Truckers Preparing to Go on Strike

Talk Back: Post a comment on this article By Jessica Clark First Coast News ST. AUGUSTINE, FL -- A loosely organized nationwide trucking strike is set for next week.

[linedragger]

as another driver for over 30 years i have seen a lot of changes that goes on in my proffesion some good,some not so good,and some just flat out stupid.i have been both o/o and company.the thing that i would like to say is you can't even get 2 drivers to agree where the next truck stop is at,how do you suppose that we can get organized within 2 weeks to do a strike/shutdown across the country i don't much think so. we need to get this thing organised for sometime in the immediate future and do it up right let the public know ahead of time as to when and the why's. taking out both local and national ads. in the papers magazines web sites and any other means at our disposal,so that the drivers don't get yet another black eye for standing up for not only our rights but the general publics rights as well. WE NEED TO GET ORGANIZED NOW IN ORDER TO DO IT!!!! Maybe by JULY 4 would be a great time for obvious reasons I'll keep checking back on this web site to see if any takers are in fact willing to help get the message out or whether or not they are just a C.B. Ramboos

[Kitty-Kat]

What a lot of people don't realize is that to get the prices to go down, we need to come to an understanding with either Iraq, or quit using cars and trucks until the price of fuel and gas go down. Taking the Cyr bus to and from different parts of the state is cheaper than a trip from Caribou, ME all the way do to Bangor, ME in a car or truck. And if you have an appointment in town, walk to that appointment instead of paying over $4 a gallon just to travel half a mile away.

[Kitty-Kat]

linedragger wrote:

as another driver for over 30 years i have seen a lot of changes that goes on in my proffesion some good,some not so good,and some just flat out stupid.i have been both o/o and company.the thing that i would like to say is you can't even get 2 drivers to agree where the next truck stop is at,how do you suppose that we can get organized within 2 weeks to do a strike/shutdown across the country i don't much think so. we need to get this thing organised for sometime in the immediate future and do it up right let the public know ahead of time as to when and the why's. taking out both local and national ads. in the papers magazines web sites and any other means at our disposal,so that the drivers don't get yet another black eye for standing up for not only our rights but the general publics rights as well. WE NEED TO GET ORGANIZED NOW IN ORDER TO DO IT!!!! Maybe by JULY 4 would be a great time for obvious reasons I'll keep checking back on this web site to see if any takers are in fact willing to help get the message out or whether or not they are just a C.B. Ramboos

I understand where you are coming from with this rise in gas prices, and I support you. One other way to help your cause is to get your friends to stop driving their cars and SUVs and stuff until these horrible gas prices go down. But if we keep using all our supplies, the government will make us use the same gas cards that we had to use back in the great depression. This recession is the reason for our misery.

[Midnightrider]

Kitty-Kat wrote:

What a lot of people don't realize is that to get the prices to go down,....

I don't think we can get the price of fuel down, but maybe we can at least get paid for the fuel we have to use. If the price of fuel goes down that would be good, but we need rate regulation of some kind so we are not constantly having to absorb the fuel increases when they go up. Speaking of which, I heard the price just went up AGAIN!

[What you need]

What you need is a public spokesperson from Hollywood who will help get this thing rolling.. Someone everyone will take notice of If you can do this then you will see a real strike. Then you will see real results.

[Kitty-Kat]

The price of fuel here in Maine is completely idiotic, and I certainly hope that these truckers do boycott this fuel. Ethanol is made from corn as you might already know, and if the farmers expand to growing corn for fuel, the price of feed for livestock will go up as well as the prices of meat, such as beef and pork. My friend's father is a trucker, and pays so much out of his own pocket to pay for the fuel to and from the destination points. On top of that, the bank will be foreclosing his home.

[Midnightrider]

Kitty-Kat wrote:

The price of fuel here in Maine is completely idiotic, and I certainly hope that these truckers do boycott this fuel. Ethanol is made from corn as you might already know, and if the farmers expand to growing corn for fuel, the price of feed for livestock will go up as well as the prices of meat, such as beef and pork. My friend's father is a trucker, and pays so much out of his own pocket to pay for the fuel to and from the destination points. On top of that, the bank will be foreclosing his home.

Grain farmers have been marginal for many years. Their cost is now higher, so even if demand drops the price won't go down as low as it was. Texas A&M did an interesting report that actually is pretty bleak, most of the increases are due to oil price increases. http://www.brownfieldnetwork.com/gestalt/go.c...

[RiverJames]

What needs to happen is we boycott 1 oil company at a time. This week, we should boycott ExxonMobil, and do not buy any product from them for say, the next two weeks. Then move on to the next. Exxon will not be selling any, so they will lower their price, then the company across the street will do the same. The Oil companies will have to take a loss on the price just to earn anything. Thats who's pockets we need to hurt. If they can announce to the world that they have record profits in the billions, there is something wrong there, and Exxon last year paid its CEO over a hundred million dollars in bonuses. Then they try to tell us it is for exploration. I don't see them in the Gulf or Alaska or off the coast of FL looking for and drilling for oil. How about new refinaries. Ain't gonna happen. That would take away profits.

[Prices Hurt]

Someone needs to do something

[Sam]

If you boycott one oil company another will sell the oil goes round and round in a market. You wont hurt the producers because they sell their oil to other companies not just their own. Gate has no oil wells it buys its oil from the big oil producers. You dont even know where the oil comes from, exxon will just sell to the other companies who now have a shortage, on and on it goes, they still make the bucks and you get the shaft, you people are so stupid. The only way to get oil and gas down is to permanently cut consumption, that means get rid of suvs and other gas hogs, buy small cars and hybrids to cut fuel consumption permanently. Also at home cut use of electric, heat etc by buying smaller homes, closing off unused rooms etc. RiverJames your lost you would hurt no one with your idea and big oil knows it. If truckers strike, in the end you will pay, all that will happen is that shippers will pay truckers more because of fuel cost, and you by buying stuff will pay with higher prices, this includes food. Get used to it gas will hit 8.00 a gallon in 3 years and 15.00 in 5 or 6 years. Get used to it, get an economy vehicle and a smaller home. It is not called cutting your standard of living but going to a common sense standard of living.

[Midnightrider]

Sam wrote:

.... you people are so stupid. It is not called cutting your standard of living but going to a common sense standard of living.

MUCH LOWER STANDARDS of living are ahead for most people.

[Joey K]

All that will do is hurt the economy even more.

There is nothing you can do. If we stop buying oil completely China and India would pick up the slack.

The one thing we have that they need though, is food. We should use that as leverage. Food for oil.

[William]

All the comments posted so far - are completely outragous. A national boycott or an organized strike first.. are unlawful and illegal (We should all be familiar with both State and local ordinances pertaining to such)
I believe the better approach should be is for consumers to markedly decrease their personal usage of any one particular item. In this case.. FUEL! Carpooling, mass transit, biking and walking are also alternatives. Postpone air travel and or all other long distance motor vehicle excursions - which require petrol consumption. Begin requiring employers to increase salaries to offset personal expenses for going to work. If an indivisual carpools, there should be some form of monetary compensation to the driver.
The list is endless I dare say. But, most importantly. Reduce your personal consumption.
Do not purchase those silly Hybrid piles of Japanese junk (only the Japs benefit) which of course further deterioates our economy. And, for crying out loud people - BUY AMERICAN!!! And Say NO to Hillary and Obaammaa

[FromThe South2]

Sam wrote:

If you boycott one oil company another will sell the oil goes round and round in a market. You wont hurt the producers because they sell their oil to other companies not just their own. Gate has no oil wells it buys its oil from the big oil producers. You dont even know where the oil comes from, exxon will just sell to the other companies who now have a shortage, on and on it goes, they still make the bucks and you get the shaft, you people are so stupid. The only way to get oil and gas down is to permanently cut consumption, that means get rid of suvs and other gas hogs, buy small cars and hybrids to cut fuel consumption permanently. Also at home cut use of electric, heat etc by buying smaller homes, closing off unused rooms etc. RiverJames your lost you would hurt no one with your idea and big oil knows it. If truckers strike, in the end you will pay, all that will happen is that shippers will pay truckers more because of fuel cost, and you by buying stuff will pay with higher prices, this includes food. Get used to it gas will hit 8.00 a gallon in 3 years and 15.00 in 5 or 6 years. Get used to it, get an economy vehicle and a smaller home. It is not called cutting your standard of living but going to a common sense standard of living.

Sam maybe you're the stupid one. Some of us have to have larger vehicles. I pull a company trailer. So what, should I get another job, another vehicle and a smaller home all on less money? Yes we know oil companies sell their oil around. But if you picked one gas company and stopped buying gas from them I do believe they would have to come down on their price. When they come down others would have to come down to meet their price. Also if we don't have to drive, then don't. Lowering the demand on gas will also lower the price. Also Saudi Arabia who supposely is one of the US allies and also one of the twelve members of OPEC is not doing anything to help us right now. If you look at this in the big picture this could be considered a terrorist attack against the US by the twelve countries that run OPEC.

[Midnightrider]

William wrote:

boycott or an organized strike first.. are unlawful and illegal (We should all be familiar with both State and local ordinances pertaining to such)

Explain how shutting down your own truck is illegal?

[Midnightrider]

William wrote:

Begin requiring employers to increase salaries to offset personal expenses for going to work.

In this economy not likely employees are going to be able to "require" the boss to give them a raise. What if the boss says "I have to cut back, I was not sure who to let go, but you helped me make up my mind, there's the door, take a walk!"

[Midnightrider]

Joey K wrote:

All that will do is hurt the economy even more.
There is nothing you can do. If we stop buying oil completely China and India would pick up the slack.
The one thing we have that they need though, is food. We should use that as leverage. Food for oil.

Agree- we need to develop every alternative, clean diesel from coal, ethanol from all sources not just corn, electric cars, drill more here, and overall, keep more of the money in the US. I would rather pay US farmers, ethanol workers, and coal miners the the middle east and OPEC.

[RiverJames]

All of this finding alternative fuel sources is great, what is that going to do for next month when gas is 4.50 a gallon?
I have changed jobs to be able to work close to home, others can't. Jacksonville is that largest city in America land wise, and busses don't run all over the place. I can't carpool because no one around where I live work where I do, and my hours are different than most who work downtown. I only fuel my SUV once a month since changing jobs.
We need to protect the oil fields and pipelines in Iraq and bring that oil to the US to supply us until we can get alternative fuels. Iraq should use that oil to pay us for what we have paid to free their country, both in money and in lives.
We need to drill in the US Anwar and off the coast of Florida and anywhere else oil can be found. The darn enviormentalist are the ones keeping that from happening. We need new refinaries, so we don't have shortages when converting from winter grade to summer grade.
If we don't take a stand now with the elections and by contacting our representatives and senators, nothing will be done except by fattening these oil companies wallets. They are the ones that we should be ticked off at. The CEOs making millions in bonuses and the companies having record profits in the billions per quarter. They say its for exploration, I say thats bull. Exxon, BP, Shell, Hess, and all the others are sitting back getting real rich while we struggle to pay bills and feed our families.

[RiverJames]

Midnightrider wrote:

<quoted text>Agree- we need to develop every alternative, clean diesel from coal, ethanol from all sources not just corn, electric cars, drill more here, and overall, keep more of the money in the US. I would rather pay US farmers, ethanol workers, and coal miners the the middle east and OPEC.

Whats funny is we give the farmers tax incentives not to grow certain crops. You are right, if we started buying only American products, the need for China's and other countries oil consumption would decrease. Americans are the biggest consumers of alot of these products. Walmart used to brag on the sale of American goods, but you don't see that anymore, most of Walmarts goods come from China and other foreign products. We, as Americans, need to start supporting our own country and not other countries.

[Screamin Eagle]

William wrote:

All the comments posted so far - are completely outragous. A national boycott or an organized strike first.. are unlawful and illegal (We should all be familiar with both State and local ordinances pertaining to such)
I believe the better approach should be is for consumers to markedly decrease their personal usage of any one particular item. In this case.. FUEL! Carpooling, mass transit, biking and walking are also alternatives. Postpone air travel and or all other long distance motor vehicle excursions - which require petrol consumption. Begin requiring employers to increase salaries to offset personal expenses for going to work. If an indivisual carpools, there should be some form of monetary compensation to the driver.
The list is endless I dare say. But, most importantly. Reduce your personal consumption.
Do not purchase those silly Hybrid piles of Japanese junk (only the Japs benefit) which of course further deterioates our economy. And, for crying out loud people - BUY AMERICAN!!! And Say NO to Hillary and Obaammaa

You ARE the weakest link. Goodbye...