What I was aiming at was, lets say JB has 3000 drivers and they get 2300 to shutdown, they'll be fine. JB can't fire 2300 drivers. They hard up for drivers as it is let alone finding 2300 of them in a hurry. Once the smoke sets then JB can make their lives rough, but why do that? Most of those drivers hate them already. The only way this will work is if ALL freight drivers shut down. Not just a handful of owner op's. It just not big enough, George W probably has no idea that theres drivers shutdown. But the problem is the company drivers don't really care that it cost 1k to fill up. And there not home enough to really care that it takes $100 to fill there pickup. That tank will last 2 months.
Now if the whole country boycotts a single oil company for a few days. Then you'll see the prices come down, just not all the taxes on it. Besides the oil company's are the ones that should be attacked not consumers. And the gov't federal and state, just needs a nudging to cut some of the tax off. But the truth is that probably wouldn't work either. The oil that we stop buying will just be shipped to another country and their oil prices will drop. Not ours.
Are we going to stick together and stay sitting and win this time, or are we going to let them laugh at us again and continue to break our backs? I'm not hearing much at all on here one way or the other. It's almost like there is no longer any interest at all. I've been in the chat lounge several times today and there wasn't a soul there. It's like everyone has just given up. Like, "Oh Well, It's Fri. and Thank God It's Over" & let's all just go on back to work. I could almost sit down and cry to see this whole weeks' determination go down the drain. All for nothing. Just something to talk about next week as we haul cheap freight up and down the road, bitchin & cryin about going broke. Oh well, I tried. I think I did my part, it just wasn't enough too keep everyone fired up.
regarding companies like JB Hunt.....sure many drivers who work for them don't like them, but why stay there and put up with the misery....because its a job first, earning a paycheck maybe even some additional mileage experience...NOW, you say JB (or anyone) cannot replace those drivers, at least not right away.....this is TRUE.....but also remember JB and others use the rails to move freight from one end of the country to another, and this being said, for the time being JB and the others can survive....then too, JB will have more operating capital from not paying drivers that are no longer on the payroll....
and yes, a company driver (myself included) doesn't care how much it costs to fuel the truck. i think we company drivers see that we have the responsibility to do our jobs as dutiful as possible, in these hard economic times......and let's never forget that wonderful service nearly ALL trucking companies use, and that is DAC/USIS.............you know, a company driver can be DAC'd for anything these days, so why add a shutdown or sick out or whatever to the file...?? you'll never erase that..
now, Bandit, yes, they will continue to laugh at you for going on this shutdown.....the oil companies do not need YOU, or ME.......if they do not get their sales of diesel here up to whatever level they want, guess what....they will ship the diesel overseas, like THEY ARE DOING NOW....what do you think the price of diesel will be when the demand starts up again....??
in reagrds to "seems like everyone is giving up"......yeah, you're right....this is the typical trucker's attitude............"i'll let someone else take my place" mentality................and NO ONE ELSE is going to step up.....
like you said, "all for nothing".........this shutdown DID NOT ACCOMPLISH ANYTHING..........it got on the news, for a FEW SECONDS......i saw more news on the price of groceries, the child abuse cases, the fires in the neighborhood, the car crashes, the local drug lord arrest...............
NO ONE CARES about the trucker or HIS problems..........
when John & Joan Q-Public are facing foreclosure, or they lose thier job because of out sourcing, or because of the economy.....truck drivers and the trucking industry DON'T MATTER..................
maybe some of you can weather this storm longer than others....but one poster here said the power company is going to shut off the power next week..........
care to guess what that driver does real soon.....???
i think, go back to work..........and suck it up.......sad......but i think it'll be true.....
