Small business inflation.

I own a trucking company. This administration has really screwed this industry every which way. A lot of large companies have been shut down. 

We figured it out when Biden was vice president as far as fuel prices go. Same thing. Survival of the fittest. I was prepared, and we're ok. Not doing great, but ok. 

Our daughter and son in law have a trucking business ( well one truck but they stay busy ) You guys have to smog trucks 4 times a year now ?  Geezzuss no wonder everything costs so much. 

All my trucks are pre emissions and no smog tests.

Guess you won’t be delivering anything to Ca. Eh ?  One more reason the dipshit running this state has lost his fucking mind.  I swear the guy fucking hates us. No idea why 

Over the past few years we've seen a shift in our clients whose homes we're building. 

Most were moving here from up north. 

Now fully half are from california.

Sooooo fortunate that these days I simply have to provide my material list to my builder, and it gets delivered right to my shop. 

Still have had to raise my labor rate a few times, in the past 3+yrs to cover the cost of living.

Busier than I want to be at my age, and health issues.

So if I'm going to be plying my trade, I'm making it worth my while.

Always remembering that the homebuilder needs to profit from my product.

That goes back to the apprentice thread.

People these days fail to realize that your skills have to provide a profitable service to those writing the check.

I simply cannot afford the time, money, and bs of CA. It's a shame that a place with so much natural beauty, and great weather is such a shit hole.

Labor has been an insane challenge. Materials and shipping were off the rails during COVID. I’ve gotten somewhat of a handle on materials…the continuous hikes seem to have stoped…but, out here in Cali…labor and the cost of it…are totally fucked up by our governor and his politburo in Sacramento. 

As for the constant attacks on the independent trucker, out here in Cali, that…too…is UNFUCKINGBELIEVABLE! 

Fuel is only a small part of the set cost of operation.  Compared to other aspects tires,parts, equipt, insurance has skyrocketed.  I,m 1099 ic but no trk payment ,  I do not own the trk. There is no money is trucking period. My 1st 2 days at my new co I made more as a 9 yr old in 1976 bailing hay. There’s actually quite a few days in a yr that I made more in 1976. 1974 truckers made 25 per hr 15-20 a stop all stops paid. In 2024 15-25 as a ic the 1st and last stops r not paid. It’s all the illegals that flooded the industry. The biggest thing is bidens black& brown reset billions of dollars went to visa or illegal workers to start buisnesses. Most of them started trucking co.s they use there own people as slaves 3 or 4 in.  Trk only 1 has a lic. Others started const or landscaping co.s.  That’s why the rates crashed in Feb 2021 & because biden tried to start a war firing missiles at the taliban from seria. Eastern European,s run trucking in America for the most part. NYC, Jersey to Cal. Or Wa. That’s all there is 1099 co from Chicago some operate out of ca. now . Because the fbi , etc r closing in.  I hv pals that r brokers with mega carriers there co.s r not making any money . There operating off of hundreds of millions they made in the past.  These mega co.s r doing every thing they can to spin things around.  Every trk entering Ca. Is on a # of cameras . These co.s hv access to them along with there own satellites to spy on these co.s doing Very illegal activity. The co.s that go to Ca. R put out of service in other states. For a punishment for entering Ca. As a push back.  Lib policies endless extra regulations.  Jersey & ma. Also but it’s not extreme as Ca. All the rates going to Ca. Or other western states pays nothing.  1.00 per mi haha I made 3 times that with no trk payment b4 biden.  Haz mat ld paid 14-18k Ca. To Ct. b4 biden.  For months it’s been 2,400 - 2,800 nothing. Other freight  going to Ca. .90 -1.00.  That’s why it’s all illegals on meth out west. I was charging 800 extra 1 way for a Ca. Or any ld to the west. Dangerous idiots on meth out west. If my co refused to pay I refused to do the ld.  I had to remind them as a ic I choose where I go. I,m not some dumb ass w2 reject that started in 08.  I did all the boroughs of nyc . I charge 800 -900 extra. The biggest pipeline & utility co in the world -scab pay . They hired a captain of the state police. He trained me up & I was in charge of the worlds strongest horizontal drill rig trk line . I was a rig worker & jobsite foreman. I ran 2 lds from new London,Ct. - home of the Largest Virgina .haha to Phily airport property. 2 1/2 miles each side of the rd huge strike . A lot of them had baseball bats , 2nd trip seemed to b more. Superintendent x Marine was stressed out . I was put in charge & said the drill rig is 10 million or it stays in Ct.  we had 4 world record projects pulling a package of pipelines. 793 mil was the highest of the 4.  I said check do in my hand upon arrival.  2 payments 25 mil each to organized crime & 250k per week all paid by me. Actually the 250k payment was our  job  Vietnam Vet,s coordinator,s duty. But he talked down  on people like there all peons. The mob don’t like being disrespected, we all laughed he,s gonna beat you to death to broad daylight. What r you doing you even talk stupid to the mob.  I,ll pay him every week just get 10 bucks extra on my check. I was in 3 unions but the co never paid 1/2 our union wages. Only had a hand full of problems after that. We refused to hire any teamsters. They blocked a gate in Penns  Landing area down town .1 punched me in the head.  I said get the fuck out of the way. They didn’t do I put the R model Mack with a steel bumper & 8 in thick iron drill stem welded to that bumper. They scattered & I drove the mobs chain link with b. Wire gate over. 1 of the many tone setters of being there.  And now this job it’s the highest paid 1099 job in Chicago.65 & I here they don’t steel your check - charge tens of thousands of bs fees,etc.  there’s co.s that claim.70 but they don’t. Most pay .50-. 60 nothing.  1st time I ever had to do this in my life , cancel a check paid by phone on the rd of course.  Basically no one is making any money & some can’t pay for fuel or a repair. Last winter trks sat in the ditch for a month because the co.s had no money to pay the 10-70k toe trk .  Over 50k bankruptcies a week in trucking , brokers too.  People not buying anything & bidens free money to illegals starting a buisness. I,m owed ovr 250k maybe 300k from other Eastern European 1099 co.s labor dept in iL. Has ove a million claims of slavery in Chicago against them.  I bought straw bails from 3 plantations in 1990 the truth there is pick cotton 6 weeks of the yr then maintain the beautiful property. I cut cabbage in the field so did my parents and grandparents with migrant workers . Cabbage is much hvy work than cotton but it’s still easy work. Hand dragging millions of lbs of freight out in trailers ovr 200 degrees is much harder than anything they ever did by a million times ovr.  We went back hundreds of yrs as a country.  I,ve worked in every city in America. 100 % this county is a 3rd world country now.  Thd biggest separation of classes ever. No trk parking in New Orleans I parked at the tiny receiver.  By far the worst ghettos in the country.  Last time here was a violent attack quicker than any military force. The lead guy pulled a nickel plated pistol & pointed it at my stomach. I said don’t do it with my fist going to split his head wide open. I saw fear & he lowered the gun . The others yelling shoot the mother f er , they had ar 15,s , Ak 47,s pistols . Thank God I,m a Indian that invisible Warrior of the Forrest stuff  that what my last name means in Naitive American. Is true we don’t need a weapon.  

That, my friend, is a lot to decipher.  I will be taking a nap now.  

He's pretty much hitting the nail on the head if you know trucking history, geography, and severe ADHD or something.

It's a wonder some companies still have the doors open. Especially in CA. The irony of it is, our goal is to get out of CA and move to a bluer state. What state is bluer than CA you ask? HI. But, if and when we get there, these things will be the next generation's problem.

TM

I figured Pro was on track.  I'm not too knowledgeable on trucking history, but the other two I know a lot about.  

Part of the reason my family sold their whole operation in july of 2019. Sold all 37 trucks with the oldest truck being a 2009. Money and the industry was getting better but politically especially here in chicago and some of the people we know that run shit here. We knew it was a matter of time before they screwed this all up again. Why not take the money while its at its peak. They got out while the gettins good thats for sure. They went and picked up 10 new trucks and took the 10 oldest drivers and mechanics, the office staff and opened another small shop to keep these people working till they can retire. Once most of the people are ready to retire they'll buy out the rest into retirement sell everything again and be set for life. 

I was parked at a receiver sat 16.35 no parking within 90+ mi of New Orleans. I was pinned down sun because of non stop storms. Finally it cleared so I walked a mi + to a store to b around people. I can’t sit in a dark trk for days like most do now.  Anyway 79,80 had 24-27k co.s deregulation changed it all. Ovr 1 mil co.s now.  Don Schneider went to congress & said no American wants to drive trk. Which is a lie. Bring in Eastern Europeans we,ll give them training and we,ll haul goods for cheaper . Lie they bid on freight . And you congress give them working visas . Oh and here’s a few million dollars. Eastern Europeans made 160 s month max back then . So if they make 160 per week they thought there where rich.  That’s where it started. They also filed for there authority in China back in 07 aprox, they said they ran 1,000 ft ships China to America , Ca. Actually. But there was another co involved.  The fuel in 08 sky rocketed ovr 5 s gal 1st in ca. I was there . Later in 08 7.49 a gal in Ny. I90. Marine fuel is much higher container rates 4,800 to as low as 400. They where swimming in  debt well ovr a billion dollars. On my time off from a tanker co that pounded the ne . I would stop by Schneider ,s office & chit chat with all levels of people.  I,m pretty fun & hv a calm nature & was a big shot at michels in the 90,s that’s bigger than nasa. So they opened up a lot of the buisness workings.  I was curious of how the largest co in America operated etc . And see if I liked being in the office environment.  You know Ralph the founder started with a station wagon. They hv his 1st trk a building they call the White House.  Fing huge 2nd floor you look down at hundreds of people in cubicles, a screen twice as large as a movie screen. A dated a few women that worked there . Real nice gym in that bldg.  

Sci also is the 1st to get tax credits - money to hire military, Huge money in that. They hv a there own satellite in outer space . Mainly to spy  on there drivers but co.s also. 1 of the family members invested big time in Qual com . .5 charge per letter everyone had it yrs ago. A India guy was at the y on Thur my day off. I figured he was from Ca. In town working on Sci IT system. I got the sauna real hot for truth serum.  I asked u just join , he says I,m from Ca. Working on sci,s it system.  I say if you need a dr my female India dr is great , where an India restaurant is and where he could socialize with India people. He thanked me . Now I start asking questions like can quail com here or see a driver. Yes to both. Parameters of there tracking , etc.  I always put tape over the eye because I thought it was a tiny camera. My co would call & say you know you’re not allowed to tamper with the quail com device? And sure enough it was. And they could always listen to drivers. All this is illegal especially in the 90,s . Pros no idea of the control level.  Jb hunt John Bryant married Sam Walton’s daughter. Sam gave jb a couple mil in the 70,s to start a trucking co & it failed. Then got some more money & started a school also & it took off. No shortage of people wanting to b truckers in the 70,s.  Jb gets paid .38 cpm per mi for every 53 ft container on a train even mts . As a thata boy deal. I found that out in 09. Chicago terminal manager would message me saying after you drop in rt. Report to office. I thought I was in trouble for dating a office gal. But no he wants to talk about scheduling new contracts & what can a ave driver do, etc. For bailing the railroad industry out . Millions from the government but I don’t know how much. 09 to 2018 it was the only constant work. Everyone else had bankruptcy and or checks of 00.00 I hv 12 or so. Ovr 180 in orientation 100+ yellow union guys with 38yrs exp.  I did organize 2 walk off strikes more like we all quit in these 4 days. Trying get our excesory pay up . I negotiated it from 15 dh to 30, lv lds 30 to 45 and 25 for congestion pay in and out. Wi. Drivers only or board drivers and we will be the highest paid of any in the co.  I,m standing up for my brothers and my people. My state  benefits if it’s people make more money.  South side Chicago Wi. Is the worst traffic back then of the country.  Jb had the best drivers then , funny we made jokes about them b4.  But we need this job so make the best of it.  Corporate refused to raise our wages so we all or most of us quit.  Chicago wasn’t mad really they Loved having me back. I worked thee 6 times a driver has me beat by 1.  The running 2-3 days lookin for mts with no pay was a burn. They started sci stuff like hiring military they don’t need a mt for a dh a co policy. Because they hv the exp drivers running like there  head cut off 2-3 days hundreds of times in & out ,countless co.s in Wi. Then Chicago rail yards.  I never got a new trk but drove 88 piles . Newbs get the new trks.   A very upset indiana  women said the military are physically removing women with there kids from apartments. So the illegals hv a place to live. Apparently where 1930,s Germany now.