High Diesel Prices Hurt Ga. Truckers

13wmaz.com ^ | 3/8/2008 | Evan Pinsonnault

[bjs1779]

Some Central Georgia truck drivers say they could face bankruptcy due to higher diesel fuel costs.

According to the U.S. Department of Energy, this week's average price-per-gallon of diesel fuel in the Southeast is at $3.64.

That's up 10 cents from last week and more than $1 from a year ago.

"The days of truckers getting good long hauls and making good money are over with," said trucker Danny Ashley, a Laurens County native. "The price of diesel fuel is... eating us alive now."

As a result, Ashley says he and others in the trucking industry around Central Georgia have been regularly meeting about their futures.

"We just got to band together, stick together to get what we got to have to operate," said log hauler Kenny Poole of Wheeler County. "I mean, we're pulling out savings and hocking everything we got... just to get by and support our families."

Ashley says sometimes it's better for his family if he doesn't take a job with his big rig.

"We're still working for the same money that we have been for the last few years without any increase in our freight or logging rates," he said. "I won't make any money by staying home, but I'll tell you this, I won't lose any.

"It costs me around $1,000 to fill up every week, and right now I'm lucky to get jobs making that much."

Ashley says one possible solution he, Poole, and other truckers have discussed: a trucking industry strike.

"We're upset... we're just upset," said Ashley. "And we have a right to be. All we're trying to do is making an honest living, and we can't do that without being fairly compensated."

[bjs1779]

I'm sure this can't be just an isolated phenomena.

[1curiousmind]

I have been waiting for this. I own a small business and often make my own deliveries even out of state. I drive a diesel truck. Of course, I bought it two months before diesel prices overtook regular a few years ago. (I’m lucky that way)

I’ve always wondered why truckers are putting up with that since diesel requires much less to refine it.

I was told that trucking companies don’t pay the same prices that guys like me have to pay at the pump.

I’d like to know if that is really true. If not, I don’t understand why they haven’t done something yet.

[mdmathis6]

Now this would be the type of strike that is justified...all that product just sitting there and all tha diesel just sitting in the station tanks not being sold. I wonder if the oil companies’ and the speculators’ “bid ‘em up” strategy know what a nasty bit of blow back they are creating. They’ll tank the rest of the economy and no one will be able to buy their product which means the Fed and states lose their fuel tax revenue as well.

We’ll gonna have to suffer a bit as this current generation needs to understand and have a taste of what the Carter years were like!(maybe even a nasty depression and famine as food stocks are also at very low levels)

[mad_as_he$$]

Truck stop diesel, Reno, NV 3/6/2008, CASH price, $3.65

[yorkie]

The President is not aware of the rising gas prices.....

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JHtR4m9Puc8&feature=related

[HardStarboard]

Danny's got the answer right in the last sentence of the post....

>>>...we can't do that without being fairly compensated." <<<

When your costs go up, you've got to raise prices to pass the increase along.

Maybe if we see real inflation traceable to fuel costs, the ineffectual Pubbies will loose their timidity in the face of foaming-at-the-mouth environmentalists and demand an immediate approval of off-shore drilling in Florida and the Texas and drilling in ANWR.

Our energy Policy now is a slow death - which is quickly growing into a national emergency.

[RightWhale]

that product just sitting there and all tha diesel just sitting in the station tanks not being sold.

The exact situation in 1930 in East Texas. Oil dropped to 10 cents a barrel and still wasn't being sold. Great Depression. When it gets to that point then we will have something worth comment.

[upchuck]

I'm sure this can't be just an isolated phenomena.

No, it's not.

[CPT Clay]

I understand that canola oil works the same as diesel.

[RightWhale]

Got 10 million barrels of canola oil sitting around? Every day?

[Jeff Chandler]

When your costs go up, you've got to raise prices to pass the increase along.

That's what the major carriers do. They include a fuel surcharge in their rates (explicitly listed on the delivery receipts) which reflects the cost of fuel.

[Jeff Chandler]

I understand that canola oil works the same as diesel.

Even better for sauteing.

[thackney]

since diesel requires much less to refine it

Not any more; thank the EPA.

National Clean Diesel Campaign
http://www.epa.gov/diesel/

[CTSeditor]

Diesel is going for $4.30 at one local station here in New York.

[Charles Martel]

Ashley says one possible solution he, Poole, and other truckers have discussed: a trucking industry strike.

Just a guess, but I'll bet that the Mexican drivers will not be joining the strike. Heck, they probably get reimbursed for the federal fuel taxes that they pay at the pump.

[1curiousmind]

I paid $4.19 in upstate Michigan yesterday. Across the border it was $1.15 Canadian per liter which equals close to $4.50 US/gal !!! unbelievable!

[panaxanax]

I thought the $4.16 we saw upstate in Herkimer yesterday was high!

[bjs1779]

GAS VS DIESEL

03/03/08		Change from		03/03/08		Change from
	Price	Week Ago	Year Ago		Price	Week Ago	Year Ago
U.S.	316.2	3.2	65.7	U.S.	365.8	10.6	103.2
East Coast	316.8	2.0	67.7	East Coast	370.0	9.2	109.6
New England	314.6	1.2	63.1	New England	381.3	10.3	112.0
Central Atlantic	316.4	1.6	63.8	Central Atlantic	382.5	13.2	115.7
Lower Atlantic	317.7	2.4	71.9	Lower Atlantic	363.6	7.4	106.8
Midwest	308.0	0.0	61.5	Midwest	363.9	11.4	103.3
Gulf Coast	308.8	3.2	72.1	Gulf Coast	360.9	9.9	102.2
Rocky Mountain	308.8	3.7	73.5	Rocky Mountain	357.3	10.0	91.5
West Coast	338.6	12.1	62.1	West Coast	373.6	12.7	94.1
California	345.9	13.1	56.2

http://tonto.eia.doe.gov/oog/info/gdu/gasdiesel.asp

[Charles Martel]

Here's a DOE link on the costs associated with Ultra-Low Sulfur Diesel. Looks like somewhere between 5 and 8 cents per gallon, far less than the current price difference.

Things will get very interesting as more diesel-powered passenger vehicles enter the U.S. market.

LINK

[tcrlaf]

Perhaps a fuels tax CUT could help alleviate the problem??

OOPSY!
That would asking WAY TOO MUCH, wouldn’t it?

Can we drill ANWAR, yet?