It’s Not About Trucking
It really happened. Countless truck drivers across the county shut down their rigs on Tuesday, April 1st, to protest against high diesel fuel prices. Many more slowed to 20 miles per hour on Interstate highways. This event, unorganized as it was, has managed to make headlines around the country and get at least a few people talking about the difficulties faced by truck owners and drivers who lose money every time they start up their rigs.
I’ve been Googling to find some comments on the shut-down from politicians, and so far I can’t find a thing. Not one word from the Presidential candidates, not one word from the Congress, not a thing anywhere. Oh, a few days ago Congress did call the oil company CEOs to explain why they are making such obscene profits while the rest of the economy is on the skids, but that was just a dog & pony show–Congress can’t do a thing to big oil, and big oil knows it.
So, what impact did Tuesday’s slow-down have? The impact may have been small, and it may have been scattered, but its true impact may be on the symbolic level. Truckers are finally saying “enough is enough,” and, judging from one blog entry I found online, they are not simply seeing this as a “trucking problem.” This blogger wrote:THIS IS NOT A STRIKE OR WORK STOPPAGE! THIS IS NOT AN ATTEMPT TO ORGANIZE TRUCK DRIVERS. THIS IS A WAKE UP CALL FOR THE U.S. CITIZEN TO EXAMINE A SYSTEM SO OUT OF BALANCE THAT OUR POLITICIANS & NATIONAL MEDIA REFUSE TO ACKNOWLEDGE & EXAMINE THE ISSUES. AS AN AMERICAN CITIZEN, IT IS YOUR RESPONSIBILITY TO HOLD YOUR GOVERNMENT RESPONSIBLE & URGE OTHERS TO DO THE SAME! THIS WILL BE EACH AND EVERY COMPANY OWNER/MANAGER & DRIVER LOOKING IN THE MIRROR, SAYING WITH SINCERITY, “THIS IS NOT ABOUT ME OR MY BUSINESS. THIS IS ABOUT MY COUNTRY! THIS IS MY OWN PROTEST!”
I couldn’t agree more. This isn’t about trucking. It’s about our country, and who’s really in charge. I don’t care if you believe in big government or small government, you ought to believe in government that looks out for every American, not just the fat cats.
April 4th, 2008 at 6:18 pm
The oil co. are making 8 or 9% profit, no one has said a thing aout The 16 to 18% that The GOV is taking (which is double The amount that The oil co. are making). Where is The outrage over The mis-spending of our moneys that they take from us?
April 10th, 2008 at 4:13 pm
On many levels I agree with the article and also the first respondent. However we do live in a market economy that for the better part is left to manage itself. The truckers certainly have the right idea to take action. That action shouldn’t be about a message but rather a tangible affect to reduce oil prices based on supply and demand principals. If anything the truckers are sending a message to the rest of us to stand beside them. The problem? stopping and slowing down the nations freight is not going to put a big enough dent in that oil market. It will take a better organized effort with a longer term goal.
many concerted efforts over time.
April 10th, 2008 at 4:32 pm
i agree with kelly peters. i cant keep up with all the taxes, etc. i try to keep enough in the fuel accounts but its either pay taxes or buy fuel. cant win.
April 10th, 2008 at 6:31 pm
I have been involved with trucking for over 30 years and have heard all this before…..over and over again. The article is right on many aspects. But the bottom line is our government is getting bigger and bigger with more and more programs. We are supporting everything with fewer points of income producers. America’s greatest producers - agriculter is the most effcient in the world, yet we still pay to not produce corps, why? Our transportation system with trucking is a cost effective, reliable process that effectively keeps this country supplied. Yet we beat down the trucking industry, why?
America shines it’s brightest and overcomes the adversities when it’s citizens stop being the “victims” and become the “can do” rugged indavidualists that built this country.
It is time we held people accountable for what they are doing or not doing and stop then downward draw on this country. Our legislators need to stop spending beyond our means just to please select groups of special intersts. To further that we need a stop to all the “extra” money the government and the Federal Reserve keeps pumping into the economy. It’s time to say enough is enough….if we don’t have the money in hand we don’t spend it. The Federal government is not the keeper of the people and should stop trying to solve every problem that someone faces. Sure some will be hurt, some business will fail, but we will become stronger and better for it. Once we become self reliant, accountable and budget minded again we will begin to overcome the economic adversities we are facing. In a short time the price of fuel, the taxes and the dependance we place on foriegn oil will take on a new and acceptable format….one we can manage!
Only a change in the way we move forward will correct what we have done in the past. It’s time to speak up and demand accountablity!
April 11th, 2008 at 8:36 am
Every person, notjust truckers would sit down and not work for just 4 hours to get the message across that all americans are together, we could lower oil prices. Remember when we were building the pipeline in Alaska, they said that we would never again have to depend on foreign oil? There is definitely price gouging-fuel in Ca.used to be $.30 higher than Pa and now it is just the opposite.