Glad to be home frankly. Yes I could be sitting in Brownsville collecting detention pay, but yet I like going home too. I've put in a heavy week driving wise, starting with that run to Ohio. They wanted to send me again, I didn't say no thanks - I won't turn down any load - but I did say I was almost out of hours. I would have had to have done a 34 hour reset on the road. Which isn't the end of the world, they still give you a hotel to do that. But as described by the new manager yesterday, the whole company is on "lock-down".
Meaning profits from other divisions are not happening, especially the fuel hauling division. That's a no-brainer. No one is driving anywhere besides trucks and even trucks are getting sidelined as the economy shuts down. Brokers - these are the people that up loads on the load boards for owner operators to see and potentially take one - are reducing their rates. To the point lots of OO's are staying home. I've been reading that all over the internet. They won't take "cheap freight" is what they like to call it and would rather stay home and do nothing than running down the road not hardly making any money. I can't blame them, but then again, I'm not an OO and I don't know how much money these people have saved up for the rainy day situation.
Our fuels division is the largest division in the company. What I haul is probably the smallest. But highly profitable. And so far, nothing has slowed down that I can see. Except they are sending drivers from other divisions to haul loads. When they bring too many of them, we are going to be back to sitting around 3 and 4 days at a time. I can understand trying to help other drivers who are sitting idled, but in my view, it would be better to lay them off and let them get the stimulus unemployment money.
Anyway, the company on lock down means they may take further Profits and shareholders always take precedence in most any company over the employees needs. Hotels are a thing of the past. What I really don't like when a company starts making excuses to take away the perks is that it usually becomes the new-normal. The economy could come roaring back and they would likely still keep the perks in check. When you lose perks in a good economy, that is when the idea of "corporate greed" comes creeping in.
I'm seriously ready to go sit down at a restaurant and have a nice meal. I can tell you that it wouldn't be any different than all of those people cramming into Walmarts, Lowes and grocery stores. In fact, it would be quite easy to have social distancing in a restaurant. They' have to take out some tables and space them further apart, but it's better than being shut down. If there's one industry that is greatly suffering, it's definitely the restaurant and bar business. If you believe the economy isn't going to descend to unrecoverable depths if this shut down is kept too long, I can't help you. Small business is the backbone of america. The stimulus loans for small business is already gone. I knew that would happen. And if enough of these small businesses shut down permanently, there are going to be a lot of people out of work. Remember, small business employs 2/3rd's the working force in America.
Anyway, it's Saturday morning. I have no grand plans today. I'll start looking for a new house, I guess, for the ladies. The stuff available right now is small and over priced. Well, just looking. I really don't know what to do with this situation. I'd actually like it to go away and not have to deal with it, but what amounts to throwing people out onto the streets wouldn't sit well with me either. Basically, tho, to be able to pay for what's available right now would mean having to raise their rent. They can't afford that. Something will have to shake out here, somehow. I don't know how, but I trust the Lord that something will open up. It'd be great if I could just get the property I want, with a house on it and get a trailer or something decent for Maria to live in. lt would be a win-win for everyone. Maria has a place to stay, could help with the kids whenever they are having to stay home, she wouldn't have to worry about eating and could just join us for meals. That would cut her expenses quite a lot. Seems like a pipe dream tho to get into decent land with a decent house on it right now.
And it probably isn't a good time to be considering such things with a tanking economy. My income is not guaranteed, no one's is right now. People aren't spending money and it's reflecting upon the numbers.
It's probably a better time to increase the "prepper" stance of buying enough food to last months, a generator and enough gasoline or propane depending on which style to get to last a while. I've been wanting to get a generator for quite a while anyway - the storms come, the power goes out. There's a thousand dollars worth of food in the freezers. That's a conservative estimate. I also want to buy another 40 or 50 cans of food and more dried goods. The pantry is getting full, but we could make more room. Probably a good time to buy some more ammo if there's any available anywhere.
A generator tho. That is high on my list of priorities at this point. And enough extension cords to reach the things that need to be reached with the electricity. Namely, 2 freezers, a refrigerator and yes, folks, my room. Lmao, because my AC will work at least even if the rest of the house has no cooling. I have a couch, everyone could come in here.
Well, enough.
