This makes me feel terrible



http://abclocal.go.com/wjrt/news/012...er_closes.html

 

There are far too many of these stories these days. I got out of my own business this year after 3 years of large losses. Mi. is a hard hit area and I would imagine that these good people were involved in transporting manufactured good's.
although I am personally happy to be out of my business , I also feel the pain of the dis-placed worker and the owners sorrow. I am not sure that anyone realized the ramnifications of NAFTA and this so called global economy. Show me in our constitution where it say's the USA is about displacing and causing suffering in the name of free trade and big business.

 

My wife works for a trucking company here in Iowa that has around 150 trucks and had a alltime record revinue month last month. She has been busy lately, she is the only person that takes care of the billing. All the loads the company hauls have to go threw her to get entered into the computer and billed out. Then she has to deal with the costomer if they disagree with the bill and get them to pay.

 

It is never good when a company closes...
I am just curious though, How much of an impact has hotshot drivers had on the trucking industry? I am a telephone guy so I don't know the ins and outs of the trucking buisness, It would just appear that hotshot truckers shouldn't have the same over head as a traditional trucking operation.

 

Plus the new "rules" are causing innumerable delays in shipping.

 

It is just sad,to many jobs leaving this country,as far as I am concerned NAFTA has to go,I know it has been talked about before here,but how much more can this country take

 

Fuel costs are less, deadhead is more, payments are lower, repairs are pretty much the same, big truck components last longer. Everything else including insurance is the same. Big brother watches you more, personally I think the big truck was easier, but not going to switch now. I could have inframe overhauled a big truck twice with what I have in the last repair. And a lot quicker and easier.

 

Sorry but i believe the trucking industry has benefited more from NAFTA then anyone. Most of the trucks that run north and south seem to be headed to Laredo for delivery or to pick up

 

do you mean that the DOT will hassle a little truck more than a big truck or?

 

I don't know,there seems to be more coming into this country than going out,but I guess a truck has to deliver it to the ships and such.

 

As a Cdn carrier if I pick up a load in the States it has to be going to Canada. I can't haul from any point in the States to another point in the States So for each load I haul in, I haul one back. As for NAFTA, it has hurt my country's mfg far more than the USA. Lowered our average wage as well. But I don't want to debate this here because I am quite honestly probably not well enough informed . Having said that it is really terrible when 330 families get informed on the 25th of January that their lives are to change dramatically on the 30th. On the upside, there is plenty of work for drivers, but the office staff may have a lot tougher time

 

You bet, pull on a scale and you have a 50/50 chance of getting another DOT inspection. I have gone back to going around them.

 

Speaking for the US as I am not knowledgeable of Canadian shipping, the US uses a given amount of products, they are shipped by truck generally, regardless of where they come from or go to. Probably less trucked shipments due to the US not exporting these products any more.