Unions ...... Good Or Bad??

As for Bretts post about whether drivers do less not work as hard as they did 25 years ago. The answer is yes, they don't work as hard nor do they do as much. My grandfather was a otr driver for over 30 years, back when it was all on the driver to figure out and plan his trip. Now a days technology does everything for you. Want to know the weather, click your doppler app. Need a place to park, click truckers path. Where am I headed, type in the address on the GPS. Nothing is planned anymore. The trucks are 100x safer and with more and more companies going to the automatics, you won't even have to shift. Yes! The job has gotten easier. Yes! Truckers today don't work as hard as they did then. The same goes for every business. Even burger flippers don't actually flip burgers anymore.

You should stop talking until you can stop proving your lack of knowledge.

It's hard being the smartest guy here

you will go far in this industry with that attitude.... NOT!!!!!

there are some things you said, that i can agree with. But you fail to realize, that yes, it does take hard work, and dedication to "rise to the top," some will never be able to, regardless how hard they work, study, etc. That is a sad reality. Sometimes life throws you a curve ball, and you go from rich, to penniless, over a $1 bet.

instead of working so hard to be"right," why don't you enlighten us, on how you would fix things, in this industry?

Let me break down how mcds works for you. First they open a box full of frozen patties. Shocker, I know. Then they lay said patties on a grill. Ooooo it's getting tough. Once the patties are on the grill they lower the top grill and push a button. Ding! Done. End of there Patty flipping job

Let me break down how mcds works for you. First they open a box full of frozen patties. Shocker, I know. Then they lay said patties on a grill. Ooooo it's getting tough. Once the patties are on the grill they lower the top grill and push a button. Ding! Done. End of there Patty flipping job

Give us a break, ok? Do you really think people come here to read stuff like that?

Bill R. - liked the FDR comment, the only thing I see wrong with that is he could have gone further himself and not placed all responsibility on the shoulders of business. Why can't the government lay off its hands on any income under $30K? Income tax to me is one of the most insidious forms of taxation. Think about it, you are taxing someone for working, for being productive, for trying to make something of themselves. The government can change things for the better all on its own instead of waiting on businesses to do it. I would like to see who would actually vote against such a proposal. The ultra-low interest rates over the last 8 years have really only benefited the ultra-rich. How has the middle and lower classes fared over that time?

I completely agree that income tax is a prohibitive aspect of hard work. I believe that the best tax is at http://www.fairtax.org

Here is the funny part: That is an idea first brought forward by REPUBLICANS! I know scary, right. But, of course, when it was determined that it was not "pro-business" it was "pro-people", they abandoned the approach.

It is all about sale tax, NO income tax.

Sam C.

So you cleverly answer the first part of Brett's question about truck drivers not working as hard as 25 years ago, but you conveniently ignore the second part about executive compensation. But fear not, as you did answer it by saying the following;

"Truckers today don't work as hard as they did then. The same goes for every business."

So by every business you must also be including executive compensation as they derive their income from every business. Then by this reasoning you agree that executives are also working 'less hard' ... but their incomes have still increased exponentially.

As you so aptly stated that you are the 'smartest one here', please explain how in your world it can be that everyone is working less hard, but somehow one group is able to capture a bigger share of the income pie than the other. Wouldn't everyones income decline in such a scenario?

Sam C.

So you cleverly answer the first part of Brett's question about truck drivers not working as hard as 25 years ago, but you conveniently ignore the second part about executive compensation. But fear not, as you did answer it by saying the following;

"Truckers today don't work as hard as they did then. The same goes for every business."

So by every business you must also be including executive compensation as they derive their income from every business. Then by this reasoning you agree that executives are also working 'less hard' ... but their incomes have still increased exponentially.

As you so aptly stated that you are the 'smartest one here', please explain how in your world it can be that everyone is working less hard, but somehow one group is able to capture a bigger share of the income pie than the other. Wouldn't everyones income decline in such a scenario?

How do I explain this without hurting your feelings. There are 2 major things involved here.

1. The majority of drivers have proven they cannot run their own truck efficiently, hence now needing monitored and micromanaged. That's why all the fancy new gadgets are installed. Yet an executive is running the entire fleet very efficient, hence why he and the owners are making bank instead of going bankrupt.

2. This is what I've been preaching the whole time that you refuse to understand. He busted his butt to get there! Why do you think people get business degrees, mathematics degrees, law degrees, and so on. Do you think they just love school? No! They do it for the money! He deserves every penny. He saved the company millions by suggesting to install cameras. Now they can fire slackers and have proof to show to deny unemployment. He brought in new business which made the company millions. By refusing to give raises to you and I, he kept costs down and was able to under bid the competition.

This is business! I know I am replaceable. I am a grunt. I work a low skill job. I chose this life. I wasn't forced into this truck and if I want to leave I can. But that's the thing, I don't want to. I don't want to have to work and go to college. I don't want to have to work that hard. Sure I wish and dream that I was rich but that's all they are. Wishes and Dreams. I have done nothing to deserve it. I can honestly say that if I ran the company that I would do exactly the same thing. It's good business. The whole point of starting a business is to make money. I'd probably cut the drivers wages even more because I know there are always people looking to work. Someone will take the job. Supply and demand

Hi Bill R. ... I went to take a look at the link you provided for fairtax.org and got the following message;

"Our website suffered catastrophic data loss on the appropriately named "Black Friday". Our team is working diligently to get it back up and running. We hope to have the base content up before Monday Morning."

I'll have to take a look at it later, I guess.

I am not surprised by much these days except the stagnation this country seems to be experiencing. We are too afraid to try anything new or novel. to get out of this funk.

Also, when will people realize that being pro-people IS pro-business? We seem to hold 'business' in such high regard, while treating and using people as though they were nothing but disposable door-mats. We may have material wealth beyond belief, but our emotional currency seems to be in very short supply.

Some business men do get that paying your workers a decent wage is good business, Henry Ford being one them.

This quote is from the New York Times from April 8, 1947, printed in the obituary a day after he died;

"He was the apostle of an economic philosophy of high wages and short hours that had immense repercussions on American thinking"

What a radical concept eh? Pay your workers enough so that they may actually be able to afford the product you are producing! Why has such thinking almost disappeared from todays businesses?

SAM C - you say

The majority of drivers have proven they cannot run their own truck efficiently....

Please provide quantifiable data rather than an unsubstantiated opinion.

This is what I've been preaching...

That is the biggest problem, don't preach, teach us but with resources and data to back-up your statements or better yet, start every one of your sentences with "In MY opinion".

1. The majority of drivers have proven they cannot run their own truck efficiently, hence now needing monitored and micromanaged. That's why all the fancy new gadgets are installed. Yet an executive is running the entire fleet very efficient, hence why he and the owners are making bank instead of going bankrupt.

The regulations are put in place by politicians, pandering for votes, because the general public hates truck drivers. Even when over 80% of accidents are the fault of 4 wheelers, and or environmental conditions.

2. This is what I've been preaching the whole time that you refuse to understand. He busted his butt to get there! Why do you think people get business degrees, mathematics degrees, law degrees, and so on. Do you think they just love school? No! They do it for the money! He deserves every penny. He saved the company millions by suggesting to install cameras. Now they can fire slackers and have proof to show to deny unemployment. He brought in new business which made the company millions. By refusing to give raises to you and I, he kept costs down and was able to under bid the competition.

There are plenty in corporate america that didn't do didley squat to get where they were. They got there because of who they know, or inheritance. This is why there is plenty of corruption, because they could care less about their employees, the people who work hard, because they never "worked" a day in their life, they floated through life, because of the silver spoon in their mouths. Yes there are those that worked hard to get there, but they are usually the ones who take better care of their employees.

This is business! I know I am replaceable. I am a grunt. I work a low skill job. I chose this life. I wasn't forced into this truck and if I want to leave I can. But that's the thing, I don't want to. I don't want to have to work and go to college. I don't want to have to work that hard. Sure I wish and dream that I was rich but that's all they are. Wishes and Dreams. I have done nothing to deserve it. I can honestly say that if I ran the company that I would do exactly the same thing. It's good business. The whole point of starting a business is to make money. I'd probably cut the drivers wages even more because I know there are always people looking to work. Someone will take the job. Supply and demand

No one would drive for you, at least, you would never attract any good quality drivers. You would be out of business fast. You overestimate the supply and demand, of qualified, and quality drivers, and underestimate the skill required to drive a big rig.

Still waiting on an answer to my question, posed to you.