Concord Truckers Protest

Nonunion truckers protest

By James Temple
CONTRA COSTA TIMES

About 100 independent truck drivers formed a picket line in Concord on
Friday evening, where they beseeched local trucking companies to increase
rates and improve working conditions.

Echoing complaints expressed by the independent truckers who spent last week
protesting at the Port of Oakland, the nonunion drivers said that mounting
diesel prices, maintenance fees and insurance rates have converged to drive
the profits out of their business.

"We're better off parking our trucks, selling them and working at a 7-11
store," said Johnny Singh, an independent truck driver with Royal Trucking,
the site of Friday's strike. "We're not here to cause trouble; we understand
that the brokers have to make a fair profit, but they also have to
understand that we have costs and we also have families."

Others complained that the trucking companies regularly require workers to
drive beyond federally allowed hours, and refuse to provide time off even in
emergencies.

"My wife was pregnant, and they tell you to your face, I don't care, work or
drop the trailer off," said Royal driver Happy Singh (no relation to
Johnny). "They threaten you."

Both said the truckers will not return to work until their demands are
addressed.

The Royal drivers have joined efforts with independent truckers for Reliable
Trucking of Pleasanton and Alegre Trucking of Lodi.

Alegre Trucking drivers did not strike Friday, however, as they decided to
continue negotiations until at least Wednesday, said Bill Barney, an
operations and sales manager at the company. At press time, it was unclear
whether Reliable drivers were striking.

In a letter to the three companies dated May 8, the independent truckers
called for: a 50 percent rate increase on all loads, a 15 percent fuel
surcharge, $65-per-hour pay for standby time, compensation for toll bridge
fees, a 20 percent cap on commission and broker fees, and full disclosure of
the rates paid to the trucking companies by their clients.

The letter gave the companies until 4 p.m. Friday to answer the demands.

Alegre Trucking has since offered drivers a 6 percent rate increase, the
high end of what it can afford, Barney said.

"All of our jobs were bid a year ago, and we're contracted to those prices,"
he said. "We don't have anything we can recover from a year ago."

Alegre asked its clients for a 5 percent increase to cover fuel increases,
Barney said, "but they're just laughing at us, because the trucker down the
road will do it for less."

Royal Trucking did not return calls from the Times but apparently had better
luck negotiating with its clients.

In a letter sent Tuesday to subhaulers, David Blick, vice president of
sales, wrote: "During negotiations with our customers, we have secured price
increases of up to 5 percent within the ready mix industries that will take
effect July 1st. ... In the petroleum and energy segments, we have been
successful in most cases securing a 6 percent fuel surcharge commencing June
1st."

But Johnny Singh, highlighting the "up to" and "in most cases"
portions,
called the offer "peanuts."

The impact of the strike will depend on how widespread it is, how long it
lasts, and how the trucking companies cope with it.

Johnny Singh pointed out that Royal Trucking hauls cement for GWF Power
Systems, an independent electric power producer with multiple plant
facilities in Northern California, and RMC Pacific Material, which provides
building materials for large-scale construction projects.

"We're not sure how many will walk out and what the effect will be," said
Bran Wilson, a cement marketing and distribution manager at RMC.