The Real Board
Would you like to react to this message? Create an account in a few clicks or log in to continue.

Truckers Protesting High Fuel Prices

Go down

Truckers Protesting High Fuel Prices Empty Truckers Protesting High Fuel Prices

Post  Guest Tue Apr 01, 2008 3:31 pm

http://www.breitbart.com/article.php?id=D8VP78280&show_article=1

TRENTON, N.J. (AP) - Independent truckers around the country pulled their rigs off the road and others slowed to a crawl on major highways in a loosely organized protest of high fuel prices.

Some truckers, on CB radios and trucking Web sites, had called for a strike Tuesday to protest the high cost of diesel fuel, saying the action might pressure President Bush to stabilize prices by using the nation's oil reserves. But the protests were scattered because because major trucking companies were not on board and there did not appear to be any central coordination.

On New Jersey's Turnpike, southbound rigs "as far as the eye can see" were moving at about 20 mph near Newark, said Turnpike Authority spokesman Joe Orlando. Other truckers had gathered at a service area near Newark chanting and protesting.

Outside Chicago, three truck drivers were ticketed for impeding traffic on Interstate 55, driving three abreast at low speeds, said Illinois State Police Master Sgt. Luis Gutierrez.

Near Florida's Port of Tampa, more than 50 tractor-trailer rigs sat idle as their drivers demanded that contractors pay them more to cover their fuel and other costs.

"We can no longer haul their stuff for what they're paying," said David Santiago, 35, a trucker for the past 17 years.

Santiago, like many of the more than 50 truckers gathered on a side street near the Port of Tampa, said he can't support his family on what he makes. "If it wasn't for my wife, we would have been bankrupt already," he said.

"The oil company is the boss, what are we going to be able to do about it?" said Charles Rotenbarger, 49, a trucker from Columbus, Ohio, who was at a truck stop at Baldwin, Fla., about 20 miles west of Jacksonville. "The whole world economy is going to be controlled by the oil companies. There's nothing we can do about it."

Jimmy Lowry, 51, of St. Petersburg, Fla., and others said it costs about $1 a mile to drive one of the big rigs, although some companies are offering as little as 87 cents a mile. Diesel cost $4.03 a gallon at the Jacksonville-area truck stop.

Teamsters union officials said they had nothing to do with any kind of protests. An independent truck drivers group, the Owner-Operator Independent Drivers Association, said it also was not organizing anything. Federal law prohibits the association from calling for a strike because it is a trade association.

In Washington, meanwhile, top executives of the five biggest U.S. oil companies said Tuesday they know high fuel prices are hurting consumers but deflected any blame and argued their profits—$123 billion last year—were in line with other industries.

Rather than joining the protests, some truckers were forced to sit idle because of shippers' fears of a possible strike.

In western Michigan, independent trucker William Gentry had been scheduled to pick up a load and take it to Boston, but his dispatcher told him there was a change of plans.

"She told me that her shipper was shutting down," fearing that someone would sabotage deliveries if their drivers worked during the protest, Gentry said at the Tulip City Truck Stop outside Holland, Mich.

He and Bob Sizemore, 55, a 30-year veteran trucker, decided to return to their homes in Ohio, 280-mile trips that would cost each one about $200 of their own money for fuel alone.

"We can't ride around here looking for freight," said Gentry, 47, a driver for 23 years.

If something isn't done about fuel prices, the cost of consumer goods will shoot up, Gentry said. "People aren't seeing that the more we pay, the more they're going to pay," he said.

___

Associated Press writers Anthony McCartney in Tampa, Fla., James Prichard in Holland, Mich., and Ron Word in Baldwin, Fla., contributed to this report.
Anonymous
Guest
Guest


Back to top Go down

Truckers Protesting High Fuel Prices Empty Re: Truckers Protesting High Fuel Prices

Post  Guest Tue Apr 01, 2008 3:34 pm

I'm curious to see how fuel costs will continue to pan out this summer. They really need to organize like they did sometime in the 70's (?) and shutdown the highway system around DC.

Truck stop diesel is running about $4/gal when I was up in Chicago the last couple of weeks.
Anonymous
Guest
Guest


Back to top Go down

Truckers Protesting High Fuel Prices Empty Re: Truckers Protesting High Fuel Prices

Post  LTRT Tue Apr 01, 2008 3:44 pm

While I don't blame them one bit, but I'd also conclude their efforts aren't worth dime. Imagine all licensed drivers protesting gas prices. We've all hated the price that we've been forced to pay for what...about 4 years now. I assume that they're not loaded while carrying out their protest, so let me guess, how much money are they making...none. Boy that's smart, next they'll probably want the gov't to pay them for loss wages. Rolling Eyes One guy says 'the cost of consumer goods will shoot up', last I checked they already HAVE.
LTRT
LTRT
Jedi Master
Jedi Master

Male
Number of posts : 3456

Back to top Go down

Truckers Protesting High Fuel Prices Empty Re: Truckers Protesting High Fuel Prices

Post  Guest Tue Apr 01, 2008 6:00 pm

Just to make sure I'm following these guys correctly... it's big oil and the governments fault that their independent contract isn't written good enough to protect them from rising fuel costs?

Seems to me that these guys need to get a lesson in how to do business. Part of being an independent contractor means you are taking risks. Sometimes they work out and you profit better than the average person, sometimes you don't and they cost more than average person.

Fuel costs have influenced my DJ business, so I raised my prices. If people want to hire me, they'll pay the higher price, if they don't, they won't. It's part of business.
Anonymous
Guest
Guest


Back to top Go down

Truckers Protesting High Fuel Prices Empty Re: Truckers Protesting High Fuel Prices

Post  Guest Tue Apr 01, 2008 6:29 pm

Most people don't have any understanding how the trucking industry can effect their everyday lives.

I'd like to see every O/O go on strike or pull out completely. Even with company drivers, the entire country would feel the effect.
Anonymous
Guest
Guest


Back to top Go down

Truckers Protesting High Fuel Prices Empty Re: Truckers Protesting High Fuel Prices

Post  Sponsored content


Sponsored content


Back to top Go down

Back to top

- Similar topics

 
Permissions in this forum:
You cannot reply to topics in this forum