Tax Column: Terrific
Thanks for your terrific and factual editorial in the February issue of Heavy Duty Trucking (Doug Condra's column). Your message should be in every newspaper. Keep up the good work.
John Studebaker
Studebaker Energy Consulting
Tax Column: Absurd
It's surprising to me that you would waste magazine space on that absurd analogy for Bush's proposed tax cut. (Doug Condra, Feb.) The wealthy should be grateful for the societal structure that exists around them that allows them to accumulate and perpetuate wealth. Our nation's wealth is created by all. Condra's statement that the wealthy "might just stop bringing their money to the table" is ridiculous. Greedy little rich guys may think they exist in a vacuum benevolently tossing crumbs to the disadvantaged from time to time, but they actually owe a debt to the society that provided the infrastructure that allowed them that wealth. Money is a reflection of the work of everyone and the rich are fortunate to be able to use it.
Even Greenspan thinks Bush's tax cut is a joke. We are already suffering from the gigantic deficit generated by the first tax cut for the rich. How much debt can we continue to load on our children (and beyond) so a few of us have even more money? Condra certainly fails to explain how the tax cut is going to benefit the economy and therefore be good for trucking.
I suspect most of your readers live in the real world where they have to earn a living, and may not share your Orange County, California (think "B1 Bob" Dornan) view of greed is good: "I made it off other people's backs, now to hell with them, I've got mine." Now is a time for sound economic policy, not another boondoggle.
Gary L. Schreiber, Owner
Town and Country Moving Co.
Tax Column: Cute
Doug Condra's rehash of the oversimplification that has been passed around the Internet for the past few weeks (HDT, February 2003) is cute, but it's not a true reflection of how our federal tax system works. The way it really works is that Enron and others like them, through clever manipulation of loopholes and phoney offshore subsidiaries, pay no taxes year-after-year, thereby increasing the tax bill for small businesses such as ours.
David Russack
DriSlide North America
A business unit of Russack Inc.
Columbus, Ohio
What Drivers Want
I have been reading your magazine for many years and look forward to its arrival. I just read your article on "Driving in the Midrange." (December 2002). Very good information. Our business is LTL freight in the major markets of the Northeast, so your article certainly applies to us. If I may, I would like to add one suggestion that your reader may want to consider: Spec out a power window on the right side when ordering new equipment. When backing in inclement weather or when backing inside a building, rolling the window down can be a big help in seeing the mirror more clearly. I know drivers and I can tell you that if they have to roll it down manually, they won't do it. If they are not already ordering it, heated mirrors are also a must. Keep up the good work.
Frank Wendling
Carteret, N.J.
Wrong Model
Your December story on the comfort, drivability and performance of the industry's latest medium-duty trucks ("Driving the Midrange: What Drivers Want," December 2002) hit on some of the most important concerns that we hear from our customers every day.
However, your reference to the International 4700 truck was an oversight. While still reliable and dependable, the International 4700 is an older model.
It's the International 4300, one of the models of the Industry's First High Performance Truck family from International Truck and Engine Corp., that delivers what drivers want — unparalleled responsiveness and best-in-class maneuverability, the performance of International diesel engines, and enhanced visibility and comfort for maximum productivity. The International 4300 also offers what fleet owners want: The industry's best uptime, lowest operating and maintenance costs and the highest resale value.
Jennifer Burke
Manager Marketing Communications
International Truck & Engine Corp.
Breakdown Story Great
Your recent article on "Top 10 Reasons for Breakdowns," January 2003 was great, and very accurately describes the procedures for finding and correcting tire-related problems. It's nice to know that after you have done everything you can to isolate a problem and cure it, others are having the same problems and found similar solutions.
Brad Weddle
Fleet Manager
Di Pietro Trucking Co.
Good Stuff
Wanted to write a quick note to tell you how much I enjoyed/learned from the Jan. 2003 Heavy Duty Trucking. I especially appreciated the lawsuits (Deb Whistler's editorial) and the "Top 10 Reasons for Breakdowns." In addition I learned some valuable insight into trends in truck sales, fuel cost and freight as they relate to the time of the year.
Good stuff.
Joe Flake
MHC Kenworth
Kansas City, Mo.
