The Source for Trucking News, Opinions and Trucking Jobs | Truck Strike

There’s always rumor or an attempt trying to get truckers to go on “strike” to show how important trucking is and we should get something done for us.

Truckers plan to strike

Soaring diesel prices and exorbitant fees are bringing tractor-trailer owner/operators to a boiling point – so much so that some truckers across the nation are planning to strike for 72 hours beginning Monday.

A strike of this magnitude could cripple grocery stores that rely on daily milk, bread and produce deliveries, said Brian McGee, an independent trucker from Port Arthur.

Yeah, but like all the others, it probably won’t happen.

Brian McGee is one long haul driver who will put the brakes on his deliveries. His father Raymond McGee, of Hitchcock, is also a truck driver who plans to stop driving for the 72-hour period.

Raymond McGee has been a trucker for 39 years. In a phone call from Ohio, the elder McGee explained some of the down points to being a professional truck driver. Some of the issues revolved around “lumper’s fees.” When McGee and other drivers deliver their products they have a choice either to unload the truck for a minimal fee or pay a lumper anywhere from $40 to $300 to unload the truck. Truckers feel the lumper’s fee is unreasonable, claiming that the person receiving the delivery should be the one responsible for arranging the unloading of the vehicle.

Even though I don’t deal with lumpers (anymore) they want me to sit for three days and support them? I don’t think so. And what do they expect to accomplish? Who sets the lumper fees? The American public? How about “striking” the companies that make you pay for lumpers. How about not taking a load unless the shipper or someone pays for the lumpers? How about that for a concept?

And the whining continues -

Time is another issue father and son take issue with.

“I have literally sat for 27 hours waiting to be unloaded,” Raymond McGee said. “Then there’s a business in Houston that charges $20 for us just to pull onto their property. There are a lot of problems that no one wants to confront.”

How about charging for detention time? If your stupid enough to be taken advantage of, you’re going to be taken advantage of.

Todd Spensor, executive vice president of the Owner-Operator Independent Drivers Association, said he has heard of the possible strike.

“Diesel fuels keep going up and truckers have a tough time offsetting the costs,” Spensor said. “This is a competitive business and it’s getting harder.”

A typical truck driver will use 20,000 to 25,000 gallons of fuel annually. With rising fuel costs that equals to drivers losing up to about $14,000 of their net income in gas prices alone.

Todd’s a good guy and OOIDA isn’t going to approve or sanction something stupid like a strike. Even if we went on strike because of fuel prices, who’s controls the price of oil/fuel? Maybe Opec will take pity on us poor, stupid truckers and lower the prices.

Mike Russell, spokesman for the American Trucking Association, said his organization is not involved with the upcoming strike. Both McGee men had heard rumors that the ATA would endorse the strike.

While there are many company owned truck drivers, it’s the independent drivers that are wanting the strike.

Some of these guys hear this stuff on the CB and think it’s gospel.

Rates are starting to inch up. If Gomer and Son are losing money in this tight truck market, maybe they shouldn’t be driving. A strike isn’t going to prove or solve anything. It’s up to the individual to “strike” cheap freight rates and bad treatment from shippers. They can’t decide why to strike, but it sounds like a good idea to show America we mean business. And then what, Gomer?

Originally posted 2004-11-01 03:45:00.