Better Buy Your New Rig Before the Tariffs Kick In 🤑

[ThundahBeagle]

You're assuming that any administration including the one in power at the times you mentioned have any effect on the outcomes of activities outside their control.

Gas cheap in 2020? Because demand was drastically reduced due to a global lockdown.

Gas expensive in 2022? Because supply was drastically reduced due to a major oil supplier getting sanctioned, thus global energy supplies had to be redistributed to make up for the deficit.

Gas less expensive now? Demand is very low right now, both seasonally and due to consumer behavior.

Trump rightly touts the need to make America self reliant again, but he's demonstrated, via actions during his last presidency and at least via talk this time around, that he has no idea how to create and implement a successful strategy.

Gas was cheap in 2019 and 2018, too, well before the lockdown, sir.

Just a fact. President has and does not have an affect. His or her actions and words can make the fickle market jump or plunge, at least temporarily. Depending on the action and it's far reaching effects, sure

 

[tacollie]

Gas was cheap in 2019 and 2018, too, well before the lockdown, sir

Supply and demand. OPEC flooded the market pushing down oil prices in 2018. The US has produced record amounts of oil in 2023 and 2024 but demand is high so prices are high . You could argue overturning the Jones act or building the type of refineries we need to actually use the oil we produce could bring prices down. But those aren't new problems and nobody seems to want to address them including the president elect.

My brother is a pipeline welder and his whole company got laid off in 2019. They're all rolling in cash today.

As far as truck prices go the cost to produce will go up next year with or without a tariffs. The tariffs could make it worse. Based on sales from this year it there might not be the demand to support the cost so we might see some struggling auto manufacturers. Bringing manufacturing back to the US isn't going to solve that problem. We don't have enough people to do the manufacturing jobs we currently have. I fully take blame for being part of the problem. We're in our early 40s and have zero kids.

 

[Gravelette]

I fully take blame for being part of the problem. We're in our early 40s and have zero kids.

The bright side is that having zero kids is the best thing anyone can do from an environmental perspective. You can drive a big diesel every day for several lifetimes and still come out ahead on your footprint.

 

[Ozarker]

We don't have enough people to do the manufacturing jobs we currently have. I fully take blame for being part of the problem. We're in our early 40s and have zero kids.

I have to disagree, we have enough people, some are too lazy, some aren't well educated and most lack skills training, the rest are nut jobs.
You can always adopt some.

 

[85_Ranger4x4]

Nobody really makes anything I would really run out and buy if I did have the money to go buy a new one.

The catch22 is... a lot of the replacement parts for my old junk are not made in the US either. 😒

 

[Gravelette]

$2.53/gal today here in TN. Google says that's about 31 cents in 1970 money.

 

[Ozarker]

$2.53/gal today here in TN. Google says that's about 31 cents in 1970 money.

Yep, hamburgers were 15 cents, fries a dime, small coke a nickel, loaf of bread on sale was a dime and once I got gas for a quarter a gallon. Draft beer at happy hour was a quarter and my rent was $65.00 a month.

Take home pay was about $60.00 a week, so the good ole days weren't as good as most think.

 

[plainjaneFJC]

^ and you might recall the time when we were hearing "made in U.S.A." as Americans paid a premium over competitive prices.

Tariffs add to inflation, as your car price goes up you'll see complimentary product prices go up as well. Complimentary items for a truck would be things like floor mats, fog lights, seat covers, etc.

All this tariff talk might be nothing more than scare tactics to negotiate better trading terms. Trump opened the floor on Wall Street this morning and when asked Trump was giving a more measured response saying he would ensure our trading partners would be more fair dealing. Like-keep your eye on my right hand, watch it carefully, (while my left hand steels the candy from the baby).

I agree, if you can afford to, buy what you need or want now and buckle up.

Buckle up? We’ve had 4 years of runaway inflation and now you sound the alarm. It’ll all work out fine.

 

[Gravelette]

The COVID inflation has been over for awhile now.

 

[plainjaneFJC]

The COVID inflation has been over for awhile now. View attachment 863561

So it’s almost double what it was pre Covid and if you are being honest and really explaining how inflation works it’s all stacked on top of the previous highs the past few years. Not to mention what’s not even counted in inflation numbers. This out of touch mentality is what caused the change we see coming soon.

 

[Ozarker]

PJane, where did you get your Economics Degree- ?
We have had the best economy in the world the past 4 years and we have had much worse periods of inflation than we have had recently, remember the 70's?

 

[Gravelette]

Jane, my point was that current 2-3% inflation isn't "runaway" but some stupid policy could change that in a hurry. Hopefully better minds will prevail.

 

[plainjaneFJC]

PJane, where did you get your Economics Degree- ?
We have had the best economy in the world the past 4 years and we have had much worse periods of inflation than we have had recently, remember the 70's?

I wasn’t here in the 70s…

 

[vintageracer]

Re-Elect Jimmy Carter!

 

[AbleGuy]

One might also take a look at this chart while agonizing about the actual COL:



And inflation isn’t always that bad for everyone…it might depend on which side of the price/income curve you’re on.

If your big dollar items are paid for (house, car, etc.) and you stay out of debt, and don’t waste your money on buying crap you don’t need inflation (higher interest rates) can work in your favor.

In the early 90’s, we were able to quit our jobs and enjoy 3 years adventuring around the more remote parts of the NW, Western Canada, the Yukon and Alaska, living quite happily on CD’s paying out an @8% income.

Too many people blame ‘the government’ too often for their own bad personal spending habits and their own bad fiscal management. For many, that willingness to embrace victimization seems way easier than taking full responsibility for their own laziness, lack of accountability and/or ignorance in personal decision making.

So, there is that…