Capitol Hill Blue Forums Political Issues Climate Change and Environmental Issues "Greener" Trucking - Or Something Else ?

---No need. I am already keenly aware of this.
That doesn't change the fact that newer technology is emerging.
It also doesn't change the odd feeling I get whenever I wonder about the fact that some industries have accepted the inevitable current that moves developments forward, some embrace it and some remain strangely hostile to change of any kind.


And the bottom line is, it does not matter if those costs get passed along to the consumer due to improvements in technology or due to wildly fluctuating fuel prices, or due to the march of technology through the marketplace.

Or....? DOES IT MATTER?

Hmmmmmm....turns out it does matter a great deal and here's why:

Those fuel prices don't "fluctuate" so much as they are really just getting higher and higher and higher all the time.

Truckers moving into better technology is a whole lot different than truckers getting soaked for higher fuel prices.

In the former, the cost of the higher priced fuel gets passed on to the consumer, forever!

In the latter, the technology eventually becomes cheaper as it gradually gains traction in the marketplace. It's no different than those five thousand dollar DVD burners which eventually turn into $29.95 DVD burners.

Yes, the very first DVD burners DID cost five grand, and yes they can now be had as cheap as $29.95.

And someone actually BOUGHT those original five thousand dollar gems, they were the ones who could afford to become early adopters. Someone ALWAYS becomes the first kid on their block.
A lot of them get burned pretty bad, too.

The very first BetaMax VCR could only record ONE hour, and it cost $3500 bucks. Shortly after, Sony released Beta II machines, which also cost a couple of grand but they could record TWO hours.

So the folks who all rushed out and bought the very first Beta VCR's got burned and burned good. 3500 smackers was a lotta money in 1970's money.

And when the price of the burners and the blank discs went down enough, more people could get in the game and offer services at affordable rates.

This ain't no different Mechie ole chum. Someone WILL rush out and buy that very first hi tech wheelmotor equipped, diesel electric truck with the air assisted motor takeoff and braking technology...or something like it.

And then eventually some company like Zytec will introduce modular bolt on assemblies which almost any truck will be able to incorporate and eventually a whole lotta truckers will decide that they like getting fifteen or even twenty miles per gallon.

NOTE: Zytec is already doing just that, only they haven't quite yet moved into the commercial long haul trucking industry...YET.

They're still experimenting with commercial delivery customers, like UPS. Hmmmmm, that oughta generate some market pressure!

The point I am making is directly germaine to what you're hinting at Mech.

The point I am making is that it's coming, whether the indie wildcatters like it or not, it's coming and the big commercial outfits which can afford to jump on first are going to do just that, and there is nothing that will change that, just like there is nothing I CAN DO to change the fact that a couple of uppity large outfits will be able to afford to move into the new and exciting ALEXA CAMERA a whole lot sooner than I will be able to, and it kills me that I'll just have to rent one when the client pay grade warrants it. I won't be taking that sweet Alexa home for my very own for a while yet.

It's not fair but that's life in the Big Chitty.
And I will just have to make do with a cheaper imitation of the Alexa for now, the really nifty Sony NEX-FS100U instead.

I should actually feel sorry for the poor manufacturers who now have to sell those DVD burners for $29.95 in order to compete.
I bet they'd love to keep getting five grand each.

It is ebb and flow, it is tidal gravity, to quote Arthur Jensen.