Thoughts, opinions? http://www.qctimes.com/articles/2008/03/19/news/iowa/doc47e03e9ea03bd427238845.txt Guess we'll see in about a week. clembo
Good luck to them, I hope that they do get some sort of benefit from doing this as I doubt it would be an easy decision to make. The one thing though is they surely could have picked a better day to do it on than the 1st of APRIL!!!
I say stock up on your canned goods, cause this could get ugly, and I can't say that I fault them. I know someone who has a truck that they called to tow these guys last time they parked their trucks in Washington, and he said there's no way he's paying over four bucks a gallon to go tow these guys on this one. I'm already holding my breath.
Yes, I noticed the April 1st connection as well. Having managed a truck stop in the past I can really relate to the problems these guys face. Fuel is outrageous. One cent makes a difference to these guys as they go through so much fuel. Most of my customers were steel haulers. If the average person knew how much these guys doctored log books and ran heavy it would frighten them. Just to earn a living. Rates were going down while fuel was going up. What else can they do? The ones that ran at night between Gary, IN and Detroit, MI ALWAYS ran heavy. They also knew every route to avoid the Department of Transportation (DOT). When we got wind of where the DOT was in the truck stop it was our "duty" to share that information. Hey, these guys supported us as well. Not just our customers but our friends. If they needed to do a bit of running while in town we'd give them our car keys to make it more convenient. When one of our regulars died in a wreck in Tennesse his nephew confided to me that he had no life insuance. Left a widow that couldn't pay for his burial. No problem, we put a can on the counter and raised the money. What a send off we gave him! Strapped his coffin on a flatbed and took him for one last spin around the truck stop before his burial. Local law enforcement wasn't real thrilled about it but it was pulled off. Thing is, most truckers are damn hard working people and they do literally keep this country rolling. Everything in your house was in a truck at some point. If they can't make a living what's the sense? I know I don't work for free From the looks of the "strike" it's going to be owner operators. Yep, independent businessmen as it were. If they go for a week and it gets inconvenient I'll stand behind them. I'm afraid this may just be a sign of things to come. Nothing changes over night but I wish them well.
There's a two-day refinery strike in Scotland scheduled to begin Sunday 27 April that some analysts are saying could drive the price of gas in Scotland and northern England to $12 a gallon. It is already, if I read it correctly, about $8 in some places.
1 US gallon = 3.78541178 litre 1 UK gallon = 4.5 litre 1 litre costs 106.2p According to the AA latest figures you guy's work out the sums LOL 1 Gallon costs £4.78 thats $9.48 US And that is a average price in some areas its higher even without the strike
Diesel just hit $4 a gal in Arizona, saw it today. I use reg unleaded and I filled up my truck for $3.41 gal / $95.78 today, most I have ever spent on a tank of gas in my life....
Level-Headed - I would love to see diesel back down at $4 a gallon. Here in the Pittsburgh area, we're hovering around $4.50 a gallon for diesel, and about $3.60 for regular unleaded. My in-laws, near West Point, NY, are paying $3.89 for regular gas. DeOrc - I was remembering that a gallon (I know the American and British gallons are different) was about 4 litres. I read in the Telegraph that some experts were predicting £1.50 a litre. 4 litres at £1.50 is £6 a gallon, and being what the exchange rate is, that makes $12 a gallon. Using the British measurements brings the price of gas, at the threatened price of £1.50 a litre, to $13.50 a gallon.
They think it might even go higher, yet on the continent its considrably cheaper!! LOL most of the price here is goverment taxation.
The oil companys profit in the USA about $.09 a gal ( 9 cents ), while the feds and state tax between $.40 and $.80 per gallon, depending on the blend and the locale.
