An interesting comment about cigarettes from school today

[jmowreader]

At my truck driving school, you're supposed to spend one week in the classroom and two weeks in a truck. The "one week" only took four days, so today we were on the range learning to back trucks. We were discussing the real world of trucking with one of our instructors, when someone mentioned how expensive cigarettes had become. The instructor had this comment:

"I wonder how many companies are going to start refusing to haul cigarettes."

He has a point. It wouldn't be hard for a well-funded gang to figure out which trucks are loaded with cigarettes--just park a guy with a cell phone and binoculars outside a cigarette warehouse, or a cigarette factory, and call in the trailer numbers of all the tractor-trailers that leave the grounds. After enough drivers get killed for their loads, the larger carriers are going to refuse to haul cigarettes because trucks are expensive and drivers more so. (Plus, "dying in the line of duty" is a job for soldiers, firefighters and police officers, not truckers hauling consumer goods.)

[panader0]

1. Trucks carry many things worth a lot more than smokes

[billyoc]

2. But they don't carry anything as easy to sell.

[TahitiNut]

3. Per pound?

I doubt it. :shrug:

[jmowreader]

9. But most of those things aren't addictive

[msongs]

4. more importantly, how many drivers will quit smoking :-) nt

[Fumesucker]

5. Drivers are expensive?

Surely you jest?

One driver gets killed there will be another to fill his shoes the next day.

Corporate America does not give the slightest damn about employees as a general rule.

[jmowreader]

8. Litigation is the expensive part

If a driver gets killed hauling cigarettes the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration, the Department of Transportation, the BATF, the FBI and whatever state agencies want to play, plus the family members of the dead driver, will be in the carrier's office with one question: why?

[Fumesucker]

11. Surely it will be blamed on the criminal(s) who hijack the truck?

The why part is easy, a high value cargo that is easy to fence.

[MercutioATC]

6. Loads getting jacked? Maybe. Drivers getting killed? Doubtful.

Why kill the driver?

[AnnInLa]

7. Well, it happened with alcohol

during Prohibition. Altho tobacco is not legally prohibited, driving up the price to extremes is, in effect, almost a prohibition. I already know people in S. Texas and in S. California who are going into Mexico and bringing back cigs and selling them.

[chollybocker]

10. There's a price break for cigarettes.

If the cost of cigs rises only moderately, smokers will continue to buy legit smokes at the corner store; if the cost goes too high, smokers will turn to the black market for their fix and the underground market will flourish. See: Canada.

[ConcernedCanuk]

12. zactly - before I quit 4 months ago, I could buy black market at $20 a carton

.
.
.

Others have told me they can get them for $15 a carton (200 cigarettes)

Store prices were $60 a carton

At a consumption rate of 3 - 4 cartons a month, my savings were over 100 bucks a month - 4 cases of beer!

Now that I don't smoke - I no longer even know, or care where to get them.

My previous "contact" quit selling - good move on their part methinks.

AND

Two of my neighbours, smokers for between 30 - 40 years, also quit smoking.

We got extra cash, AND SMELL BETTER!

:dunce:

[MrSlayer]

13. Ever see Goodfellas?

Jimmy highjacks the truck, gives the driver a wad of cash for hush money and takes the load. That's the type of thing that's going to be happening. No need to kill anyone.

[jmowreader]

14. My dispatcher ain't gonna be pleased if I take hush money to turn my load over

[rvablue]

15. It's actually already happening so this observation was prescient

Can't remember where I read it a few days ago, but a gang of thieves stole $1 million worth of cigarettes.

I think I just read it as a headline and didn't read the whole story, so I don't know if it happened here or overseas.

Anyway, if something is worth more, it does have a greater likelihood of getting stolen, so the same would apply to cigarettes.