Gunco Forums banner

Just In Time: When the Trucks Stop, America Will Stop

4K views 41 replies 18 participants last post by  mauser1959 
#1 ·
Just In Time: When the Trucks Stop, America Will Stop (With Immediate and Catastrophic Consequences)



Most Americans take for granted the intricate systems that make it possible for us to engage in seemingly mundane day to day tasks like filling up our gas tanks, loading up our shopping carts at the local grocery store, obtaining necessary medications, and even pouring ourselves a clean glass of water.

When we wake up each morning we just expect that all of these things will work today the same way they worked yesterday. Very few have considered the complexity involved in the underlying infrastructure that keeps goods, services and commerce in America flowing. Fewer still have ever spent the time to contemplate the fragility of these systems or the consequences on food, water, health care, the financial system, and the economy if they are interrupted.

A report prepared for legislators and business leaders by the American Trucking Associations highlights just how critical our just-in-time inventory and delivery systems are, and assesses the impact on the general population in the event of an emergency or incident of national significance that disrupts the truck transportation systems which are responsible for carrying some ten billion tons of commodities and supplies across the United States each year.

A shut down of truck operations as a result of elevated threat levels, terrorist attacks, or pandemics would, according to the report, have “a swift and devastating impact on the food, healthcare, transportation, waste removal, retail, manufacturing, and financial sectors.”

So too would events such as an EMP attack or a coordinated cyber-attack that could shut down global positioning systems and the computers responsible for inventory control. Another potential scenario that is more likely now than ever before is liquidity problems within the financial system stemming from currency crisis or hyperinflation. All of our just-in-time delivery systems are built upon the unhindered transfer of money and credit, but when credit flow becomes restricted or money becomes worthless, no one will be able to pay for their goods. Likewise, no one will trust the credit worthiness of anyone else. This is exactly the scenario playing out in Greece right now and the consequences on the health care industry in that country have left many without life saving drugs. When there’s no money, no one will be transporting anything.

The effects of a transportation shutdown for any reason would be immediate (in some cases, within hours) and absolutely catastrophic.

Excerpted from the American Truckers Associations report

Food

Significant shortages will occur in as little as three days, especially for perishable items following a national emergency and a ban on truck traffic.
Consumer fear and panic will exacerbate shortages. News of a truck stoppage—whether on the local level, state or regional level, or nationwide—will spur hoarding and drastic increases in consumer purchases of essential goods. Shortages will materialize quickly and could lead to civil unrest. (We’re seeing this in the UK right now)
Water

Supplies of clean drinking water will run dry in two to four weeks. For safety and security reasons, most water supply plants maintain a larger inventory of supplies than the typical business. However, the amount of chemical storage varies significantly and is site specific. According to the Chlorine Institute, most water treatment facilities receive chlorine in cylinders that are delivered by motor carriers. On average, trucks deliver purification chemicals to water supply plants every seven to 14 days. Without these chemicals, water cannot be purified and made safe for drinking.

Health Care

Without truck transportation, patient care within the truck stoppage zone will be immediately jeopardized. According to Cook, many hospitals have moved to a just-in-time inventory system. In fact, some work from a low-unit-of-measure system. This means that essential basic supplies, such as syringes and catheters, are not ordered until the supplies are depleted. These systems depend on trucks to deliver needed supplies within hours of order placement. Internal redistribution of supplies in hospitals could forestall a crisis for a short time; however, in a matter of hours, hospitals would be unable to supply critical patient care.

If an incident of national significance produces mass injuries, truck transportation is the key to delivering urgently needed medical supplies necessary to save lives.

Hospitals and nursing homes will exhaust food supplies in as little as 24 hours

Pharmacy stocks of prescription drugs will be depleted quickly. According to the National Association of Chain Drug Stores, most of the nation’s 55,000 drug stores receive daily merchandise deliveries by truck.

Transportation

Service station fuel supplies will start to run out in just one to two days. An average service station requires a delivery every 2.4 days. Based on these statistics, the busiest service stations could run out of fuel within hours of a truck stoppage, with the remaining stations following within one to two days
Air, rail and maritime transportation will be disrupted.

A fuel shortage will create secondary effects. Without access to automobile travel, people will be unable to get to work causing labor shortages and increased economic damage. Without cars, many people cannot access grocery stores, banks, doctors, and other daily needs. Public bus systems will cease to operate as well, preventing many disabled and elderly people from accessing these necessities. Without fuel, police, fire, rescue and other public service vehicles will be paralyzed, further jeopardizing public safety.

Waste Removal

Within days of a truck stoppage, Americans will be literally buried in garbage with serious health and environmental consequences. Further, without fuel deliveries, many waste processing facilities will be unable to operate equipment such as backhoes and incinerators.

Uncollected and deteriorating waste products create rich breeding grounds for microorganisms, insects, and other vermin. Hazardous materials and medical waste will introduce toxins as well as infectious diseases into living environments. Urban areas will, of course, be significantly impacted within just a couple of days.

Retail / Manufacturing / Economy

Replenishment of goods will be disrupted. Many of the nation’s leading retailers rely on just-in-time delivery to keep inventory levels as low as possible. Similar to the low-unit-of-measure hospital inventory system, these stores rely on frequent deliveries to replenish basic goods. Often, delivery of a shipment is not triggered until the current inventory is nearly depleted.

Without truck deliveries, retailers will be unable to restock goods, including consumer basics such as bottled water, canned goods, and paper products.

Consumer behavior during emergencies triples the rate of inventory turn-over.Since many large retail outlets typically keep inventories as lean as possible, problems often arise quickly during truck transportation slowdowns that occur from crises such as hurricanes.

Just-in-time manufacturers will shut down assembly lines within hours. Major American manufacturers, ranging from computer manufacturers such as Dell and Compaq to major automakers such as GM and Ford, rely on just-in-time manufacturing. Without truck deliveries, component shortages and manufacturing delays will develop within hours

Financial Sector

ATM and branch bank cash resources will be exhausted quicky. In today’s fastpaced, high-technology economy, consumers access cash 24/7 from 370,000 ATMs nationwide. JP Morgan Chase, the nation’s second largest consumer bank, replenishes its 6,600 ATMs via armored truck delivery every two to three days. Given the increase in ATM activity that occurs before and after any type of crisis, ATMs would run out of cash much sooner.

Small and medium-size businesses will lose access to cash.

Regular bank functions will cease.

While an event that disrupts truck transportation systems may be unlikely, recent history suggests it is fully plausible and the blowback can be devastating. A day after Hurricane Katrina ravaged New Orleans, panicked government officials stopped all transportation flow into the region, forcing hundreds of trucks loaded with emergency supplies like food and water to wait for permission before they could enter the area. As a result, thousands of residents of the city were left without items essential for survival. It took days before truck routes were re-opened and supplies were allowed to flow. Government officials acting on limited information, lack of knowledge and personal politics were responsible for restricting the flow of goods into New Orleans, potentially killing hundreds of people in the process.

What this incident demonstrated is that when the trucks in America stop, all commerce and delivery stops with it.

Now consider what may happen if the emergency is more widespread, affecting not just a city, but the population of an entire region or the United States in its entirety.

Via SHTFplan

Author: Mac Slavo
Date: April 2nd, 2012
Website: SHTF Plan - When the Shit Hits The Fan, Don't Say We Didn't Warn You.
 
See less See more
1
#2 ·
A good plan.
Trucks stop. Large Americans will shift into fat-burning mode.
Will get so ripped and muscular from bulking up on empty calories for decades
that everyone will look like Arnold, and Rachel McClish

 
#3 ·
Well I hope the hell Rachel is stuck in front of my house, when her truck stops rolling.
Interesting article Black Blade..
Not too worried about the gas prices. Hell we, or some of us, can just do less driving.
It is those damn diesel prices that worries me.
Diesel goes up $$ everything delivered by truck has too go up and diesel is rising fast.
Prices have too rise in the stores to cover the cost. Inflation.
 
#4 ·
bb
I think most people don't value/respect what OTR trucks & operators do for N.A..It seems most veiw them as a nuisance on the road, even as our very life depends on them . I've spent a good bit of time working around different Ports in this country LA,miami,Galviston, savanna ,N.Y.etc. Amazing how much truck traffic in & out. Trains too Run on Deisel... Cargo ships diesel... farm Equipment diesel...Hell two days ago Off road diesel was 4$ /gal and I had to sign an affidavit saying it was for my farm Equipment WTF really ? I know Its going to cost me "alot " more to maintain my farm ... Which means I'll produce less quantity and charge more for products ... O yea and my RE.taxes went up 30% too ... I see trouble in the future for sure .
Diesel prices soared during desert #1 came down a little, then back up during desert#2 and Have been climbing ever since ...do you think the military uses any diesel ?!?:salute:
Ak9
 
#5 ·
Got that right, almost everything is delivered by truck. Doesn't matter if it travels across the country, from the local railyard or port, 90%+ of products gets to it's final destination on a truck.
If you have something, it was most likely delivered on a truck.
 
#7 ·
OH BOY, can't hardly wait to fill up the 71 Rivieria boat tail, cost me 150 to fill that bad boy, counting the 2-3 gallons of Blue Streak per tankfull I spike it with, and that was at last years prices. Now that STINGS, at maybe 12 mpg if I play nice with the gas peddle, and I do play. Awfull hard not to though with >400hp, just to DAMN much fun not to "get on it" once and awhile!!!! Then all bets are off with MPG!!! 2 runs on the 1/4 mile =1/8 tank of gas!!!! Or more. A fifty $ fill up don't sound so bad now, does it Musibike??
 
#8 ·
one of the big problems is the government has set up the indicators for the economy ass-backwards.

if fuel goes up, the economy MUST BE BOOMING! if food prices skyrocket? that is the sign of a booming economy, all the government looks at is how much money is spent --NOT what your getting for your money.

that is how this charade of the economic "boom" has kept going all these years.

if the government built an airplane with that same logic --the fuel tank would show FULL when it is really EMPTY!

we are all being duped by the government and mass media , the only thig keeping things going as well as they are is the US economy is like a really big hot air bag-- it is going down slowly and since it is so big it takes a long time for all the hot air to rush out.

the reverse is also true --it is going to take a lot of hot air to inflate this huge leaky air bag!

wouldn't it be better to plug the holes first?
 
#9 ·
ak9

No I respect the truck drivers. Pretty professional down here in Florida they are.
Just talked too a guy in town, long hauler.
"The brokers are giving us some help with the fuel, but we are absorbing a lot of the cost."
Think? he said two 170 gal. tanks..
This can not keep going..
The pros seem too be getting out of the business.
They can make more at Mickey Ds.
Why the hell is diesel costing more, thought it was easier too refine?
Something is wrong here.
Either way, we are paying at the store..
 
#10 ·
No I respect the truck drivers. Pretty professional down here in Florida they are.
Just talked too a guy in town, long hauler.
"The brokers are giving us some help with the fuel, but we are absorbing a lot of the cost."
Think? he said two 170 gal. tanks..
This can not keep going..
The pros seem too be getting out of the business.
They can make more at Mickey Ds.
Why the hell is diesel costing more, thought it was easier too refine?
Something is wrong here.
Either way, we are paying at the store..

Diesel used to be cheaper than gasoline to refine. Not anymore. The EPA mandated 5 ppm sulfur standards kicked in a few years back and that required retooling at the refineries and more refining to get below the 5 ppm standard. You can thank BJ Clintoon and friends for that. Now diesel costs more because of the more complicated processes and expense involved. The EPA has become the worst enemy of American businesses, American Homeowners and American consumers. The EPA should be abolished. You can thank Richard Nixon for that one.
 
#11 ·
Interesting...

Why are they not building more gas refineries in the U.S. Black Blade?
I watched a good show on the refineries.
The final test was a guy taking a jar of the refined gas, got on his bicycle and rode too the lab, too test the stuff.
Honest too God. Kind of funny.. :)
Hell. We have some damn good Moonshiners down here in the swamps..
Give them swamp boys a license and tell them too cut the stuff too about 95 octane..
They could supply the whole state of Florida, for a buck a gallon. :)
 
#12 ·
Why are they not building more gas refineries in the U.S. Black Blade?
I watched a good show on the refineries.
The final test was a guy taking a jar of the refined gas, got on his bicycle and rode too the lab, too test the stuff.
Honest too God. Kind of funny.. :)
Hell. We have some damn good Moonshiners down here in the swamps..
Give them swamp boys a license and tell them too cut the stuff too about 95 octane..
They could supply the whole state of Florida, for a buck a gallon. :)

less fuel = more $$$ for big oil and wally-street banking!

big oil ain't gonna compete with itself .:wow::hatprop:
 
#16 ·
Just remember guys, the AFL-CIO runs the trucking industry and it leader is as close to a Communist as the O-bomb is as a Socialist. Unfortunately those Union ass wipes could stop commerce in the U.S. as easily as the French govt. workers go on strike. Any time they find it convenient.
 
#17 ·
I'm a driver,non-union-I'll just keep on truckin', only with an ak. I know many drivers who arent union who make good money, so dont worry-we'll keep on rolling no matter what the AFL-CIO does.
 
#18 ·
mtdew..



Not getting into your personal business.
But are you able too pass on some of these insane fuel prices you guys are paying?
Tires= Petroleum $$$..
Food prices in the stores are going insane..
Trucks and trains keep this country alive..
My buddy tried trucking, after being out of it for 30 years.
He lasted one year. Said "No Way."
No money...
Hope you are doing good..
 
#20 ·
hcp hit the nail on the head, no oil shortage, one of the main reasons gas costs so much is because the dollar is going down. Look at things that never lose value, oil, gold, silver etc. They are still within the same price difference as each other (percentage wise, or margin of value), they are all going up because the dollar is worth less or worthless.
And another thing with this "shortage" crap, just in the US, we have enough to last us (our needs) for at least 150 years that we know about.

Alternate fuels is a way to go for a lot of vehicles, there's a lot of cities converting their diesel engines over to natural gas, and it makes sense to have a vehicle that travels short distances to use this type of fuel.


Read my sig line, it explains most of it
 
#21 ·
hc. Good read on that..
Watched a show about a guy collecting used cooking oil from restaurants.
Back too his barn. Had a small set up too make a diesel?? product.
Samll diesel truck, ran fine.

Thailand Coils.. Propane bottles in the back of the small pick-ups..
My buddy says..
Fuel gets too high, they switch too propane..
I have no idea how it works, but they were truckin.
 
#22 ·
Had a coworker back in '94 that ran his truck off either gas or propane, depending on the fuel prices. He saved alot of money with that setup.

This is somewhat off topic, so I apologize.
Now, I personally want to see liquid propane fuel systems that can be retrofitted to existing engines. LOTS more power versus gasoline. As it expands in the cylinder it kind of creates it's own boost. In testing, a 500 HP Chevy smallblock was bumped up to 750 HP with no other modifications. That's awesome. The owner of Mother's Car Care Products is a big proponent of liquid propane, and/or liquid natural gas. We have huge reserves of natural gas here in the US, so it just makes sense to fuel our vehicles with it.
 
#24 ·
Tellin yah.. Those people in the Orient are quite creative out of need.
Lot of small truck with propane bottles in the back, so it must work.
Tanvil, just read your link. Their we go.. :)
 
#25 ·
Nope right here in the US, and it was both natural gas & propane


As of December 2009, the U.S. had a fleet of 114,270 compressed natural gas (CNG) vehicles, 147,030 vehicles running on liquefied petroleum gas (LPG), and 3,176 vehicles running on liquefied natural gas (LNG).[3] The NGV fleet is made up mostly of transit buses but there are also some government fleet cars and vans, as well as increasing number of corporate trucks replacing diesel versions, most notably Waste Management, Inc and UPS trucks
Natural gas vehicle - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
 
#26 ·
THEY HAVE BEEN SCREAMIN UP THE 290 HYWY every morning on the way in to work here. Seems like they don't really give a SHIT if gas is $10/GAL!

Two cases of 9mm ammo costs how much gas to ship here?

I DON'T THINK WE ARE RUNNIN OUT Of gas!

These GREEDY BASTARDS want us to pay them more for their SHIT!

So, they put the high price on the sign.

Pay it of TOUGH SHIT!!!

$3.87/GAL here in Houston this evening.
 
#27 ·
Damn..



I thought that is where this stuff comes from, Texas..
Why so high?
Hell $3.99 for regular here and diesel pusing $4.20...
MUSIBIKE.
Thought all you guys in Texas have an oil well in your backyard?
Just turn on the well, bring it too the refinery and see if they will cut you a deal on making you some gas. :)
Hell. If I lived in Texas, I would just sink a well in my backyard. It is everywhere down there rite?
 
#28 ·
Setting up anything to drill with comes after SEISMIC exploration to see if its there to begin with. It then costs around 200K to raise a working mast that can host the drilling system. After dropping a string down at least 5000 feet maybe you will cement your casing into place? Then its 20K per day to run it till you hit? MAYBE?????
 
#29 ·
Hmmmm.



Interesting.. So it does not just boil out of the ground, like the show "Beverly Hillbillies?" :)
Damn. Little bit out of my price range MUSIBIKE.
Gas $3.99 for regular here now.
They said $5.00 by summer.
If Nappy Head can pull some strings.
It will probably hit $5 rite after the elections.
We can surive with the higher gas prices by doing less driving.
It is the diesel I am keeping an eye on.
Gas $5 diesel $6.
Invest in wheelbarrows to carry your cash too the store to purchase.
 
#30 ·
Interesting.. So it does not just boil out of the ground, like the show "Beverly Hillbillies?"
You have to be shooting at some food for that to happen :D

Gas went up to 3.99 here the end of last week and came back down to 3.95
If it keeps going, we'll be like those guys on the street corners with the signs, "I'm working for food" :D
 
#31 ·
My crazy ass friend went out, as a joke, with a sign.
"I don't want work, need booze and drugs."
Honest too God, he had people laughing and tossing him money.
What the hell you doing up this early Coils. Go back too bed. :)
 
#32 ·
About the sign thing, I seen a guy out in Pittsburgh on the corner with a "homeless, please help, God bless" sign, I was going to give him a few bucks but then the guy lights up a smoke and pulls out a cell phone. So I didn't give him anything

I did go back to bed just after posting that.
Once and a while I can only sleep for about two or three hours at a time, then I'm up for a few hours before I go back to sleep for a few more. It really sucks when it happens for more then three or four days in a row, it feels like I was up for a couple days in a row and it throws off my sleep pattern for a while.
 
#34 ·
Off topic. Sorry Black Blade.

"Vet. Hungry. Need Food."
Love it when I get stuck at the light.
"Who were you with Bro?"
Uh uh 75th Rangers out of "One Hung Low."
"Your a lying Mother F#$Ker dick wipe.
15 seconds I know their lying.
Gambling casino here.
Few beers in me I see the sign.. "Veterans Gambling Hall." Walk in.
"How much you giving too Veterans. Let me see your books."
"No Sir we can not do that, would you like too join?"
"NO. All you mother f$%Kers are scum I start screaming."
Later my buddy tells me the mob owns the place.
How the hell I did not get a beating, God only knows.
Have not been near the place for two years now.
Wonder if their still looking for me. :)
 
#35 ·
I thought I was going to have to use my concealed weapon last month over at the pizzeria? One of those, "HUNGRY VETS" came in asking if anyone could spare $50 bucks. I told him you are kind of high aren't you. Yeah, I served my country. I asked him what weapon he qualified with. He said the standard issue. I forgot.

I told him to hit the road. He stood there looking like he was fixing to pull out something. I already had my hand on my Glock 23. He knew either way he was fixing to wind up DEAD. Out the door he went.

Hence, why we now carry GUNS!
 
This is an older thread, you may not receive a response, and could be reviving an old thread. Please consider creating a new thread.
Top