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FUEL COSTS TROUBLES * Canada & USA - No more drivers' shortage ???
* Canada - Truckers see their profits dwindle
London,ONT,CAN -The London Free Press, by PAIGE AARHUS -June 21, 2008: -- Bill Williams used to love his job. He started trucking in 1981 and bought his own big rig in 2002. But these days, with the price of diesel hovering around $1.40 a litre, he's looking for a new career... Williams operates out of Woodstock, driving 14 hours a day, six days a week between Ontario and the USA. Like many other independent truckers, he's facing sky-rocketing fuel prices, dwindling profits and little hope for the future. Some truckers have already given up. Their rigs are showing up in auction yards... A trucker with a new rig can face monthly payments of up to $3,000, said Williams, who was lucky enough to pay off his $70,000 used rig a few years ago. It costs up to $1,100 to fill the tanks -- a few months ago a rig could be filled up for $500 to $700 -- and each fill takes a driver about 1,900 kilometres -- meaning a long haul to Kentucky would drain a full truck. Add insurance, maintenance, tolls and the cost of living on the road, and it's nearly impossible to make a living, Williams said... Teamsters Canada representative Bud McCauley said many independent truckers are parking their rigs because the cost of doing business is just too much... McCauley said, the problem lies with fuel caps imposed by companies on independents. For example, owner- operators might pay 47 cents a litre of their own fuel costs, and the company they drive for covers the rest... But companies feeling the effects of high fuel costs are pushing to increase the cap to 60 cents a litre, McCauley said... "That extra 13 cents a litre could cost an owner-operator $11,000 a year out of their own pocket," he said. For Williams, even a 60-cent fuel cap would be a relief. He pays the full cost of filling up, and receives 18 cents a litre in rebates from his company... "They've tightened the line so tight I'm not making any money. I cannot justify staying in this business anymore," he said... One local auto auction is feeling the effects. At London's Gardner Auctions, vice-president Kingsley Gardner said he's noticed more big rigs popping up on the auction block...
* USA - Driver Shortage? Not So Much Any More
USA -Life on the Road, by Wayne Weisser -Jun 20, 2008: -- It amazes and disgusts me at the same time to see how disconnected and stupid the government really is... Trucking in general is in tough times, everyone agrees on that. Companies and owners are going under on a daily basis. The drivers that were employed by those companies and small fleets are now unemployed and are looking to drive for someone else... (Pls search on above "Trucking bankruptcies ease shortage of drivers")... Sad, but no surprise to most of us. It goes on saying the same thing and some numbers thrown in. Like the 935 companies that filed for bankruptcy this year and 2% of the nations long haul fleet was idle during the first quarter... And from the blockheads in the government: (Pls. search) "FMCSA awards $1 million in grants to 9 driver training programs"... Driver shortage isn’t mentioned in the article, but why are schools training drivers when there are plenty of experienced drivers looking for work. Rookies get paid less than experienced drivers? I’m sure that has nothing to do with it... How about sending that $1 million to drivers that are already working and trying to survive? I’d put grant money to good use. How about tax breaks? I’m not looking for a handout, but I don’t think my tax money should be spent on new drivers that may take jobs from experienced drivers that need the jobs...
Labels: fuel cost troubles
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