Nationwide Trucking Shutdown Oct 11-13 ??

Folks, I just ran across this article, which discusses a nationwide trucking shutdown from October 11-13.

http://www.activistpost.com/2013/09/convoy-to-dc-truckers-to-shut-down.html

Here is another article on the subject:

http://freedomoutpost.com/2013/09/1-million-truckers-protest-barack-obama-shutting-america-3-days-october/

Here is a Facebook page on the subject:

https://www.facebook.com/truckerstoshutdownamerica

For those out on the road at this time, a serious subject to consider.

I was 14 years old in 1976 and I can still remember Walter Cronkite telling of the shut down out on I 10 and many others across the country. It was all yo heard on the CB. I won't lie at all here, I was scared. I was still talking to drivers on my own CB in my room. Many of the drivers were scared too. They had wives and children. This was important to them all. They made a stand because one had to be made. The Vietnam war was still very fresh in everyone's hearts. It was a time very different from today.

What happened changed the trucking industry. It helped a great deal, but it hurt too. Their is always good with bad and bad with good. I pray they don't strike and I am in agreement with Brett.

You have to take things with a grain of salt as it is said sometimes. And you must always truly look closely at what it is you see or read and even hear. Jumping to conclusions or into something without thinking it out first can really cause you more problems then you are ready to handle.

One persons agenda does not always have to be yours. And, "Might does not always a Right make." Humbleness, Humility and Charity lead straight to Wisdom. It is that wisdom that will lead our paths to truth. The changes we truly need to make need start with 'US'. The individual trucker! We have come along way since those days of the 1970's, but we still have a long way to go. That's why we are called "Truckers."

I know I am stepping out here on this, but here it goes. Over the past 20 years truckers having been hit hard with a bad name. Why? because some of those out there,like in any profession are only their for the money. A job. They can't see the forest for the trees. They let the world outside themselves control the life inside themselves. If we don't drive safe then the road is not safe. We own the road, but take very little care of it. I am not saying that all of us do it, but their are many out there that just don't care.

I went to the website and read what was there. I understand what is being said. But it seems to me to be fuel by anger and not wisdom.

Do we need better regulations in support of the drivers, Yes. Could it be done better than what it is being done, Yes. Can YOU make a difference, YES! So, ask yourself, seriously..."what am I going to do today to make it better." Just a little something can go a long way. Each day do something different. Before you know it YOU will have made a difference.

I'm going to stop. I apologize if I have upset anyone. That was not my intentions. God Bless and God Speed.

Hands Palm To Palm.

Unions are fantastic when they're necessary and helpful. But like any entity they become too big and powerful sometimes.

Back in the 19th century and through most of the 20th century the unions were desperately needed to bring living wages and safer working conditions to workers who were otherwise being abused with 14 hours days, extremely dangerous conditions, and peanuts for pay. If it wasn't for the unions this country wouldn't have had such a strong, vibrant middle class for most of the 20th century and we wouldn't have the prosperity we have today.

But of course there are plenty of examples where the unions went too far and drove jobs out of the country. They may have left eventually regardless, but they probably sped up the process.

Interestingly enough I think trucking is one of the few industries that could desperately use a union but the Teamsters never caught on as big as they should have when they were at their peak. Now most of the union companies, predominately LTL carriers, have disappeared. They either went bankrupt or were bought out.

It would be nearly impossible to unionize trucking though. The industry is just too fragmented. An industry like the airlines is easier because there are only a few major companies controlling everything so it's easier to unionize the workers. But in trucking, 97% of all of the companies have fewer than 20 trucks and there are about 1.2 million trucking companies in the U.S. That figure includes independent owner operators as a company, and rightly so. It would be nearly impossible to unionize workers across that many companies and police everything.

Its more than serious...it could well be dangerous for those that choose to run. Back in the 70's when they did the shut down, there were trucks shot at, and hit. I doubt that this shut down will amount to much...and heres my reasons. 1. company drivers won't do it, unless the company tells them to..or they will lose their job. 2. O/O's won't do it, cuz few of them can AFFORD not to be rollin' to bring in money. every few years you'll see this same rumble..I have yet to see it come to anything. They days of CONVOY are long gone....

Yeah I agree with Starcar - nothing is going to come of it. It's a pipe dream. Like she said, company drivers won't even have that option, and owner operators and lease drivers can't afford it.

Never has a year gone by in the 20 years I've been in this industry that there hasn't been talk of trucker's strikes. It's common. But the strike from the 70's was the only "real" trucker's strike there's ever been in this country and there isn't about to be one next month that would amount to anything.

Just ignore it.

I can only imagine what they're complaining about now.

It's funny, because one person said in reference to company drivers:

If the drivers refuse to move the trucks for that time frame, what are the big companies going to do??? Fire all the drivers? They have to stick together just like the Bikers did. We can do it!

Sounds great. My reply to that guy would be:

If I protest and I do in fact lose my job, will you pay my mortgage and feed my kids for me since you said they wouldn't fire me? You can do it!!!

Believe me, if there was really going to be a significant trucker's strike it would take a monumental effort over a long period of time to organize. You'd be hearing about it on CNN, the major networks, CNBC, and everywhere else long before it was supposed to happened.

Its more than serious...it could well be dangerous for those that choose to run. Back in the 70's when they did the shut down, there were trucks shot at, and hit. I doubt that this shut down will amount to much...and heres my reasons. 1. company drivers won't do it, unless the company tells them to..or they will lose their job. 2. O/O's won't do it, cuz few of them can AFFORD not to be rollin' to bring in money. every few years you'll see this same rumble..I have yet to see it come to anything. They days of CONVOY are long gone....

If I remember the 1970s "shutdown" was organized by the Teamsters, and their "union goons" were the triggermen. I might do my "hometime around that time.

Dave

It's funny, because one person said in reference to company drivers:

If the drivers refuse to move the trucks for that time frame, what are the big companies going to do??? Fire all the drivers? They have to stick together just like the Bikers did. We can do it!

Sounds great. My reply to that guy would be:

If I protest and I do in fact lose my job, will you pay my mortgage and feed my kids for me since you said they wouldn't fire me? You can do it!!!

Believe me, if there was really going to be a significant trucker's strike it would take a monumental effort over a long period of time to organize. You'd be hearing about it on CNN, the major networks, CNBC, and everywhere else long before it was supposed to happened.

The only way it could "really" work is a trucker "slowdown," similar to the "blue flu," that police officers get. Don't deliver or pickup on time. Put in delays, etc. You might NOT be able to do it for THREE DAYS, but you might be able to do it for a day.

Dave

Thanks to everyone for weighing in on this question. Just because bikers did it last week, doesn't mean truckers can do it next month.

Trust me, Bikers are a whole different kinda critter...but the glue that holds THEM together is being a patriotic red blooded american. That crosses all religions, ethnicity, profession, and demography. They come together under a common bond....The love of the sun in your face, the wind in your hair, and the unbridled feel of the open road rumbling under 2 tires. wow....I really like it when I wax poetic

The only way it could "really" work is a trucker "slowdown," similar to the "blue flu," that police officers get. Don't deliver or pickup on time. Put in delays, etc. You might NOT be able to do it for THREE DAYS, but you might be able to do it for a day.

I totally agree with that and to be honest I've never heard anyone even suggest it. But you're right - it's worked in other industries and it would certainly work in trucking. And I think it's sustainable - you could do it for a week or two no problem. Like you said - keep delivering late and picking up late. Of course you would still have plenty of issues to deal with from a driver's perspective but that plan is a thousand times more plausible than a convoy to Washington.

I really like it when I wax poetic

So do I!