Independent Truckers Shutting Down April 1st!

[King Mudduck]

Here is some of whats on uscattlehaulers web site. This is where it started!



ATTENTION It is more than Plain that our Goverment nor Outfits such as OOIDA are going to
do anything about the current problems, we as O/Os are face'n on a daily basis.
I have heard from over 400 trucking Co's from coast to coast. All Agree, shut down
or go broke.
After several phone calls to washington with no reply, everyone is in agreement on
April 1st, 2008 as the Date to pull over, Park & say enough is enough.
The Gov. will hear us Only if we Stand United.
I will keep you updated on all info our office gets concerning this
Thanks
Dan Senator Clintons office staff, a guy named Phil Spector just called.
They are checking in on our thoughts on the fuel costs & trucking issues.
We had a nice talk, he informed me he would be back in touch.I will post any info I get so check back often
Please Note, I do fully support this upcoming shutdown & will personaly shut my trucking Co down on April 1 2008
I am not the leader in this action but I have recv. calls from the AP, Senator Clintons Office, & several Others concerned.
If you want to be heard please Drop me an email with your contact info listed & I will get in touch with you, We must ALL stand United
or NoBody wins.
Boys & Girls, everything we own is at stake.
Email me if you support this action & would like to be a spokesperson involved
Thank You
Dan Little
dlittle@uscattlehaulers.com

Attention Truckin Cos,
Here is what I plan on doing, like I said, I am just one of thousands of O/Os in the USA today.
But I do know I or my family can not keep going at this rate, If you are in support please email me & let me know your thoughts of what needs to happen.
dlittle@uscattlehaulers.com

APRIL 1, 2008 is when My trucking Co & thousands of others are shutting Down. At 8 AM on that date.
From that time on we will no longer accept any loads at ANY price untill such time as our FED Gov admits & puts into action a plan that will give all O/Os some help.
Here is what I would like to see happen,
1# suspend ALL Fed & State fuel taxes untill such time that this economy is back on its feet
2# Feds create a FED Oversite Committee to oversee Ins Prieums Charged for Class 8 trucks Insurance
3# Stop allowing Large Trucking Fleets to self Insure, this would make a more level playing field for all trucking Cos
4# Fed Regs for Brokers & Shippers that are inforced, with set max amounts they can charge.
5# Standerized Fines from Coast to Coast for safety violations. in other words if a log ticket cost $50.oo in Missouri then a log ticket in Calif should only cost $50.oo

I will not return to hauling untill our Gov. the people we put into office gets off their butts an does something to help this Industry
my email address is
dlittle@uscattlehaulers.com
Send me an email if you plan on shutting down on April 1, 2008
Several truckers In Ga went on strike Today, they said they could not hold out till April 1 2008
we are still planning on April 1 2008 as the shutdown date
heres the news link
http://www.fox24.com/article.asp?pkid=11489
Please Note,
A lot of people are calling this a strike.
It in Fact is NOT A STRIKE but simply put a SHUTDOWN , you might ask whats the difference ??
Well a strike would mean you work for someone elso, We dont We ARE Indp. O/Os that sells a service to customers.
Because of Legal Reasons please refer to this as a shutdown Only.
Side Note, For you to shutdown your Business for April 1st 2008 is your choice.
You can ask others to follow you But NO ONE Is to threaten ANYONE by ANY means what so ever.
Here's what has been going on,

1st
Senator Clintons Office called again today, They are on a fact finding mission. Mr Spector was wanting to know if we had any support for our shutdown on April 1, 2008
2nd
Had a call from the I W W union, they have informed me, that they are in full support of this shutdown.
I will post more news on them as I get it.
3rd
Again I tried to call Washington to several congressmens offices, could never get past the front desk operators.
4th
Andy Petersen, the host of WMT Mornings Radio Show called & set up an interview for Monday morning.
I will let you know how that plays out.
5th
I think everyone needs to look at the following website, find link below.
I will not say what I was thinking when I found this.

http://www.wnd.com/news/article.asp?ARTICLE_ID=51162

More shutdown news as it happens / check back often
Dan
I W W Union
called me tonight and stated that they are indeed supporting the April shutdown, They have comitted 16,000 trucks will shut down to show support for our Message To Washington D.C.
Now if you figure that each truck runs 500 miles a day & gets 6 miles to the gallon, thats 83.33 gallons of fuel per truck. now figure that at say $3.80 a gallon & thats low that comes out to $316.65 worth of fuel not bought that day per truck x 16,000 trucks = $5066400.oo
And that figure is just that 1 union , that does not include the owner / operators that are shuting down for april 1st, 2008
I wonder if all total Washington, DC will notice ??
Dan
Some are asking what date is the shutdown & what will happen ?

Here's the what, why, & when of it.


The reason for this shutdown is not to hurt this country in
any way shape or form. But is in fact a peacefull method of sending
a message to Washington, D.C. That we do indeed need help & our industry is
the backbone of life in America as we know it.

The why of it covers issues that you & I as truckers, both O/Os &
Co. drivers face on a daily basis.
These problems range from excessive Regulations ie., Fuel, Federal
& State Fuel tax's, excessive DOT regulations on NON-SAFETY related
items, Excessive Insurance Pre., The list goes on & on.

The when of it, is APRIL 1st, 2008 {see www.uscattlehaulers.com}
I & several others picked that date for a reason. April 1,2008
is Aprils Fools Day, that being said, we as an industry are going to
send a Strong message to the otherwise FOOLS in Washington, D.C.
that "enough is enough"

We Will Be Heard.

I & Thousands of You have been telling people for Years now, that a change
needed to take place.
Well, heres your chance to Stand Up for Yourself & let The World know
We will Stand Strong. "one for all and all for one"

Thank You & GOD Bless each & Everyone of you,
Dan Little
Little & Little Trucking LLC

 

[Sonwatcher]

Today OO's met to convoy about 500 trucks to the PA capital. Their protest is against fuel prices, fuel taxes and I-80 being turned into a toll road.

A convoy of hundreds of trucks circled the state Capitol this morning, blaring horns in protest of high fuel costs.The convoy paraded along Third and Second streets in Harrisburg, monopolizing the traffic flow and making conversation nearly impossible. The show drew Capitol staff and downtown office workers out into the rain to watch.

http://www.centralpennbusiness.com/article.asp?aID=65420

Scores of truckers took to the highways and streets around the Capitol on Monday and blasted their horns to protest rising fuel prices. As the protest convoy circled the block, about 100 people gathered on the Capitol steps to urge state lawmakers and Gov. Ed Rendell to eliminate Pennsylvania's highest-in-the-nation diesel fuel tax of 38.1 cents per gallon.
Consumers also pay state taxes of 32.3 cents per gallon on gasoline, 11th highest in the nation.
"All the state taxes and the federal tax must come off of fuel," said Mark Kirsch, an independent truck driver from Myerstown who organized the protest. "We're going to take our country back."
Truckers around the country have been talking about a protest or strike as high diesel prices and low freight rates have pushed an increasing number of truckers into bankruptcy. Reposessor Nassau Asset Management repossessed 110 percent more trucks in 2007 than it did in 2006, according to president Edward Castagna.

http://www.iht.com/articles/ap/2008/03/31/america/Fuel-Price-Protest.php

 

[Captain Kilowatt]

This whole thing sounds like one of 'those' prediction. Why would anyone, or group, pick 'April Fools Day' for doing anything seriously? Sure makes it kind'a hard to believe, doesn't it? Guess I'll find out tomorrow.
- 'Doc

I was thinking the same thing. If I wanted credibility I would surely NOT do it on April Fool's Day.

 

[mackmobile43]

I was thinking the same thing. If I wanted credibility I would surely NOT do it on April Fool's Day.

It's a reverse april fools day joke, don't kid yourself boys, this time it's for real, better stock up of groceries because in 3 or 4 days you're going to start seeing shortages of many of the staples.

Fear not for they will return at a moderately increased price and that's where good old supply and demand takes effect ie 3 loaves of bread 5 consumers fighting for it.

I personally work for a fair sized company with many trucks and I cannot stop their truck in a show of solidarity but my heart is with the owner-op and their plight.

GIVE EM HELL BOYS!

 

[74IN]

Didn't this happen like thirty years ago?

Guys getting trucks shot at?

Rolling road blocks?

Nothing ever came of it.

 

[Happy_Hamer]

quoted

Jim Johnston, president of Owner-Operator Independent Drivers Association, warned that a strike “is not the answer,” saying, “Calling for a strike without the support of the majority would show weakness rather than strength, and the result would be increased economic hardship to the small percentage of truckers who do participate in the shutdown with no gains to justify their sacrifice.”

 

[351_bear]

Independent truckers shutting down april 1st

Its to hard to cripple oil companies all its gunna do is piss them off and they will keep raising prices they pretty much got us by the neck in less you have some form of alternative fuel or rigs that get 50 miles to gallon

 

[W5LZ]

...ask Al Gore! He's got an answer for everything, right?
- 'Doc

 

[Hc714]

...ask Al Gore! He's got an answer for everything, right?
- 'Doc

This is the guy who invented radio.....right.

 

[C2]

It's just like happy said...cut your nose off to spite your face. Go ahead!

I seen plenty of IOs on the road today anyway. I would guess the April fools are the ones that do park it!

What's gonna happen when the ratailers don't get their loads? They will find someone else to deliver and you poor IO will be parked for a long time.

 

[scout943]

shut down

He said this and she said that who gives a sh$$!! Actions speak louder than words!!

 

[JK_RUBICON]

It was all HORSE SHIT!

 

[scout943]

Shut down

OK YOU DA MAN!!! WAKE UP!!!

 

[Sonwatcher]

While Democrats hammered the executives for their profits and demanded they do more to develop alternative energy sources such as wind, solar and biofuels, Republican lawmakers called for opening more areas for drilling to boost domestic production of oil and gas.
What would bring lower prices? asked Rep. James Sensenbrenner of Wisconsin, the committee's ranking Republican
"We need access to all kinds of energy supply," replied Robert Malone, chairman of BP America, adding that 85 percent of the country's coastal waters are off limits to drilling.....

"These companies are defending billions of federal subsidies ... while reaping over a hundred billion dollars in profits in just the last year alone," he said. The companies are reaping "a windfall of revenue" while poor people have to choose between heating and eating because of high energy prices.


Elsewhere on Tuesday, many independent truckers parked their rigs and others slowed to a crawl on highways to protest high fuel prices. The demonstrations were only scattered, but long lines of trucks were moving at about 20 mph on the New Jersey Turnpike, and three drivers were ticketed for impeding traffic on Interstate 55 outside Chicago, driving three abreast at low speeds.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080401/ap_on_go_co/congress_oil_27

Oil companies stated that if they are taxed further then the result would be higher prices to the consumer. I guess we have to bite the bullet, change our driving habits and do what we need to do to get through the mess. Myself I travel 650 miles a week to work and back. Over $100 in gas per week just to get to work and back. Take out that and $80 a week for health insurance and Fed and state taxes and it puts a grind on the paycheck. I would hate to have a job where my job was driving . That bill has got to hurt big time if you're an independent driver. The sad thing is that IOp's are said to be less than 10% of the trucking industry. Not sure of the impact of just Independents shutting down will carry.

 

[scout943]

Fuel

If that isnt an FU answer than what is???? We will tell YOU how its gunna be and thats it!! BULLSHIT!!!!!