“As long as we’re financially stable and are able to leverage the assets necessary to compete, why worry?”

Assets, like drivers pay?

How about this -

Although Mexican carriers do have an competitive edge in lower wages, they face many hurdles when competing directly with U.S. carriers, namely higher fuel prices, “astronomical” interest rates that drive up equipment costs, and the sheer number of U.S. carriers, according to Schmidt.

Everyone has to deal with higher fuel prices. Why would that be a disadvantage to Mexican companies. They are going to set their rates for freight going into the US enough to cover any fuel or insurance costs, just like they set their rates to make money inside Mexico.

Although Mexican fleets won’t face the same challenges crossing the U.S. border, they will have plenty of their own. This levels the playing field, Schmidt said.

Like what? Even if it levels the playing field for equipment and fuel. There’s that driver pay issue.

“I don’t see a flood of Mexican competition coming— I see more of a trickle that may eventually become a steady stream because of the application, insurance constraints and the cost of capital in Mexico,” Schmidt said.

It’s a slow death instead of a quick one.

Then another article Mexican Trucking to Make Ripples, Not Waves in Texas
kind of says the same things.

This article makes the argument that the hassles along the border aren’t going to be worth the time and effort for Mexican companies to deal with.

Mexican long-haul carriers seeking to cross the border directly are expected to face a customs nightmare, a factor that would negate any efficiencies gained, officials say.

If you are a long-hauler, waiting in customs for two to three hours and facing immigration restrictions doesn’t make your operation cost-effective,”

Duh!!! But that doesn’t stop the flow of trucks between Canada and the US. There are often two or three hour or more lines going into Canada. And if your paperwork isn’t right, you will be there much longer waiting for brokers and Customs. Get picked for an Immigration check and wait for the computer to come back and say you’re okay to go into Canada. I’ve had my truck searched. Trailer and tractor, including my bunk area. And that’s just going into Canada. Wait till you want to come back into the US.

Wait in line to get up to the Customs agent. He checks your paperwork. If it’s right, you then wait in line to get your truck X-rayed. You drive your entire truck and trailer through an X-ray machine very slow. I’ve had my truck and trailer searched by hand and dog.

All that waiting time in line, we get paid by the mile. Any inefficiencies at the border are not the companies concern or expense. Even for company drivers, they get paid by the mile. Waiting in line is unpaid.

It “doesn’t make your operation cost-effective” line is crap because the drivers time is free for most companies.

Mexican carriers that consider long-haul routes across the border will be much more likely to be held up by inspections for several hours, as well as be delayed because of lack of familiarity with the regulations or the roads than their more-experienced short-haul counterparts, Gonzales said. “They know the system and how to get to the bays and the roads.”

That’s crap for the same reason. And it won’t take long for a long-haul driver to get to know the routine.

In Texas, Gonzales does not anticipate the Mexican truckers will have a severe impact on American jobs either— a concern that the International Brotherhood of Teamsters has lobbied for. Mexican carriers are likely to charge rates that are similar to American carriers simply because they could enjoy the higher rates, he said. “If I’m a Mexican citizen and I could work [drive] for the U.S., my worth just increased two-fold. They are going to go with the market rate.”

That’s crap too. (Am I overusing that phrase?) Why would a Mexican driver not be allowed to drive in the US? I don’t see how someone’s worth would be two-fold because they can cross the border. My worth isn’t increased two-fold because I can go into Canada. Just because your worth increased, doesn’t mean your pay is going to be increased. And “going with the market rate”, the “market rate” is the lowest bid a broker or company can get away with.

The American Trucking Associations (ATA) told Fleet Owner in an earlier interview that that there wouldn’t be any stiff competition between Mexican and American carriers because they are only permitted to handle international— not domestic freight. Additionally, ATA cites over 500,000 trucking companies in the United States compared to 7,800 in Mexico.

The ATA is such a sham. I really don’t think there are 500,000 long haul, interstate trucking companies. Sounds like that includes local trucking companies too. I’d like to see how they came up with that number. Anyway, the 7, 800 Mexican companies are only competing with the freight coming and going to Mexico and the border cities. Those numbers really seem like apples and oranges. What’s that statement supposed to imply? That because we have so many companies, Mexico trucking can’t hurt us? Ask the construction and the landscaping employees along the border if they were hurt by “competition”.

Besides, OOIDA says that there is nothing to stop Mexican trucking companies from handling domestic freight because there’s no one to enforce those laws.

Okay, I’ve changed my mind. I was going to capitulate and say maybe I overreacted. But these two articles sound more like propaganda to offset the fear of US drivers losing their jobs.

I stand by my paranoia. If a State, Federal & International Affairs Director in Laredo, large trucking companies and the ATA are for something, that’s a huge red flag and the rest of us need to be looking for cover.

Originally posted 2008-06-07 20:35:20.

Two months ago I had to get a new laptop.  The power socket was loose and flaking out. I nursed it enough to do a backup and made a mad dash to the store and bought another HP. This laptop has a built-in WIFI card / antenna. The built in antenna seems to have a much better range than using the card that fits in the PC slot.

I was never one to go driving around neighborhoods looking for somebody’s unprotected network. But I have noticed, when I’m sitting in an industrial park, a lot of business networks are running completely unsecured. Even I was able to figure out how to secure my parents’ wifi and Cindy’s sister’s network, so I know some "IT Pro" can figure it out. I’m not there to steal company secrets or cruise other people’s hard drives, just use a little bandwidth for a few minutes.

One company I was connected to had a T1 connect both ways. That was sweet! We live in an apartment complex and you should see the unsecured networks.  I know, "technically" it’s stealing. We’re only home a couple of days out of a month and I don’t want to pay for broadband when I’m not even home to use it. And a couple of days a month, no one in the neighborhood is going to notice. It’s not like I’m spying on them, just borrowing a little bandwidth and taking advantage of the uninformed.

Take right now for instance, I’m connected to the Days Inn WIFI from the Wal-Mart parking lot about 1/4 mile away. A lot of motels are switching to free wifi and parking close by will get an excellant connection.

There’s so many hotspots and free hotspots around, it’s possible to get a connection when not in a truckstop if you don’t have an air card of some kind. I still renewed my Flying J subscription because it’s always a great connection and always working unlike others.

Originally posted 2005-08-02 07:10:00.

The State | 08/15/2004 | Companies need drivers to keep on trucking

Being away from home for long stretches at a time, driving 500 miles a day and battling traffic is lonely, stressful work and, as a result, the industry has a high turnover rate. Limited wage growth since trucking was deregulated in 1979 has exacerbated the problem.

But trucking executives say they’ve had to work even harder lately as jobs with comparable pay packages open up in construction, agriculture and manufacturing. That means companies need to lure new drivers and keep veterans from switching to careers that allow them to work closer to home.

Did they not see the previous line that wages have sucked since ‘79? What do they think can “lure” new drivers and keep veterans? Articles like this make my head explode. Where’s my duct tape?

High turnover “is a perennial problem,” Riley said. “But I would say the driver shortage has really gotten tighter over the last six months and a lot of it is driven by the improvement in the economy.”

As a result, retention efforts are intensifying.

To make truckers happier, companies are trying everything from increasing the speed they can drive to allowing more “empty miles” so they can head toward home even if their trucks are empty and there’s no freight moving in that direction.

Increase the speed they can drive so they have the illusion that the faster they drive, the more money they can make. How about… gee, let me think… MORE FREAKIN’ MONEY!!! Plain and simple. It’s not a lifestyle issue. A lot of jobs suck. And this lifestyle isn’t the best when you have a family. But pay people enough and they will get done. Getting drivers home isn’t as complicated as they make it out to be either.

Originally posted 2008-11-18 04:10:00.

Studies clash on safety impact of hours rule
By Max Heine

A study released today by an insurance trade group says the new hours-of-service rule has resulted in truckers driving more and being slightly more fatigued than under the old rule.

However, a new report from the American Trucking Associations shows that the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety study is “bogus, as usual,” said ATA spokesman Mike Russell.

Just come out and say what you mean Mike, don’t hold back. I wouldn’t trust any study done by ATA either. They are for the industry’s productivity, not the driver’s welfare.

While the drivers responding to the IIHS study said their sleep time had increased under the new rule, they reported slightly more instances than when the old rule was in effect of driving drowsy or falling asleep at the wheel. When drivers were asked about dozing at the wheel at least once in the past month, the reported percentage increased from 13 percent in 2003 to 15 percent in 2004.

Help me out with this one. Their sleep time has increased, but they’re more tired? And not just tired, but "drowsy".

But look what we have here, a study done about truckers and sleep (that I’ve mentioned before here) that says 28% of commercial drivers have a sleep disorder.  No matter how much sleep time they get, maybe they are not getting the restorative rest they need.

Sleep: At The Wheel With Sleep Apnea!.

Investigators found that "persons with untreated sleep apnea perform as poorly on simulated steering and psychomotor reaction time tests as legally intoxicated individuals."  They also noted that the prevalence of obstructed sleep apnea in drivers is estimated at 3%, or 4.7 million drivers. A recent study of 1,391 commercial truck drivers found that 28% had obstructive sleep apnea, with more than one-third characterized as moderate to severe.

A third (moderate to severe) of 28% is about 9% which almost matches the above number of drowsy drivers on the other study. Those drivers are going to be tired no matter how much sleeper time they get. How about doing something for THEM without messing with the rest of us! Like maybe this! Back to the original article.

"The new rule was supposed to improve safety, but our survey
shows the opposite,” says Anne McCartt, IIHS vice president for
research. “Truckers are using the restart provision to squeeze even
more driving hours into the week."

A work week restart provision of the current rule, requiring 34
hours off, increases allowable driving hours in a seven-day period from
60 to 77. The rule lengthens the mandatory rest period by two hours but
lets drivers stay on the road an extra hour every day.

Is that 34 hour restart great or what?! Granted I drive and work more, but I sleep more too.  If I’m away from home, I want to work, not have to sit around a truck stop.

A quarter of drivers who were surveyed by IIHS said they drive
more than the new daily limit of 11 hours. Eight of 10 drivers said
they’re taking advantage of the restart provision that allows them to
drive 25 percent more in a week.

I bet those same drivers drove more than the 10 hours on the old rules. It’s not really the drivers fault. In theory and what the goverment wants you to do is stop driving after 11 hours, period. Companies (most if not all) tell drivers they are allowed a certain average mph. If I’m stuck in rush hour or bad weather or even driving on back roads, I still drive on my log that same average. Such as: On the interstate where the speed limit may be 65 mph, I’m allowed to drive 627 miles (57mph * 11 hours). If part of that 627 miles is during rush hour you’re not going to be able to average 57.  But my logbook would still show 627 miles in 11 hours. In reality I drive until the job is done for the day. It may take a little longer than 11 hours.

Honestly, I used to do that, but not so much anymore. Very seldom do we have to drive a full 11 hours or more a day to get where I’m going on time. Since most of our deliveries require coordination with crews, labor or regular business hours, getting there early doesn’t neccassarily give me an advantage.  But that is the way it is for the majority of drivers and companies encourage this practice.

The ATA study, based on government accident records and data from
70 carriers operating under the new rule, was presented March 10 to the
Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration as comment on the possible
revision of the hours rule. ATA asks that the rule receive no major
changes.

Among ATA’s findings:

• While total DOT recordable accidents and preventable DOT
  recordable accidents remained relatively consistent, there were
  decreases between 2003 and 2004 in total injuries and injuries related
  to DOT recordable accidents.
• The 34-hour recovery and restart help to avoid the shifting of
  daytime to nighttime schedules, which can affect the circadian rhythm
  and decrease alertness.

I have no idea how that’s supposed to fix anything besides letting me work more. Besides why should what I did last week have anything to do with what I’m doing today.

• By increasing the daily off-duty requirement to 10 continuous
  hours, the new rules greatly reduced the possibility of chronic sleep
  deprivation and the development of a sleep debt during a driver’s
  workweek.
• With minor modifications to accommodate better use of sleeper
  berths and the promotion of naps, the rule should continue to prove
  highly useful in assuring the overall safety of the nation’s highways.

That’s cute! Everyone get your blanky, it’s nappy time! I don’t care how many hours we are supposed to log as ’sleeping’, if someone doesn’t want to sleep, they’re not going to. They have to keep a "split-sleeper berth" option available to keep teams productive.

Enforcement of work hours has long been a problem because written
log books are easily falsified, said IIHS. Its survey shows about a
third of drivers say they at least occasionally omit work hours from
their logs.

"Without electronic recorders the rule can’t be enforced effectively," McCartt said.

Russell said FMCSA compliance data shows that only about 8 percent of drivers cheat on their logs.

The agenda raises it’s ugly head. Okay, I put in the boldness, but it jumped out at me like that from the original article.  I’m really, really sick and freakin’ tired of people thinking that some electronic recorder black box thing is going to fix everything.  The problem is not driving time. The problem is work time.  Uncompensated, unfair, unnecessary, undocumented, unlogged work and wait time. How is a black box going to know the difference between four hours in the sleeper berth and four hours loading or unloading??? Even if it could, how’s it going to know if I’m sleeping or waiting and having to listen to the CB for my dock number and unable to sleep?

What about people that need more than eight hours? What about them? Drivers with a sleep disorder can "sleep" for 12 hours a day and still be tired enough to doze at the wheel. Believe me I know. 

The solution? I don’t know. I have a few ideas. I like the new hours the way they are. Black boxes aren’t going to fix the problems people think they are going to fix. Enforcing companies to comply is a start. Now the companies blame the driver or owner operator for any log violations, accidents or anything else. When the driver is only trying to comply with the companies orders.

Originally posted 2005-03-14 01:31:00.

Bush tries to reassure skeptical Mexico – Americas – MSNBC.com.

MSNBC News Services

MERIDA, Mexico – …Bush promised to do his best to get a deeply divided U.S. Congress to change policies that are hated south of the border.

“My pledge to you and your government, but more important to the people of Mexico, is I’ll work as hard as I possibly can to pass comprehensive immigration reform,” Bush said…

Thanks, President Bush!

Learn Spanish now! This one is my favorite. (Sign up for free lessons) They have a forum and teleconferences. I’m almost done with the first level (30 half hour lessons), including slang and the “bad” words! I’ll soon be starting on Level2. This one is pretty good too. This has a quick shortcut, using English words you already now. Think I’m joking??? Been to a warehouse lately? ANYWHERE?! It doesn’t matter if it’s Southern California, Texas or New Jersey.

One last point -

The two also brought up narcotrafficking — an issue Bush thinks needs to be tackled regionally.

Calderon also is critical of the Bush administration’s efforts to stem the flow of drugs into the United States.

“We need the collaboration and the active participation of our neighbor,”
he said Tuesday. “Knowing that while we will not reduce the demand for
drugs in a certain area, it will be very difficult to reduce the supply
in ours.”

It’s our fault they have a drug supply problem because of our demand problem. This entire article made me sick to my stomach.

Originally posted 2007-03-14 07:06:00.

SPECIAL REPORT: Big questions remain on
Mexican pilot program .
Charlie Parfrey, president of Parfrey Trucking Brokerage in Spokane, WA, testified on behalf of the Owner-Operator Independent Drivers Association.

Almost immediately, he condemned the “deceitfulness of the DOT,” saying the agency pushed the program through without open, unrestricted review.

In light of the fact the program has not been published in the Federal Register for public view and comment, Parfrey pointed out to Senate subcommittee members that without having had the opportunity to review and analyze specific data, proposals, and agreements, truckers and highway users alike are left with a tremendous number of unanswered questions.

“Their effort has been almost entirely secret and beyond public view or scrutiny. OOIDA firmly believes that DOT has not complied with Section 350 of the 2002 Transportations Appropriations Act,” Parfrey testified.

The cloak of secrecy that has essentially shut out public input and oversight drew speculation from the opponents as to the true intent of the program.

Don’t forget Trans-Texas Corridor , here’s another driver’s comments on the issue. And a couple of my favorite immigration sites. American’s for Legal Immigration and of course Vdare.com and their great blog. On a side note – Help the two Border Patrol Agents. If I need to explain, you’ve been under a rock for too long, catch up! Here and Here. And a new trucking book recommendation.

Originally posted 2007-03-13 18:07:56.