Congress Eyes Big Oil and Big Investors

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at the end of April both my trucks needed to be relicensed. I did NOT. Washington State would receive $4800.00 for the year for 2 trucks. In addition to the .36 a gallon the state of Washington receives on every gallon of fuel I purchased. I would purchase 1000 gallons every 2 weeks. Washington State lost $8640.00 from me for fuel purchased plus $4800.00 in licensing fees FOR 2008. Total $13,440.00.... so to how ever wrote truckers are whiners. TRUCKER MAINTAINE & PAVE YOUR ROADS. It is easier said than done to TELL US TO STRIKE. Most people have mortgages, car payments, and taxes, family, not to mention the cost of doing business. SO I WISH YOU NOTHING BUT BAD LUCK AND A MISERABLE LIFE. And I suggest you TELL THAT 2 A TRUCKERS FACE.

VON of WA 7:39PM May 27, 2008

there are people out here that don't want to listen to our problems for one they were born with a silver spoon in there mouth........... like the guy who calls truckers whiners. i would like someone to take him and put him on a truck with very little income and see how he can do it.......... Some people has worked for many years to get were they are for something like fuel prices to put them out of business. The price of fuel is going to effect everyone and everything ......... we need to all stick to gether and come up with something that is going to drop fuel prices..............

theresa of GA 3:25PM May 26, 2008

people we have to do something about these prices...... the government don't really care about the small people. We own a log truck and can't buy the fuel to run it....... when you pay 90.00 per load for fuel and the load only pays 130.00 and you clear 40.00 tell me how people are suppose to make a living and feed a family and pay for there way of living.... There is no way......... There are going to be more people filing bankruptcy and losing everything, More houses is going to be on the market and the government is going to have to give more government aid to all these people so tell us what needs to be done........... noone cares but the people.

lynn of GA 3:20PM May 26, 2008

For the life of me I can't understand why folks are on the sideline not doing anything. The price of fuel is continually going up and we will see a drop right before Memorial Day. The powers to be will see how much the country will tolerate before they stop driving. On that weekend and from there on prices will be so high and so will the tempers. I have a brother who drives truck and it hurts me to see how badly this issue, in my eyes is being ignored. Consumers will end up paying more for their products till they can't buy anymore. Recession? How bout depression. When will we finally step up and do something about this mistreatment upon the American people. I say it's us that are to blame. Why? We don't do anything about what's going on. Folks drive 80mph. People drive with only one person in the car. I ride a bike now because I can't afford $4 a gal. Lets see how you folks do when you can't take your fancy vacations because the price of fuel is way to high. If you can still buy fuel now and you can buy it at $5 your part of the problem.

Hector of CA 10:51AM April 21, 2008

I am basically an outsider looking in. My son is an owner/operator, however, and is being negatively affected by diesel fuel prices. I have questions/comments for which an answer would be appreciated. 1-Why can't the government eliminate tax on truckers fuel? School busses and farmers utilize "red" tax free fuel, why not trucking? 2-If my understanding is correct, diesel is a by-product of gasoline, so why is it more expensive? This dilemna can certainly tie to oil company profits. 3-Competition certainly affects the price of transportation, so how much affect do Mexican trucks have on pricing, and is this just an opportunity for big companies to "weather the storm" long enough to push out the independents? Along this line, what about fuel surcharge? By holding this down it also squeezes out the people actually paying at the pump. Although I am not normally a supporter of strikes, this seems to be a situation where a strike (not just a day, but perhaps up to a month) would get the attention of decision makers who could eliminate some of the deficiencies in the transportation system? What do "truckers" think?

Charlie of KS 11:23AM April 11, 2008

My family owns a trucking company and being a small business owner with the rising fuel prices is ridicules! Many do not understand that we not only have to pay for fuel, but insurance, repair and maintenance, our drivers, the list goes on and on. The price of freight is not going up but the price of fuel is rising. When you are driving your car you get an average of at least 20 MPG costing a little over 3 dollars per gallon, trucks get about 7 MPG at over 4 dollars a gallon so figure it out! Every 7 miles it costs 4 dollars. So to get the crispy fresh watermelons from Arizona being over a thousand miles away think of the costs to the business owner. What I don’t understand is consumers go into a store and purchase things but they don’t think of how they got there, they were not delivered by a train, there is no railroad track outside of the store, they we delivered by trucks. Especially fresh produce, it is almost impossible to transport the produce, it must be delivered virtually overnight, trains cant do that, and the rail system is not built for quick delivery. What many people don’t understand that if trucks stop than we stop. There would be no groceries in the stores, it would be similar to a natural disaster with no food, no supplies being delivered. How fast do you think a store would run of supplies if they were not getting their deliveries? That’s just the necessities don’t you think that our luxuries are also being delivered by trucks? What we need to do is have a national trucking strike, so all of the "whiners" understand that trucks are a necessity and many companies can not compete with the rising fuel prices. It is inevitable something is going to have to come to an end, trucks or the price of fuel.
My family owns a trucking company and being a small business owner with the rising fuel prices is rediculus! Many do not understand that we not only have to pay for fuel, but insurence, repair and maintence, our drivers, the list goes on and on. The price of freight is not going up but the price of fule is risising. It takes the average person under a hundred dollars to fill up their tank and they get vabout 7 MPG so figure it out! What i dont understang is consumers go into a store and purches things but they dont think of how they got there, they we delivered by trucks, and what many people dont understand that if trucks stop than we stop. there would be no grocries in the stores, it would be similar to a naturla disaster with no food, no supplies being delivered. How fast do you think a store would run of of supplies if they were not getting their delivereies? What we need to do is have a national trucking strick, so all of the "whiners" understand that trucks are a nessesity and many compaanies can not compete with the rising fuel prices.

Alicia of WA 2:37PM April 10, 2008

It seems that a goodly bit of the frustration on the topic appears to originate from the premise that high diesel prices are a temporary occurrence and will, one day, fall. Whether from price manipulation, untethered commodity investors or supply disruptions, if peak oil is indeed arriving, then we are only seeing the beginning of a permanent gradual rise in oil and gas prices. If this is true, a strike won't cure it. Loud voices in Congress won't cure it.
At $100 per barrel, with 42 gallons per barrel, and 16 cups per gallon, equals 15 cents a cup. If this is a permanent thing, oil prices are still incredibly cheap.

Daisy of TX 1:45PM April 03, 2008

maybe broke back president can spend more time with king saud in his ranchhouse. only when oil-which rules the world- is financially broken-do whatever you can do-can we work on community.

dennis sullivan of MT 3:11PM April 02, 2008

How can any one say bad about truck drivers. Spend a day in my shoes. Wake up ! If we pay more for fuel YOU pay more for EVERTHING you buy !

Edward Nevi of Ct of CT 8:01AM April 02, 2008

Read new report on "Major US City Preparedness for an Oil Crisis": which cities are more prepared and which are unprepared:
http://www.commoncurrent.com/publications.shtml

Warren Karlenzig of CA 11:19PM April 01, 2008