American Truckers At War

The New Conservative Underground - Professional, Polite, Prepared to Kill

Rush Limbaugh - On Alternative Fuels

Rush Limbaugh explains the free market system and “alternative” fuels. 

RTaylor

April 3, 2008 Posted by rtaylor83305 | Uncategorized | , , , | No Comments

Arkansas congressmen seek hearing on diesel prices

WASHINGTON - The four House members from Arkansas on Thursday called for congressional hearings into the high cost of diesel fuel that is harming top trucking firms in the state.

The written request to top Democrats on the House Energy and Commerce Committee comes as diesel prices hover near a record $4 per gallon.

The prices adversely effect the U.S. economy, said 1st District Rep. Marion Berry, D-Gillett, 2nd District Rep. Vic Snyder, D-Little Rock, 3rd District Rep. John Boozman, R-Rogers, and 4th District Rep. Mike Ross, D-Prescott.  More from the Northwest Arkansas Morning News

I guess our calls to our Arkansas reps did some good!  According to the article, the Arkansas Trucking Association has also called for a congressional hearing into the matter.  The association states that fuel prices continue to rise, while there is an ample supply of diesel fuel and no increase in demand.

I’m sure our Arkansas representatives will lead the way to realistic, workable solutions.

RTaylor

April 3, 2008 Posted by rtaylor83305 | economy, trucking | , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Preliminary tests rule out diabetic reaction in wrong-way crash

Preliminary autopsy results suggest Mark Santos was not hypoglycemic when he drove his semi-trailer the wrong way down a busy Edmonton freeway and off an overpass.

“We did do a preliminary kind of a test … almost like what you’d call a field test to determine what, perhaps if we could get some idea what his blood sugars were,” Dennis Caufield, a senior medical examiner, explained Thursday.

“That initial field test suggested his blood sugars appeared to be relatively normal.”  More from CBC - Canada

April 3, 2008 Posted by rtaylor83305 | trucking | , , , | No Comments

Port of Long Beach Update

port-of-long-beach.jpg
Haz-mat teams’ initial examination of a cargo container marked ‘a gift from Osama’ turns up no contaminants.
By Molly Hennessy-Fiske, Los Angeles Times Staff Writer
April 3, 2008
Hazardous-materials teams investigating a cargo container that arrived at the Port of Long Beach this morning marked with black graffiti saying “Anthrax a gift from Osama” found no initial signs of contaminants.

Two teams conducted atmospheric monitoring tests of the inside of the container, and also swabbed surfaces for trace minerals, but found no signs of anthrax or other toxic chemicals, said Long Beach Fire Battalion Chief Frank Hayes.

“Everything we’ve been able to test does not indicate any kind of a contaminant, including anthrax,” Hayes said shortly after 2 p.m.  More from The LA Times

Like the Port of Miami incident in January 2007, it’s just another isolated incident involving a trucker at a port who cannot speak English… 
RTaylor

April 3, 2008 Posted by rtaylor83305 | Homeland Security, trucking | | No Comments

Officials: X-Ray Leads To Pot Bust

Drugs Worth Over $300K, Officials Say

CALEXICO, Calif. — U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers seized 754 pounds of marijuana they said was hidden inside a load of concrete products.

It happened Monday night at the Calexico east port of entry.

According to officials, the driver of the Freightliner tractor-trailer was referred to the cargo dock for inspection as it entered the port from Mexico at about 7 p.m. after an X-ray examination raised the officers’ suspicions. A narcotics dog alerted officers to the truck’s trailer.

Officials said they unloaded the concrete items, which included artistic columns, drinking fountains and plant pots. Inside, Customs and Border Protection officers said they found 69 wrapped bundles of marijuana, some of which were hidden inside the stone items.

The 24-year-old truck driver, a resident of Mexicali, was detained and the drugs were seized.  From NBCSanDiego

Just hauling the pot American truckers won’t?

RTaylor

April 3, 2008 Posted by rtaylor83305 | BOLO and Crime, Mexican Truck Pilot Program, trucking | , , | 1 Comment

Minnesota raises fuel tax!

KTTC reported yesterday, April 1, that Minnesota’s gas tax increased by 2 cents this week.  The report states further:

The tax will continue to go up over the next five years, eventually topping off at 8 and a half cents per gallon.

The Minnesota legislature approved the hike in February, despite a veto by Governor Tim Pawlenty.

The tax money will go towards construction projects for roads and bridges across Minnesota, but one commuter says the prices are already too high.

The gas tax will again increase this August first by a half of a cent, then increase again in October by three cents.

We have said, along with many other trucker/bloggers, that fuel taxes are a big part of the high cost of fuel.  As many truckers are shutting down and “slowing down”, what is Minnesota doing?  Raising fuel taxes! 

RTaylor

April 3, 2008 Posted by rtaylor83305 | economy, trucking | , , | No Comments

Southeast Texas truckers roll on in opposition to high fuel prices

Apr 02, 2008 (The Port Arthur News - McClatchy-Tribune Information Services via COMTEX) — – Across the country Tuesday independent truckers pulled their big rigs over in a loosely organized protest against high fuel prices. Here in Southeast Texas, truckers rolled on down the road with a keen eye looking for the cheapest diesel prices. “If this were my truck, I’d be on strike. These prices have gotten ridiculous,” said Chad Brown, 32, of Bridge City.Employed by a trucking firm out of Lake Charles, Brown hauls industrial and oil field equipment mostly between Texas and Louisiana.  More from TradingMarkets.com

There is a growing grassroots movement among the trucking industry to do something about the high fuel prices.  The price of fuel is obscene - but is it really the fault of the oil companies such as Exxon and BP?  They are operating on an 8% profit margin.  Instead of going after “Big Oil”, how about going after “Big Fuel Taxes”? 

Call Washington and your state representatives.  A reduction/temporary suspension of fuel taxes will help now - which is what we need.  This will benefit everyone from the one truck owner/operator to the larger companies. 

RTaylor

April 3, 2008 Posted by rtaylor83305 | economy, trucking | , , , , , | No Comments

ATAW’s Mark Taylor joins Keith and Gail on 600KCOL

ATAW’s Mark R. Taylor joined Keith and Gail this morning on 600 KCOL - Loveland, Colorado, this morning to discuss his latest Family Security Matters article, If the American Trucker Fails, So Will the Nation.

Keith and Gail talked to several truckers regarding the issues facing us regarding high fuel costs and searching for solutions.  Click here to listen to Keith and Gail - Mark is on hour 4.

Many thanks to Keith and Gail for a great program!

RTaylor

April 3, 2008 Posted by rtaylor83305 | economy, trucking | , , , , , , , , , | No Comments