Halliburton/KBR...lol
 

Making money is one thing...greed is another!

Trucks Made to Drive Without Cargo in Dangerous Areas of Iraq.

Byline: Seth Borenstein

"May 23--WASHINGTON -- Empty flatbed trucks crisscrossed Iraq more than 100 times as their drivers and the soldiers who guarded them dodged bullets, bricks and homemade bombs.

Twelve current and former truckers who regularly made the 300-mile re-supply run from Camp Cedar in southern Iraq to Camp Anaconda near Baghdad told Knight Ridder that they risked their lives driving empty trucks while their employer, a subsidiary of Halliburton Inc., billed the government for hauling what they derisively called "sailboat fuel."


Now watch the Democrats accuse the VP of something. :eek:

Could it be that they hauled something in and there's nothing to haul out? Hauling empty, called dead heading, isn't unknown, even in the US.

Deadheading can happen both ways (the trip in and the trip back out) if there is poor planning - which happens. It ain't for the trucker to ask why - just drive.

and I would imagine "valuable" cargo could help be protected by using multiple/simultaneous runs out of the same location in different directions to create confusion for the would be interceptors. :munchin

I don't know about that so much. They are among the ones getting kidnapped and blown up I believe.

Yes, they are, and that is terrible. Unfortunately, however, when you hire on in that position, the people who determine loads aren't going to be informing you of their reasoning or asking you your opinion very much. The talk of "teamwork" and "important contribution" is for the hiring process and rarely continues on into the work life. This is based on 16 years of observing local truck lines. I really doubt that civilian management, of any company, would alter their behaviour or attitudes just because they are "over there". Strange, but true, IMO.

Not to be callous, but every one of the civilian contract drivers in Iraq took the job as a volunteer, and is being compensated in some measure for the risk, almost all are probably making more money there than the Commanding General in theater.

Any time they are scared or think the pay is inadequate for the risk, they can pack their bags and head back to CONUS. If they think they are being asked to drive excessively, imprudently, or unsafely, they can quit.

Our people in uniform are neither receiving the same compensation, nor can they leave when the going is tough and they get scared. They are also subject to the vagarities of their leaders, for a heck of a lot less money.

Just my .02.

TR

I know one of the Halliburton Security Managers personally, I can assure you that they have altered their attitudes several times and have learned to be relatively flexible in high risk environments. I saw them knowingly lose a job once in order to follow the established procedures for convoy movements. Of course as soon as The People were informed of what had happened, The People took the appropriate steps to remedy the situation and take the job away from those Fren...I mean the competition and give it to the Americ...I mean the rightful contractor.

You are beginning to sound suspiciously like bourgeoisie management. The People, and more importantly, The People's Medic will be watching you... :munchin

Agreed in principle. I would add that soldiers are better able to understand the risk and most are capable of fighting back. Military FP measures are usually light years ahead of civilian measures. I would venture to guess that if you let the Good Ol' Boys carry and harden their own trucks, there would be a significant change in the results very rapidly.

So then we are in agreement! They had to alter their attitudes several times and learn to be flexible - things that require a conscious and deliberate change to how they would have run things originally. I don't mean to imply that they want to be indifferent to their drivers' safety, but as The Reaper pointed out, most feel that they are being compensated monetarily for the hazards so they should not also be brought into the decision-making process (a form of compensation) as well. The driver signs on for it, so if he doesn't like it he can leave.

I'm from the right-to-work South. I have pretty much the same attitude, although that doesn't mean I don't notice the results. "Don't worry about the mule, just load the wagon."

Do you think that Halliburton and its subsidiaries are embezzling?

Solid

Wouldn't surprise me anymore.

Embezzlement is illegal. Profiteering is not.

I think they are looking to maximize their profits legally, as any company would.

I suspect that they did the same thing in Bosnia for the Klintons, and heard nothing about it then.

TR

I was actually looking at this from a different point-of-view, hence my last sentence in the initial post...

I was watching the news this morning and the commentator mentioned Halliburton and the VP in the same breath.

The VP has sold all of shares in Halliburton yet the media will continue to associate him with anything that Halliburton does wrong.

Don't spend my tax money on incarcerating Martha! :D

Is it possible for the VP to get 'kick back' from Halliburton friends/ex-colleauges?

Theoretically, I mean.

Solid