08-14-2011, 12:04 PM
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#73 (permalink)
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Cyborg ECU
Join Date: Mar 2011
Location: Coastal Southern California
Posts: 6,299
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Quote:
Originally Posted by cleanspeed1
A lot of the problems in the trucking industry can be solved simply by giving everyone a RAISE. At the current rates, you are hanging by a thread most of the time if you are an owner/operator, which then forces most folks to run harder just to maintain. At the current fuel prices, if you are making less than $1.50 a loaded mile in a semi, you are working for free and in danger of going out of business.
When the industry was still regulated, everyone got paid $3.00 to $5.00 a mile guaranteed. That's how the truckers had legendary sway in the USA at one time. We made more than a Harvard grad most of the time. The suits did not like that. So the quest to devalue what we do was in full swing, starting with deregulating the industry in '79, then NAFTA, then the fuel price increases after the Iraq War. The newest regulations from the DOT only help to underscore lowering the value of what we do ( CSA 2010 ).
Anywho, if there was an across the board wage increase to $2.10 per loaded mile or so, the amount of miles needed to make a good check would drop from 3000 to 2200, which means you don't have to drive hard to make the money happen. It's only 440 miles per day, which can be done in 8 hours at 55 mph. That falls well within the guidelines of Hours of Service, and makes life a ton easier. Even if the mpg standard remained the same, the profitability is much better which takes the stress off. Accidents would decrease, health would improve because you would have time off to have a life.
Trucks with good aero, a Detroit Series 60 and proper gearing can hit the higher standard now without tricks; just a good driver. Had a friend with a Volvo with that same combo ( pre EGR mind you ) that would get 8 mpg loaded or better all the time. I noticed he pulsed and glided when he drove.
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Makes you want to solve it 70's style:  I'm for a trucker's raise, and a mandate the companies pay for retrofitting for the new standards. Change people's lives for the better. The US comes to a complete stop without truckers.
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See my car's mod & maintenance thread and my electric bicycle's thread for ongoing projects. I will rebuild Black and Green over decades as parts die, until it becomes a different car of roughly the same shape and color. My minimum fuel economy goal is 55 mpg while averaging posted speed limits. I generally top 60 mpg. See also my Honda manual transmission specs thread.
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