No APU, 5 minute idle, 90+ degrees - is this legal?

Your's and my opinion on what is necessary are quite far apart. You claim temps will kill the average healthy adult, while I point out that if your argument had a grain of truth mankind would have perished eon's ago.

Now should a driver make sure his needs are being met? Absolutely, and he can at anytime by finding an employer that provides what he needs.It is between him and the owner of the truck. It is their choice to accept the conditions or not.

He better care to keep his #### job! If you do not like the owners rules for operating his equipment go drive somewhere else.

All the crud I see on here about "sticking it" to a company, or owner is childish at best, and most probably illegal in a strict sense since it appears malicious and premeditated in nature.

And you would enjoy the unemployment line abusing equipment just for petty spite at any company if not worse(see above).

 

There ARE laws that require an employer to maintain a "safe working environment ".

By not having a sleeper that is warm/cool enough to enable a driver to get rest, you are guaranteeing that a fatigued driver is operating a CMV, thus creating an unsafe working environment!!

Speaking for myself, I DO NOT WANT A FATIGUED DRIVER ANYWHERE NEAR ME OR MY FAMILY!!!

 

Tantamount. Wow, big word. Slavery was a horrible trend where people had NO choice and were made to work for NO pay, usually under really bad conditions. The cool thing here is that in America, where people have fought and died for our freedoms, we have the FREEDOM to choose where we work - if you don't like the arrangements with your current employer, find another one.

With that said, having been a driver, if I found myself in a position to buy 20 trucks and employ 20 drivers, I'd be the hardest SOB in the planet to work for, but I'd pay well, you'd have nice equipment, and certainly would have APUs.

We can't impose they way we would treat people... onto other business owners. It's their gear, they can do what they want, and we have the FREEDOM to choose not to work for them.

 

Quite a difference between being whipped, chained, hunted when missing with dogs, and someone that has made choices in their life leaving themselves with little or no prospects don't you think?


More melodrama

 

Ok, here is where we lose each other. You deem this a comfort issue, to have no thermo regulation in the truck.

Many, myself included, deem it a safety issue, as it is known that human body requires thermo-regulation... or you die. Same goes for cold weather.

You say, if you stay in that situation... you deserve to die.
I say, you shouldn't be put in that situation in the first place.

 

So where would you draw the line on requirements for driver comfort?

Yes we know your thoughts on AC, and Heat.

What about the CPAP, maybe a hooker credit to avoid lack of sleep from masturbation?

Full heated contour beds complete with full time nurse for medical conditions?

Hot Tub so a driver could truly relax?

How about we ban sleepers all together and make you use a motel? Gonna suck when your hung at a dock but hey you'll have AC right?

Hell Sparky I think teams should be outlawed for multiple reasons, not the least of which is the lack of quality sleep. But we do not always get what we want.

 

Progress. Now whom places themselves in this position, or upon discovering the position stay's in it?

 

Just to get back into that whole APU thing. I think it should be mandatory for those #### things to have the exhaust run up to roof height.
I cannot stand parking next to those #### things and having the noise and exhaust coming into my truck. Most of the noise comes out that way too. So if they get it run to the top of the truck I will not have to hear it or breath the fumes.

 

Tazz, just going out on a limb here, I bet a dozen doughnuts that you are a small fleet owner. You don't need to answer one way or the other, but the way you post indicates a distinct lack of compassion and basic concern that only the owner of a fleet of trucks would have.

Requiring a driver to operate under those inhumane conditions is criminal in my opinion. Furthermore companies or owners that allow this unsafe condition to exist are guilty of negligence and should suffer the consequences for their actions.

Ronin, my comparison to slavery may seem extreme but have you ever met these drivers that are eyeball deep in a fleese like C.R.England or Prime?

Slavery is too strong, then let's call it indentured servitude!!!

 

The idling issue has been around a long time. My wife and I were teaming with Covenant several years ago when fuel was $4.50-5.00 a gallon.... they wouldn't deadhead us more than 50 miles for a load... but they wouldn't let us idle the truck, either... or they'd charge us $5 an hour if we did.

We spent 2-3 days a week in Phoenix.. over 100 degrees, truckstop parking lot - we went for walks, took showers.. and then said screw it, we were idling - never were charged any money.

How can they charge money when they won't let you run to earn the money to pay for idling? Lots of Catch 22s there.