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DISCUSSION FORUMS : Forkliftaction.communicate
Forum: Industry News & Whispers
Discussion:  Hot issues today & tomorrow
Number of messages: 55
Page: [1] 2 3
START MESSAGE:
Chrissa
Australia 		With the end of the year almost upon us, it’s a good time to think back over the past 12 months – and plan for the next 12. A special report in the first edition of Forkliftaction.com news in 2008 will examine some of the hot issues for today and tomorrow. Interviews with industry leaders are currently under way, but we’d like to cast the net wider. Feel free to contribute to this preview of the challenges and opportunities for 2008 by sharing your predictions. We look forward to reading your comments in the Forum.

Posted 3 Dec 2007 11:12 AM Reply  Report this message
REPLIES: Sort replies by
Dais
Victoria, Australia 		Can I suggest that emissions might be on the discussion table next year since Kyoto has been ratified in Australia.  The new Australian Labour Government seems focused on environment.
Posted 4 Dec 2007 10:55 AM Reply  Report this message
dan_m
Ontario, Canada 		Emmisions.  Global warming.  Climate change.

Well, I suppose that many do have concerns regarding this topic, including the Canadian government, but not to the degree that other heads of state have on this topic.

I live in Ottawa, Canada, Canada's capital city.  We use to be the third coldest capital city in the world, but got tossed down to seventh because of the break-up of the USSR.  Today, it is -9C, just a day after we got dumped upon with 25 centimeters of snow.  All 5000kms of Canda's east-west territory received snow in the last 24 hours, and temperatures out west have dropped to -17C as the day time high.

Factor in the wind, and it seems even colder than that.  They are predicting that this winter will be the coldest in a decade, and that does not excite ME too much.

I believe the third world countries, such as India and China have to be more aggressive in controlling their environments.  China is producing many forklifts these days, yet there is no control over their facility emmisions, nevermind the forklifts.  As far as Canada is concerned, in my opinion, trying to sell this philosophy, is a tough sell.  We endure four months of extreme cold, and tons of snow.

When I can keep my swimming pool open year round, and jump in on Christmas and New Years days, then I would be concerned about global warming, and the emissions.  Until then, I am more concerned with the economies of the Americas, and the loss of production, and jobs, to third world countries.  Not that these countries don't deserve some of the production, but not to the degree that has been lost.

I may sound naive, but rightly so, but most Canadians feel the brunt of winter, and we don't see any change coming soon.  To me, the world is selling this global warming thing to the wrong country.

However, I wouldn't mind reading the concerns pertaining to this topic, from other member of this site.


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Constantly Lifting The Standard!

Modified 5 Dec 2007 03:05 AM
by poster. 		Reply  Report this message
steve_c
Illinois, United States 		dan m., i agree with you. here in chicago we just had the coldest night time temperature (0 deg F ) on Wednesday. that treaty will not be approved here in the states. although California probably will. they think they are their own country. i think that forklift manufacturers should look at biodiesel and ethanol alternatives. or more development of lithium ion technology.

Posted 8 Dec 2007 06:04 AM Reply  Report this message
dan_m
Ontario, Canada 		0F=-17C.  Now, that is cold.

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Constantly Lifting The Standard!

Posted 8 Dec 2007 06:13 AM Reply  Report this message
batman
Pennsylvania, United States 		First, dan m, a laborer at the Chery car company in China makes an average wage of just under $2 per hour, that is why we are losing manufacturing to Third World countries. This will not stop as corporations are only concerned with price and rightly so since Americans want everything cheaper and cheaper. China will never care about their workers or the environment so it is up to our governments to impose steep tarifs on imported products that don't follow the same standards as us, like OSHA and ASME and the EPA. In the case of a forklift made in China a good formula for a tarif would be to first take the difference in wages, $2 per hour in China compared to $30 per hour in the US including benefits. Take the difference, $28 per hour and times that by how many man hours go into production of the forklift. 300 man hours times $28 per hour = $8,400 tariff on each forklift imported. Take all this extra tariff money and invest it back into the American economy by lowering taxes so Americans have more money to spend on American made products.
As far as what I am looking for next year in the forklift industry: Crown's IC product and how that will shake up the dealership structure in the US because everyone know's Crown won't stand for dual dealerships.

Posted 8 Dec 2007 09:19 AM Reply  Report this message
dan_m
Ontario, Canada 		As if the steep tariffs are going to come?  Probably not!  The problem is WALMART.  Everyone wants to save 10 cents on a bar of soap, yet they complain about the price of gas.  Go figure!  And that $2 Chinese probably buys them more than the $30.00/hr here.  And they are not afraid to work, and they will work 12-14 hours a day, and not worry about their stock market shares every 5 minutes, and party.

Unions haven't helped any either.  

So, everything will spiral in cost here (Americas), because we want to buy really cheap (Chinese goods) and the price of gasoline will rise because all the Chinese like cars too, causing everything we buy to increase, only because we like shopping at WALMART.

Nobody is going to offend the Chinese government.  They are too powerful.  It costs too much money to keep the environment clean, which will drive up the products we import from the far east.  Also, the Americas, especially US, has too much invested in China to peeve them off.  So dream on regarding tariffs, worry about the $4.00/gallon gasoline that has been here in Canada, and soon to come to a HESS station near you, the lead in kids toys does not help matters, or the poison in dog food, and let everybody shop at WALMART.  

That is where the problem lies.

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Constantly Lifting The Standard!

Modified 8 Dec 2007 10:30 AM
by poster. 		Reply  Report this message
batman
Pennsylvania, United States 		I know the tariffs won't come true, just wishful thinking. First powerful politicians will never go against their campaign contributors wishes. In fact, not too long ago the US had a president that received contributions directly from China! Nothing will ever be done, Walmart will get bigger and more powerful and China will keep *** up more and more of the World's oil supply driving up the cost of gasoline.
In fact here is a tidbit of information: China regulates how much a gallon of gas can be sold for in their country keeping the gas prices at around $2 per gallon. They then subsidize (payoff) all the refineries and oil companies in the country that lose money because they are not profitable selling gasoline for only $2 per gallon. China does this to keep their economy growing at a ridiculous rate, about 12% growth per year. They care nothing of the people in North America who are paying $4 a gallon for gas and buying all the crap they send here each year. People need to open their eyes to the next big problem the World will face over the next decade: CHINA!

Posted 8 Dec 2007 10:10 AM Reply  Report this message
dan_m
Ontario, Canada 		Holy imports, Batman!  I think we are on the same page.

Robin

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Constantly Lifting The Standard!

Posted 8 Dec 2007 10:19 AM Reply  Report this message
MtnMan
Alabama, United States

 		The Bush admin along with those who control his strings have signed into affect the PPS, which means Canada, US and Mexico will become one country by 2010! We will have a new currency called the Amero Dollar just like Europe and they are starting the new super highway to connect Mexico to Winnepeg so they can bring Chinese containers through Mexican ports instead of Calif!   We don't have much choice now as to Chinese products, nearly everything you try to buy is from China!  I do my best to avoid Chinese foods imported here.  The NWO banker group now refers to Americans as "sheeple"  and we act like sheep!

Posted 8 Dec 2007 12:53 AM Reply  Report this message
dan_m
Ontario, Canada 		Does that mean I can leave this lousy cold weather and train in Florida, Arizona or Texas, without immigration problems?

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Constantly Lifting The Standard!

Posted 8 Dec 2007 12:57 AM Reply  Report this message
batman
Pennsylvania, United States 		mtnmn, I don't know where you get your information but there is no PPS agreement and definately no "super highway" linking Mexico to Canada. There are alot of Bush bashers out there but most of them lack facts to back up their claims. If you have actual facts to back up this info please share them.
I will tell you this: There has not been a president, democrat or republican that is willing to do anything about the illegal immigration problem. Why? 13 million illegal immigrants means 13 million votes. Yes, that's right, Clinton signed a bill allowing people to vote without showing proof that they are legal citizens. On the other hand Bush wants to grant amnesty to all illegals living in the US. Both parties want votes, plain and simple but I don't think anybody would create a super highway linking all three countries.

Posted 8 Dec 2007 03:17 PM Reply  Report this message
oldmanforklift
Tennessee, United States 		China may be making forklifts cheaper but they still need fixing.  Untill their price is so low that they are throwaway models,  someone still has to fix them.  Maybe our education system needs a major shakeup.  We don't have enough qualified techs. now.  I don't see many new young people that have the basic education to even begin as an apprentice.  Most young people today do not have the skill sets or the work ethics to become skilled technicians.  I hate that term.  We still are mechanics on lift trucks.  It is a machine that requires mechanical repairs from time to time.  Thus MECHANIC.  
     Anyway.  What is being done to improve the education in the US and Canada?  What can be done?  The average graduate from high school doesn't know basic physical science.  Why?  The schools today can't even be trusted to teach accurate history.  They don't bother to teach  that water expands when frozen, etc., etc.
     We are being flim flamed by a bunch of jerks calling themselves scientists, that the earth is going to end because of mans influence with gobal warming.  I agree with our Canadian friends to the north.  When I can swim in my pool year round.  I might think they have something.  Otherwize why spend the eneryg worrying about something that isn't going to happen.  Don't forget these people have all gone thru the present school system.  I think something is twisted in the education system.  
      I have nothing against teachers.  My folks were both teachers, and they cringed at the way the system had turned in the last 25 years.  
      Fix the education system,  or let China take over everything.  We can become the third world, poor, uneducated and exploited country many of our leaders want us to be.
Posted 9 Dec 2007 03:59 AM Reply  Report this message
batman
Pennsylvania, United States 		The major problem with the education system today is that you can't fire a teacher if they can't do their job. If a teacher is horrible at their job they just keep teaching. Why? The teacher's union is one of the strongest unions in the US. The teachers keep getting more and more with absolutely no accountability. Don't get me wrong, I want the best teachers for my children, but if they can't do their job please fire them. Just about any other person in the world that does not do their job correctly gets fired. There was a time and place for unions but today they are tearing down the US and are just shelters for the lazy and stupid.

Posted 9 Dec 2007 01:35 PM Reply  Report this message
dan_m
Ontario, Canada 		The reason why we don't have enough qualified technicians, or plumbers, or electricians or auto mechanics is because the North Amrican psyche is based on hi-tech.  Everyone is into computers, software telecommunications and other electrnic gadgetry.  So the kids are enrolling into the electronics field and not into the blue collar jobs.  Again, we are getting away from the blue collar jobs, and aiming for the office/white collar positions.  The manufacturing jobs have disappeared, again because of WALMART, and kids to day would rather tap at the keyboard then do hands-on work.  The Chinese have no problems getting thier hands dirty where North American kids want to stay squeaky clean.  And if it is not hi-tech, then it is the financial areas.  Go out and get those MBAs, and then wait a week to get your Porsche serviced at the dealership.

Just finished a 12 hour day training 8 individuals.  6 have never driven a forklift, and the other two were okay.  I don't know too many trainers working until 8PM on a Saturday, and going back on the Sunday to tutor the six.  And most people in todays economic climate are more intersted in partying instead of doing what is necessary to educate others, who may be less fortunate, in order to better their lifestyle.  Everybody is out for themselves, and very concerned with their vacations and free time away from work.  With that type of attitude, no wonder this continent is going into the dumps.

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Constantly Lifting The Standard!

Posted 9 Dec 2007 02:05 PM Reply  Report this message
batman
Pennsylvania, United States 		I've been reading reviews on this site and notice that most people on this site pretty much feel the same way. America/Canada is messed up and needs to be fixed, so how do we get retarded judges and politicians in office all the time. We need to get out and vote. I see too many people who have the same ideas as me just forget about voting because they feel it is of no use anymore. The country is wrecked and their is nothing I can do about it. We need to talk to as many people as possible and get them to vote so we can start to turn the tide on the downfall of our great nations. Only then will this spiral downward turn around.

Posted 9 Dec 2007 05:14 PM Reply  Report this message
johnr_j
Georgia, United States 		batman you are partially right.  Voting will help a bit but what also needs to be done is to communicate to your represetnative and senators your views on key issues.  This can be done quite easy via the internet via e-mails.

If you believe strongly about any thing never give up.

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Have An Exceptional Day!

Posted 10 Dec 2007 04:26 AM Reply  Report this message
ann_h
Australia

 		Batman,
What do you know about the Crown's IC product and the dealership structure in the US ... what's happening there? Can you give more information?
Thanks.

Posted 10 Dec 2007 11:35 AM Reply  Report this message
batman
Pennsylvania, United States 		ann h, I can tell you this, Crown is very strong in the US. The only reason I want to see a Crown IC truck is to complicate the situation for the Crown dealers who have multiple dealerships. I'm not sure when Crown will introduce an IC truck but talking to some Crown dealers I think next year is not a stretch. We'll have to wait and see what happens.

Posted 10 Dec 2007 11:51 AM Reply  Report this message
Dais
Victoria, Australia 		I am so inspired by the stuff some of you have written.  It is so true, that if you believe in something, you need to start petittioning your government.  Have a say, and vote or it will only get worse.  People need to give back to the community to.

Hot topic.

Posted 10 Dec 2007 04:22 PM Reply  Report this message
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