time for a new plan in virginia

[FUSION]

This is the problem with looking for a leader OOmad, if you can-not do it for yourself then what would a Mickey Dee operation like FTBT do for you?

Ever heard of the term a Catch-22. Attend your next group therapy meeting Saturday, January 24, 2015. See and hear for yourself the Mickey Mouse joke of the past year.

They are advertising as follow:
New Year, New Challenges. This month come join us as we kick off our official membership drive. Our intentions are simple, Drivers want their time to be respected and receive favorable action as needed. Your membership dues will ensure we have the appropriate resources to accomplish those exact goals. (Drivers pay careful attention to this line, especially the word "ensure")

Please make your Check or Money order payable to For truckers by truckers. (Drivers, if you do so, PLEASE keep the receipt!). Membership cards will be printed at the meeting.

New 2015 Motto "Our time Matters" - Saturday, January 24 at 6:00am

[catolac]

yeah, cant wait to receive mine. is ths like a sams club card? virginia trucking companies have about as much respect for truckers as a cow patty. seeing is believing so i will watch for the action to start before joining any more driver clubs.

[FUSION]

I heard that another SAD meeting at FTBT took place this pass w/e. Sorry to drivers that attended. I think is time for new leadership.

[mark]

how many people showed up at meeting? i think the fizzz has gone from their soda.

[HardTimeTrucker]

Nov 25, 2014 14:55:13 GMT -5 lorha1159 said:

Nothing will change untill we have a way of hitting the port in the pocket. Why do you think they pay stevedores over time and triple time to sit at the dock waiting for a ship? Because the shiplines charge the port money when their boats dont leave on time. Cheaper to pay them(stevedores) to sit waiting there for the boat then to have the boat be late and the port get charged. When we dont hit them in the pockets and still line up to get in (myself included),what reason do they have to do anything about our situation?

Yes your right. The port feels no evil, sees no evil, hears no evil. They've become experts in talking circles around every port driver group that has been formed in Virginia or anywhere else for the past fifteen years. People who spend more for brunch then the average driver spends on meals in a week clearly don't understand what your needs really are. They must experience hunger for themselves before realizing their system is a totally dysfunctional bottleneck. Truckers depend daily on this crippled system to try make a decent living. The port can't put stamps on these d**n boxes and mail them. Yes, they are absolutely dependent you. One would think a truckers well being would certainly be a top priority within this maritime industry yet in reality it seems they do everything possible to ignore the needs of the most important link in their supply chain. Sadly the only time they ever recognize there's a human in control of their customers cargo is when angry truckers finally turn off the switch. Drivers need to learn what the term "leverage" means and how to use that. The longshoremen know it very well. The longshoremen in New York and those on the left coast have it down to a science. They refer to it as the big bear they have locked away in their closet. They clearly know how to take full advantage of this powerful animal around the time their contract is about to expire. Truckers actually have more leverage, a much larger bear, than the ILA or even the west coast ILWU however many drivers either don't have a clue of this enormous power they posses or haven't any idea how to use that transportation leverage effectively against the shipping industry. It's happened before in the past with limited successful results but truckers didn't remain united allowing the same dysfunctional system to straggle us within a matter of short months once again. That's two words that can not be separated if anyone ever expects change on the waterfront.

[bluetruck]

unity is dead. it is evryone for thenself at port. after twoyears i just want out. jus sayin.

[oldcrow]

speek for your self. i say enough guys are tired of bs. maybe when time is right. who knows. could happen this year. we have to find way work together or starve. drivers in norfolk r headed in wrong direction. got to get tough with port.

[FUSION]

Hard Time Trucker is currently happening at APM today!

Work together Old Crow or get tough with the port(s)!

Is unity dead? Ask HardTimeTrucker...

[FUSION]

Monthly Driver Meeting: Saturday, February 28... WHY?

[FUSION]

Feb 1, 2015 18:11:44 GMT -5 HardTimeTrucker said:

Nov 25, 2014 14:55:13 GMT -5 lorha1159 said:

Nothing will change untill we have a way of hitting the port in the pocket. Why do you think they pay stevedores over time and triple time to sit at the dock waiting for a ship? Because the shiplines charge the port money when their boats dont leave on time. Cheaper to pay them(stevedores) to sit waiting there for the boat then to have the boat be late and the port get charged. When we dont hit them in the pockets and still line up to get in (myself included),what reason do they have to do anything about our situation?

Yes your right. The port feels no evil, sees no evil, hears no evil. They've become experts in talking circles around every port driver group that has been formed in Virginia or anywhere else for the past fifteen years. People who spend more for brunch then the average driver spends on meals in a week clearly don't understand what your needs really are. They must experience hunger for themselves before realizing their system is a totally dysfunctional bottleneck. Truckers depend daily on this crippled system to try make a decent living. The port can't put stamps on these d**n boxes and mail them. Yes, they are absolutely dependent you. One would think a truckers well being would certainly be a top priority within this maritime industry yet in reality it seems they do everything possible to ignore the needs of the most important link in their supply chain. Sadly the only time they ever recognize there's a human in control of their customers cargo is when angry truckers finally turn off the switch. Drivers need to learn what the term "leverage" means and how to use that. The longshoremen know it very well. The longshoremen in New York and those on the left coast have it down to a science. They refer to it as the big bear they have locked away in their closet. They clearly know how to take full advantage of this powerful animal around the time their contract is about to expire. Truckers actually have more leverage, a much larger bear, than the ILA or even the west coast ILWU however many drivers either don't have a clue of this enormous power they posses or haven't any idea how to use that transportation leverage effectively against the shipping industry. It's happened before in the past with limited successful results but truckers didn't remain united allowing the same dysfunctional system to straggle us within a matter of short months once again. That's two words that can not be separated if anyone ever expects change on the waterfront.

We (O/Os) need to have a summit on port congestion commonality. A national 'sign the petition' campaign. 

Or continue to wait while we continue to lose money, just like the ports say when they're in the red. Action is better than silence.