Temporary Weekly Update

 

So far I have been wrong about expecting the vehicle deliveries to be slowing down. Well not wrong exactly but things are shifting a bit and I expect things are going to slow down as they shift which really is more of the norm to be honest. In reading and pursuing the industry articles and vbloggers I noticed many of them are finally catching up to my predictions of fleet sales although many are still in denial that prices have very little to do with the dealership but some are catching on. 

Retail sales were down a few percent Month over month but fleet sales are up like 70% total bringing total sales way up. My guess is this trend is going to continue for 2023 and 2024 but this won't help consumers much. The next few years should really be known as a remake of the "Empire Strikes Back" as government and corporations find new ways to lock consumers into higher prices. The last few years have been a free money buyers/consumers dream and Sellers are going to wait and see how the unpredictable but always wrong Democrats screw things up this time before locking themselves in to anything now. Beside sit is time for government and big business to get theirs now you wait.

I think many of the blogger types still believe that MSRP prices are still set by Dealerships when they come with factory stickers that already list the MSRP price. Dealers don't print those window stickers. In fact I sometimes spend a good amount of time  repairing window stickers that have been damaged because replacing them costs money when we have to reorder them and it can add up fast. Believe me I am reminded of how much my stocking window stickers cost if I ever throw one away too :)

Bottom line with single digit temps and a snow and ice storm I still had a huge amount of deliveries this week so I had to shuffle my old behind around at half speed sorting things out and slipping on ice. I got em all done yesterday and then slept in late today recovering as temps plunged to single digits again this morning.

Ya know if I was an auto company exec and wanted a feather in my cap I would figure out why almost every brand new F-150  gets delivered from the factory with NO DAMNED GAS IN IT!!! Someone somewhere is making a killing stealing gas from brand new F-150's that dealerships are paying a bunch of money for let me tell you. I can assure you it is a criminal thing too as it happens to almost (meaning 99% of them) every F-150 and only to F-150's. I got about six in this week one came direct from the factory and it had gas in it the other five didn't and were all zero miles till empty as usual. Someone is siphoning gas out of them and has been for a few years now I would almost guarantee it. 

I suspect the gas stealing out of F-150's is a bigger deal than the catalytic converter thieving a year or so ago was but because it only effects dealerships or large scale middle man depots it isn't being reported but it has gotten much worse the higher the gas prices get. I also think many people are blaming the factories but I am not sure that is it since it only seems to happen to that model in particular. In fact it makes sense to me as they are easily identifiable and I am not even sure they still ship a diesel F-150 anymore I haven't seen one in years anyway.  If you just stole fuel from the Super Duty about half or more would be diesel if you mixed it all together. 

I am surprised no one has investigated this yet.

Anyway I am caught up for now again and actually managed to begin a bit of work on the 2023 garden last evening removing Sunflower stalks and dried up tomato vines from my trellises. Won't be long now and the goats were the happiest I have seen em in months now that I was out there with em once again and not running a chain saw. Mommy goat spent the entire time rubbing her horns on my leg and begging for treats. If it hadn't got back down to single digits today I would be out there working now but it's suppose to be in the 50's tomorrow so I anticipate more 2023 garden prep tomorrow.

 

Keep Prepping Everyone!!!