Arkansas Trucking Association Calls for Hearings on Diesel Fuel Prices

The Arkansas Trucking Association said Thursday that it is petitioning the U.S. Congress to investigate "record high diesel fuel prices" that "threaten the cost-effective flow of goods in the United States and the general economy."

The associations' board of directors voted unanimously Wednesday to seek congressional oversight hearings into the causes of diesel prices that have reached about $4 per gallon.

Lane Kidd, association president, said Congress should act now to ward off an economic crisis.

Story Continues

Trucking industry will spend record amount on diesel in 08: ATA

The trucking industry will pay a record amount for fuel in 2008, according to projections from the American Trucking Associations.

The US-based trucking industry lobby group projected the industry will shell out US$135 billion for fuel this year, up US$22 billion compared to 2007.

The association's president and CEO said the industry is experiencing the highest prolonged fuel prices in history. Fuel is beginning to surpass labour as a fleet's largest operating expense, he pointed out.

"The trucking industry is making great strides in its efforts to reduce overall fuel consumption. But an affordable supply of diesel fuel is imperative to keep our trucks moving," said ATA president and CEO Bill Graves. "There is little to suggest that fuel prices will decline any time soon. Yet every day, ATA hears new stories from its members about how escalating fuel prices are hurting their businesses and affecting their livelihood."

Over the past five years, the cost of filling up a tractor-trailer has surged 116%, the ATA reports. The association is calling on US Congress and President George W. Bush to increase diesel supplies to counter further price spikes.

Source

Diesel: Fuel for Inflation?

Truckers Face Record Pump Prices to Get Goods to Stores

Lee Klass was hauling 41,000 pounds of hairspray from Florida to Quebec yesterday when he pulled into a truck stop in North Carolina to fill his tank with diesel. The price: $3.999 a gallon.

"Diesel prices are terrible, and they're not getting any better," the 60-year-old Klass, an independent trucker, said in a cellphone interview as he filled the 240-gallon tank. The final tab: $960.

The auto club AAA reported yesterday that both diesel and gasoline prices smashed previous highs. Gasoline rose to a nationwide average of $3.246 a gallon for regular unleaded. Diesel, which has been setting records almost daily for the past three weeks, hit a nationwide average of $3.876 yesterday.

The average price of diesel fuel has been shooting up even faster than that of gasoline, rising more than 50 cents in barely two months. That is not only squeezing profit out of the trucking business but is also driving up the cost of delivering all kinds of goods to American consumers.

Source Continues

Will a Truckers strike fix the high fuel cost

No, and I will tell you why a strike won't do it. I here this 15 times a year, WE NEED TO STRIKE to get fuel cost down.
Then in the next breath I hear the same driver bragging about running down the road at 75 mph. Huh? Did I just read that right? Yea, my friend I am afraid you did.

Why would you complain about the fuel prices, and then in another sentence blab about running 75 mph? Most trucks are set to run at around 55 mph for optimized fuel economy. When you decide to speed you are just wasting fuel.

There is no reason why you can't survive and still make a decent living if you would just slow down and run the speed limit. Oh yea and stop pulling this CHEAP freight. I swear these fools who run down the road pulling $.95 cpm freight should go bankrupt. That kind of freight should be left for the bottom feeder companies, like JB Hunt, Swift, etc. you guys know who I am talking about.

An owner operator should these days be getting at least $.51 cpm fuel surcharge. Do you know how to charge for fuel surcharge? Those who don't know how to do this need to click on that link, it is from OOIDA and is pretty useful information.

There is another reason why a strike won't work. there are too many "cut throat" companies out there waiting on the freight that you will be refusing to pull, if you were to strike. There is no organization among truck drivers. There will never be any kind of organization among truck drivers. I know too many drivers out there that if you were holding a "blue ink pen" in your hand they would swear it was a "red ink pen".

In all reality it is up to you guys/gals out on the road, to be able to adapt and make ends meet. The first thing I would do if I were you was to slow down and quit wasting fuel. It makes a difference.