May 1 is being bandied about for the next truckers' strike. I support their cause for several reasons. We get all of our products delivered by truck and with their fuel prices now over $4 a gallon they're working for nearly nothing. The government is worried about people loosing their homes and forclosures and the like, our leaders need to take a look at the trucker situation. I'm not a trucker but let's look at their situation. The cost of those rigs is not cheap. Correct me if I'm wrong. I'd say $100K for the tractor maybe less if you got it used. Plus the cost of the trailer $20K or better I'd guess. So there they are with truck payments each month plus if they have a home with a wife and kids then they have a mortgage. Unless they live in the middle of nowhere the mortgage would be better than $200K. So you're looking at a couple of thousand a month plus fuel plus maintenance and insurance. So what do you get for all the trouble? And from what I've heard the only ones getting by are the truckers who fudge their log books to make ends meet. That's not a good situation having drivers run 12 to 15 hour days just to survive.
So you guys pick the day and I'll park my car and not spend the money on a bunch of stuff I don't need anyway as my support for your cause. This needs to get out there real soon. Can we call it Shut It Down II? I've got a website already set up. Just have to make a few changes. Just say the word.
Update: A refinery in Europe has just gone out. This is one that produces diesel. The story via NYTimes:
Refinery down
And more info and opinions from a truckers blog
New Truckers Strike
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