Driving time / time worked v. safety

Subject - Interesting article in today's paper... it seems the Feds, the FAA and the NTSB (Nat'l Transportation Safety Board) are concerned of fatigue in pilots, because many are being pushed to work "close to" the limit of 100 hours a month. The basis for the concern, "outdated science that ignores the latest sleep research showing the cumulative impact of inadequate rest".

My point - one would think the Fed. would be equally concerned about truck drivers, and not caving in to the standards set by the large trucking companies whose only concern is profit, not safety.

If pilots work on avg. 20 days a month, that is a maximum of 5 hours per day they fly... half the amount of time a professional driver is expected to be on the road daily, in a much more physical job... and that is comparable only id the professional driver is driving 20 day a month. Typically, that would be more like 26 days a month, or an added week.

Question - Why is the government not as worried about drivers, time out on the road, sleep deprivation, modern sleep research and the cumulative impact of inadequate rest on drivers? And when are drivers going to stand up and protect themselves, since it seems no one else will?

Drivers have varying opinions on here, but my opinion is this... you can be pro union or anti union, but something has to change for drivers. The status quo (driver mills) is a joke, and too many are afraid to mess with it. Too many say "pay your dues". Abusive conditions in this day and age are not "paying your dues". Drivers by themselves, unorganized, will accomplish nothing. The trucking companies will lobby for and support regulations that allow them to maximize profits, not account for driver safety and well being. The Fed. does nothing other than support the current regs pushed by the big companies. Something needs to give. Either trucking companies and the Feds become as worried about drivers as the FAA and Feds are worried about pilots.... or I see no alternative than unionizing the entire indistry... all drivers. Because somebody has to take a stand to protect drivers. Thank you for reading and comments.

 

So what is the answer when no-one starts the discussion. What is your solution? It's easy to say what is NOT working, and NOT the answer... what would you suggest? How do you get the trucking company execs and the Feds to agree to changes for drivers? And who represents the drivers? Don't forget, in my comparison to pilots... pilots are union... and they essentially work 25 hours a week. in the name of safety of course.

 

Wall Street Journal - front page

Interesting because ALL pilots are union and the govt. and FAA and safety Board seem so concerned about them working more than a few hours a day, yet no concern whatsoever about truck drivers working 10 hours straight, getting 5 hours sleep and driving anohter few hours, to get a load delivered. Interesting how there seems to be 2 opposites at work here, and how one is all union and drivers actually fight being organized. Makes no sense to me.

 

lol... So your point is?????

First, I was comparing 2 similar groups and asking a question which I ask again below.... Second, anyone who can't put air in their tires or fix a light probably shouldn't even be driving 4 wheels let alone a rig. Driver mills will put anybody in a seat. But your rant went off somewhere into left field.

I don't understand ... you are what...???

You are in favor of protecting the driver mills that keep wages down for drivers? The same ones putting drivers out there poorly trained and ill equipped to do the job? The ones who can't put air in the tires?

You are in favor of companies screwing, lying and cheating drivers with regard to wages, costs, expenses, opportunities just to fill a seat?

You enjoy being told to bend over, here's our .01 cpm raise for you for busting your ### for the past 6 months..?? or being told... "you don't get that pay or bonus... the employee who told you that was new ... sorry"? (see that alot in these threads...).

You think it's just fine that a company can legally advertise and tell a unsuspecting 21 yo kid with a wife and baby looking for work that he'll make $40,000 his 1st year, be home whenever he wants and needs, can be a trainer in only 6 months and make up to $120,000 a year... when everyone KNOWS it's BS and 6 months down the road the kid is broke and his family in dire straights...ruined... just to be replaced by another kid???

That is a disgrace to this industry and an insult to professional drivers.
Screw that and the people who support that crap! Is that what you support?

You think being stupid enough to get screwed by a company for "x" number of years is macho and makes one a man? LOL I think it makes one an idiot.

Look, I am 57 yo, been driving since I was 17. Drove dumps and operated heavy equipment for years without a CDL. Got a CDL in 2004 and only drove OTR 2 months before I had to quit to care for my mom and other family issues... I am going to start driving again soon, and I know exactly what abuse is... and am smart enough to recognize it and say so...and try and avoid it. I am surprised that nothing at all has changed and that mistreatment of drivers is even more wide spread 4 years later.

... you and others currently driving are living it, but some alot more than others... some not at all; some of you have great jobs and you are happy.

My point here is.. you have two similar groups... pilots and drivers.
Why is it one group cares how they get treated and the govt worries about how they get treated... I have known pilots and they are some of the ballsiest men I have ever met... tough, crazy sobs... why is it THEY care about how they are treated, about how they are worked, about their lives in general??? They certainly don't think it makes one a man to get screwed, work for pennies and for free... lol
...while the other group (drivers) has people who think it's macho to be treated like a chump, work for free and be taken advantage of while the govt. sits on their thumbs and lets you get screwed??? Why is that???