Pauline, you are in the business and I have heard on the news about how many truck companies have already gone out of businss.  What's the word around your place?  Inquiring minds want to know.

It is bad news.  Lots of independants are parking their trucks.  We are getting lots of applicants for company drivers.  On a load 40,000 to 45,000 lbs of steel sheets or coils, from here to Birmingham Al, the rate is $400.  The Fuel Surcharge is 42%, making the total $568.00.  Last year this time the total was $504
Fuel surcharge is rising about 2% each week. It is costing us $1100 to fill up a truck.

EVERYTHING is delivered by truck: food, clothing, machines, parts, even the fuel.  ALL prices will continue to rise. And the oil companies say they can "justify" these prices and Congress is believing them I guess.

  I got a idea lets all pool our money and buy us a one oil well and make the profit the big guys are making and we coulde all live like them. smile  

Check this story!

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,356606,00.html

So Abner ... when are you going to start drilling?  

To bad Mick that alot more people can not drill it would make the government shut every down saying something it might be unsafe ,,,,lol

Here in Arizona one could drill all they wanted on their own property and still not be able to make a profit on any oil, water, diamonds, etc,etc........NO MINERAL RIGHTS FOR THE MINIONS!!!

Let me ammend that previous mineral rights statement just a little further........not only can we not make a profit, we can not even keep the oil.....government gets everything that comes up.  They may have to pay a nominal fee but that is about it.  Makes it more worth it not to drill, just to keep the government off your property... Not that they couldn't find some other reason if they wanted to...

Don't know about oil or diamonds but in my town he aren't allowed to dig or drill for water.  The government says they own the water in the ground.  

did anyone see or hear how the Ext 16 truck rally went today?
that all I heard on the radio on the way home from NY
Dodi

Dodi, you must have been listening to the radio about the same time I was driving the Thruway and attempting to survive with all the trucks. An unusual amount of trucks must have left their demonstration about the same time.I have never seen so many on the NYS Thruway as then. As the talk show host commented, why did they have a demonstration in a rural area with no one around. He wanted them to show up on Long Island in front of NYS majority leader Sheldon Silvers house.There they would get noticed. But anyway, it made the news, got some attention and the politicians had to hear it too. That is a start.

A PS to yesterday's comments. While the trucker demonstration was held on the Northway,WROW-590AM radio talk show host Mark Williams is helping to organize another one for the State Capital this coming week. If that doesn't get enough attention, the indep. truckers are talking about boycotting deliveries to Manhattan.On top of the rising gas prices, NYC wants to add another fee to all truckers entering the city.