James---a long haul trucker from Oxford, MS---has been in the trucking business for 43 years and says it's the only profession he knows how to make any money in. He's hauling a load of fertilizer from Canada to Mississippi.He's about to pay $1,200 for 280 gallons of diesel fuel here at PETRO Truck Stop on I-65 in Southern Kentucky. "I burn about $3,000 worth of fuel a week," he says, "and I honestly can say I don't know what's going to happen to my business if prices go much higher. I've never said that before in all these years in trucking."
I ask James how long he can last in this enviroment? and he shoots back, "Until the bank comes after my truck. At the moment, I'm one payment behind."
He has a wife, three grown children and six grandchildren he 'likes to spoil the dickens out of.'
"Mind you I'm not complaining because somehow we'll make it through this. But I've never seen anything like this in my life. Washington is digging us a grave we may never get out of."
I press him on his presidential candidate. He responds, "I like McCain, but don't trust him. Like Hillary okay, but don't trust her. I'm very afraid of something bad happening to Obama if he ever gets in. Don't even want to think about it."
And then he finishes by saying, "This country has enough oil right here without going to the Middle East to last us for over 200 years. I know because I haul fuel all the time and I know the ins and outs of that business. Unless we start using what we have here and off our shores, we're in a heap of trouble. I mean a heap."
Amen, brother James.
Kentucky trucker Darryl says he just paid $611.24 for147 gallons of diesel fuel. And that's only for one tank, half his capacity. He predicts gas at $6-7 by late summer. He supports Hillary, and thinks we need to get out of Iraq and "take care of our own first."He fought in the first Gulf War and agrees with the way we went in, got the job done and then got out. "We freed Kuwait and did what we needed to do."
"I have three boys and the oldest just got out of basic training and will get his education through the Army. Education is everything."
Yes, Darryl, and isn't life sometimes a pretty good education for real life too? Some of those PhD eastern elites may be out of a job long before you are, Sir.
Sam is based in Elizabethtown, KY and thinks gas will go to $5-6 a gallon soon and that we're in tough times. He thinks the independent truckers, like him, will be squeezed the most and many will go out of business, while the big trucking companies like J.B Junt, Werner and others will drop their prices and be able to stick it out.He's paying $900 for gas today, and says his company has a $900 cuttoff per refill at the moment. But, they'll have to up that soon, he emphasizes.
I press Sam on his politics.
"There's not one candidate I really care a thing about. Huckabee was my man and I really wish Mr. Slick Hair, what's his name? oh yeah Romney would have stayed in. I guess I'll have to vote for McCain, but I don't care that much for him. There's no question that Obama is too far in left field and anti-American."
Sam is most concerned about taxes and is crazy about the idea of the Fair Tax.
Kentucky trucker and entrepreneuer William owns seven trucks but can now only afford to run two of them, including the one he's currently driving. He has a wife and four children, but he and his wife of many years are adopting two more homeless kids this summer.He's running from Louisville to Louisiana today and says he now has to take longer trips to make it worthwhile. "Family comes first always," he adds. "I hope I can stay in business during these hard times."
God bless you, man. I do too.
Florida trucker Alberto is running from Tampa to Chicago with a huge load of new Toyota gas efficient cars. The round trip will cost about $3,500.**********
These guys keep us in all sorts of things we take so for granted. There's not a class of workers in this country that I like more than these fellows. They deserve for us to get our energy act together so they can keep us in the manner that we spoiled Americans are accustomed.
God bless them all. God bless America. Pass the hot sauce and start drilling!
6 comments:
Where the rubber meets the road! Do people think the dems , who already control congress, will do anything if they get in the Oval office? I personally see no change there. I agree, we must drill our own oil! This is getting stupid!
The energy realities, JM, are coming at us fast and hard. We'd best be using this time to develop more oil and gas here before we get slowed down to a crawl....
I would think truckers would be a pretty conservative bunch and if some of them say they support Hillary, look out. Don't you think we should be as smart as these people who base their vote on what really counts?
Ellen, your sarcasm is matched only by your elitism. There was a time when I thought fundamentalism applied only to conservative Christians whom liberals like you took great delight in exposing for the dumb ducks you think they are.
Today, however, I see that there are many forms of fundamentalism: environmental fundamantalism, Islamic fundamentalism, and especially, liberal elistist fundamenalism, or those who look down with glee on the Jack Daniels crew. BTW, they may be wrong, then on the other hand, they may be right.....
I don't think I said anything disparaging about the people in that video. In fact, they did not support Bush. I strive to understand the reason for the continued support of Bush by some despite the unprecendented disapproval by most.
I found this a satisfactory and revealing explanation on a local TN blog. I would be curious of your and your readers opinions of this post. Tell me what you think.
Web,
This is a beautiful post. I really appreciate you taking the time to interview these fellows. I am glad you are responding to the hateful commenter Ellen, but I am sorry she persists in clawing away at you.
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