Strike or Protest

Social media is abuzz with multiple sources warning of an impending truck driver strike. I cannot figure out why. Some claim the strike will be September 23. Most others are citing October 1 as the day to strike. And still others are saying it will be from October 1 to October 5. I am left wondering who is calling for the supposed strike. Who is leading the charge? What are the demands? Who are the truck drivers striking against?

It seems to be more of a disorganized idea that others used to get more social media attention. It doesn’t even appear that many calling for these strikes are even truck drivers. For years now, drivers have become rude and disrespectful on the road, in the truck stops, and at shippers and receivers. Now they expect everyone to band together to support their failed or failing business?

It seems that if this hype online materializes into anything significant, it would be more of a protest than a strike. There doesn’t appear to be any organized list of demands or even who these random demands are aimed at to correct their problems.

The catalyst for the call to strike was the rising fuel costs of late. I have read where some of the ones calling for a strike also want truck parking issues resolved, among other things. Usually, for a strike to get resolved, there needs to be clear demands between those on strike and those who can correct the issues. Who are you protesting? Will there be multiple protests aimed at different sources? All this hinges on whether anything happens at all on any of the days mentioned for the supposed protests.

As for me, an owner-operator with customers to serve, I will be doing what I do every week: moving goods from one place to another. While some of you may shut down during these projected strike days, I will be working along with many others.

And while you are away, don’t be surprised if you try to return to work and another driver or another carrier that filled the needs of your customers while you parked now has no use for you.

Of course, I guess if that happened, you could always stage another protest about losing your customers while you exercise your right to… blah, blah, blah. Customers need results. If you cannot produce said results, they will find someone who can.

At this point, it seems that all the calls for action to strike are nothing more than a distraction. You can blame the oil companies for the rise in fuel cost. Hell, you can blame the President, but all you are really saying is that you cannot handle your business. When the cost of fuel to fill the tanks of the truck stops increased, they raised their rate to compensate for the added cost. When the grocery stores raised their prices due to increased transportation costs to restock the shelves, they did that to keep their business running. But the independent trucker cannot figure out how to pass on the cost of doing business to their customers? This isn’t a “big oil” problem or a Washington problem; it is a management problem. Whose management problem? All the ones calling for a strike over fuel costs, parking, and I even saw one asking for more respect. How do you legislate the amount of respect due?

Don’t find fault, find a remedy.

-  Henry Ford

See you down the road,
Greg