Gas prices hit $4.00 per gallon where I live, diesel is $4.54...?

Question

I am asking these questions to truck drivers, their families, or friends. How does the cost of diesel effect the amount of money you are able to earn? How does if effect your families? What do you think this means in the future for the trucking industry?

Answer 1

Not to long ago Truck drivers where going to go on Strike, because one driver said it cost him $800 to fill up his truck and he have a family to take care of,So he is looking for another job, He said if diesel keep going up, He won't be driving, And that is sad and smaller truck company are really feeling it the most trying to fill up these trucks.

Answer 2

Hey, u get it good in the USA so i dont know what ur complaining about. Its £1.10 a litre in the UK ($9 a gallon) but it reached $20 during the strikes at grangemouth when there were shortages!

Answer 3

I'm not a driver but I've worked on a truck as a helper with Teamsters.   I have a feeling that their extremely powerful union gets them raises for things like that.   At least I hope they do;  they deserve it.

Answer 4

Owner operators are the ones being hit "where it hurts" by diesel prices, and they're being driven out of business.  

Over 80% of the trucks on the road are driven by company drivers.  The company owns the truck, pays for fuel and maintenance, and pays the driver a standard rate per mile.  He or she makes the same wages regardless of fuel prices.  For the company driver, it is still easy to make a good living, as long as the company can stay afloat.  

Large trucking companies have the advantage of bulk fuel purchase discounts, maintenance discounts, and bulk equipment purchase discounts.  They can often afford to haul freight cheaper than smaller companies or owner operators....and since they have thousands of trucks, even a penny profit per mile on their trucks adds up.  

Lately, even small and mid-sized companies have been parking their trucks and going out of business.  I am a company driver for a small 20 truck operation.  I know my boss is struggling.  In his own words, "Freight is cheap, fuel is expensive, and it's just so disheartening right now."  While I still have a paycheck, it does add a certain level of stress, not knowing if my boss will be able to keep this company afloat through this time of high fuel prices and economic downturn.

  I have a good record & could get a job with one of the big companies- but I LIKE this job and I don't want to lose it.  

I have a feeling the future of the trucking industry may well follow the trend of the "Wal-Martization of America".  Go to any city's suburbs and look around at your shopping centers and malls.  Wal Marts.  Lowes.  Petsmart.  Chili's.  Applebee's. Ethan Allen.  Starbucks. Ikea.  Big names, big corporations.  Every single suburban shopping district in the US is the same (trust me, I drive all 48 states).  There is no small business.  No family owned stores.  No Mom & Pop.  

I think if things go the way they're going, trucking is going to be the same.  98% of the industry controlled by the JB Hunts and Werners and Schneiders, and very little room for the owner-operator to survive.  There may be niche areas for owner-operators to thrive, such as hauling government loads, sensitive loads, cars, household goods, etc....but overall, the big companies will control the industry.

Answer 5

That is awful . We are right behind you with  $3.89 diesel

$  4.01 The truckers will still run  (Some of them)  We will pay the cost in our stores.

Answer 6

I have to pay more for gas    It affects me because I pay more money     It means we need to pay more money

Answer 7

I can tell you how it affects one hardworking guy on the eastern coast of Virginia. My father's one retreat in life is spending a full day out on the open ocean fishing. It's what he's been doing every weekend since he was a kid. But now, when a single trip burns well over 100 gallons of gas, he's been landlocked.

I'm glad the oil executives are enjoying their 123 billion dollar profits though. They really need the money more than people like my Dad, don't you think?