Out of all these posts I only saw two that even mentioned actually conserving fuel. It's not up to Government to set the prices on consumer products.

Use less = Pay Less. Simple.

 

Also, no one has mentioned the other half of the equation in regards to trucks. The "high price" of fuel amounts to little more than "shock value" if one's freight rates are high enough to cover the cost of the fuel.

Most of the folks who are crying and moaning and groaning about the cost of fuel in their big-rig are also the ones who are still out there hauling cheap ***** freight.

Perhaps some of these folks should examine their own method of running their businesses instead of crying about fuel prices.

-blaine

 

You got that right. I been saying that for years. Of course when I would say something like that all you would hear is a guy with $1000 worth of Galaxy or Con-ex griping about paying too much for fuel

 

isin't that the same as being dead?

 

Sometimes they have to set price floors and/or price ceilings or else business people don't survive sometimes and it could be bad for those business and for the local economy. Farmers always come to mind on this type of subject.

Simple yes, accurate no and the reason being is if you use your vehicle other then just simple transportation it costs you more not to use it in the long run then to suck it up, gradually increase your rates to match the increasing costs and stop complaining and move on while hoping that there is some type of alternative to petro otherwise you can just plan on bending over and taking it, because it's only going to go up from here on out. To be honest I'm tired of these threads. Yes fuel is high, but the same people that are complaining are ones that have A. another vehicle that they can use and/or B. don't really need to have a diesel other then the fact that they wanted one(which is a reason that I never really cared for in the first place, so that contributes to my lack of sympathy is some regards to those that are excessivly complaining). I might also add that I get less mpg then alot of people that are complaining(which further dwindles my sympathy) that is assuming that those figures were accurately calculated.

 

I dissagree on the gov not being responsible or could at least help!

It's simple to me- OPEC controls the oil.......want cheaper oil???? Cut off the food supply to the OPEC controlled countrys and see if they won't beg us to buy their oil supply!!!! I know the middle east isn't all sand but alot of it is and they need our grass to help their food shortage.....can't grow beans and taters in the desert! That simple! Stop OPEC and you stop the entire world's strain on the price gouging at the pump.

As for the freight not being a good load.......most company's have a set cap on their fuel surcharge.....it's in the fine print! So when you reach and pass that cap, you have to renegotiate the surcharge....a PITA for me!

My concern is not that I'm not making money due to bad loads....it's that this fuel rise has cut into my profits and We've had to make alot of changes to the way things are run and purchased......An engine going out right now would put me under due to the lack of savings that have some how ended up in the tank at the truck stops!!!

My other issue is this is nothing more than a revolving cycle---prices go up[ but pay don't....then pay slips back up and the cycle repeats itself.....you know how the rich get richer---buy low sell high.........but you have to be able to survive the down cycles of the economy in order to make money in the long run!

NOW- how does $8 sound for a gallon of milk......cause that's where it's headed!

 

Can you name any occasions when this has happened?

And how do price floor/ price ceilings apply to farmers?

 

They do price floors all the time for farmer crops in order to help farmers out. Corn and Wheat are the two crops that they do it the most for. If they put a price floor(or minimum price that you can get for a bushel of a crop) then that helps the farmers out with paying off whatever charges that they owe(be it fert. and seed charges, labor the list is endless) and hopefully have some left over to make a profit or alteast have them willing to go another round next season. This would be most beneficial now as there have been an increase in the amount of people crowing crops(more people equals less dollar per bushel, thus comes in the price floor). All you have to do is watch the chicago stock market(ag related market) and they talk about that quite a bit.

 

I know that in the Pittsburgh area by my house there is a distribution warehouse for a company that will not send anything to California. The fuel surcharge is to high. The warehouse worker told me it is and additional 4500 to send product to california. So now the economy is going to take a hit from the product side. If they all stop shipments to distant locations we will not get goods and people will start to loose jobs. It all trickles down and then everything goes to s--t. Who gets hurt? The everyday Joes and Marys. Oil executives still get their million dollar bonus.

 

Here's an article in CNN Money.com that talks about the soaring diesel prices and how they're putting the American economy right up to the breaking point!

http://money.cnn.com/2008/03/27/news...ion=2008032712

 

What we need is a reliable alternative to oil, Biodiesel is good but it doesn't totally solve the problem because it doesn't cut oil out totally. And it is also almost as expensive to make. Ethanol is a good replacement for gasoline but there are still to many cars out there that won't run it effectively. The government keeps talking about more fuel efficient cars being made and how there are more fuel efficient cars on the road but that only helps those of us who can afford to go out and spend 25,000+ on a car.

 

game theory. You all choose "Y" and to not buy fuel for a week. Everyone else chooses "X" and stabs you in the back. Oil companies do it to each other everyday.

 

Now if everyone ran B20 in their diesels that would be 20% less dino oil consumed. Your engine will have better lubrication and you would not have to use additives. Then try to drive 20% less and conserve. It really is not all that hard to do. That would be 40% less for big oil and you would be feeding our farmers. During the warmer months (mid April thru Sept) I burn B100. Maybe this will help bring down the price. But it takes more people to help out to make it more effective.

 

Until you have better regulation on biofuel so that way auto makers will still warranty your vehicles no matter what the mixture(or lack thereof with B100) your still going to have some that shy away from it. I see that as the biggest hindurance other then the fact that you can't get it anywhere. The closest place for bio for me is 20 miles out and that just doesn't make since to go out all that way, wear and tear on the truck just to do that. Other then that, I think it is a good intermediate step trying to get off oil.

 

I will agree with you. Quality of biodiesel is the most important concern. I know where and who I get my bio from and he is very proud of the quality of it. I also drive right by the fueling station to and from work. I still believe biodiesel is in the pioneering stage. The price of soy oil is just crazy and shutting down bio plants all across or nation. But I do believe if we can find quality bio and we start to make an effort to use it it will become more popular and more readily available.