Posted on 05/20/2012 7:41:45 AM PDT by Kartographer
Systemic risk. I guarantee that most ordinary folks have no idea that if trucks stopped rolling all across America, within a short period of time nearly all Americans would all be in a life-threatening situation from major delivery shortages. 70% of all freight that is moved in the U.S. is done so by truck. You (we) depend on that ‘stuff’ for our survival. A major disruption in truck travel would immediately impact seven major industries, and would bring America to its knees within days due in part to “just in time manufacturing”, zero-inventory, and the fact that our modern way of life is entirely dependent upon unimpeded distribution chains.
(Excerpt) Read more at daily-survival.blogspot.com ...
Does your septic system depend on electricity? Is there a pump?
blam, raises hand.
I'm reminded of the potato and it's import to Europe from Peru. ( The late 1500's)
There was a population explosion in Europe when the potato arrived and was widely grown. Previously, it was fairly routine for Europeans to die of starvation during the repeated famines that swept Europe, the potato mostly stopped these famines. (Imagine having to select which child to save and which to let die.)
Ireland was no exception. When the potato blight hit the Irish potato crop (approximately) 1.5 million starved to death and 1.5 million migrated.(I know that the British had a hand too)
Ireland is the only country that has a smaller population today than it did in 1840 because of the potato famine there in the 1800's.
That is a very rude comment. We are all FRiends here on FR. Please stop being rude. You can say it nicely.
I drove a dedicated route that had me back home every 4-5 days. This was back during the Clinton era.
Union drivers comprise more of the industry than you realize. Kroger Inc., for example, is a closed shop; you want to work, you’re union. UPS ground transport, same thing. Organized trucking services the urban areas, the places most affected during a shutdown.
I grew up around the huge family gardens and cleaning and canning at the kitchen table, but I didn't pay much attention to the hows and the whys of what was being done.
And I'm still kicking myself for taking so much for granted!
Fortunately, we are rediscovering our somewhat forgotten heritage before it's too late...I hope it's not too late.
I’m convinced. I’m going to go buy 20,000 rounds of 22 ammo and move to a cave in the mountains. My life will SUCK, but I’ll be ready when life as we know it ends....
If you got it, a truck brought it. There is no changing that. Rail sidings do not back up to the local HomeDepot, Walmart or Grocery store.
You are correct about freight trains having an important role but they are a little farther up the distribution supply chain than trucks and the trains can't replace the trucks.
You think that was rude, you should have read it before the rewrite.
Is that you, Willie?
I don’t doubt there are unionized truckers. You were lucky by the way to have one of those dedicated routes. Sure beats sitting at a terminal waiting or a truck stop waiting days for a load. Just the same, I would say that the percentage of union long haul drivers is very low. But, why guess when we can know. Shall we look it up. We are both speaking from anecdotal information.
By the way, thanks for the job you did. I will always have an appreciation for truckers ever since the day our family got in distress along a highway and it was only a trucker that stopped to help.
The article suggests it will take 2-3 days for gas stations to run dry.
That strikes me as overly optimistic.
The city of Phoenix gets nearly all its gasoline via a pipeline connected in Tucson to another pipeline from El Paso.
About 10 years ago, that pipeline from Tucson sprang a leak and was inop for a couple of weeks while being repaired, and all gasoline/diesel fuel had to be trucked from Tucson.
It didn’t take 2-3 days; gas stations started running dry in hours.
Stations that had gas had long lines, just like in the ‘70s.
There were three stations on the corner nearest to where I lived. One of them generally had gas, but usually by the time one of the “empties” got restocked, the one that had gas was either “out” or darned-near out.
LOL. Okay, well at least your are trying. You get lots of points for that. I've done some "rewrites" myself. FReepRegards
Willie seemed to be more of a passenger-train guy.
You had a driver stop to assist you? Dayum! That’s contrary to what we as drivers were told: you NEVER stop to render any assistance, for two reasons: one, you’re not paid to help others, you’re paid to drive; and two, stopping opens you up to an ambush.
Looking things up is always good.
LOL! Best post of the day.
“That’s why we need to get back to rail. It’s exponentially cheaper.”
I live in the Palouse region, SE Washington State and adjacent portions of Idaho, where unbelievable tonnages of wheat are grown, plus lesser amounts of several pulse crops (dry peas, lentils, garbanzos), a great deal of which is hauled to Portland by truck and river barge on the Snake/Columbia rivers. Rail service to many small cities in the midst of all this bulk commodity production is being terminated, the rails removed.
In addition, huge amounts of Montana grain are trucked to a Snake River port at Lewiston/Clarkston via Lolo Pass and crooked,curvy U. S. Hwy 12 down the Clearwater River valley. Hard to believe that all this truck transport is more economical than rail.
My story is the same — grew up around gardening and canning and never got involed. Now i’m learning canning processes and techniques and my 25 yr old daughter is learning and doing right along with me. Now is the time to learn and hone these important skills.
Many, many reasons.
For one - imagine multiple Reginald Denny incidents in every town and city across the country where the zombies comprise a significant part of the population.
That scenario is not too far fetched once the country goes bankrupt and the handouts have to be cut back.
Please do. ;)
/johnny
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