Life on the Road - Trucking News Blog

This country’s fuel prices has gotten so out of hand, that our “American” truckers are going to “Mexico” fuel stops to fill up. It’s approximately $2.00 cheaper in Mexico per gallon than it is here in the USA. I do not know about you all, but this is making me sick to my stomach. What kind of country do we live in where the Government is pushing our Transportation industry to such an extreme as to fuel their vehicles in another country? It’s cheaper for owner ops to purchase the permits for Mexico, then drive to Mexico to fill up.

 

 Truckers Fuel in Mexico: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download (553)

When Life hands you a Lemon, make Lemonade. Or When the going gets tough, the tough get going. Or It’s not the size of the dog in the fight, it’s the size of the fight in the DOG

and like that.

Winston Churchill said…..”"never, ever,ever, give up

Comprende?

However, not giving up, not quitting may not be the same thing as continuing with the same old thing.

Tactics they call it. The strategy is the same (make more money) but the tactics might change.

If one thing doesn’t work, try something else.

Almost every truck driver started out pulling a dry box. Of those few that didn’t many of THEM started by pulling a standard Flatbed. (of course there are the exceptions like me. I started out hauling bombs during the VietNam War, Police Action, Conflict)

Dry Vans have the highest turnover in the Industry. It’s no wonder a HUGE percentage of folks who think they “have what it takes” to be a trucker don’t. Just about EVERY trucker is “one in a hundred”. THAT many drop out, more maybe.

Read the rest of this entry »

run in circles, scream and shout! It’s the end of the world isn’t it? Global meltdown,  Economic Recession, terrible, bad. Oh yeah, I forgot, People are ALREADY doing that.

News Flash. This has all happened before. We did OK then, we should do OK now. Overall. Mostly. Some won’t. Deadwood will be trimmed, the herd will be thinned. Those of us who survive (and I use this term in the loosest possible way, we’ll most likely ALL literally survive, some of just a little leaner than before, financially and perhaps in a different occupation) will have better opportunities than before.

Once again the Power of the Internet lends a more accurate perspective on current events than does the pandering News Media. Google is still your friend and Wikipedia is a quick and easy way to get an immediate overview of “what’s happening”. Vast vistas of info are available for anyone who has a little bit of initiative. Being uninformed is no longer an excuse anyone can find out just about anything with very little effort and very quickly.

Read the rest of this entry »

We must repeal NAFTA!

We’re exporting all of our jobs overseas.

NAFTA opponents point to the 2.4 million U.S. manufacturing jobs that have disappeared since NAFTA took effect in 1994, a drop of about 14%. In Ohio, site of Tuesday’s hotly contested primary, manufacturing jobs are down by nearly 200,000, or 20%, during the same time.

This graph…by none other than the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve clearly shows that Manufacturing Output in the United States is declining since the implementation of NAFTA.

We clearly must. (!!!!)

hmmmm. That graph is not so clear. It’s too small too. Let me enlarge it, Whatzamatter with the graph?

Oops. It’s flipped. Let me flip it back over where it’s supposed to be.

Read the rest of this entry »

From the Washington Post we find that:

Offering the gloomiest assessment of economic well-being in close to half a century, a new survey has found that most Americans say they have not made progress over the past five years as their incomes have stagnated and they have increasingly borrowed money to finance their lifestyles.

Sounds bad doesn’t it? Horrible horrible. The economy must be in ruins for them to have to borrow money to splurge, er, to live a decent life. Those poor people. AS you read further down into the body of the Article we find that: :

Even as they struggle, however, nearly two-thirds of Americans say they are better off than their parents were when they were their age.

Wow…better off than their parents. Furthermore we find that:

Read the rest of this entry »

In 1999, after months of soul searching, bank statement searching, and just plain searching I decided to buy a new truck. After that it was pretty easy. I just selected a dealer who would give me a decent trade on the truck I had at that time (more searching), decided just WHAT I wanted in a truck, and plop down a fairly hefty deposit, and then wait.

About six months later the truck showed up at the dealer. I drove in with my ‘ole Pete, swapped for a brand new shiny KW and drove off.

That was it. No worries beyond the “normal” worries. It worked out pretty well.

That was nine years ago. The OLD KW has been rode hard and put up wet too many times and she’s showing her age. In creaks, rattles, moans and groans if not in looks. She still looks pretty good for an old truck, pretty good. Some clearcoat is gone, a couple of nicks, a scratch or two, but she looks pretty good.

Read the rest of this entry »

So I was flipping thru one of the publications that I pick up from time to time at the truckstop - gives me something to do when the hubby runs what I call the “same old boring way” and there is nothing new for me to look at.

And I think I may have found a glimmer of hope for us all….

“DEADHORSE, Alaska — A high demand for oil drilling pipe and steel, as well as the addition of seasonal ice roads have increased trucking activity to support oil exploration on Alaska’s North Slope. Business has jumped so much, it’s attracting outside trucking firms to the state. “

Wow - that would be great if they could actually find some oil for us wouldn’t it? Maybe it would ease some of our demand since there is a lack of supply. Not only for fuel use - but also for experienced drivers as well.

I would like to think of this short little blurb as a glimmer of hope for the transportation industry. Something a little positive when there is SO much negativity out there right now.

with the truck strike crybabies.

Ok. Maybe I’m being harsh, but it gets old.

They don’t listen.

Strike. Strike. Strike. As if that’s going to do ANY good.

All the good it’ll do is make trucks, truckers and ESPECIALLY owner-operators look bad to the public. The news media will see to that. Trucks and trucking doesn’t have a very good rep. right now….thanks to the news media, CRASH, MADD and many others….a strike would only make it worse.

Do you want automatic speed-limiters, nationwide idle-reduction (like California..but worse?), Mandatory GPS or satellite tracking…”paperless logs”? Do you REALLY want big brother looking over your shoulder every minute of every hour of every day?…..any more than they are anyway? An effective strike might go a loooooong way toward making that a reality.

Buncha babies. “waaah….do what I want or I’m gonna huuuuuuurt myself”.

Ridiculous.

Read the rest of this entry »

BioFuels

Things are happening in the field (excuse the pun) of BioFuels. In case you’re not altogether clear on what BioFuels are my favorite “quick reference” source, Wikipedia, has a nice article on it.

Of the many energy related blogs that I follow these days are some of the more interesting and recent developments.

From New Energy and Fuel

Read the rest of this entry »

America uses a lot of energy. A LOT.

Some folks seem to think this is a bad thing. I don’t agree. Like fun, money and sex you can’t have too much energy. Years ago…in the first energy crisis…some folks figured out that things needed to be DONE. Unfortunately nothing much was done. Consequently now we have ANOTHER energy crisis. Something still needs to be done. Increasingly restrictive EPA regulations which decrease fuel economy probably isn’t one of them.

The following table is from a Blog I follow….NEXT BIG FUTURE

Read the rest of this entry »