Brian Gray says he and his wife, Karol, are slowly adjusting to their new lives in Oklahoma, but have no regrets about leaving California as costly laws and regulations are squeezing small-business truckers’ profit margins.
“Starting from scratch in a state where we know no one has been difficult, but it will be worth it,” Gray told FreightWaves. “I miss the contacts I had in California, who could vouch for my work, but eventually that will happen here.”
The Grays bought a piece of land and moved to Pottawatomie County, Oklahoma, in early December ahead of the new AB5 labor law that was set to take effect on Jan. 1 which would limit the use of independent contractors.
Federal Judge Roger Benitez of the Southern District Court of California issued a preliminary injunction on Jan. 16, which blocks AB5 from being enforced pending the outcome of the lawsuit filed by the California Trucking Association in November.
Even with the pause on AB5, Gray, who has been trucking for nearly 25 years, said he won’t go back and live in California. That’s because his 1999 Peterbilt is no longer compliant with the California Air Resources Board’s (CARB) Truck & Bus rule that took effect in January. Under the new rule, he said he wouldn’t have been able to register his vehicle with the California Department of Motor Vehicles.
“I keep my Peterbilt is great shape, but I can’t afford to buy a new truck to comply with the new emissions rule, so I just decided it was time to leave,” he said. “I am tired of being persecuted for being a truck driver.”
Gray, who hauls construction equipment, said business has been slow this winter, but he has his first job lined up on Jan. 25 to haul concrete and other materials for a home builder.
“I think this will help get my name out there,” he said. “I think Oklahoma is going to be business-friendly toward us.”
Fredo
Thats what you all took out of the story? What about the fact this guy has a 1999 truck and “cant afford” a newer truck? What kind of bs is this guy spinning? He obviously doesnt work smart. Business has been slow since his move? Call a broker get some freight and get moving! Why the hell would you move to the middle of nowhere in the first place without securing business???? If it wasnt there why still move there???? I feel no pity for this california douche who will want to change his area so its more like california( when they all moved to colorado, now look at that leftist state). What about the fact that his non compliant tractor for elds??? Piss poor planning on someones part here. Go buy a used newer tractor. So whats the real reason he moved to bumfuck oklahoma????
Jack
Absolutely agree with you. How can someone who is in business since the last 25 years not afford to buy a new truck??? That itself suggests there’s something wrong about this story.
Kevin
I would not want to deal with all of the Diesel Emissions rules out in California. It is absolutely unrealistic and who is going to have to pay for the truck when it breaks down? Certainly not the EPA! Keep that ’99 Peterbilt running strong! She will take care of you. There are much better states to truck in. Let the engines breath properly instead of being choked up. Climate Change is not going to stop with all of these garbage rules and mandates on Diesel Emissions. Let’s give it up for the big Caterpillar engines still roaming out there making an honest pay. Truckers need to have a say in law and regulation not the EPA.
Nate
Wish you luck in Oklahoma. I was raised and tricked out of Oklahoma for many years, had great success there. I now live in Tennessee long story nothing to do with trucking . I do bulk racks and flatbed. Won’t haul cheap like some companies. I cut back on trucks due to a divorce , but always had good luck out of oklahoma
Canada don't like us inside Canada
Being a US Trucker inside Canada like around Toronto Ontario airport area’s like Brampton Ontario and behind the Ford Lincoln plant a few miles like Mancor for Mack truck parts for Allentown Pennsylvania area . some Canadian truckers threaten the shipper or receiver for doing business with a us trucker. Also some Canadian truckers say we will steal whatever has been delivered on a us trucker. Once the random House books Westminster Maryland load I delivered was swiped off the docks and was found in the country of India. In 2016 I would deliver to Canada twice a week with several deliveries on a trailer . a strip mall warehouse where people would load books into the trunk of their car to deliver, just north east of Dixie road husky truck stop a few blocks. Canpar just south of QeW ending a few exits east. National fast freight and indigo books Brampton Ontario. Cott. Beverage east side of Toronto airport picking up for wegmans Postville Pennsylvania
Noble1= Shamash (Shemesh/Utu) the Babylonian God of the Sun(god of justice, morality, and truth-(enforcer of divine justice )
Who do these oppressive rulers think they are ? They extort us and use the funds they enforce us to pay to buy weapons and hire enforcers who allow themselves to be bought to intimidate us to bend to their oppressor’s will furthermore . They threaten to deprive us of our liberty , if we can still call it that , if we don’t conform to their oppressive ways . We pay for their jobs ,their salaries , their weapons , and this is the way that they thank us ? They use what we have “agreed” to supply them with as a tool against us ?
The one thing they so desperately need from us is our consent in servitude . This is the one thing that we do not have to concede to .
For without our consent they are nothing but powerless fools .The only reason for which you continue to concede is due to your belief that you will receive more pleasure than pain by doing so .
We as the supreme beings on this planet do not need to concede to an irrational , oppressive , manipulative self serving unfair government . They have divided us through borders , and trickery due to our exterior differences etc . They have consented to manipulate our minds and deceive us by instilling false beliefs in poppycock regimes .
By taking advantage of our innocence they have corrupted our minds and divided us , they tricked us into eating a certain way , into believing in myths , Santa Clause , Heaven & Hell, the tooth fairy etc . That’s the way they enter your mind , through pleasure and pain , fear & greed , from a very young age . It all seems like fun and games doesn’t it ? This is how they “train” you to accept being obedient . However , their hocus pocus isn’t always fun & games , is it ?
As you age you tend to realize this . However, you’re so used to bending from such a young age that you have forgotten how to take a stand for sustainable change . Some of you don’t even realize what or who you really are . If you take a few moments and quiet your mind , and focus on all that you have witnessed in this life so far , you will come to realize that something is definitely very wrong here .
Something doesn’t seem right . Something is missing . Why are we being promised pleasure in the after life if we accept bending to our oppressor’s will in this one ? God forbid if you don’t accept submitting to your oppressor’s will , cause then you’re going to go to Hell , right ? No ! Hell is what they put you through whether you accept or not in this life . They trick you ! They extort you , they enslave you , they play with your minds ! You will age , and weaken and die due to all the silly chemicals they allow you to be submitted to .
You ingest them , you breath and bathe in them , you wash your clothes in them . It’s in the air , the water , the processed food , the food is even grown and sprayed with them ! Then if that were not enough , once you’re ill they inject you with more of them ! The animals you eat are injected with them too . Oh but they need to be vaccinated etc , right ? NO ! Do we vaccinate the animals in the wild ???
Remember Frankenstein ? Is that not what they are doing to us through organ transplants ? Oh but it saves lives . No that’s not the reason . It pays tremendously to have you depend on a chemical to survive while slowly killing you with another that is imbedded in something you depend upon to live ! Can’t have you live to long now . You might get too smart and take to much space .
Training/brainwashing our young to fight for their country ? Or is it to impose some oppressive ruler’s regime upon another ? At one time we couldn’t communicate among ourselves as we can so easily do these days . We now realize that what we were once lead to believe about another was deceiving in an attempt to gain our acceptance to fulfill the unethical desires of the oppressive . How dare they violate our innocence ! They’ve raped our minds , made fools out of us , and took innocent lives in the process ,and we bend and continue to allow them to extort us which gives them even more power to rape our innocence and the innocent .
Shame on us for allowing ourselves to be bought into silence and acceptance . Is this not what occurs through organized labour unions as well ? They protest and strike for a few pennies , once they receive them , they are content to return as slaves until the next issue arises ? This is insanity . Remove the “cause” and the effect ceases permanently . Don’t allow the “cause” to buy you into submission !
Unfortunately not everyone is a victim of unethical acts per se . Some are the unethical perpetrators who reap from the unethical acts . However , due to their lack of ethics rather than victims of “innocence” , they can be bought ! And they’re stupid ! What goes around comes around !
It is we the ethical that must wisely position ourselves to buy the unethical into submitting to us . We use their negativity to transform it into positivity .
This trucking industry is a kindergarten compared to the magnitude of the “problems” on this planet .
This industry can so easily be restructured for your gain and pleasure if the one’s among you who are fed up were to unite . Just don’t repeat the same nonsense that those who have united before you did and still do . Be innovative and remove the cause rather than fight the effect . Remember , if you remove the cause , the effect automatically ceases .
In my humble opinion ……………
Noble1= Shamash (Shemesh/Utu) the Babylonian God of the Sun(god of justice, morality, and truth-enforcer of divine justice )
Quote:
“Shamash was also regarded as a god who released sufferers from the grasp of the demons. The sick appealed to Shamash as the god who can be depended upon to help those who are suffering unjustly.”
UNITE ! TRUCK DRIVERS MUST UNITE , I TELL YOU !
In my humble opinion ……….
Noble1 aka Highway Star - Guiding Light
Since we’re on the subject of stupid regulations forcing people to mix fluid with fuel causing engine havoc and costly repairs and downtime , a few pointers won’t hurt .
Air leaks appear to be a major problem . You can read about that here . Google it .
July 17 2019
Ignoring Diesel Exhaust Aftertreatment Systems Can Be Costly
“One of the more common issues that can create problems with modern engine aftertreatment systems is air leaks in the intake and aftertreatment plumbing.”
That being said , here is what one mechanic had to say on DEF
Quote
“The basic problems that most DEF systems run into are sensor and injector failures.
You have all the normal engine sensors, which if fails causes the DEF system to fail.
You have, usually, a supplemental diesel injector after the exhaust side of the turbo, used to inject fuel in the exhaust and heat up the cat and particulate filter for “regeneration”. If that fails, the DEF system fails. Yes, it injects extra diesel straight into the exhaust, which costs you mpg on top of the cost of DEF fluid.
Then you have two temp sensors, pre and post DEF injector. Two pressure sensors, pre and post particulate filter. Then finally the DEF injector itself. Any of which failing or being out of expected values causes the system to fail.
Any of the those failures begins to slowly cripple/disable the vehicle. Starting usually with a warning, a slow milage countdown and progressively lower speed limit, eventually disabling the vehicle movement completely, requiring you to get towed to a mechanic.
All of these things cannot be repaired at home, generally, even by me (ASE master mechanic). Almost all repairs require vehicle computer programming, which requires expensive equipment mostly only available at the dealer.
I refuse to own a vehicle that can leave me stranded in the name of reducing emissions.”
End quote .
That being said , before enforcing anything like with the ELD example of enforcing it before restructuring the market/industry to facilitate its inception , the same can be said about the DEF havoc on engines . Change(restructure) the engine rather than attempt to manipulate the substance used to power the engine . If you change(restructure) the engine(the cause) to be powered differently , then you changed and eliminated the problem(result) that causes pollution without causing another problem through silly chemical attempts to influence the problem through oppressive means .
That being said , if the trucking industry were to be intelligently restructured there wouldn’t even be a need for a log book/ELD . problem is the result of the cause , not the effect . Eliminate the cause and the effect ceases !!! The silly DEF doesn’t eliminate the cause(fuel) ! It’s a silly band aid masking a carcinogen !
However , the system does it backwards as it did with the ELD .
Create the “solution” , structure the facilities to address and service the “solution’s” needs . THEN introduce your “solution” to the public by incentivizing them with the desire to accept the change with your propaganda hocus pocus , but do it ethically through PR which will motivate and influence their desire to accept the “solution” from within . Subsidize them to further influence their acceptance and desire to transition towards the action you instilled in their minds which you desire them to take . Just like training a dog or better yet a dolphin ! You do it with patience , pleasure , and rewarding , not with a freaking oppressive stick !
The cause of the governing problem we have is due to the dumb dumbs at the top ! They are the “cause” of our “problems” which are created by their unreasonable chosen ways of governing . If you want the effect to cease and or change , then you need to address and change the cause .
The ELD problem is a result of the cause . The cause are not the “drivers” per se . The cause is due to the “structure”. The structure problem is the effect of the one’s governing it . They are the CAUSE of the problematic structure which creates further problematic effects/results all the way down the pipeline to the drivers .
Anyways , check for air leaks , apparently that’s the same problem we have at the top ! A lack of oxygen going to the proper place(brain) where it should ,too prevent problems .
In my humble opinion ………..
Scott
Well said.get rid of driver facing cams.as well.why do I have to wait to see my for sale local politicians on tv.
Noble1 aka Highway Star - Guiding Light
From my perspective these regulators have lost their minds !
You don’t force these sorts of regulations on “people” . You incentivize vehicle manufacturers with subsidies to go in a different direction to create non air pollutant engines that function without pollutants , like ,ie: electric or hydrogen , with a carrot not a stick . Then you incentivize consumers to purchase those sort of vehicles through huge tax reduction incentives . This way you influence the transition in an amical way rather than in an autocratic way with a stick . An oppressive way of ruling is primitive and unethical .
Who do these oppressive rulers think they are ? There is no justifiable reason to cause and inflict inhumane unnecessary hardship on people in an attempt to influence progress . These oppressive ignorant rulers need to be removed from power . They don’t know how to govern .
In my humble opinion ………..