An interesting note.
Smokey is a trucker and here is his latest update from “On The Road,” somewhere in CA. Plan accordingly…
Date: 5/23/22 05:40 (GMT-07:00)
To:
Subject: Smokey's Urgent Sitrep from the road/FYI--WAKE UP!!!
WAKE UP!!!
From: Smokey Searcy
Sent: Sunday, May 22, 2022, 11:24 PM
Subject: Smokey's Urgent Sitrep from the road
Hey everybody,
even though about one third of you are overseas, this is going to affect you NOW.
1. I'm currently at the TA in Ontario, CA waiting to drop a load in Brea, CA in the morning and pick one up in Carson tomorrow afternoon for Washington State.
Tractor trailers are NOW ,at 2000 ( 8 PM for the non transportation/ non military) ) being turned away from this Truck Stop and told to go to Barstow, CA for their Diesel fuel, 75 miles away.
This TA is a truck stop in the Southern end of one of the busiest shipping centers in the USA.
That means in a couple of hours trucks near the Barstow Travel Centers and other California Travel Centers will be backed up along Interstate 15. Will that be twenty? A hundred? A thousand?
The centers are on Lenwood Road and include a Flying J, a Pilot, TA, and a Loves. If they go out of fuel, where next? Drivers are in a bind here!
And notice that none of the drivers are being told to go to the Petro next door, which is in the TA chain of truck stops.
And TA is the largest Travel Center chain in the USA. If they're running out, how about the Mom and Pop Travel centers?
Also, there are truck stops in Hesperia, CA. They aren't being told to go there. Why? Are they running out too?
There are drivers here who don't have enough fuel to get to Barstow, and on top of that for truckers our biggest Shipping and Receiving Day is Monday.
I always top up in Arizona because of Left Coast prices, today it was Exit one in Nevada. Saved a buck a gallon for a hundred gallons and have enough left to go to about 600 miles North.
2. The Port of Los Angeles said 4 days ago the entry of containers ( Intermodals) is back up to speed so if the trucks slow down OR STOP now the containers will do what bottlenecks cause them to do: Back up all the way to China.
Folks, your supply chain issues are just beginning.
3. Numerous Owner Operators are simply parking their rigs, especially ones like Myrna Lee and I who are drawing Social Security. The prices of fuel today are causing our Profit to Expense ratio to take a beating. The only reason we are staying is because we promised the company I contract to, Landstar Transportation, that we would continue to stay on the road delivering until this Covid 19 mess is resolved.
I'm 72 years old, so don't know how much longer my health holds up, but I owe this country a lot, and Myrna Lee is a Naturalized citizen who's become a bigger Patriot than I am.
4.And now the fuel supply is going to be an issue for how long?
Last week I was at a TA ( Travel Centers of America) talking about doing a PM ( Periodic Maintenance) Inspection ( My truck was out of warranty after 500,000 miles so I no longer have to go to the Freightliner Dealer, I can have it done anywhere). They told me no oil was available for an oil change.
Trucks are vital for the nation's supply chain, and Travel Centers are near the top of the priority list. Obviously the Military, First Responders are higher, but remember that THEIR supplies come from US, the truckers.
What that means for you? Right now I would top off any vehicles you have to include tractors lawn mowers, and Propane tanks and don't let the levels get too low.
5. Biden's administration says we are 80,000 drivers short. THEY ARE WRONG! 80,000 drivers now, today, are qualified to drive tractor trailers under FMCSA ( Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration) guidelines. But they're tired of what the gas prices and regulations are doing! Last year I paid about $2.60 average a gallon, today at Flying J, Exit one on I 15 in Nevada I paid $ 5.69 a gallon. Guess whose pocket that comes out of?
And don't feel sorry for us, we're happy to help, and both of us are drawing Social Security, but we feel really bad about the young Owner Operators who have no Social Security or pensions to fall back on.
6. We have to eat at fast food joints like Popeye's, Taco Bell, McDonald's, Arby's, Burger King, etc. because those are at the truck stops.
There are shortages of chicken, and when we ordered chicken Tacos at Taco Bell we paid almost double the usual price.
And the menus at Dennys , Country Pride, and Iron Skillet are out of steaks, some egg products, and a number of desserts made from dairy.
7. There is going to be a shortage of packaging material like Aluminium and plastic. Last year I hauled numerous beverage cans and Styrofoam, in the last 4 months NONE. I'm no genius, but most food products, like your beer and steaks, need packaging. I'm just guessing, but I'd sure put up any real necessities to be on the safe side.
8. Employees. I can't tell you how many of the shippers we went to don't have enough dock workers I went to pick up a load of fireworks from Portland, OR to Kimberly, ID.
We got to the dock 1045 for our 1100 appt.
We left at 1730. Almost 6 hours for a normal 2 hour load.AND I get paid for that. Who do you think will pick up the cost for that? The Shipper?
It seems the shippers hired Temporary labor, mostly young people, the day before to work the docks.
The Shipping Manager came out and told us that today not one of those people came back, so he would help load but it would be awhile ( I would have helped, but most companies don't allow non employees past the dock doors because of Covid-19 restrictions).
So if Shippers / Receivers can't get employees to stay for 18 to 20 bucks an hour, I see a major slowdown again just about everywhere.
9. My feeling is that hoarding is illegal, but when you need 2 items for the week and buy 3, that's just planning ahead! I would also buy batteries, canned goods, paper products, and long term non perishables to put up for the future.
10. I went to buy a new printer for my tractor in Harrisburg, PA and all the business printers were sold out with a waiting period,, and that was at Office Max. When I asked about their other stores, I was told it was the same, shortage everywhere.
Seems there's a shortage of semi- conductors used to make computer chips.
I apologize if I sound like Chicken Little, but I'm seeing shortages of items that I thought we'd never be short of.
And I haven't even included the wheat and fertilizer issues caused by the war in Ukraine!
Everyone BE SAFE!
Smokey