The Great “American” Truckers shutdown 2008
Mar 27, 2008 Talk Radio, U.S. Trucking News
Having lived through the ones in the 70’s and 80’s, the last one in 1984, I believe, still hanging around the back of my mind, the whole idea of any type of job action is the ultimate in stupidity.
Anyone remember the “kowboys” blocking the entrance to the truck stops, such as the old Union 76 in Ontario California, and threatening drivers unless they gave their assurances they were coming in to park and join the “strike”? I sure do! Remember hauling the freight with a sign on the back of your trailer saying “On Strike! Going Home”? I remember that too. Been there and done it! Anyone remember the shots fired at the big trucks, the 5th wheels pulled, the driver that was killed in Smith’s Grove NC by a brick thrown from an overpass by someone not remotely associated with the trucking industry? Fresh in my mind!
Are we ready for more of the same? We’ve had idiots calling the overnight talk shows making those threats all week, and while most are talking out their asses as usual, it puts ideas into the heads of outsiders who think it would be cute to involve themselves in that manner.
But this is 2008. In 1984, we didn’t have cell phones and other forms of instant communications. We seem to have some, such as Mr Kirsch and his group in Pennsylvania who are showing common sense and constraint in bringing their concerns before the American people. Kudos to them for doing it the correct way and not advocating a shutdown.
Dan Little of Little and Little Cattle Co is the brains behind the call for the shutdown on April 1st. Listening to him on the Steve Sommers show the other night, (ironically, one night after Sommers dismissed him as a crackpot) he made sense, he has a grasp of the issues although he is expecting too much to result from this. We’ll see. He has been garnering the media coverage and for the most part it is positive.
So will Mexico Trucker being supporting the shutdown or participating? Nope! I have commitments to our customers. If I happen to be home on Tuesday as I am now, perhaps we can say I participated.
Perhaps people need to expend the same energy they used when they failed to get the cross border program stopped and flood Washington with their calls and emails.
But one thing to remember, Mexico, the Cross Border Program, Mexican truckers, NAFTA is not the cause of our problems, nor do they contribute to our problems nor does the solution to these problems lay south of the border.
And contrary to what some of the looney toons who’ve called the overnight talk shows have claimed, our problems here are not an excuse to bring Mexican drivers to this country to take our jobs. Nowhere is that written nor planned except in the minds of the tin hat crowd and those who take advantage of that ignorance.
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Tags: Dan Little, Fuel prices, Shutdown, Trucker Strike
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March 28th, 2008 at 4:40
Of course a mexican would say all this bull and feel good about it.All I can say is go Home and leave the Driving to us.We are all tired of the rising fuel prices and everything else that goes up in Price,but of course the pay stays the same.We are not fortuned enough to have a friend in the White House.I’m getting tired of Illegal’s taking our Jobs and calling them selfs Truck Drivers,but yet half of them can’t even speak English.Learn the language or go Home.This is the USA.
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March 28th, 2008 at 7:03
Huh? If you would take a minute to read this blog instead of jumping to conclusions, you would realize I am as white and American citizen as you are my friend.
Difference is, I have been there, done that, and seen the best of intentions turn into a totally fucked up mess. A strike or shutdown or whatever you choose to call it will accomplish absolutely nothing!
At best, as in the past, the politicians will dangle a carrot, perhaps make a meaningless gesture and all will go away patting themselves on the back and in a month or so, things will return to the way they are.
Of course, the organizers will be proud of themselves, OOIDA will take credit where credit ain’t due and we’ll still be paying $4.00 plus for fuel and the brokers will still be sticking it too us.
Tell me something. You say you are tired of “illegals” taking your jobs? Are you working? Do you have a job? What “job” has an “illegal” taken? And in your mind, what is an “illegal”? Anyone with a darker skin tone than you? Someone who speaks with an accent or does not speak English at all?
There are no “illegals” taking your job, my job or anyones job. At least not from Mexico where the majority of you people think is the only place “illegals” come from.
But you make an interesting demand. “Learn English or go home”! I bet most of those here illegally would fall all over themselves to learn English if that was all it took for them to stay here without the harassment and discrimination they face daily.
Keep reading the blog my friend. It might open your eyes. And thanks for the well thought out comment.
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March 28th, 2008 at 3:23
You really believe they aren’t taking our Job’s.Then eplain to me the fact that Swift just got rated last week by the FBI for hiring Illegals and given them CDL’s and sending them on the road.I’m not going to argue,but I think something needs to be done about the Fuel prices.It isn’t only Diesel,the prices are hurting everyone.You don’t think that a Shut down would do anything?I think it would,when the Stores run out of Supplies and there is no one to bring anymore.A lot of people do not realize what a Trucker does.They go Shopping and never even think of how that stuff got there.All I ever hear is how Truckers are bad,nasty, cause accidents,etc.I have never heard a Thank you from anyone for delievering there Toilet paper.I guess a Shut down would mean,start saving your newspaper,you are going to needed.
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March 28th, 2008 at 3:42
Once again, read this blog and news reports on the Swift situation.
Nowhere is it reported, other than on the right wing crack pot blogs, that Swift was raided or that they were accused of hiring illegal aliens. Even OOIDA reports this.
The State of Tennessee drivers license office, on premises was raided and files and computers seized. Other than that, no body is saying anything.
I agree, the high price of fuel is killing us all. But a shutdown will solve nothing. Unless you can get all of the mega carriers, the union companies, the local delvery drivers, food service drivers, everyone to participate, it is an effort in futility.
And what if you were to accomplish that level of participation? You would be hurting the American public whose opinion of truckers is not that great anyways, as you pointed out.
You would be hurting yourself also. You are also a consumer. Think there is a private store for us truckers to sustain us while everyone is shutdown? Not on your life.
I am just pointing out the common sense approach to the problem. Shutting down is only going to further put the hurt on us. It may also weed out some of those who have no business being in this business. That would be a plus.
Perhaps when the price of gasoline equals that of diesel, the American people will start to give a damn about things and there will be no need for a shutdown or any other job action.
I don’t have all the answers nor does anyone else other than the ones responsible for this mess. All I can do is present the facts on this forum and hope that those that read it can do so with an open mind and decide for themselves.
But I can guarantee you one thing. Everything that is wrong with this country, all the problems, all of your personal problems, are not the fault of the Mexicans, legal or illegal. People need to quit thinking in that manner and then maybe, solutions might be found.
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March 29th, 2008 at 12:57
You call yourself an American–BS–Why are you living in mexico? You say that American jobs aren’t effected; Freight is being shipped to mexican ports and then brought here by mexican companies. Our dock workers jobs are effected and there’s also less freight for our trucks to haul. Don’t ignore these things when you go spouting off. Drivers like yourself are the reason that the other shutdowns failed. If we can get a good turnout for this shutdown, there will be an effect. I can afford to rebound from a 3 day or 1 week shutdown easier than I can afford $ 5.00 a gal. for fuel. And that’s where it’s headed if we don’t do something. You say, do it the right way, Wake up !!! this is the right way. If you count on polititions, and organizations to do something it’l never happen. Also, as a protest against ooida’s position on this, I’m canceling my membership. If they won’t support us, I won’t support them. As for yourself; Go to mexico and stay in mexico. You’re american on paper only. We don’t need or want your kind here…go where your hart is.
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March 30th, 2008 at 4:12
I could fill up these pages with the reasons why myself and 450,000 other Americans choose to live in this country, but I won’t!
Freight being shipped to Mexican ports and carried to the border by Mexican drivers? What about the freight being shipped to Canadian ports and taken to it’s final destination by Canadian drivers? What’s the difference?
Longshoremen’s jobs being affected? In what manner, when our ports are at near capacity now?
LEss freight for our trucks to haul? It’s the economy stupid! It ain’t Mexico. Truckers in Mexico are feeling the trickle down effect here also.
Go ahead and shutdown. Until every single truck in the US is parked, nothing will be done! The politicos will dangle a carrot, make promises that will be forgotten as soon as the cameras are turned off and things will be as they were.
I think it would be more productive to demand to know why fuel prices are as high as they are, and fuck the concerns of non events on the other side of the world. There is no reason why there should be an .80 price differential between gas and diesel.
Good for you for canceling your membership to OOIDA! I canceled mine years ago! All they are interested in is championing causes which have no impact on our jobs! Perhaps there is a reason that out of 11 million CDL holders (SOURCE: CDLIS) there are only 161,000 foolish enough to fall for their propaganda!
If I thought this shutdown would have any long term effect and relief on the situation, I’d be there at the front of the pack supporting it. But common sense and history suggests otherwise.
I am in Mexico at the moment, relaxing at my palatial digs by the pool with an adult beverage preparing to make a run to Chicago, where Tuesday, I hope the shutdown causes no delays at LG Electronics DC.
And yes, you do need my kind here (whatever my kind is) to moderate the bullshit and inject some logic and common sense into the debate that has degenerated into into a situation where a Mexican or Mexico is to blame for every little failure in everyones pathetic lives!
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March 30th, 2008 at 8:21
I have been a truck driver for over 34 years. I lived in Mexico for 3 years. During that time I made friends with several Mexican truck drivers. They remind me of the old days of trucking in this country, real men doing a tough job. I’d have to say that 95% of our drivers won’t last a week driving in Mexico, mountain grades on narrow roads, no shoulders, ect.
As far as living in Mexico, I’m just waiting for the day I can start collecting my Social Security checks, because that’s were I’m headed.
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March 31st, 2008 at 1:38
I’ve been in the business 32 years Robert and I agree about the SS checks! The day will come when I no longer have to cross the border.
I spent the biggest part of the day with a reporter and her photographer Saturday and one thing I learned, or I should say was confirmed for me, is that these Mexican drivers are no different from any of us. They have the same skills, training, expertise, desire to return home safely to their families that we do.
More on this interesting afternoon later.
Thanks for the comment.
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April 3rd, 2008 at 1:49
Crude oil needs to be taken off of the stock market. You and I should not be allowed to buy crude oil, (not that we could buy much), but investors and traders should not be allowed to toy with crude oil prices on wall street, only running up the bids, so they can sell what they purchased earlier for profit.
If you cannot accept crude oil by the shipload, or howerver much these traders buy.. you should not be allowed to meddle in the commodity, “crude oil”. these people should play with other commodities like grain, gold, other metals and the like, because we could stand for our food alone to be higher, but outrageus crude prices raise not only food, but EVERYTHING.
take these investors, and speculators (who are investing OUR ss monies and the like) out of the crude oil game.
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April 4th, 2008 at 7:58
I agree with you in principle but the oil is traded on the commodities market.
Someone needs to be doing Federal time
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April 13th, 2008 at 11:49
>> Freight is being shipped to mexican ports and then brought here by mexican companies.
If Americans want more and bigger ports they should build them, but they can’t or won’t. Lazaro Cardenas is going to get a lot of shipping from China and it will be taken by rail into the US. It’s all in the works. Don’t blame Mexico because Americans can’t or won’t expand their ports. Besides, they’re is enough business for us both. Mexicos gain won’t be our loss on this one. We’ll both benefit.
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