Just some of the stupid things I see

Equal protection under the law? Isn't that in the Constitution somewhere?

Our masters have studied us extensively and they know our breaking point. Sometimes they miss and a guy flies his plane into the irs building, but for the most part they know when to ease up to prevent a stampede. Imagine the revolution that would ensue if they applied our requirements to every vehicle on the road.

 

This needs a thread of its own........think about it Dave.

You've just said what a lot of us have been thinking all along.

The source of untapped revenue aside......I'm talking about SAFETY.

For you Sir.

 

The problem as I see it is CMV drivers are unfairly singled out for extra enforcement using the premises of safety.

I don't have that big an issue with the rules governing CMVs, we need those rules for the most part for our protection from unscrupulous companies and owners.

The problem is we are not the only users of the public highways. Wouldn't it be safer for everyone if every user was held to the same standards?

I don't know the precise number, but I know that most car-truck accidents are the fault of the car driver. Perhaps if those car drivers would be held to the same strict standards that truck drivers are then a lot of those accidents would have never happened!

Of course, I am assuming that all the rules are REALLY all about safety.

 

While I understand your points on both of these posts Dave and I respect your opinion, as well as agree with a lot of the points you have made, I also disagree with it.

I believe that a lot, not by any means all, laws have been put into place because there was a need for them. That doesn't mean that you, I, or even most of us were the cause of that need but someone was guilty of doing things that directly required certain rules and laws to be put into place. I think most of these laws are enforced pretty well and with a good bit of leniency for the most part.

While there are times and instances when a LEO will abuse his/her power when it comes to enforcing laws and regulations, I believe most of them are pretty fair if your not an ### hole towards them. I'm sure the "bad apples" are looked upon the same way we look upon some of the trash that we see out her driving trucks along side of us.

Don't get me wrong I don't like the HOS anymore than you do, but, even with all the BS we deal with I can't think of any job I'd rather do. Unless Hugh Heffner is looking for a protege!

 

Here is one thing I do not get.

Not having a log book is a misdemeanor, you will get a fine and 10 hours off.

If you have a log book and you falsify it, or make a mistake that looks like a false log. It is a felony with a much larger fine. And 10 hours off.

 

Maybe I wasn't clear.

I don't have a problem with any of the rules, especially HOS. I don't want to work harder or longer to make more money. I actually wish we didn't have to work as hard as we do just to barely make a living. Personally, I think the real crime is the way most drivers are paid! Pay per mile or percentage of the load only perpetuates this nonsense. We are rewarded with bigger paychecks for breaking the rules. And everyone, shippers, receivers, trucking companies, and the driver play this silly compliance game knowing that the odds are good that the driver wont get caught.

I agree that rules are needed! I think there needs to be the same rules for every vehicle on the road. A Ford is just as deadly as a Freightliner, a Kia will kill just as dead as a Kenworth, a Peterbilt will end your life just like a Pontiac!!!

 

So Dave, are you proposing an HOS law for the average motorist? Does this mean that a (to use an example,) retail store manager that has just worked a 16 hour day at his job, cannot legally get in his car and drive home after his shift is over?

It isn't realistic. Neither is it realistic to say the same rules should apply to everybody. I know it SOUNDS good. It SOUNDS fair, (not that FAIR is much of a fact of life anyhow. . .)

But look at the realities of life here. There is no way that a private vehicle can or SHOULD be regulated the same way we are. It isn't gonna happen.

I'm going to continue this thought a bit here, and even though I did direct the above part of the post to you, Dave, that is NOT what I am doing with the rest of it. I am just throwing it out as a general thought.

I can't tell you the number of times that I have heard, "the cops are picking on me because I'm ________________________!" I'm sure you can all fill in whatever blank here you can think of, whether it is race, sex, or even the type and color car you drive. It is usually (note the highlight there,) because they are ducking responsibility and don't have the brains or balls to fill in the blank with "screwed up."

The fact is that we ALL screw up sometimes. Most of the time we get away with it. Sometimes we don't. Sometimes we get away with things so often, we actually forget that we are getting away with something. Then if we get "busted," our first thought is, "This is BS. They are just picking on me because _____________________!"

 

Dd

Don.....just refering to the first paragraph you wrote. In as much as we are reuired to shut down ten minutes from the house or delivery point because we are out of hours, YES! To use your example if the store manager "planned ahead".....

FATIGUE IS FATIGUE NO MATTER WHAT SIZE VEHICLE YOU DRIVE!!!!

HOS are not the only onerous regulation that we have to deal with. I believe all users of the public roadway should fall undeer the same regulations that we do for drug testing ie random; probable cause; post accident and pre licsense. If you fail you don't drive ANY VEHICLE!

Additionally equipment standards for all vehicles should be established. How many cars have you seen Just this week that have no business being anywhere but the scrapyard?

I'm sure there are many other rules that we are required to abide by that 4 wheelers do not. I just can't think of them.