{"id":35459,"date":"2022-08-03T19:44:11","date_gmt":"2022-08-03T23:44:11","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.tenfourmagazine.com\/?p=35459"},"modified":"2022-08-03T20:09:04","modified_gmt":"2022-08-04T00:09:04","slug":"sticker-shock","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.tenfourmagazine.com\/content\/2022\/08\/veteran-view\/sticker-shock\/","title":{"rendered":"Sticker Shock"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Oh, happy days, or so the saying goes.  The temps are up as usual (it\u2019s August), and the dog days of summer have arrived.  I love the heat and spend as much time as I can outside basking in the sunshine.  I hear all you southwestern drivers looking at me and asking, \u201cAre you nuts, or did you fall and bump your head?\u201d  Nope.  I like it hot.  Well, maybe not 116 degrees, but I\u2019m good with 95 and sunny.  Let\u2019s me defrost from winter and dry out from spring.<\/p>

Something that may surprise most of you is I don\u2019t run air conditioning in the truck.  The truth is, I don\u2019t have one that works anyway.  The easiest way to raise you fuel mileage is to cut your idle time.  If you don\u2019t run the A\/C there\u2019s no need to leave the truck running.  As long as it doesn\u2019t work, I don\u2019t have to spend time or money on repairs and charging to keep it blowing cold air.  I run \u201c2-60\u201d air in my old \u201cJust Steppin\u201d Peterbilt.  That\u2019s 2 windows down and 60 miles an hour roaring down the open road.  Open the wing windows and let \u2018er rip!<\/p>

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I may have lost a few of you newer drivers who have never experienced the accommodations of a pre-aerodynamic cab.  They came with split side windows and real mirrors, most of which were mounted on polished brackets \u2013 and some even had chicken lights or turn signals.  Most of the large rides had the arm rest high enough on the door to let you hang your arm out the window.  You know, that\u2019s where we got the stigma of the trucker\u2019s tan.  Oh, the days of free wheelin\u2019 with the wind in your hair, sliding down the street, wearing cool Oakley shades and a sleeveless t-shirt with some rock band printed on it!<\/p>

Those old cabs were hot as hell, but real drivers didn\u2019t notice.  They just cranked up the tunes and opened the squelch on the CB radio, 10-4.  There were no screens covering the window, either.  We took direct hits from those marauding mosquitoes, wayward rocks, and a few hard-shelled June bugs the size of a quarter.  When we stopped for lunch, many folks couldn\u2019t distinguish us from a group of bikers, with all those bugs on our face.  More than once, I clipped a yellow jacket bee and didn\u2019t kill it, which enraged it and got me stung.  Try to envision driving your cabover all day and every winged creature that hit your mirrors would wind up in the sleeper.  Most of us learned to spread out a beach towel and then roll it up and shake the bugs out before we laid down to rest.<\/p>

So much for our road trip down Memory Lane.  But I really wanted to address something else this month.  Hold up, wait a minute, there is a driver who needs some help.  I will be back in a minute.  Okay, I\u2019m back, and the crisis has been averted.  I ran over to help a new driver get unstuck in a driveway (he was suffering from pothole fever).  The darn thing jumped out and sucked his tractor duals in.  He was calling a wrecker to help him move.  A couple of us rounded up a log chain from a flatbed and I towed him backwards until he got traction.  We all like to talk old school, but how many of you are living it?  Back in the day, we all helped each other.  It didn\u2019t matter who you drove for or what kind of equipment, drivers jumped in if someone was in need.<\/p>

As I write this, I\u2019m setting here at Ernie\u2019s Federal Way Truck Stop in Auburn, Washington, waiting to load in the morning.  I\u2019m supposed to be loaded and gone by now but, as usual, someone dropped the ball, so now I\u2019m the one waiting.  The shipper tried really hard to spoil my day.  Ha \u2013 that didn\u2019t happen.  I simply moved to \u201cPlan B\u201d and continued to do my deal.  I found a parking spot and started writing this month\u2019s article.<\/p>

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I have been thinking about this for all of last week on my ride out here from the east side.  I made my first picks in Michigan and Ohio, then set out for Minnesota.  I found a couple more picks there, transferred some of them onto other trailers, and then reloaded my trailer with four drops to deliver here in the PNW (Pacific NorthWest).  Since I haven\u2019t been this far west in a year, I couldn\u2019t help but be amazed at the scenery.  It still excites me to see not only the Rocky Mountains, but the high plains of Minnesota and the Dakotas.  Rolling through Chicago and Detroit have their own appeal for urban sights, as well.<\/p>

Some of you may be wondering why I am making such a big deal about a regular dispatch that I\u2019ve done hundreds of times before.  I have to be honest and come clean with you \u2013 I never thought I would be able to drive out here again due to my health.  Not long ago, I was looking at forced retirement and possibly hanging up my keys.  I can tell you, after that ordeal, the trees are greener and the sky was definitely a brighter shade of blue.  For all the drivers out there who are disappointed with trucking and can\u2019t help themselves from complaining, just stop it.  A bad day of truckin\u2019 beats a good day of almost any other job out there.  If you have your health, you have everything.  Throw in a few people who love you, and you are living on top of the world \u2013 whether you realize it or not.<\/p>

Today was the first time in all my years of trucking I had to pay $6.50 a gallon for fuel.  There once was a time when I too would have squealed like a pig over that price.  Shoot, I\u2019m old enough to remember 50 cent fuel.  Not today, however, I will simply have to charge more for my services, watch my costs, and reject cheap or under-rated freight.  Inflation is here, and it\u2019s not likely to go away anytime soon, so get used to it, and adjust your attitude.  Just top off the tanks and keep trucking.<\/p>

There are many catch phrases I could use here, but I think that \u201cit\u2019s always darkest just before the dawn\u201d might be most appropriate.  These are dark days for trucking.  Twelve to six months ago the freight rates were out of this world, and everybody wanted in.  The brokers were hailed as heroes because they were paying rates no one had ever seen.  Then, equipment became scarce, and the price skyrocketed out of sight.  The price of trucks and trailers is now coming down to a more normal range, but they are still too high for my liking.  Freight rates, however, have dropped faster than expected, and the amount of steady freight is dwindling.  The long and short of all this \u2013 there is too much equipment in the system and that has made the spot market (load boards) very competitive.<\/p>

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I listen to the market reports, and the people I trust are saying it will be at least a year, maybe longer, before we see much positive change.  That means some of the folks who came to the party late will probably not stay long, therefore easing the pressure on the availability of future freight.  If you\u2019re anything like me, tighten your seatbelt and hold on, because it\u2019s going to be a rough ride.<\/p>

Earlier I mentioned how your attitude can make all the difference in your outlook on life and business.  I was quite nervous about making this trip to the PNW and had thoughts of retirement to avoid the reality of possible failures.  I\u2019m not one for taking the easy route or for avoiding confrontation, but I had to get my mind right, then make my body do its part, open the door, start the truck, then put it in gear.  If every journey starts with a single step, then none of us can go trucking unless we first open the door.  I made a lot of excuses for why I couldn\u2019t go, but not for how I should go.  But once I set myself up for success, things started to fall into place.<\/p>

With the proper preparation and execution, all things are possible.  If grandma and grandpa blue hair can pilot their oversized motor coach all across America, why can\u2019t I?  Trust me here, I couldn\u2019t have done it without the help of many people along the way.  Recovering your confidence is one of the hardest endeavors you will ever undertake.<\/p>

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Some of you are wondering what my health has to do with trucking.  In reality, nothing, I\u2019m simply using it as a metaphor.  If you want to succeed in this crazy business, then you\u2019re going to need to get your mind right, tighten your belts, then make preparations for lean times.  We all joke \u201cchrome won\u2019t take you home\u201d because it won\u2019t, so don\u2019t go there \u2013 stay rolling when freight is available with good rates.  There will be plenty of time to go home after the bank repos your stuff.  That is if you are lucky and they don\u2019t take your house, too.<\/p>

I shouldn\u2019t need to tell you how to save money, but in case you forgot, speed is expensive, and I\u2019m not talking about high-speed chicken feed.  I\u2019m already seeing trucks slowing down, driving more conservatively, and fewer lane changes, things like that.  These are all money saving techniques for fuel saving and reduced tire wear.  I\u2019m not sure about you, but for me, those are my most expensive costs, besides insurance and driver wages.  Driving slower may help there, as well.  I hear you saying the ELD forces you to run harder.  Well, I\u2019m calling BS on that.  If you slow down 5 or 10 mph and run at a reasonable speed of 65, the fuel saving at $6.50 per gallon will add up.  In addition to that, just think how much longer some of your other components might last, as well.<\/p>

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Inflation isn\u2019t going away, so be prepared to pay more for everything.  There may be shortages of common supplies, too.  Try to pre-purchase things like motor oil, belts, and tires if you can (and the opportunity presents itself), to save money and ensure you have what you need when you need it.<\/p>

I plan to forgo a vacation this year and we are not buying any new vehicles, so if fuel continues to set records, I plan to be right here behind the windshield freewheeling in my large car, rolling down the interstate.  I\u2019ve always said the time spent preparing for success is stolen from failure.  So, never mind the sticker shock, fuel up, fire it up, and hit the road, because America still needs us.  If the good Lord is willing and my steel horse stays together, that\u2019s where you can find me, because I\u2019m in this for the long haul, 10-4!<\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Oh, happy days, or so the saying goes.  The temps are up as usual (it\u2019s August), and the dog days of summer have arrived.  I love the heat and spend as much time as I can outside basking in the sunshine.  I hear all you southwestern drivers looking at me and asking, \u201cAre you nuts,<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":38,"featured_media":35460,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"ngg_post_thumbnail":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[154],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-35459","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-veteran-view"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.tenfourmagazine.com\/content\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/35459","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.tenfourmagazine.com\/content\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.tenfourmagazine.com\/content\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.tenfourmagazine.com\/content\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/38"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.tenfourmagazine.com\/content\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=35459"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.tenfourmagazine.com\/content\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/35459\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":35466,"href":"https:\/\/www.tenfourmagazine.com\/content\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/35459\/revisions\/35466"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.tenfourmagazine.com\/content\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/35460"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.tenfourmagazine.com\/content\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=35459"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.tenfourmagazine.com\/content\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=35459"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.tenfourmagazine.com\/content\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=35459"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}