RE: An Economic and Trucking Slowdown is Happening
Topic of the day
All great comments. I am not the seasoned veteran in expediting as some are here, but then again i don't have anybodie elses bad habits, just my own to deal with
Depends on how u want to look at it. Part of me agrees with your thoughts, maybe its just normal protectionism, paranoia in me that something nasty is on the horizon. Media does play a big part, heard that someone on CNBC said we are in a recession right now. But, as a previous white collar, business owner, follow the news all the time and read things like;
> Fed job growth eased in some regions
> Fed higher than usual degree of uncertainty about outlook for economic activity
> Fed Activity in the energy industry is still robust but growth has
> slowed
> Fed Residential Real Estate markets continued to weaken
> Fed Pace of econmic growth has decelerated since Aug
> Beige book results....
>
> Now the million dollar question is what will the fed do when they
> meet...?
>
> What good will it due to lower rates? Didn't do much for the
> Financials last 2 times. Raise rates to prevent inflation and
> possibly risk recession. Keep them the same and roll the dice maybe > it'll get better. Bush's remarks and Paulson's they are going to
> devise a credit finance plan to try and get the huge amount of
> mortgage resets that are already in danger of foreclosure and the
> resets that are coming up.. They both made remarks as to help the
> consumer and not the companies... We'll see something unravel soon!
i ask, what are we supposed to think?
And then back to the previous years blue collar side of me (or is it "in denial", "by - polar" side) says, what if i never read what the media and naysayers are stating, where can i find a better paying job then i enjoy right now with Expediting (BTW, i am not an o/o), granted it has fallen off some, but i am taking measures to weather.
I too think, or want to believe, expediting freight is a nitche, less inventory, companies tighten up by reducing brick and mortor warehousing expenses, surviving expediters will roll and pent up demand should eventually spring forward.
remember the term "rolling recession"? back in '74 (ok, now i'm showing my age) during the oil embargo, seemed everyone suddently wanted to trade there gas guzzling Cadis and Toronados for Chevettes and Vegas(god forbid). we got thru that, although now some 30 yrs later, and a couple times inbetween, fuel economy is a big factor once again.
Cheech and Chong, "recession, repression, depression", didn't seem to matter to them, why matter to me. Heck, after a recent visit to Hollywood, CA, and surrounding areas, don't tell any of the thousands shopping and visiting there, and the locals driving their bimmers, bentleys and mercedes, that the economy is bad. i want to believe our advanced and civilized economy, w/ our great infra structure of highways and byways, a "country boy can survive" in expediting.
Just my $.02 opinions worth. Time to step off my podium and get back to the work at hand, crawl back in my shell (read sleeper) now and hope i can get out of "###### Laredo" too.
Doug Burgdorf
Panther Straight truck
Contract Team
"Mama told me when I was young
Sit beside me, my only son
Take your time... Don't live too fast,
Troubles will come and they will pass.
And don't forget son,
There is someone up above."
or something like that,
Simple Man
Lynyrd Skynyrd
