If somthing dosent happen or if we dont try to help our selves we all could be in for a down fall. We as cowhaulers need somthing like that if we need the help do you think ooida will do somthing for us no is there any body standing up for us in washington saying that livestock cant be on a trailr that long or some one fighting and telling the buyer that much weight you need two trucks no its time we take our companys back and tell them what were going to haule or they need to start paying more. I will be the first to sighn up young gun cattle co.

DREAMER

Well I not a huge supporter of a union, but I think this is a really good idea. As long as the dues are reasonable and there is some proof as to where the money is going and what it is being used for. I think that all the representatives sound be volunteer not super high paid people that way they are there truly because they believe in this, not to collect a fate paycheck. They should have their travel expenses paid . It would be nice to have a strong voice to be heard in our industry. Maybe this is just what our industry needs.

How is a union illeagle? You have a constitutional right to organise , you cannot be fired from a job for belonging to a union or trying to organise your work place . The ideals behind unions is right , the problem has been greed , get more for doing less . That has been their undoing . Trucking association have never worked .Your best chance is contacting your representitives ,they only know what what the transportation department  tells them , prove to then 2010 is bad .

Thanks Brian, we don't or should I say won't call them/it a union,perhaps the T-shirts say it for us,         "NATIONAL BULLHAULERS ASSOC" , I and I believe many of us would pay an organizational fee for the speakers,monthly updates,our own lobbyists at the HILL and so -on .Its the protection we lack and the STRONG VOICE we need heard, keep this topic hot . I am communicating to people on this and they are going to see each comment. THANKS..

With the current situation already on edge,and the new 2010 rule about to ruin our very existance doing what we truelly love to do., would you all give me your honest thoughts about forming a BONEFIED BULLHAULERS UNION. I mean complete with dues,benefits to our injured, legal representation a strong voice to protect our chosen way of life, and REAL RATE PROTECTION without the terms,BACKHAUL.  Limits to weights and real miles for loads delivered. Can we actually take and form a Brotherhood like this I am discribing to you and implement it so all stand to be heard and continue to ship what our nation and many others want, our family raised beef/pork.       Will we start by taking the time to gather and confront our Govnmt who is determind to put us out and then they bring in the G-Fleet. Corperate cowtrucks? the hell!!

 Organizations are great! I belong to a few of them, have served as a director on two different boards with two different organizations.  If everyone has the same agenda, goal, and desired end result they are very effective.  This is where it usually goes wrong.  Most people who are passionate about there cause tend to be difficult to work with.  We as group are "bull haulers", as individuals we are generally a person with one or more trucks trying to survive a bad economy as business owners.  One truck with the driver as the owner has very different set of challenges than one guy with multiple trucks and drivers!  I would love to join an organization that gives my ideals and goals the power by numbers created by a large organization but honestly we could never come to a concensos  on what should be done.  As i sit at my kitchen table and write this comment someone is in Idaho loading my load of cattle on their truck because the cattle buyer could save himself $800.00 bucks on a 1000 mile load.... YEEE Haaaah! God Bless America!!!

The freight haulers are going broke even with the surcharge because that rate is around $1.30 with the charge added in, add in dead head miles and it is not good. As for cattle these brokers are getting rich on here getting these loads and finding someone to haul them for $3.00 a mile or less. And as for the ones hauling these $2.50 loads with fuel close to $3.00  thanks for helping me make more money next year because you will not be around, but someone new will take your place maybe they will be a little smarter.

Hey fellow bull haulers.I completly agree with this,we need and oranization not a union.I am a comapany driver previous owner operator and looking at the first of the year going back to owner operator and would love to be apart of something that would take are industry back and put it in are control agian and not these money grubin cut throating brokers.Im kinda of one of the lucky ones the boss says dont haul more than the load pays.so we dont overload like i used to.Hes pretty perticular about that which is great.We really need to get together and stop letting people take advantage of us.So as about to be a company owner agian im all for some help and organization in are great way of life.

This is the start of our STAND, comments, any and all. Please those 1300 plus that are viewing or topic please take the time to comment, you can't tell me you clicked to the other pages and never had something to say.Our comments and voices need to be posted so we can give our needs and "way of life" the oppertunity to snowball now, that whitehouse just signed our kids and there kids up for a lifetime of DEBT, we ARE the backbone of America, we can put this to work in our benefit , we need your response now.  Thanks....

I would like to see organization of full time Bull haulers but we have all seen the mentality of  the freighthaulers bleeding over into the livestock hauling . The last month I have loaded with lots of trucks who are from large trucking companies that have multiple divisions {flatbed,reefer,grain,etc} with some cattle trailers sitting around all year, then hook on and haul stock for cheap in the fall an spring when their other divisions are slow and these brokers will load them cheap as possible an base their rates from what these cut rate haulers will do it for and these brokers will loadem fast as they can and no loyalty to haulers who have done a good job for them in the past. I have heard for 10 years now that the rate cutters will go out of business and I know alot of them have but they just keep coming out of the woodwork an for everyone of them that go broke there seems to be 2 or 3 more replace them. Between government regulation greedy Brokers and large cut rate trucking companies I see the hand writing on the wall like many other friends and aquantences I believe its gonna be hard times for trucking, its already a very poor investment with the cost of equipment,parts and labor and Brokers cutting rates below profitability levels, I think I will invest my time and money in something more profitable and entertaining like Las Vegas. 

All Unions end up the same.  They start with good intentions and end up being what they are now.  Just look at the teamsters and the UAW.  NO WAY ON ANY UNION!!!!!!!

Conceptually I totally agree with the idea presented however, I am totally against "unions" and what they are in todays world in other businesses.  The big problem with this idea is it needs political power.  In 2010 political power is very simply exercised with MONEY and lots of it.  Our industry (owner operators/small business owners) do not have enough of it to gain political power.  The ideals of our nation/economy and how it was built with the power of the people does not register with people anymore.  Especially with regards to a commodity(Food) that the general public regards as right not something you have to acquire.  If we were talking about computers, I-pods, some sort of soft-drink or clothing we might have a better chance.  I like the idea, but boy is it going to be difficult.

We have all been through the good and the bad, unfortunately a union will not help this matter. As a front we want to be united, but in reality we all have different hauls that call for different rates, and work with different people. There are pig haulers that take fat pigs to CA, and will haul out of there for what works for them. There are fat cattle haulers, who go from WY and CO to UT and haul for less east and that works for them. There is nothing wrong with this, it is a competitive business just like anything else. We all have the people we haul for and the rates that works for us. If you don't like the rate, tell them, no and find what works for you. Some want to call it "cutting the rate" but if your truck is making money than that's great, at least you have figured it out.

Brokers are not the problem, if a broker takes advantage of you then don't work for them. Cattleman want to call one person and have 10 trucks at their beck and call, not call 20 trucks and maybe get 5 of them. None of us are perfect but I can say, as I'm sure many of you can, trucks back out at times. There is a number of reasons why it happens, but it happens and when they back out the guy sorting, weighing and shipping does not have the time to handle this, and never will. This is where a broken comes in and takes the heat. A union will do nothing but divide us even more, we want to stand together but as in any business we worry about what "our' trucks make, not what the other guys make and that is just business.

There is not a truck out there that will not load for full rate one way, and cut the rate the other way if it gets him home loaded. Nor is there a cattleman that will turn down a cheap rate, nor a truck that will turn down a high rate. Its keeps us going and always will no matter who you are and if it doesn't then don't do it.

i think u need to get ur head on streght.i have been hauling livestock for 23 years.back in the 90's fuel was .90 to 1.00 a gallon and the rate was 1.80 to 2.00 per mile both ways .the rate avg .80 to 1.00 over the fuel.y should i haul one way for one guy for 1.00 and the other way for 2.80.i think there r too many want tobe cowhaulers out there.