CBS4 Finds Truckers Falsifying Logbooks
2/18/08

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The Truckers Report Merchandise

They came so close to telling the real story I almost can't believe it! Why not explain how we are regulated by the hour but paid by the mile? Why not tell how we get punished for a reciever/shipper not being ready? Why not talk about all the split speed limits or all the anti-idle rules that don't let a driver get any rest on his break? So close and yet so very, very far.

First of all, this is 2008... and they're just now finding out that truck drivers cheat on their logs? C'mon, gimme a friggin break! More like it was a slow news day, so they had to scare the general public into hiding in their closet at home, away from those nasty, bad old cheating truck drivers who are out to kill everyone on the road.

The report states that 5000 people a year are killed in accidents involving trucks. According to the Bureau of Transportation Safety, in 2006, 17,602 people were killed in alcohol related crashes. How many of those 5000 truck related fatalities were caused by drunk drivers in cars? A good portion of them I'd suspect. And how many were caused by 16 year old bubble-gummers texting their friends while chatting with passengers and driving while simultaneously adjusting the radio? Probably the majority of the rest of the fatalities. Just because a truck was involved, does not make it the truck driver's fault.

Yeah, there we go, take even more money away from the guy who brings you your groceries.

I drove OTR 48 state for 3 years--with the exception of the first couple of weeks, I cheated and ran multiple log books every single day. Why? Well, it certainly wasn't to make extra money, or meet tight delivery schedules--it was to make my log book fit my circadian rhythym. Simply stated, I drove when I was awake and slept when I was tired. I'd log it after the fact to make it look legal.

I've learned that the eleven o'clock news really isn't news at all. It's just a medium like the National Enquirer--sensationalized stories designed to hook you into watching--a vehicle to ram the advertising down your throat. Sometimes I get sick of hearing, "Don't miss Eyewitness News at eleven... Watch it or your children will die!"

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Let's play the Road Rage Game...

You swerve your 3500 lb car in front of my 80,000 lb truck. Then, stomp your brake pedal in anger.

The first one to be crushed like a used Coke can is the loser.

The BIGGEST problem with the rules and why truckers lie on their logbooks IMHO is the shippers. If you're sitting for six hours at a shipper dozing in your seat or snoozing in your bunk, why should that take six hours away from your driving day?

I don't think it should and neither do most.

Those who lie and drive 18 hours a day every day are the problem and I doubt there's as many of those as there used to be because people today just don't push as hard and also know better, as do the companies.

If the dang shippers would smarten up or you'd be allowed to write off those hours and hours sitting there doing nothing and often snoozing, I think it'd fix about 90% of the problems with falsified logs.

Just my two cents

I couldn't agree with you more Pathfinder

I would strongly encourage you to email the reporter. I exchanged several emails with him yesterday and he seems to be open to getting the story out. Far more so than most other reporters and their stories I've run across the last few yrs where the reporter runs down the truck drivers. Just the fact that he went out and talked to the drivers at the side of the road and in the semi shows he is trying harder than most reporters.
Did you notice in the video it looked like he was driving that truck where he got access to the CB?

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Brickman, took your advice and e-mailed the reporter. Sent basically the same letter with a few modifications. We'll see what happens. It would be nice if this turned into a series or something, ok i'll stop sniffing the glue now!

Let us know what he says.

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I agree with you...also why not state how many of those deaths they talked about are because of stupid 4-wheelers that have no clue how to act (drive) around a big truck...They make it sounds like every death related truck accident is because of cheating on a log book....BAH!