Why a strike? The CSA 2010 will cripple trucking.

I really feel that the approach you are suggesting has for the most part been ineffective as sketched out by other posters. I think part of the problem is that in some ways these forces are not the enemy. For a long time companies actually were able to rein in a lot of regulation- yes it was to thier advantage but it worked out ok for the drivers.

I can't help feeling that it is time for us to actually focus on the opposition. There are groups that actively lobby for more regulation. Many times these groups are driven by emotions ( such as CRASH, and PATT) and are inspired by previous legislative success by organizations like MADD.

There is also Public Citizen and the Teamsters( frankly I think the teamsters just need to be shamed for not even trying to unionize the large companies while expecting to own the ports). These groups should be very aware of our GOOD arguments and how we agree with thier goals but not thier solutions before they go to lobby. There really should be protests against them when they are out of line. We should know when they are doing some sort of action to provide a counterpoint.

Reasoned phone calls , letters and small protests go a long way when you single out the small players instead of going out to slay giants like the federal goverment.
http://www.citizen.org/Page.aspx?pid=183

http://www.patt.org/

As an example look at the result of agreement on the NAFTA mexican trucker rules

http://www.patt.org/NAFTA_and_Mexican_Trucks.php

It was the joining of these interest groups and industry that stopped that funding. We need to be working on these groups and addressing thier fears and alienating the people within those organizations that are completely unrealistic.

I think these groups are emotionally driven and get off on the idea of fighting big business and forget the people who actually work these jobs. This leads to them endlessly looking for more and more to get the feeling of accomplishment by slaying these dragons. They need to be reminded that we are individuals with families who know more about what is on the roads than they do. And how the rules can be tweaked to where they are workable. We would also need them to understand and support wage/ rate increases or better control of enforcement. I think that would be much more effective than writing congressmen and sitting around not making money. OOIDA should be building bridges with these groups too instead of always finding themselves on opposite sides of the court room. Coalition building seems to be the way that things are gotten. ONe of the first things would be the repeal of the wage exemptions in the FAIR LABOR ACT for truck drivers.

I guess what I am saying is that in some ways it might be worth our while to put some money and time into co-opting or disciplining these groups and getting them to work for us on the things that don't go against thier core values. For example--- I want safe roads too. Don't you think we would have safer roads with better paid and more experienced drivers? Or to Public Citizen--it is a travesty that drivers do not get paid at the same rate as the rest of the economy and that shippers get away with keeping drivers there for hours, don't you think?

 

Line 4 is better than line 3, you can be on line 4 all day it doesnt hurt your 11, just your 70. everything but 8 hours in the sleeper hurts your 14!

The DOT requires (dunno if its officially written, but i know that it was discussed with werner in setting up our system) that the system can not automatically take you off duty. It can take you on duty to driving and off driving to just on duty. If im in a traffic jam i usually sneak myself onto line 2. Sometimes that leads to grumpy phone calls from NetOps dispatchers when they're waiting on me as an otr driver...

Anyway thats why our messages look like:

EMPTIED AT BL DESTINATION BLAH BLAH BLAHHHHH
Driver going to line _ (1,2,3,4)

You're...not going to put yourself on line 4 after you empty out, ever, are you?

or...

VEHICLE INSPECTION REPORT BLAH BLAHHHH
Driver going to line _ (1,2,4)

...

get my drift?

 

WOWZERS...quite a bit to digest here... so I guess here is my nickles worth;

The fact that we can come together on forums such as this and express our views on our current government without being hunted down and jailed for it should speak volumes..

Many Many threads about companies who will hire any warm body, for what ever reason, to fill a seat. As well as what some companies require or demand their drivers to do. Most drivers will comply for fear of their job. I have to ask then, at this point who is in control. To say "I've got no choice, I need a paycheck, so I've gotta do what I gotta do" in my opinion is bunk.

So when a program comes along...

Let me stop here for a moment and say. Yes there is good a bad with this and needs to be "tweeked"
After all it is new and will more than likely see it's share of changes..

Anyway on with show... a program comes along that will not only keep drivers in check but companies as well.
And perhaps make for a safer industry,, Then bring it.

Do we or do we not want,, not only SAFER more educated drivers on the road, but safer equipment as well.
Will this or will it not cause a company to think twice before asking or demanding a driver "do what you gotta do,,just need that load to get there"

So if a driver wishes to be a "rebel..renegade..outlaw" or whatever more power to you.. But like I would tell my children,, to do what you know to be wrong and expect to not,, at somepoint, get in trouble for it is like stepping in front of a bus expecting not to get hit.

Bottom line is we can't have it both ways....

I'm sure this will bring on many comments..but oh well,,,so be it.

 

Hey :
While I am not going to bash anyone here , I will state what I have been seeing so far.
For the most part the O/Os on here and the drivers that have more seat time {More than the 2 to 4 years } are the ones that are not getting all upset over this crap.
The newer ones are the ones that are saying the new rules are Ok, Not so bad, etc...
I also noticed that most of the newer drivers are the ones looking at the older O/Os as some sort of Rebels.... Why ? What is it that these schools have taught the newbeis that the older drivers just could never understand..
This is not to open a new debate.. Fact is if you do not have that seat time , You went through a school or you do not have a CDL..
Just maybe these older drivers know something that the school could not teach...
The very idea of Big brother breathing down our necks with more regulations is already bad enough let alone our new generation of drivers now agreeing with it.
The SAFETY issue out here is what it is. More rules will not change that. The safety became an issue when we started pumping out mill run drivers to hold steering wheels and hope they survived it.
While drivers and O/Os like SouthernPride may get a little carried away at times , many on here would also stand to learn a few things . mainly about attitude and aptitude.
Coming out and saying the older ones are washed up and are all rebels is really not true .
Yes we make just about the same money now as we did in the 70s.
The 80s saw fuel prices start upward and things have went down hill from there.
The trucks on the road today are safer than at any point in the history of trucking.
There are still many flaws in it but the industry it self will demand better equipment and does not need a governmant agency to guide us through that.
Wasn't that long ago trucks had no front brakes at all. Then the Pre 21 systems,, They failed,, Now the ABS system which fails daily .
The "Black Box" was talked about back in the 80s.
Fact is many companies fell for it and now use Qual Coms. They were in on it from the start.
This started out with the big companies and trickled down . Why ?
I don't buy the "cutomer needs to know " story ...
I too was involved with truck strikes back in the day. They worked then . The problem today is most drivers out here are here because there was no other work and they dare not risk their jobs.
Now all we hear about is the new E-Log.. They need to shove the E-Log .
The other fact I see is that mostly the O/Os are the ones talking about freedom and leave us alone rather than hit us with all you can regulations and tracking devices.
So , It appears as if we have two totally different classes and types of drives out here chimming in on this new CSA issue.
Company drivers ? Yep , You will do as you are told . Or else.
O/Os ? Well maybe some of us will just remain Rebels .

 

On some level this may be true...but as for this driver, I beg to differ...let's just leave it at that....

 

I don't know about the other but unsecured item's I can understand in the case that if you are involved in major crash those loose item's can become projectiles causing more bodily harm to you or other's if they went through the windshield and found a way to make it out side of the truck just like a person being ejected from a vehical from not wearing a seat belt.

 

Hey again :
Well , You should by now know that I do not intend to pick on you or any One driver.. But as a general point in this "you " know what I am saying and who I am saying it about.

I also agree about the messy truck issue. It was always a given to have the bed made. I get up make the bed and then get dressed.
No loose junk on the dash. I do have a pair of sun glasses on it .
I have seen dashes so full it makes me wonder what the rest of the truck looks like inside. Then one of them parks next to you and you no longer wonder. Wow ! Where does he sleep ?
A while back I saw a young gal get out of a bull wagon and to my shock she let 2 huge St. Bernard dogs out . Holy crap.. Those dogs sloobered all over her windows, steering wheel and I can only imagine what else.

I have nothing against a pet , but man this seems to be an extreme.
The resale value of trucks that had dogs or cats in them is very low.
You never get that hair out.
I always thought it was ilegal to carry crap on the dash. yet trucks pull through scales all the time with so much junk on their dash they can barely see out.

What the heck is up with the shifters over your head ? Is that suposed to be cool now ?
Why have an air seat ? Some of these guys are letting all the air out and riding on the floor. $800.00 to $2000.00 for a good seat and then let all the air out ?????

I see trucks all the time with the upper bunk jam packed with more junk. What happens if they really have to mash on the brakes ? Or hit something?
Man would that be a mess and a half. Not condeming just wondering...

Oh well , But I do think the next time I see a driver going down the road with his left leg up over the side window reading a book going down the road , I just may call that number on his wagon . I don't have to compete for safety with that type any more.
Last I knew there was a law on foot ware also.. Bare foot truckers ? Never used to see that out here .

 

I know if I were a dot man if I wanted a easy fine I'd pull one in that had crap all over their dash because if their too lazy to put the junk up their too lazy to keep the other stuff in order.

As for a dog or other pet some people got them for the idiot idol laws some states have and yes some go overboard. I know if i go to buy a truck if I smell any type of stench I wouldn't buy it. Face it some drivers cant even clean up after themselves much less a animal too. Oh and when they stop to go themselves bet the animal is stuck in the truck till they think to take them out.

And the shifter and sitting on the floor thing go hand in hand with running the non adjusted driving lights or fog lights if you prefer, and blinding you with their brights when you check your mirrors to see if your past them yet.

 

Hey :
Good responce. I guess you are right ... Good thing I ain't No DOT man.
I would not pick on the small stuff. But , Crap on the dash. ????

Full DOT .... You are right , If he can not even clean off that dash, what else is out of order. ?

And Ya, During the day time the brights may be OK for letting me know when I am past. But at night ?
One other thing that bugs me. 400 Plus miles across a state and very little traffic. Yet that dummy passes me and clears me by 25 feet and is already coming over. I really don't want to read his trailer doors. I would not mind seeing some of the road.
My truck will turn tripple digits , If I don't want him to ride just in front of me I can blow his doors off very hard. that usually gets some sort of question as to what I am up to.
That is what I am after . Since you asked , just after I blow smoke in his face.
My code name may give hint to how I can do this.

Anyway < just for info ,,, Thought some of you might want to know.
I just bought a new Air filter from a place called "Cleen Air" Wow !
Looks just like a K&N.. My Cat would always trip the filter minder even with a new filter ... Not any more. It has a 10 year warranty..

Because of all the michigan Red squirrels under my hood my engine really wants air. It get s it now.
This filter is washable. Reoil it and get back to work. I paid $260.00 for mine but there was $40.00 for 3 day shipping in there. I wanted it fast.

I would go through a paper filter every 6 weeks.

www.cleer-air.com Steve Rive .. Good guy and fast...
Actual cost of filter was about $218.00......

Worth every penny...

 

I know what you mean there mine tops out about 125 and I only do 4 to 5 over. but don't ya love the one's that barely pass and jump off the exit your coming up on?

10 year warranty sounds good I dont have the squirrel problem but I live back in the sticks on a dirt road so my kitty sucks up a lot of dust I just wonder if it would still be valid for that.