just with the truckers. I'd love for them to know who started such a great movement.

I heard your interview on KMOX in St. Louis today. I just wanted you to know that, to support your efforts, I plan to take a shopping break on April 1st. I won't buy anything that is hauled by a truck. That, of course, includes gas. I'm asking all of my friends to do the same.

ithink your idea is great,i own my own truck on the east coast in p.a. i heard on the c/b that the truckers were going to shut down the roads near and around the white house. i would recomend meeting at petro in carlile and proceed slowly down I270,to DC.

Many of us company drivers have been discussing how to do this with out losing our jobs. Most of us have decided to find a way to support this. Some suggestions I've heard are a mysterious break down, or splitting your shift around April 1st. We just want to know when its starting and when it stops as most drivers are unsure and everyone has a different guess.

I HOPE ALL YOU TRUCKERS GET OFF THE ROAD WITH YOUR STRIKE SO WE HAVE SAVE ROADS FOR WHATEVER TIME YOU PUNKS ARE OFF THE ROAD-GOOD RIDDANCE! WITH ALL YOU HOPPHEADED TIRED CUT-OFF ARROGANCE I HOPE YOU ALL GO OUT OF BUSINESS AND THE TRAINS TAKE OVER! YOU ARE DINASOURS AND SHOULD BE BANNED-YOU HAVE KILLED MORE INNOCENT PEOPLE WITH ALL YOUR INFRACTIONS,TIRES FLYING OFF AND CUTTING FAMILIES OFF I HOPE YOU ALL ROT IN HELL!GOOD RIDDANCE SCUMBAGS

Glad to see someone pro-active. I would like to go one step further and have everyone in the country strike. We are the strongest nation on earth, our infrastructure is failing. Economy is terrible. Housing sector is depreciating. Unemployment is high banks need bailed out (with taxpayer money). Food, utilities, fuel all higher, still no-one does anything. I wonder how long it would take for industry and government to realize that the people are there greatest asset?

It's not only the "TAXES" imposed by "OUR" government,but also the "A-HOLES" on wall street that "SPECULATE" prices in the "FUTURE". Want proof? When did prices start going up? After the rich A-HOLE democrats took over congress in 2006. Sure there are some republicans involved in this, but think about it. Who wants tax cuts repealed? DEMS,LIBS of both parties. They don't have to worry as much about it because WE pay for their gas and salaries out of OUR pockets, while they tell us we must pay more, ie.fuel. We must let them know PUBLIC SERVICE means just that.

I've run the website TruckDriversUnited.com and have been trying to post as much information as I can about the proposed shutdown/strike. Unfortunately, there is some confusion about the date. Some sites are reporting April 1st, as I saw on the news in Kansas, and others are reporting May 1st through May 8th, as I have seen on a popular picture being circulated around the web. Unless we can get better information out, this shutdown may not have the results we want and need. I'm not even sure which date to post on TruckDriversUnited.com, but I have been putting up all of the information I can get from members that have written in. I've tried to contact the uscattlehaulers site about this, as it seems they have the most information available at this time, but their contact emails requires a secure login.

This is so stupid. As if shutting down is going to change anything. The government has no control over fuel prices, they're certainly not going to give up that tax money (the greedy bastards), and they're convinced all the regulation is necessary for "safety". And it's really not the issue anyway. The costs can go as high as they like, as long as we can PASS THEM ON! The BROKERS are the crux of the problem. These idiots have absolutely no idea how much running a truck costs. After a conversation the other day with one over a load he had paying $1.05 a mile (WTF?!), he said that was what he shipped it for every day. With whom? No trucking company I know of can haul that cheap. Another one had no idea how much it costs to run a truck, he said the price offered was the price he was given. It comes right down to this: STOP TAKING CHEAP FREIGHT! DEMAND a rate that not only covers costs, but allows for a reasonable expectation of profit. In addition, start telling the shippers what you're being paid to do a run, I guarantee shippers will stop using brokers that are taking too large of a cut. INVOICE your FUEL SURCHARGE, independent of the rate! Greedy crooked brokers will tell you "oh, it's included", this is a LIE! This week's fuel surcharge is $.57 per mile. INVOICE IT! The fuel surcharge is calculated by subtracting $1.15 (the floor) from the Department of Energy's average fuel price, posted weekly, then divided by five (average mpg). PASS IT ON! If the brokers can't cover that, then they need to charge the shippers more to cover it. Remember, THIS IS NOT OPTIONAL! We need to make them understand this. There is no need to sit around for any number of days, while the bills stack up on top of already mounting bills, to attempt to prove a point. Change the way we do business, and the business will change with it.

if you're going to park it, park it where it counts, not your driveway. Park it in your driveway and its just a day off. Park on Pennsylvania Ave. or your state capitol, and it will get noticed. This shut down sounds like a bunch of truckstop griping to me, I dont think a significant number of trucks will shut down, and unless they do it where it will be noticed, it won't matter anyway.

A one day shutdown won't do any good, and won't get the participation of trucking companies. What would work is a slowdown that doesn't end until prices drop. Think of it: 2 million gear jammers all doing 50 mph on every interstate highway across America. Rush hour commutes enraging every wanna-be Dale Jr. as they try to get around box trailers running three wide. Freight still moving, truckers saving money on fuel by driving slower, regular people complaining to their congressmen about all the slow trucks on the road. Why use an act of civil disobedience to get a point across to shippers, consignees, and lawmakers, when an act of civil obedience will piss off three hundred million people!

We are a small trucking company trying, like the rest of you out there, to hang in this game as long as we can. I don't know what kind of impact this strike/shutdown will have on the government itself, but one thing I have noticed (which may be as important if not more) is that the general public is becoming much more aware of the current crisis that the transportation industry is facing. Not only the ones directly working in this industry, but how it will affect everything. From food they eat, clothes they wear and most importantly it will affect their "entertainment" and other comforts and enjoyments. Also, I have heard thru the grapevine that 3 big companys are planning a shutdown for April 15, 16 & 17 and that they had petitions at all their terminals for the last few months for their drivers to sign and they have sent it to Washington D.C. for them to do something or else they will follow thru with this plan. Now I am not going to name any names for this is only hear say, but who knows. Something has got to happen, and I believe it will happen, but the only problem is who will still be around. Good luck to everyone out there and may what is right prevail.

I hope we can all stand together this time there has to be a change its long over due contact your news media and spread the word i have been trying to talk to CNN i do have a page on iReport.com April 1 2008 is long over due.....

OK GUYS AND GALS ITS ILLEGAL TO STRIKE OR SHUT DOWN OK? WE CAN AFFORD TO RUN THE TRUCK SO WE JUST CAN NOT DRIVE. OUR COMPANYS ARE BROKE. NO FUEL MONEY TO MOVE. WE ARE NOT STRIKING THAT WAY. MY TRUCK IS SHUTTING DOWN AS OF MIDNIGHT TONIGHT MY COMPANY IS BROKE HOW EVERY ONE ELSE FOLLOWS. WE MUST UNITE! WE ARE THE BACK BONE TO THIS COUNTRY. PEASEFUL NO VIOLANCE! WE ARE NOT THE ONLY ONES SUFFERING BECAUSE OF THIS, YOUR BROTHER YOUR SISTER MOM AND DAD, A GALLON OF MILK IS COSTING OVER 4.00 A GALLON EGGS TO FEED MY KIDS ONCE 99 CENTS NOW 4.00 FOR 18 EGGS THIS IS NOT RIGHT. THE NATION IS SUFFERING.

I ONLY SAW ONE POST THAT REALLY MAKES SENCE. LETS ALL SLOW DOWN AND CLOG THE HIGHWAYS ESPECIALLY DURING MORNING AND EVENING RUSH , DONT PARK AND AVOID IT, SET YOUR 70 FT LONG ASS RIGHT IN THE MIDLE OF IT. BE SEEN, SAVE FUEL FOR YOUR SELF AND PISS OFF OTHER PEOPLE AND LET THEM DO THE BITCHING. IT IS TIME FOR CHANGE BUT BE CAREFUL WHAT YOU TRY TO CHANGE. I KNOW THIS WILL PISS OFF A BUNCH OF YOU BUT HERE GOES,"YOU ARE THE PROBLEM" SENCE THE DEREGULATION OF FREIGHT SMALL TRUCKING COMPANIES HAVE BUILT THEIR BUSSINESS ON CUTTING RATES AND STABING FELLOW TRUCKERS IN THE BACK. NOW WE CRY THAT WE MAKE NO MONEY AND FUEL IS TO HIGH. SORRY MY FRIEND FUEL IS A PART OF BUSSINESS, IT SHOULD BE PASSED OWN BUT WE CANT BECAUSE SMALL TRUCKING COMPANIES ARE STILL CUTTING RATES. WHY DO YOU COMPLAIN ABOUT BROKERS JUST DONT TAKE THE LOAD YOU CAN GO JUST AS BROKE SITTING AT HOME AND IT IS A LOT MORE FUN.BUT INSTEAD YOU TAKE THE SUBPRIME RATE(HA HA HAD TO PUT THAT IN)SO THIS MAN OR LADY CAN SIT AT HOME AND WATCH THE SOAPS 4 OUT OF 5 DAYS AND GET RICH WHILE YOU RUN YOUR TRUCK IN THE GROUND FOR NOTHING. WE MUST CHANGE ALRIGHT BUT IT MUST COME FROM WITHIN CAIN KILLED HIS BROTHER ABLE AND WE ARE KILLING OUR BROTHER TRUCKERS . IT WAS TOLD TO ME FROM HIGH UP IN A LARGE COMPANY "THE RATES WILL NEVER GO UP UNTILL THE SMALL COMPANIES GO UNDER" SEE THE ABOVE TO UNDERSTAND WHY.GOD BLESS YOU ALL FROM A BROTHER SMALL TRUCKING CO.

I'm afrad to tell you this. We have attempted 3 day shutdowns almost every year for the past 4-5 years. A lot of drivers and O/Ops participate. Unfortunately, the companies that are counting on these trucks are gearing up for the shutdown by increasing inventory. NOTHING gets noticed except the lack of income for the driver. The customers don't care about our problems, they just want freight moved as cheaply as possible. A one day shutdown or slowdown won't get anyone's attention. Other than to laugh at out feeble attempt. Unfortunately the only way to get their attention is to make it hurt. To have some visible effect on general production.3 days won't do it. A week? maybe. 2 weeks? It will definately have an effect. Of course there is no way at this point to organize this type of activity. Since there is no real "organization" of independant truckers to initiate such a program.

IWW Statement on the April 1, 2008 Trucker Shutdown To truckers and media: Our members and organizers in the trucking industry have been hearing about the called for April 1, 2008 trucker shut down. The IWW is not organizing or calling for this shutdown, but supports all truckers taking action to improve their lives and protest the skyrocketing fuel, low pay, unpaid waits and all the other conditions that grow worse by the day. Truckers unite! Only through organizing a union across the transportation industry can we begin to change this. The IWW is committed to building a democratic, fighting union in the trucking industry whether you are an independent contractor driver or company driver, intermodal, LTL or over-the-road. Please contact us if you and your co-workers need support or are interested in making trucking a job worth keeping. Motor Transport Workers IU 530 contacts: Pat Tresca- Midwest (224) 381-4048 Billy Randal- New York (646) 645-6284

When the oil companies asked us to be patient with their rate hikes after the storms damaged their drilling platforms over a year ago, we said, ok. then, when they got their lines back up, we recieved a partial relief from those high prices. But, now, they are asking us to take it up the rear with the rising prices, while they claim the biggest pfofit magins that they have ever had. To me, they have forgotten what this country is all about. These big corporations have turned on the American public with the attitude of "we don't care, as long as we are making a large profit at your expense". This has nothing to do with who is or is not president, nor does it have to do with anything that the commen "joe" can do. Because when was the last time that the American people actually have something legitimate to say and it actully get heard by any reigning group of politicians? Until this country can get up off our collective butts, and start speaking out just like the truckers across the country today, things will stay status quo and the politicians (whomever may be in office at the time) will continue to make a career of staying in office and having their choices made for them by any group with big money to spend!

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