A Word To The Wise (may not be enough)

 

A WORD TO THE WISE

SHOULD BE SUFFICIENT, BUT IS IT?

By Jim “Gymbeaux” Brown, June 27, 2022

 

So you know, the average size of a fuel tank on a “big rig” is between 120 gallons and 150 gallons AND there are TWO such tanks on most trucks.  This is a fact!  https://www.freightwaves.com/news/how-many-gallons-does-it-take-to-fill-up-a-big-rig

On June 13, 2022, the average cost of a gallon of diesel fuel is $5.718 and it will continue to increase.  This is a fact!  https://www.freightwaves.com/news/how-many-gallons-does-it-take-to-fill-up-a-big-rig

Since the size of tanks vary from 120 to 150 and that there are two such tanks, that means that the trucks you see on the streets carry between 240 and 300 gallons of fuel in EACH big truck.

You can do the math but I have already done it for you.  Let’s say that on average these trucks carry 270 gallons of diesel fuel costing $5.718 a gallon.  That means that when they fill up their tanks, the total cost of the fuel within those tanks is $1,543.86.

The average cost of diesel fuel in January 2020 was $3.064.  Using the same numbers, that equals $827.28 of fuel when the tanks are topped off.  https://fuelsmarketnews.com/eia-gasoline-and-diesel-retail-prices-update-january-14-2020/#:~:text=On%20a%20national%20average%20basis,the%20same%20week%20last%20year.

What is the difference?  $1,542.86 minus $827.28 equals a difference of $715.58 INCREASE IN A TRUCKER’S COST to deliver the same amount of goods in 2022 than it did in 2020.  And as the statement below indicates, many if not most of the trucks you see on the highways are independently owned and operated.  The cost of fuel IS driving these “small businesses” out of business!  This link confirms this and provides a lot more information than you probably want to know or even understand.

For the average “Joe” on the street, and that includes you, who goes shopping, the last thing on Joe’s mind is the cost of diesel fuel.  He is more interested in the cost of milk, bread, eggs, formula, breakfast cereal, meat, paper products, etc.  With that in mind, I want to repeat a note I received from a friend.  There were no references on the note, only the following comment.  Therefore, I did my own research which is posted above this paragraph to verify what the following statement indicates.  I didn’t doubt the comment, I simply wanted to include actual references to the costs referred to. Read it for yourself and then YOU decide if you should be stocking up on non-perishable food products and water.  The note:

I need to get something off my chest… I generally refrain from talking politics, and especially making political posts, however I need to say this. 

What I’m going to post is real, not somebody that a friend’s, cousin’s, sister’s, neighbor has happening to them… 

I own a small trucking company, and this is what the fuel crisis is doing to our country… so this directly affects me, you, our children, our country. 

Today I filled up my truck to deliver products that help keep our country fed. When I filled up my truck, it cost me $1,149.50. This is ONE truck, for ONE day of fuel. I own three. So for one day of operation, it’s costing me $3,448.50. (Yes, we use a full tank of fuel every single day, sometimes more than 1 tank per day) 

My trucks generally run 5-6 days a week, so we’ll just estimate on the low side and say 5. That’s $17,242.50. Last week was over $20k for ONE week, that I have to pay out of my pocket to try and keep not only my children fed, but those of my employees, and our country. 

Mark my words, we are on a downhill slide to the worst recession our country has ever seen. If you don’t believe me, I implore you to do your research. 

Trucking companies are going under left and right. (Literally hundreds weekly) If you’re not aware, what you’re wearing, what you’re eating, what you’re living in, what you’re driving, what you’re reading this on, was delivered by a truck. 

If something drastic doesn’t change in the next few weeks/months, I promise you, you’ll see empty shelves everywhere you look. You’ll see chaos as people fight for the basic necessities of everyday life. Food, medicine, etc... 

If something doesn’t change, I pray that all of you have the ability, knowledge, and skills to fend for yourselves. Not only against those who would do you or your family harm, but to be able to find sustainable food and water. 

This is a scary time. Not only for small business owners, but every single American. 

So please, please do your research when we vote for those we place in power. This isn’t just on the federal level, but on the state levels as well. We have got to start making informed decision based on fact. Not because the media says we should like/dislike somebody. 

Truck drivers are out here going for broke, holding onto something we know this country needs. 

So if you know a truck driver, please tell them to hold on as long as they can. Our country won’t survive without them…

As you can see, the ACTUAL numbers for June 13, 2022 are even worse than what this truck owner indicated in his statement.  I have read numerous articles from many different authors and sources and they all have suggested that we should be stocking up on non-perishable food products and I would suggest gasoline as well.  The cost of getting these products to the store shelves is ever increasing and there does not appear to be a solution (end) coming any time soon.  There will be food shortages, how prepared are you?  I can recall the 4 weeks following Hurricane Katrina when it was impossible to buy anything because of the lack of deliveries, the lack of power, the lack of just about everything.  Don’t be so quick to rule out the loss of power because we have already been warned that there could be rolling blackouts as a distinct possibility.  When you have no power, it is almost impossible to buy anything that uses electricity to check you out at a computer/register.  Nor can you retrieve any money from an ATM machine that also works on electricity.  Therefore, in addition to non-perishable food products and extra gasoline, I would recommend that you also having cash available in small bills.  Why small bills?  You don’t want a shop owner telling you that he or she cannot break a $100 bill for you which will happen, I know this because of what followed Hurricane Katrina. 

A word to the wise “should” be sufficient.  Or as Benjamin Franklin REALLY said: 

A word to the wise is enough, and many words won't fill a bushel.