Friday, March 28, 2008

We're justa paying thru the nose, aren't we?

Another picture byDiane&Craig

 

I know everyone is aware of the gas prices. It'd be hard not to be wouldn't it? Today  I thought I'd bring to your attention the price of Diesel fuel. In the Syracuse, Ny area it's running anywhere from $4.19 up to $4.31 a gallon. As many of you know I had my own Tractor Trailer for 10 years. If I still had it, I would have had to park the truck(and ultimately) lose it. The Owner Operator is a dying breed. The little guy with 1 to 5 or even 10 trucks in his fleet,Just can't compete with the big 10,000 truck fleets like Swift and J.B. Hunt.

While the little guy has to go the Trucks stop and pay full price for the fuel, The big fleets buy in bulk at a very large discounts. The Trucks I drove for Swift when I was there had a fuel tank on each side of the truck. Each tank would hold 150 gallons of fuel. Do the math 300 gals X $4.19 =$1,257 dollars to fill up the truck from empty. I would average usually 2500 miles in a week. My truck would get 6 miles to the gallon. That would be about 416 gallons. So stay with me here just for a minute. There is a point to this. 416 gals X $4.19 = $1,749 would be the amount I would spend on fuel for the week. Every week the little guy is spending that, and believe me the fuel surcharges when they can even get them aren't covering the fuel expenses. Let alone allowing the driver to set aside money for other expenses related to the truck. FORGET taking a paycheck home.

Well Justa, what does that have to do with me. Well over 90% of the freight in the country is  being carried by a truck at one time or another in it's journey to the stores. As many of you have felt at the cash register, food has gone up 35%, gas has gone up the same. In fact even going out to eat has gotten more expensive. Every one is passing down the cost of the increased fuel expenditures  to you and me the consumers.

We need to seek out alternative fuels. We can send a group of Men and Women into space. Your telling me we don't have the technology to burn a more fuel efficient,cleaner fuel. Or do we? Check this out I talked to an older Gentleman in the Jacuzzi at Golds gym the other day and he claims to be getting 55 mpg. The thing he was telling me about putting on his car was $500.00 for the parts and $100.00 to get someone to put it in that knew what they were doing. As I've looked around the Internet some you can get this for less than that. I want to pull the trigger to try it. I'm just not so sure yet. What do you guys think? Could this be possible? I'm justa asking!

In a closing note. If you believe in the power of prayer like I do! Please join me in praying for this lady she has breast cancer and is expected to die. She is fighting it and needs all the prayers she can get.Check out my account at 43 things also. It's under Justakrusen. I wonder where I came up with that name? :)

4 comments:

Anonymous said...

wow... i am a firm believer in fate...what will be , is what will be...have you ever driven down the road and there is a car coming the other way...on the side of the road there is a person walking...all three of you meet at the same time...fate...my wife ...we came from two different worlds...we had one thing in common..my friends fiance...we had never met....and our paths crossed but once...fate...you have to see it and you have to grab it ...you may not get a second chance....
i checked out the 43 things and wonder how many i have done...will do..will never get the chance to do...and or have no intension of doing...
i have certain beliefs that i live by.. we all do..i think any man that hits a woman is no man...i also believe that when a woman hits a man she stops being a woman....i will celibrate black history month when we start celibrating white, red ,yellow, and any other color out there history month...to me race has one answer..human...that what i am..." what is your race?"..." human...what is yours"...i seperate people into two groups...a-holes and non a-holes...they both come in all colors..
i believe good things happen to good people...and we always don't understand the meaning of good...but God does...so when i pray for someone i ask God to do what is good...i believe that one person will pass judgement on me when it is time for me to be judged...anybody else is unqualified...there are more and i will share with you later...thanks for the vine...

Mark Krusen said...

Jackofall58, Once again you have hit the nail on the head. If I can talk my Congress Person into sponsoring a bill declaring "White History" month. Will you in turn sponsor a cook out on a Monday, that is declared a Holiday? Remember the banks will be closed and so will the Post Office.Speaking of Praying for someone. I need your prayers tonight. Because "The Lime Green Drama Queen is in the house"

mommy101 said...

Jackofall has once again shown that life is all about chances and not being afraid.....He is the greatest thing since baseball and apple pie....Not that I am biased in any way shape or form.....About the Gas thing...My friend is an owner operator and he is struggling.....1800 dollars to fill his tank....and at a buck something a mile is just isn;'t cutting it....So if we have to pray lets pray for justa.....and the human race....that we all take a chance and get along....life is to short .....as I tell anyone....there is no color scheme in my house....everyone is welcome....

Mark Krusen said...

I don't know Mommy 101, The greatest thing since Baseball and Apple Pie? I agree with your color scheme. We have the same policy in our home.Everyone is welcome. Even if you don't like Baseball.I don't know though if you like baseball and the team happens to be from the Boston, Mass area... Well I'd let you in the house, but you'd have to watch the game in the spare bedroom. That is unless of course they were playing the Yankees...Thanks for commenting Mommy 101. It's nice to have a mothers touch on the blog from time to time. I'm justa saying!