Here is a small lesson in economics.. When fuel prices go up, groceries go up! I know that is painful. Believe me, I am living the pain.. When the groceries go up then the guy who builds cars and trucks has to raise his price so he can afford the groceries. The guy who builds tools has to raise his prices even more so that he can afford the new delivery truck and the more expensive groceries. Now the guy who builds cars and trucks needs new tools but now that they are more expensive, he has to raise the price of his cars and trucks even more so he can afford the tools. Soon after that the guy who sells the groceries finds that his car and truck are completely worn out and needs new ones. The new prices are a little higher than he had budgeted for so now he has to raise the prices to make up the difference. Need I go on?
There are a lot of trucking companies who have recently raised their rates to make up the difference for the ridiculous amount of money the oil barons are stealing from every citizen of this country... (I check my brake lines every day. If I suddenly die in some freak accident, It was the oil barons who killed me!!!) I remember a few years ago when the government (maybe only Utah) had proposed a temporary fuel tax. It was to cover some unusual expense which I can't recall. All of the trucking companies in my area raised their rates to make up the difference that those taxes would make in their operating costs.. Well surprise and joy, the tax never went into effect.. Do you think all those trucking companies lowered that rate increase because the tax never came to pass? YEAH, RIGHT!! (Okay so maybe if I suddenly have some freak accident it was a trucking company and not the oil barons.)
So what is my point? Why is this article later than usual? Why am I a nervous wreck lately and havn't had a decent nights' sleep in several weeks? Well I'm going to tell you.. I may be a fool for doing it and please DO NOT SEND MONEY!!! I make $8.00 an hour... I have made $8.00 an hour since August of 1991.. No cost of living raises, no attaboy raises. Just $8.00 per hour. Not to mention the fact that I don't have any kind of medical insurance. Bad driver? Absolutely not! Poor attitude? Sometimes but only with reason. Fool? ABSOLUTELY!!!! But not for much longer. My Bank sent me a telegram yesterday saying that I have 5 days to pay off my pickup or give it back to them.. In another 30 days my mortgage company is going to be sending a similar one. The reason I still have internet access is because my server is my brother-in-law and I do customer service work for him so he gives me the connection.. I don't have a brother-in-law who makes bread, cars or tools so if I happen to be in need of one of those things I have to use actual money.. I know there are many people who are in as bad and much worse shape than I am but this is my page.
For all of you truck bosses out there, I would like you to have to support a family on what you are paying that driver. I know, "not your problem." You have a business to run. Here is a news flash for you. That business will not run at all without drivers. How many thousands of dollars does it cost you to replace one? Let's see, there is the money you spend to advertise for one who doesn't already know how much you pay. Then there is the money and man hours you spend sifting through the applications. There is the downtime because the truck can't drive itself and you can't sift through applications while cruising down the big road. You have the money spent for man hours researching referrals and records. You have money spent for drug screening and road testing. Training is usually not cheap in time or money if you are doing it legal; which of course you are. There is the training for your particular needs and paperwork. You have the time and money lost with the mistakes that new driver will make until he is familiar with everything. Have you considered the intangibles? Customer familiarity, working relationships, what the ex-driver is going to be saying to possible future drivers and customers? How about the missed appointments because the new driver has the same trouble finding that warehouse that the old driver did in the beggining? Need I go on?
Not to long ago I had an advertising guy call me because he had been assigned to create a killer ad campaign for one of the big companies. Since I have sorta become the Dear Keith of trucking, (Not complaining, I Like it.) he wanted to hear some of my thoughts. In his request though he made a comment that he wanted to hear about things besides more money. He was a very nice guy and I was glad to help but the no money thing irritated me a little bit. THE ISSUE IS MONEY!! When the cost of everything goes up but our pay doesn't increase to make up for it then we have a serious problem. We can tighten our belts. Every driver has been doing that for years but pretty soon there are no notches left in the belt and no room to make them. I have trouble understanding why we keep getting told that a raise would mean a rate increase and our customers will not tolerate that. Do you think the oil barons and the bread makers spend sleepless nights worrying about whether their customers will tolerate an increase. You can bet your cookies they do not. Why? Because the world has to have that oil and that bread. WELL GUESS WHAT? Take them trucks off the road for one day and see if your customers will tolerate a rate increase.. I'll bet two cookies to your one that they will tolerate it just fine. Well I would if I had any cookies. Those went 3 or 4 belt notches ago...
Folks I am really sorry and probably foolish to reveal my personal problems to the world. I am not crying for sympathy so please don't take it that way. I am however asking for reason. I know we have to make sacrifices. I sacrificed a much larger income several years ago so that I would not have to sacrifice the need to see my kids grow up.. I wish I could train my kids not to need food but after years of effort they just can't seem to get it. So now what do I do? Well unless I can convince the good folks at Conway Freight or Viking to hire such a crybaby monday, then I guess I will be sacrificing the need to watch my kids grow up.. I hate to change jobs. The thought makes me very nervous. I will hate it even more if I end up changing back to that long road but I will not lose everything I own and make my kids homeless without a fight. I know companies who pay a lot more money for the same work I am doing and for some reason they still have customers.. Can't imagine why. Maybe it is because their drivers can worry about things like his professional manner instead of things like I hope my pickup is still sitting in the parking lot when I get off work...
Again, I appologize and I promise to get back to business as normal by the next issue.. I stated above "DO NOT SEND MONEY!" That was not being sarcastic, that was an honest request because it has been offered. I am a truck driver! I am proud of what I do and I am proud of the fact that trucking has given me the attitude, endurance and back bone to go out and do what needs to be done. Until next time keep her safe and by all means remember, those trucks may be a pain and those drivers may be a little ornery sometimes but do you really want a railroad track to every single warehouse and grocery store in the country? We definately need the railroads but if you think getting stuck behind that truck is bad, try getting to work around all them train tracks.