Comments on: Diesel Price Inflation: Conservation and Consternation

By: M1EK

M1EK — Tue, 11 Mar 2008 19:00:57 +0000

GS650G, all drilling in our own country would do is make oil prices a bit lower for the Chinese. Oil is fungible; look it up if you don’t know what it means.

And what we should be doing is running cross-country freight on trains – where the fuel efficiency is orders of magnitude better. Yes, some stuff would still run on trucks – but we’re doing a lot of stupid trucking because we’ve been subsidizing it (and penalizing rail) for so long.

By: GS650G

GS650G — Tue, 11 Mar 2008 17:41:17 +0000

Ask the environmentalist how they plan to run semi trucks on batteries, I’d like to hear their ideas. Since they refused to allow drilling for our own oil in America it’s up to them to come up with a way to move 80,000 lbs down the road to the grocery store without using fossil fuels.

By: joeaverage

joeaverage — Tue, 11 Mar 2008 17:24:33 +0000

I don’t particularly want to pay the high prices we are faced with right now but I am looking forward to the efficiencies this will force in the heavy trucks, in buildings, and so on. Stuff we should have been continuing since the 70s when we felt the bing pinch the first time. Like the big three we Americans have short memories…

Whatever the case I want us off the foreign oil teat even if that means we are all driving little European style cars (VW Polo, Fiat 500, BMW Mini) whenever we can. I recognize that sometimes some people still need the largest vehicles.

By: sitting@home

sitting@home — Tue, 11 Mar 2008 16:42:05 +0000

The rising popularity of diesel vehicles in Europe increases demand for the fuel and decreases demand for gasoline, allowing European refiners to export their surplus to the United States, which helps stabilize gasoline prices here

Now just imagine what would happen if 50% of US car drivers switched to diesel; the extra demand would probably push the price so high as to wipe out any gain in efficiency, and the prices of any food or goods shipped by road or train would rise as well. Be careful what you wish for all those waiting for their VW or Mercedes diesel to arrive on these shores.

By: Landcrusher

Landcrusher — Tue, 11 Mar 2008 16:26:30 +0000

Recently noticed that the interstate truck stops along 10 are offering significant cash discounts on diesel. Anyone know why? We have lots of theories, but no one was sure why.

By: TexasAg03

TexasAg03 — Tue, 11 Mar 2008 16:03:42 +0000

I’ve always wondered why large trucks look like bricks and haven’t been made a bit more aerodynamic before now

They have done that before now. Kenworth began offering the T600 in 1993 and the T2000 in 1996 and Peterbilt had the Model 387 in 1999. I’m sure there are others, but these are the ones I know of…

By: Orian

Orian — Tue, 11 Mar 2008 14:31:54 +0000

I’ve always wondered why large trucks look like bricks and haven’t been made a bit more aerodynamic before now…I realize they’d be hideous to look at, but the operating efficiencies should be worth while.

A friend of mine bailed out of the owner/operator role a few months back because of the cost of fuel – he couldn’t afford to repair his truck anymore. He finally checked out and is driving for a large transportation group.

By: Pahaska

Pahaska — Tue, 11 Mar 2008 14:30:16 +0000

So far, I haven’t noticed any significant reduction in speed among the big rigs. I just returned from a trip pulling my Airstream and the big rigs were rocketing by at their usual rate. When I see them slowing down a bit, I’ll respect them more.

With diesel $3.699 and up here in Texas, I have reduced my towing speed from 65 to 60 and I can average between 14 and 15 except in real hilly country. I also installed a 40 gallon tank in the pickup bed so that I have more choice of where I buy fuel.

By: quasimondo

quasimondo — Tue, 11 Mar 2008 14:26:57 +0000

Read Naomi Klein much?

By: Steve_K

Steve_K — Tue, 11 Mar 2008 14:12:12 +0000

Biodiesel from algae to the rescue?

By: i6

i6 — Tue, 11 Mar 2008 14:10:48 +0000

As much as truckers are the best drivers on the road (seriously), I hope they don’t expect sympathy from me for an economic squeeze that will encourage the reduction of their road congesting, road wearing, noise and air polluting rigs that discourage local production and distribution of goods in favour of distant mass-production for the benefit of multinational mega-corporations.

Boo hoo hoo.

By: montgomery burns

montgomery burns — Tue, 11 Mar 2008 14:05:27 +0000

Yep. I just paid four bucks a gallon for heating fuel and that’s without all the road taxes. I’ve been wondering when the shakeout in the trucking industry was coming, I guess sometime soon.