In states (all have Repub governors) that cut off $300 extended unemployment benefits, job vacancies are still not being filled

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K1052

Elite Member
Aug 21, 2003
45,885
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i heard a radio ad with up to $20k bonuses for CDL drivers :O
apparently being a truck driver is a shitty job though - absolutely horrendous turnover. but goddamn, $20k signing bonus is crazy (assuming you don't have to be an owner/operator)

Long haul trucking is something that should be almost entirely replaced with rail. With bulk carload stuff like coal going totally in the dumper our railroads might want to dust off their history books and learn how to move freight again quickly that isn't just intermodal containers.
 
Nov 8, 2012
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Long haul trucking is something that should be almost entirely replaced with rail. With bulk carload stuff like coal going totally in the dumper our railroads might want to dust off their history books and learn how to move freight again quickly that isn't just intermodal containers.

Not a shot in hell. Rail just doesn't go to enough places that individual trucks do.

Same goes with gas - you can transport it via rail, no doubt - but the end deliveries will always be via truck.

Don't get me wrong, I'd love to do away with the massive amount of trucking we do in this country - but there isn't a suitable alternative other than automation that I can foresee.
 
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K1052

Elite Member
Aug 21, 2003
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Not a shot in hell. Rail just doesn't go to enough places that individual trucks do.

Same goes with gas - you can transport it via rail, no doubt - but the end deliveries will always be via truck.

I'm not saying build spurs for everybody. Hauling less than carload freight to regional distribution centers is something that the RRs have done in living memory.

Fuels are generally pipelined from terminals then trucks run delivery.
 

blackangst1

Lifer
Feb 23, 2005
22,914
2,359
126
i heard a radio ad with up to $20k bonuses for CDL drivers :O
apparently being a truck driver is a shitty job though - absolutely horrendous turnover. but goddamn, $20k signing bonus is crazy (assuming you don't have to be an owner/operator)

Im not sure if they have a signing bonus, but I know WalMart starts their truckers at 93k. Thats a hellofa wage
 

blackangst1

Lifer
Feb 23, 2005
22,914
2,359
126
Long haul trucking is something that should be almost entirely replaced with rail. With bulk carload stuff like coal going totally in the dumper our railroads might want to dust off their history books and learn how to move freight again quickly that isn't just intermodal containers.

Not really possible. Not enough rail across the US.
 

BUTCH1

Lifer
Jul 15, 2000
20,433
1,769
126
Went to Sonic last night for a burger and at 7:05PM they had closed. Employees cars blocked entrances with emergency lights flashing, I can see possibly trimming back late night hours but 7PM on a busy Fri night?.
 
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Meghan54

Lifer
Oct 18, 2009
11,504
5,027
136
Food outlets next to one of our stores are offering $1500 sign up bonuses and $500 referral bonuses. We're not doing that, we raised our wages and tacked on benefits. Result is we're staffed and they aren't

Amazing how that works, isn’t it?
 
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GoPackGo

Diamond Member
Oct 10, 2003
6,414
468
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Do they not realize that the baby boomers are still retiring? Do they not realize that Covid kill more than just people over the age of 65? Do they not realize that by Trump killing immigration that reduced the workforce as well?
 

ivwshane

Lifer
May 15, 2000
32,200
14,875
136
Do they not realize that the baby boomers are still retiring? Do they not realize that Covid kill more than just people over the age of 65? Do they not realize that by Trump killing immigration that reduced the workforce as well?

All good points but it’s about owning the libs. If libs want people to wear masks then they won’t do it, same with vaccines.
 

Moonbeam

Elite Member
Nov 24, 1999
72,326
6,039
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All good points but it’s about owning the libs. If libs want people to wear masks then they won’t do it, same with vaccines.
If you were made to feel worthless and that creates an unconscious need for self affirmation to fill that missing wholeness within, there is nothing better than the conceit that comes with getting revenge on the devil. All you need is membership in a cult that can point you in the right direction, like the House on Jan 6.
 
Mar 11, 2004
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Long haul trucking is something that should be almost entirely replaced with rail. With bulk carload stuff like coal going totally in the dumper our railroads might want to dust off their history books and learn how to move freight again quickly that isn't just intermodal containers.

Yep. Hell we'd be better off loading trucks onto trains and then having the truckers drive them very regionally. And if that enabled us to move to box trucks (which wouldn't even require CDLs) it'd do wonders for the underemployment in the trucking industry.
 

K1052

Elite Member
Aug 21, 2003
45,885
32,668
136
Yep. Hell we'd be better off loading trucks onto trains and then having the truckers drive them very regionally. And if that enabled us to move to box trucks (which wouldn't even require CDLs) it'd do wonders for the underemployment in the trucking industry.

The Europeans basically do this with their ROLA trains.
 
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Moonbeam

Elite Member
Nov 24, 1999
72,326
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The Europeans basically do this with their ROLA trains.
Europe after up to 80 million fascist related deaths, and especially Germany, went for liberal. Of course, today, fewer remember and the new other is the Muslim immigrant. The unbearable shame of having been made to feel worthless because of the illusion of good and evil requires maximum and denial and, of course, a target for all that repressed hate.
 

nakedfrog

No Lifer
Apr 3, 2001
58,054
12,241
136
Went to Sonic last night for a burger and at 7:05PM they had closed. Employees cars blocked entrances with emergency lights flashing, I can see possibly trimming back late night hours but 7PM on a busy Fri night?.
Last week I flew back into town, then drove an hour home and wanted to get a bite to eat... at 11PM on a Friday night, the McDonald's had blocked off their drive-through, according to their hours they should have been open. The "24 hour grocery" nearby is currently 7AM-10PM. Taco Bell was open, I looked at their drive through line and went home and just cooked something from the freezer.
 

ondma

Platinum Member
Mar 18, 2018
2,718
1,278
136
Last week I flew back into town, then drove an hour home and wanted to get a bite to eat... at 11PM on a Friday night, the McDonald's had blocked off their drive-through, according to their hours they should have been open. The "24 hour grocery" nearby is currently 7AM-10PM. Taco Bell was open, I looked at their drive through line and went home and just cooked something from the freezer.
Seems the quality of fast food has declined badly as well. The last order we got from Taco Bell the items barely had any fillings at all. This has happened several times at TB, and even restaurants like Outback seem to be skimping on portions.
 

hal2kilo

Lifer
Feb 24, 2009
23,326
10,230
136
Seems the quality of fast food has declined badly as well. The last order we got from Taco Bell the items barely had any fillings at all. This has happened several times at TB, and even restaurants like Outback seem to be skimping on portions.
Hell, I gave up trying to have a decent Western Bacon Cheeseburger at the local Carls Jr. It's amazing how badly a franchise can be run. The one in Tacoma's fine.
 
Nov 8, 2012
20,828
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The Europeans basically do this with their ROLA trains.

Similar to when they attempted additional pipelines across the country.... and when both Texas and California have attempted high-speed railways.... making things like train tracks to/from industrial places isn't as easy of a task in a country where just about everything can be challenged in every state in every court.

Plus, the US is just in general much bigger - your basis of comparison is mostly a handful of countries in EU.
 

K1052

Elite Member
Aug 21, 2003
45,885
32,668
136
Similar to when they attempted additional pipelines across the country.... and when both Texas and California have attempted high-speed railways.... making things like train tracks to/from industrial places isn't as easy of a task in a country where just about everything can be challenged in every state in every court.

Plus, the US is just in general much bigger - your basis of comparison is mostly a handful of countries in EU.

The most contentious pipeline routes are all green field developments. Railroads own their rights of way already and re-expanding trackage to meet the need would be difficult if not impossible to challenge.
 
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MrSquished

Lifer
Jan 14, 2013
21,004
19,442
136
I've been getting takeout way more than usual since having an ongoing broken fridge and new fridge delivery problem. Have not noticed a single place closing early. I'm fact I've been surprised how many late night options there are available since I'm not quite in NYC.
 

Zorba

Lifer
Oct 22, 1999
14,450
9,835
136
Yep, all these asshole governors did was put more hurt on their residents. I hope those affected, state's citizens, remember how much their leaders cared for them when it's time for reelection.
Most people in red states go doing like this "Oh you did everything to make me sick and penny less? Oh you day that's the Democrats fault? And you want to punish women for having sex? Awesome, here's my vote."
 

Zorba

Lifer
Oct 22, 1999
14,450
9,835
136
Food outlets next to one of our stores are offering $1500 sign up bonuses and $500 referral bonuses. We're not doing that, we raised our wages and tacked on benefits. Result is we're staffed and they aren't
I was in a McDonald's in Maine that had a sign that if you bring someone in for a interview they'll give you a free value meal while you wait. If they are hired, you get some amount of gift card. I doubt it it's very effective, but thought it was funny.
 

K1052

Elite Member
Aug 21, 2003
45,885
32,668
136
I was in a McDonald's in Maine that had a sign that if you bring someone in for a interview they'll give you a free value meal while you wait. If they are hired, you get some amount of gift card. I doubt it it's very effective, but thought it was funny.

The creativity in doing things except the thing that will actually get you more labor has been interesting to watch.
 

Zorba

Lifer
Oct 22, 1999
14,450
9,835
136
Not a shot in hell. Rail just doesn't go to enough places that individual trucks do.

Same goes with gas - you can transport it via rail, no doubt - but the end deliveries will always be via truck.

Don't get me wrong, I'd love to do away with the massive amount of trucking we do in this country - but there isn't a suitable alternative other than automation that I can foresee.
I think there biggest issue with rail is the speed or lack there of. I worked at a skid company for awhile. We moved our plant next to a rail spar. To get from Tulsa to the port of Houston would've taken like 2 weeks at twice the cost of truck, which took 1 day.

I'm sure we could have rail much better, but first we'd have to stop massively subsidizing long haul trucking.
 
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