Strike Attempt Fails

Posted on 06-11-2004

Few Truckers Pull Off Road in Diesel Price Protest

A trucking shutdown over high diesel prices garnered such low participation that its discouraged leader called it off early Tuesday to go back on the road.

“I guess they’ve got yellow stripes running down their backs. The American people won’t stand up for their rights,” said Joe Edwards of Spokane, Wash.

This really burns my butt. Who’s yellow? The truckers that are afraid to stand up to a broker and get the money they deserve and can get because of a tight truck market or a bunch of idiots that think shutting down for a few days is going to affect gas prices?

He estimated that a few thousand truckers had shut down for the protest that began at midnight Sunday and was to run through Wednesday, not enough to have an impact on nationwide diesel demand.

More like - he dreamed a few thousand. Even if every single truck shut down for three days, what good would that do?

“The rest of them kept running,” Edwards said. “We can’t accomplish anything unless we stand together.”

Edwards said the shutdown was intended to focus attention on high fuel costs. He said too many independent truck drivers and small trucking companies are being forced out of business.

How about standing together against cheap freight? A lot of these old farts think a truck strike is going to fix everything that’s wrong and the government will stand up and notice the truckers plight and do something for us. And what’s a company driver supposed to do when these idiots do something like this? Strike for something that doesn’t affect him? That’s stupid. I can’t believe these idiots actually got press time.

Small operators have a more difficult time levying fuel surcharges than do large trucking companies and brokers, the gobetweens who often arrange deals between independent truckers and shippers.

But it’s not impossible. If the big companies won’t run without fuel surcharges why can’t independents do the same thing. It’s not like the big companies are going to come in and undercut them on a fuel surcharge. I’m leased to a company so I don’t have to deal with that. But there have been many times when we have either refused a load because it didn’t pay or it was cancelled because they found someone cheaper. That’s going to happen. Why should I run and not get paid? In the words of the great General Patton - let the other dumb SOB go out of business.

Diesel prices declined 0.006 of a cent to a nationwide average of $2.206 per gallon, the Department of Energy said Monday. It was the first decline in eight weeks but still was 72.5 cents higher than a year ago. In the Midwest, diesel averaged $2.172, down 0.013 cent for the week.

These idiots are striking for lower fuel costs when diesel prices go down a little? Brilliant freakin’ move guys.

Edwards was particularly disappointed while protesting along an Interstate in Indianapolis to see truckers drive by and express support with a honk or a thumbs-up but continue driving.

“We had this planned for over a month. Truck drivers won’t honor anything. Nowadays there’s no common courtesy out here anymore. Drivers are for themselves.”

Trucking has changed and some of these old farts don’t get it. It’s not the fault of ‘new’ drivers it’s the way the industry is now. They should retire and get out of the business if they can’t adapt.

Edwards and several other drivers had publicized the protest mostly by faxing handwritten fliers.

He said he won’t participate in a three-day shutdown planned to begin Nov. 15. That effort was started by a truck dispatcher via e- mail and a chatroom.

“I don’t have any faith in (other drivers.) Don’t ever holler shutdown in front of me again,” he said.

Don’t worry, I won’t. These guys just don’t get it.

Todd Spencer of the OwnerOperator Independent Drivers Association said some drivers already had planned to take a long weekend off because of Halloween and the election. The association had no role in the shutdown.

“I know there are drivers who parked last Friday” and didn’t plan to work until after the election, Spencer said. He said he had not heard from many taking part in the protest.

“Despite the contention that if they were to stop for three days, there would be a horrendous impact on society, they also have their own priorities,” he said.

He said he was unaware of any impact on freight movement.

I shut down since Saturday till Thursday because my transmission was getting fixed. Had nothing to do with these idiots.

Edwards said he fears more truckers will go out of business if they can’t make their case heard for fuel surcharges and smaller percentages for brokers.

“It’s a bad situation. We’re in a bad crisis here.”

If you can’t make money or get a fuel surcharge in the best trucking market in decades, maybe you shouldn’t be in business. Go back to being leased or a company driver. It’s not personal, it’s business. This is a business. Sorry, I can’t feel sorry for these guys that would rather drive down the road in a big chrome and light covered fuel sucking show truck and blame everything on the government and expect everything to be handed to them than make money and stand up for themselves.