No freight!!!

[LDB]

DaveKC for president!!! Get your pen out and start writing in. I'm not a republican so I'm not promoting their agenda. Frankly I'm disappointed with them. This is here because the impetus is the reduction in freight that is imminent if the $200k and lower plan is implemented. That plan will cost jobs across every sector and with that level of job losses there will be a loss of freight. What's the plan when 20-30% of the freight dries up? How will you adjust? What do we do to make up for such a devastating policy?

 

[CharlesD]

It seems to me that a good strategy is to enact faulty policies that won't come home to roost until the next guy gets into office. That way your party can claim no fault in the whole mess, blame it on the next guy who happened to be there when it happened, and then ride the blame to victory in the next election. And then when you get in, enact more faulty policies that will only make things worse. Sure, makes a lot of sense to me. What am I missing here?

What will I do if the freight slows down even more? I don't know, get more specialized, maybe? Look for types of freight that are always in demand. It's out there if you look for it. Things will get a little rough for a while if that happens, but if you're smart you can at least keep your head above water until things pick up again.

 

[BillChaffey]

Barrack H. Nobama Say's "spread the wealth around" you can be sure he will not be spreading any of his personal wealth around. Barrack H. Nobama & Ms. Pelosi want to raise Capital gains to at least 25% preferably 33 1/3%. So if you were to pick up a fixer upper house for $25.000.00 work weekends and evening for a year, put another $15,000.00 for materials of your own money into it. Then sell it for $60,000. The $20,000.00 you are ahead for a year of labor, & material is going to be minus 25-33 1/3% so Mr. H. Nobama can "spread the wealth around" to those folks how have been sitting on there collective A-- for the last year, so maybe they can add a few more channels to cable or Satellite TV.

 

[OntarioVanMan]

Barrack H. Nobama Say's "spread the wealth around" you can be sure he will not be spreading any of his personal wealth around. Barrack H. Nobama & Ms. Pelosi want to raise Capital gains to at least 25% preferably 33 1/3%. So if you were to pick up a fixer upper house for $25.000.00 work weekends and evening for a year, put another $15,000.00 for materials of your own money into it. Then sell it for $60,000. The $20,000.00 you are ahead for a year of labor, & material is going to be minus 25-33 1/3% so Mr. H. Nobama can "spread the wealth around" to those folks how have been sitting on there collective A-- for the last year, so maybe they can add a few more channels to cable or Satellite TV.

Now clarification....is needed..like facts

Is Obanana proposing to raise the deductible on CC ? deduct the amount and then pay tax on the difference? Ifs thats the case it's a good thing...if the deductible is lowered ...thats a bad thing...

 

[davekc]

A change in the capital gains computations could be problematic for many expediters. Depending on how a truck was purchased and depreciated, this could generate a significant financial hit for someone exiting and not repurchasing another vehicle. If there is a gain on that vehicle, it sounds like some could be digging deeper into the wallet.
If one is unsure, it would be wise to talk to your accountant or even a tax preparer for a general number of what the gain would be.

 

[ATeam]

The person in charge whether Bush or someone else has little to do with it. He can either approve or veto a bill but that is it. If it is introduced, it must be passed by the house & senate.

While you are right about Dems and Repubs being equally responsible for the mess we are in, you are not right in presenting the White House as a passive player in legislation. The $700 bailout bill provides an example.

This began as a White House initiatiave. It did not begin in Congress. It was presented as an emergency, must do now piece of legislation. When it did not make it through, negotiaters met at the White House, with the President to fill the bill with enough pork to get it passed.

With every bill the White House deems important, you can be sure that the President's people and sometimes even the President himself is exerting power, trading favors and twisting arms behind the scenes to get the White House's favored bills passed, and unfavored bills defeated.

It works the same way at the state level. The governor's office has full time people on staff that do nothing but work directly with legislative leaders and other legislators to get the governor's business done.

 

[davekc]

Can't argue that. What Bush originally wanted, didn't make it through. That is where all the extra add-on garbage came from to get it passed.
You are right on one thing. Both parties should be ashamed of such a pathetic piece of legislation.
I am beginning to think I should have ran

 

[ATeam]

This is here because the impetus is the reduction in freight that is imminent if the $200k and lower plan is implemented. That plan will cost jobs across every sector and with that level of job losses there will be a loss of freight. What's the plan when 20-30% of the freight dries up? How will you adjust? What do we do to make up for such a devastating policy?

Let's be careful about deciding when the freight speeds up and slows down, and then running the facts through political filters to affix credit and blame for it.

For the record, freight is slowing down now. Carriers are going out of business today at three times the previous rate. And worse quarterly reports are projected. In what is normally the busy pre-Christmas shipping season, carriers are seeing major declines in freight levels. At a time when trucking companies often expand their fleets and/or hire additional drivers, fleets are decreasing in size and drivers are being laid off.

These things are happening NOW. They cannot be attributed to whoever will be in the White House and Congress next year; though, I am certain the Open Forum will be filled with overflowing with missives of political credit and blame.

See the post Carriers: 2009 to be Slow Year in Trucking for factual data on the state of the trucking industry today and the projected state of the industry in 2009. Kindly note that these facts and projections were published before the 2008 election.

Pouring energy into political credit and blame is less productive and profitable than pouring energy into good ongoing research and business decision making.

If public policy changes impact business, it will not be the first time. As always, it will fall to business people to adapt and continue on.

In business, I have never been one to trust or rely on governemnt grants, incentives or policies. They can appear, disappear and be modified with the stroke of a politician's pen.

 

[CharlesD]

If we can see any silver lining here, it's that these things are usually cyclical. If more carriers keep going out of business, the ones that are left when the dust settles are going to be sitting good. There won't be as much competition and when levels pick up again, those who are still in business are going to be more in demand and will likely see better rates, especially the ones that provide good service between now and then.

 

[jimby82]

Take a moment (ok, its a long piece, but worth the time to look at) to look at this article from Fortune. It talks about who will be footing a large share of the bailout bill.

Are you a high earner but not rich yet? Higher taxes ahead - Oct. 26, 2008

I'm not an expediter (I don't even play one on TV), but it is something my wife and I are seriously looking at doing in a year or two. Honestly, my family has not been affected by the "downturn" yet. (Although I think that this could change soon.) My wife and I work in an field (public education) that is somewhat insulated from the current economic situation. I guess times could become so bad that it could affect government funding of education. (And just because I work for the schools, don't assume I like what is happening with education. Our educational system is broke in so many ways, and no amount of money is going to fix it overnight. Sorry, rant over.)

So how does this relate to expediting? After listening and researching, IF we decide to get into expediting, we would follow the "recommended" path of starting out driving for a fleet owner.

After reading the above article, I started wondering just how many fleet drivers out there would even come close to the "magical" $250,000 / year level. I would guess not that many.
I would also imagine that there are not too many single truck, O/Os at that level either. I would on the other hand think that there actually might be a few fleet owners out there close to, or even above that income level.

Now don't get me wrong, this in no way meant to be an "attack" on the "rich" fleet owners. A fleet of 15, 10 or even 2 just does not magically spring up out of the ground overnight. If you are a fleet owner, I am sure you have worked your butt off over many years to get where you are at now. Success just does not land in your lap. If you are in the over $250,000 level, congratulations! You've worked for it! (And I would almost be willing to bet, you would be one of the mythical "good owners".)

On the other hand, how is this going to affect us (my wife and I) should we decide to get into the business? Will the above mentioned "good owner" survive financially? Will fleet owners be forced to cut back on fleet size? Will some existing owners be forced out of the business entirely? Will the amount of revenue passed onto the drivers shrink?

In any case, this "bailout" will eventually affect our future expediting plans, one way or the other. Sad, that in this case, sound business principles were not followed, at any level. Now it looks like we are all going to be paying for it for a very long time.

 

[Tennesseahawk]

Good points, Jimby. But when Obama states $250k as his magic number, think of it as magic... an illusion. I remember Clinton near tears telling the ppl he tried so hard, but couldn't prevent raising taxes. The ppl bought it. I'm betting Obama will do the same thing. Charismatic leaders can get away with so much more.

Don't knock the "rich" making 250k. If you ever plan on getting there yourself, then you'd better think twice about this guy and his 'changes'. Most who are voting for him have no ambition to raise themselves above that level. So, with them, there is no personal change... just in what change they can get from Obama. Funny how those who strive for mediocrity seek change in a false messiah.

 

[iceroadtrucker]

Look

What OBAMMA Said.

If your Truck Grosses 400,000 bucks for the year but then U take away your costs and lets say they are 200,000 bucks well then your net is 200,000 bucks well your not going to get tax raised.

Wake up and Knock it off.

I Love How Ya take somthing and streach it outa proportion.

Well U big fleeters U made your bed now sleep in it.

So deal with it.

 

[DougTravels]

Thats one heckuva truck to gross 400k! Even if it were team driven still thats alot. You'd have to pay a co driver anyway and to still net 200k after paying the co driver. You would really have to stick it to the co driver. Nice numbers lol!

Lets say this Super truck grosses 400k, between co driver and driver you'd have to have at least 550 nights perdiem, I forget the rate now but I think you got like 28-29k there, fuel one third leaves about 237 to split between 2 drivers oh yeah we haven't even figured in insurance, maintence/repairs, tolls.

You Go Supertrucker

 

[iceroadtrucker]

Thats one heckuva truck to gross 400k! Even if it were team driven still thats alot. You'd have to pay a co driver anyway and to still net 200k after paying the co driver. You would really have to stick it to the co driver. Nice numbers lol!

Lets say this Super truck grosses 400k, between co driver and driver you'd have to have at least 550 nights perdiem, I forget the rate now but I think you got like 28-29k there, fuel one third leaves about 237 to split between 2 drivers oh yeah we haven't even figured in insurance, maintence/repairs, tolls.

You Go Supertrucker

ya still dont get it do ya, I sat there and said it fricken dont matter, and that u can groose 400k 300k or 250k but he not going to raise your taxes when your net is less than the 250K good grief read what I typed.
I said Ur taxes wouldnt increase and I gave an example.

OBamma said Ya net more than 250k then Ud get higher tax. OK understand.
Oh
Sorry that your blinded by Mcains bald spot ha ha quick somebody get a hat and cover Mcains Blinding bald spot. ha ha ha ROTFLMAO

 

[jaminjim]

Is it apparent to anyone else that the FedEx must not require Random drug and alcohol tests?

 

[Falligator]

Just like the Bush's McCain believes his own lies! Another false statement brought to you by the McCain cam(paign) in my butt. It's sad. Maybe the dems will win the majority of seats in the house so we won't have to deal with whiners.

 

[jimby82]

Great! I need another new keyboard.

(Note to self, do not drink beverages when sitting in front of computer especially while reading online forums.>>> Micky D's Sweet Tea damages electrical components when expelled violently from mouth onto said components.)

No back to our regularly scheduled programming:

 

[BillChaffey]

Jimby82,
excellent Article, not that I expect it will make a difference to Nobama supporters who are waiting for the wealth to be spread around. But having little Formal Education I am having trouble understanding how Mr. Kwon at 39 years of age came here as a "BABY" with his Father in the late Fifties.

 

[iceroadtrucker]

Is it apparent to anyone else that the FedEx must not require Random drug and alcohol tests?

No kidding I dont drink Alachol I dont smoke I dont dip and I dont cheat nor do I do Drugs.

What I do do is stir up the pot with people like u.

Sweep your own back yard before u Try peeking over the fence to look into some one elses.

Get my drift. I hope so Now that Youv been swated on the but go to your room and rethink your accusations.
they like you are All False (FAKE).

 

[jrcarroll]

.... It's sad. Maybe the dems will win the majority of seats in the house so we won't have to deal with whiners.

Ok on the other hand yomama wants to limit free speach. He and his party want to pull the plug on a number of talk shows.
AND.....
They also want to take away our right to bear arms (He must be afraid someone would take a shot at !!!)Or afraid of another revolution after he gits into white house..