Physical condition can impact driver’s safety

I tell you what, when they start imposing these asinine standards on EVERYONE WITH A LICENSE, REGARDLESS OF THE VEHICLE THEY DRIVE, then, maybe I'll consider it fair!
If all their studies are accurate and people die or get hurt because the operator of a vehicle is out of shape, fatigued, under the influence of some substance, distracted etc, then why are THEY ONLY SHOVING THESE REGULATIONS UP THE ARSE OF TRUCK DRIVERS???

 

I suppose it could be because our arses are bigger . . .

The sad fact is that many of us are terribly out of shape. I don't go along with the government pushing it on us, but for our own sakes, we really do need to do something about it.

Before you go off on me here, let me say that I am in that category as well. I was not in good shape prior to retirement. The old body has just broken down too #### far. But I know there are things I can do, (that so far, I haven't actually done,) that would help out.

 

But as you say "for our own sakes..."
We don't need the government "helping" us!

My other point was the equality of the rules too. Any unsafe driver is a problem, NO MATTER WHAT THEY DRIVE! From a 2 Wheeler to an 18 Wheeler, we should have an obligation to share the road SAFELY!
QUIT TARGETING ONLY TRUCK DRIVERS with these rules! Most of us know that, as a group, mile for mile, truckers are THE SAFEST DRIVERS, SO WE ARE NOT THE REAL PROBLEM!
sorry, preaching to the choir, I know.

 

When I first started teaming at my last company, I didn't have a regular partner, so I went with whoever was available. The first was skinny, but had COPD, and was told he needed to be on disability. He could not walk to the rear of the truck and back, or across a parking lot. We walked a couple of hundred feet from a truckstop to the truck. When he crawled in it took him five minutes before he was able to breathe and talk again. He almost collapsed getting to the truck. Last trip with him.

Second trip. This driver was slightly overweight, had somewhat recent heart surgery, and had enough pills in the truck to start a pharmancy in order to keep alive. I parked less than 100 yards from a truckstop door, and before were were halfway there he said his chest was hurting, and that since the operation he could not walk that far. Last trip with him.

The next driver took Benadryl to knock himself out in order to sleep with the truck moving. After waking, which was very hard to do, he couldn't drive more than two hours before having to take a nap because of the hangover. He also took other meds because he had several mini-strokes in the past, while driving a truck. Last trip with him.

Next two trips. This guy was 400 lbs if a pound. Sweat pants and a sweat shirt. Would not get out of the truck unless there was absloutely no choice. Eat every meal from a cooler, or I went in and got things for him. Was ubable to walk from the closest fuel island to the truck stop and back to the truck without resting inside, and getting in the truck on the return trip he sounded like a weezing machine. He also had a small pharmancy with him. Try living in a 386 Peterbilt with someone that hangs off both sides of the seat, and has to push both seats apart as far as he can to get into the sleeper. No more trips with him.

Next driver sounded like he had lung cancer from the unfilter Camels he smoked. He would run out of breath coughing.

All but one of these guys would not stop the truck unless fuel was needed from the minute they started driving until 11 hours was up. I ran just as many miles as they did per shift, but stopped every three hours or so to either walk around the truckstop a few times, or pull off in a rest area and walk around the truck 8-10 times. My health is too important to me to kill myself over a load getting there an hour earlier.

Lots of these drivers need to be put out of a truck. I expected any one of the people I was with to keel over at any second. I just went to sleep hoping it wasn't my time to go yet.

 

And car drivers are IMMUNE FROM ALL THOSE PROBLEMS? ??
Or maybe it's only truck drivers that kill people???

 

Not at all, but I wasn't riding in the sleeper coast to coast with an unsafe car driver. Would YOU run with the people I described? I left a lot out to try and keep the post short.

 

truckerdave, I don't believe anyone is arguing with you here. Just pointing out facts of life of a lot of truckers. But it doesn't matter what a person drives, if they are unsafe, then they should not be behind the wheel.