<b><font size="3"><font face="arial,helvetica,sans-serif">What are some additional things that we can do to follow up with the strike? Voice your opinion and tell us what you think would be a good solution to this crisis..<br> </font></font></b>
<FONT face="comic sans ms,sand" size=4> <P class=blogSubject>There Won’t Be A Truck Strike <BR>Category: <A href="http://blog.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=blog.viewCategory&FriendID=259160843&BlogCategoryID=11"><FONT color=#003399>Jobs, Work, Careers</FONT></A> </P> <P><FONT face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif"><EM>I have always been the type of person that when I hear something, I have got to find out all of the details about it. The rumor of a truck strike next month was no different. I asked friends through out the country and most that had heard about it only heard bits and pieces and didn't think anything would come of it, only one person told me that they were 'in'. <BR>HOWEVER, I don't believe that this is any reason to believe that nothing can be done to get the fuel cost/freight rate ratio narrowed to the point where drivers can make a honest and respectable living. <BR>I still believe that the industry will need to be overhauled and reformed, even to the point of pushing Congress to removing the trucking industry from under the U.S. Department of Transportation and placing it under the U.S. Department of Agriculture. In reality a 'truck' is a 'road tractor', that is why they are called 'tractor-trailers'. I further believe that the USDA is far better capable of overseeing the trucking industry than the USDOT is. <BR>If the U.S. Government can own a railroad company called 'Amtrak' and pump over 25 billion dollars of taxpayer monies into it, I think the Government can shuffle one industry to another Government agency. As we have seen time and time again, the U.S. Government can do whatever it wishes but we have to show them why they would want to do this...where there is a will, there is a way.<BR>As far as I am concerned, the U.S. Government owes the entire American Public a huge rebate on gasoline taxes alone. I will explain and any one who has ever pulled a refer trailer will quickly understand.<BR><BR>Any time you put diesel fuel in the tank of a refer unit, the road use tax for diesel fuel is deducted off the sale price because the fuel is not considered for 'road use'.. How many gallons of gasoline have been bought and put in lawn mowers, weed eaters, bass boats and chain saws that have been charged a 'road use tax'? Or 'Highway tax' depending how you or your state refers to that tax. Like speeding tickets, it adds up.<BR><BR>I believe that every avenue needs to be explored and our Congress pushed into doing something now instead of waiting any longer. But let us come up with and promote the solution ourselves instead of waiting for the Government to do something.<BR><BR>I further belive that since the railroad, air freight and overseas shipping industries rely upon trucks to get the freight to them, as they have no way to get to the freight, that they will support reforming the trucking industry to save their own industry. <BR><BR>Concerning foreign trucks taking our jobs, I don't see that as a problem either. The U.S. Government is already cracking down on illegal aliens so lets hold their feet to the fire and make them enforce that on every illegal alien that tries to enter the U.S.. If a Mexican or Canadian truck pulls up to our border and that driver doesn't have a 'Visa' , then he is an illegal alien and should be treated as such. Turning both him and the truck around. If they can't pick our vegetables, they sure as hell can't haul their's into our country and sell them.<BR><BR>The list goes on and on of ways to improve the trucking industry, but its going to take some thought, some effort and some time. <BR><BR>Remember the Mad Cow scare here in the U.S. a few years ago when 1 infected cow was discovered within the U.S.? Every country in the world would not accept any more beef from he U.S.. Rather than waiting for the US Government to do something, the Beef Industry took it upon themselves to find a solution, submit a workable plan of action in the form of a proposal in writing to the Government and recovered their industry in a matter of a few short months. If it weren't for the National Beef Council protecting and promoting their industry, we would all be eating chicken for dinner again tonight. We are up against convincing our Government to reform our industry, where the Beef Industry was up against convincing the world. I think that there is a lesson to be learned here and an example to follow.<BR><BR>Again, I have no intention of dropping this issue, and I will be sure to keep any one interested , informed of any progress made. If you have any ideas that you would like to share, I would be more than happy to hear them and to respond to them.<BR><BR>Sincerely,<BR><BR>Remus Griffin</EM></FONT> </P></FONT>
<font size="4"><b>Well Said Remus. I couldn't agree more</b></font><br>
Well I guess the first step in trying to solve any problem is at least stating the problem. What is the problem that everyone is talking about? Is it to high fuel costs? to low shiping prices? to much regulation on hours? Who is affected? as a company driver we just had a pay rate increase across the board this year. So is it the O/O only or the small fleat owner? the big carriers? What is it? Are you really having a hard time surviving in this business or is it all talk? i know myself before I drove truck I didn;t make over $34,000 in my life. trucking has changed my life, status everything. and all I had to do was pass a road test. I know some people are having a hard time out there. But until we state what the problem really is how can we come up with a solution?<br>
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