American Truck Drivers Lobby Organization

Mission Statement. Our mission is to represent the interests and viewpoint of the American Commercial Truck Driver: in matters concerning highway safety, standardized training for new drivers, standard State and Federal DOT regulations and fair and equitable pay and benefits for all drivers.

Objectives.

Highway and industry safety are in the interest of all the driving public, including trucks, busses, campers and cars. We must increase awareness, and educate on the mobility and braking properties of trucks.

Standard interstate highway speed limits across the lower 48 states, Alaska and Hawaii excepted for obvious reasons. This is a safety issue for all vehicles.

Standard DOT regulations from one state to the next, including licensing and endorsement fees. Current regulations are ambiguous at best. They should be revised to be fair and equitable in all states.

Stabilized fuel prices that will keep the industry solvent and moving forward. Trucks move freight; or not. Stabilizing fuel prices will benefit O/O’s, teamsters and company driver by making their company more stable.

Truck Drivers Minimum wages. Wages beginning at.36 cpm, $15.00 per stop/pick-up, Layover pay beginning the 2nd night at $75.00 per night, waiting time (break downs, loading/unloading and other unavoidable delays), $18.00 per hour for the driver to unload or assist in unloading. Minimum wages will preclude “job hopping” by drivers. This will provide a stable, growing workforce.

A standard curriculum, regulations, objectives and goals for the training of new student drivers, that all truck driving schools must be accountable for and adhere to. Safety issue.

Training and Certification for Company driver/trainers, including a minimum 3 years experience. Safety Issue

American Truck Drivers Unite. We all whine and complain about today’s trucking industry and “how things used to be.” We have all heard the talk and calls for a general truck strike. Strikes that will never happen because we cannot agree on what the weather is doing. We have never had a clear forum to speak for the driver in the seat. What does/is the OOIDA, ATA or the Teamsters actually doing for the driver in the seat? Or his family? Truly doing? The Teamsters maybe, but we are now all represented by them. The ATA and OOIDA appear to spending a lot of time kissing Congress on the back side.

Now is the time for us to step up.

We need an organization of drivers for and about the drivers in the seat. All Drivers. American Truck Drivers Lobby Organization. I have been listening to the complaining at the truck stops and on the CB for years, Now it is time to act. Fuel prices are out of control, companies are cutting benefits, states set regulations to collect revenue, and companies are putting students in trucks with drivers, to train, that have a few months experience themselves. These situations alone are creating dangerous conditions on the highway for everyone.

All special interests are represented by Lobby Groups. We are the exception. Lobby groups have clout. We can have clout. Lobby groups have clout by writing letters, conducting polls and surveys of their group and the public, they meet with Congressional and Governmental representatives, and, most importantly, they have strength in numbers. 8,000,000 commercial drivers. We have numbers. We have clout. It needs to be organized and channeled to meet our needs.

To establish a credible Lobby Group will take patience, cooperation, time and money. We are spread widely apart; the Internet can close the gap and make the drivers one group. I have invested $300.00 and about 200 hours in researching this task. We can do it, together. A Lobby Group would need to acquire the following.

- Non-Profit status as a group
- An Attorney that understands the transportation industry
- An established bank account, which I intend to do on 15 May 2007
- A formal website
- Establishment of an office, address and 800 phone numbers
- State volunteers to organize and represent the drivers from there state.

All Class “A” and “B” drivers would be eligible for membership. This would obviously include straight truck and bus drivers. We currently have about 5 members, we expect to grow. We are in our first weeks of conception. But we are off the CB and working, so to speak. All of the assistance that we can gather is for the betterment of all of us. We have to stop thinking about ourselves and pull this wagon together. Our basic organization looks like this:

Chief Negotiator/Lobbyist __________________________
1st Assistant __________________________
2nd Assistant __________________________
Secretary __________________________
Treasurer __________________________
State Representatives __________________________
__________________________
__________________________

This will be a long process. It will be a difficult process. It will be difficult for us to unite and become one. Peterbuilt or International, Flatbed or Freight Hauler, we share the road and the same concerns. For now, contact us by email at (Emails deleted as per TOS) we welcome your ideas, comments and input. If you choose to email negative comments, go ahead, that is your right and it is expected. Do not anticipate a response, we want to make this a positive effort. We prefer to think this will be a positive effort for America’s drivers.

In closing, it is our hope that a major truck publication like Truckers News and the major truck stop chains will help get this effort off the ground. It would be a good thing to have the support of the people that we support everyday. Companies, as well as individuals are encouraged to respond and participate. It is not our intention to insult or injure any group or company. Just to support all drivers, and their family needs as we move America’s goods and improve the appearance of our profession and industry.

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Safety Stand Down - All Trucks and companies from Midnight 09/12 til Midnight 09/16.

Let me know when you have it up and running, fully functional, and have actually made some significant improvements directly attributable to your organization's efforts. Once that happens, then I'll take a look at your group and decide if it's worth my time to participate.

Till then, I wish you luck but will take a pass for now.

$18.00/hr isn't worth it to me unless you can keep me on the clock from the time I get there to unload, until after I have driven to a truck stop and taken a shower (which is reimbursed) as well.

An organization that is going to support OTR truck drivers needs to eliminate truck loading and unloading, not be concerned with getting them more money for it. By the way, if I touch freight, I can assure you I make more than $18.00/hr via a "lumper receipt". Some may not consider it honest, but I refuse to do a job for 1/3 what I would be paying someone else to do. Set up a plan to eliminate loading/unloading completely, I will come much closer to supporting something like this.

We cannot eliminate every issue in the trucking industry today. We do need people to take an active roll in moving government officials in a different direction. It may take a truck strike. But you have to start somewhere. Here is a forum where we can start. This needs to be passed to your fellow drivers, not just a handful of us.

Yes I make more money. per mile, I get paid to sit, I get paid for breakdowns, I get paid to pti and fuel, I get paid to bump the dock, I have more holidays and days off than I really know what to do with. I only work 4 days a week.
All this is not the point. We need to develop some standards for all drivers, and pressure lawmakers to standardize some issues. We need to stop the ######## and stand together.

I don't think congress is going to regulate loading and unloading any time soon. Let's start with what we can get changed and show solidarity first.

A place to start, pass it on.

Lucky Charm
Columbus, Ohio

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Safety Stand Down - All Trucks and companies from Midnight 09/12 til Midnight 09/16.