Editorials

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Both of my brothers were long haul truckers and I have two nephews who are also truckers, and they have tried both independent and contractual driving. Truck drivers are a visible presence on  highways and interstates, day or night, continually hauling.. They deliver everything from automobiles, fuel, canned food, livestock, produce and virtually anything to be delivered in bulk. Businesses of all kinds depend on trucks to pick up and deliver goods because no other form of transportation can deliver goods door-to-door or store-to-store. Although a lot of goods travel at least part of their journey by ship, train, or airplane, almost everything is carried by trucks at some point.

The profit margin is not great and the truckers have to mind expenses, ensure that they have loads to haul and a dependable truck in good shape. With the price of diesel fuel skyrocketing, the small independent truckers are feeling a serious drop in income as are the major hauling contractors. It costs anywhere from $650 to $800 to obtain one fill up, which is ludicrous.

Truck driving while still physically demanding, has improved as most trucks now have more comfortable seats, good ventilation, and improved, ergonomically designed cabs. Although the trucks have improved, the drivers still drive for many hours at a stretch, sometimes being required to load and unloading cargo, and the work is very demanding, as well as very tiring. Local truck drivers, those who deliver in a specific area within driving distance of their home, unlike long-distance drivers, usually return home after work each evening. Some self-employed long-distance truck drivers who own and operate their trucks spend a lot of the year in their trucks, on the road, seeing their families infrequently. Over three million dedicated drivers travel our roads, delivering merchandise to us, and we rarely consider the impact they have on our lives as they are the unsung heroes.

Diesel fuel used to be the least expensive of all fuels, always several cents below the lowest grade of gas. but now the cost has nearly tripled since 2004, per CNN Money, jumping 22% in the last two months. This increase is slowly becoming apparent to the consumer, you and I, as the prices of each item we purchase, be it groceries, gas, automobiles, or any other hauled product, is increasing a few cents each time we buy it as the increased fuel cost must be covered, which ends up affecting our pockets, almost like a stone tossed in a pond, the ripple effect slowly disturbs the entire body of water.

What is the answer? The oil barons were in Washington recently pleading their case, stating that their billions of dollars of profits are in line with other major businesses and that they should continue to receive the huge tax breaks amounting to billions of dollars. Our salaries are not going up and those on fixed or marginal incomes can not handle many more increases. The government must take action before it is too late; suspend all federal tax on diesel, release oil from the Strategic Petroleum Reserve, create a national diesel fuel standard, allow environmentally responsible exploration of oil-rich areas that are off-limits within the United States, including the oil shale and tar sands resources in some western states. None of these seem like the answer if you are an environment friendly supporter, but we need to weigh the pristine wilderness against the necessities of life.

Action must be taken, and that why we have the hundreds of members of congress and senate, as well as the senior leadership in the white house, to handle matter like this in an expedient manner, alleviating the burden on the truckers, and show some positive responsibility. Act now; don't wait until committees have discussed the problem for years as this will not get better. Truck on.
 

That's my opinion and I'm sticking to it!