I wasn't implying that you could get away with that as an excuse to go over hours but they aren't likely to check every truck every day. I cannot remember the last time I had my logs checked. Last FMCSA audit was 2005! I'd take the chance. Surely not everyone thinks safe and legal are the same thing. Besides you can just slip NY DOT cops a couple bucks to look the other way like the Canadian carriers were doing until the just got busted.(ha ha look who got caught cheating)
As for Mexican Canadian being American makes me think you all are just visiting. Although the Mexicans working the dairy farms in western NY never seem to go home.

 

LOL. Taking the truck to a ball game? What else could you possibly have been implying?

Last week for me. We've had 23 inspections in the last 24 months.

Yeah, I know about how the DOT cop was extorting money from the Canadian companies, but he was extorting...they weren't bribing.

Not really sure what this is about, but my point was whenever rates get too high the government will "inject liquidity" into the free market. In this case, the liquidity takes the form of adding drivers....Mexican drivers that can work for pennies on the dollar.

So, no it's not as simple as supply an

 

US peso? Is this Ice Road Rick?

 

My point about Mexican Canadian had nothing to do with money. Just people.

 

Increase in demand is an increase in demand. How can it not be good for us? The trucking industry has a 120% turnover and according to the BOLS a large number of drivers are going to be retiring soon creating more demand. The next generation doesn't want to run the long hauls the way the old generation did. I'm not knowledgeable enough to make predictions but I'd say we're in for a change. I don't think truckers like change much, but maybe change isn't necessarily a bad thing.

 

I've never seen that turnover rate fully explained, but it's obviously exaggerated. No way companies turn over their entire driver pool every 9 months. It isn't possible.

As far as the increase in demand being bad...well that might mean less experienced drivers, more accidents and more laws and more inspections.

 

Hence greater focus on driver retention. Better money, better treatment, better working conditions. I can't imagine anyone wanting less demand for drivers.

 

I have no idea what the future brings, but rates are up that's for sure right now. I already have EOBR's in the truck now in the form of the GPS system I use. I don't use electronic logs though (running 14 trucks) but I can have them turned on. If they are mandated, imagine companies with 100 trucks having to install them? They are not cheap. If and that's a big if the smaller guy can hang in there, there is no competetion between us and the big companies. The ones that have their own brokerages are so inefficient it isn't even funny. Even KTI out of Georgia, which probably only has a couple of hundred trucks are so disorganized it isn't even funny. You go to pick up a load and one of the company trucks already did it. Just signed up with Knight Brokerage and did 3 loads and that's enough of them.

There is no way they can compete on service, no way. And really I don't understand why they can't give better service. I myself can let a customer track their load via the GPS program up to the minute. But the big companies are full of employees and we all know what that means. I finally had to hire an assistant and I went through 3 girls in one month. A bunch of lunatics out there. Finally got a good one though. I've said it before though, this is one brutal business; I hate it really. However my accountant did my taxes and he told me I better learn to like it as I'm not going to go get a job making what I make now. Of course one driver could wipe out everything, that's why I wish I were in a business that I can shut the doors at 5PM and not worry about a phone call.

 

Up to 14 trucks now? wow.

 

I know. Holy crap. Thats impressive to watch.