THE TRUCKERS VOICE

While people sit around and complain this nation is going down the tubes. If all you can do is moan and cry but sit around and do nothing, nobody wants to hear it. If you're a complainer, and a lazy one at that, reach over and pick up the phone. It's right there beside that can of bud and bag of chips. Rather you're a trucker or a citizen, what ya gonna do when you can't afford the fuel to go to the store to restock your bud and chip supply? Get off your *** and call your state senators or shut-up!

Fuel naturally is a major concern especailly for owner operators. Wall Street reports that a barrel of oil hit 110.00 dollars this week. Which this along with the so called high price of refining is the reason for high prices at the pump. What is the the truth about the cost of refining? How many gallons of fuel can be made from a barrel of oil? This is an area in which I am going to do some research and I will write of my finding in another editorial.

Personally, I think the "Big G" ether thinks we are naive, dumb, or that we are just too lazy to do anything about the high fuel prices. We will never know if we can do anything unless we try.

To my understanding, diesel fuel is a by product of gasoline. Diesel is made of whats left over after the refining process of gasoline. My question is, if diesel is made of left overs, then why is it priced higher than gasoline? Can anybody out there explain this to me? Don't misunderstand, I'm not anti-G, but I think the 'Big G' has alot of share holders in the oil companies and refineries!

What about Bio-Diesel? This stuff is said to burn cleaner and cost about .70 cents a gallon to make. So why is it priced only pennies below regular diesel by the time it gets to the pumps? I hear a guy with deep pockets is mass producing the stuff. Well, there you go, it's all about the money. Who didn't know that. When you've got big money you make more money. It doesn't matter that you can produce and market a product to save the consumer money and help the economy, no, you just want to make bigger profits. You can still make a good profit and help the consumer and economy all at the same time. Why is that so hard?

Profit, well here's a a bit of info that really fired me up. The oil companies made the biggest profits in history last year. Over 130 billion dollars in net profit over previous years! If profits were that high that tells me barrels of oil and refinig ain't as high as they say it is. But, what do I know, I'm just a truck driver!

Independent drivers go broke as legislators and senators pass the buck!. It seems as though state legislators do not want to address the fuel issues. Their reply is; This a federal issue. Well, who don't know that? They must think we don't know what our state senators are suppose to do!  They are suppose to take the issues of concerned Americans to Washington! What did we elect them for? What are we paying them for? Most drivers I have spoken to say; if they can't do their job, then we will. If you want a job done right then you just have to do it yourself! Look out Washington, here we come! Follow Me to D.C. April 28

Does anyone out there really understand that if we are not one for all and all for one a protest or strike is a waste of time and effort! The old saying; "a house divided against itself will fall" certainly must apply to this shut down.

There is strength in numbers, a three fold cord is not easily broken, these phrases were coined from experience and were born from mistakes. We can not make the same old mistakes made in the past. We should have gained wisdom from past mistakes. The numbers are there we just have to get them all together add them up.

The "Big G" has got to see the trucking industry united on this fuel issue. If we can't even get it together and agree on a date to protest or strike, this movement will fizzle out just like it did back in the 70's and the 90's. I believe this movement is stronger and has more potential than previous attempts, but it also has the potential to loose steam because of the Lack of Unity.