The "High Risk" Commercial Driver

so, this is something new? hell, the description fits every idiot on every job on the planet.

HEY! I SAID NO PICKLE ON MY HAMBURGER!!!! PAY ATTENTION NEW GUY!

 

that survey is BS. It was done by "hiring managers" of the ATA 100. The random sample that was done by "saftey managers" of the ATA was a much smaller as a sample. Read all the data and you will find the Quoate "Angry Divers with job disatisfaction" are not the ones who are the most unsafe. The Angry driver with job disatifaction is much more prone to turnover hurting the company bottom line and these "experts surveyed" are about the bottom line, has nothing to do with saftey. Look at the sources cited by the "Experts". None are current or even revelant to American trucking: 1961, 1971, 1967 South African study, and 1996 are the years of the six studies these "experts" used. The two done during this decade are 9 and 5 years old and about sleep disorders. This was a report done in 2004 by trucking companies and published on REQUEST via the DOT website, they (the feds) have nothing to do with it. In the studies I have seen it's new drivers under two years of driving, younger drivers under 25, and health issues like sleeping disorders causing most of the accidents on the road.

The true stats that matter are those involved in the accidents.

* On page 3 it points out drivers age 18-21 are 50 times more likely to have a crash due to speeding. Ages 30-50 are the safest with numbers not opinions to back it up.

* Sleep disorders including those associated with being over weight are 3 to 14 more times likely to be involved in a crash but the hiring managers rated being overweight with a sleeping disorder as one of the lowest factors. See page 3. The opinions of the experts are proved wrong in this study on the very next page after being stated.

* The information on personality disorders are all opinion with no stats to back it up and the only study provided in this report was from the 1960s in South Africa.

* The things that cause the personality disorders such as Anger are even noted to be caused by low pay, money problems, long seperations from family, and being over worked....sounds like the bottom feeders like Werner, JB Hunt, and Knight who participated in this study need to pay their drivers more and help improve the quailty of life.

 

Well, the ATA (Anti-Truckers Association) is made up of mostly large, bottom-feeder companies anyway. I don't take anything the ATA says seriously. They want us all governed at 63 miles an hour, and would probably love to see us allowed to only drive 8 hours a day as well.

 

I agree and I am labeled an angry driver by a company because I couldn't live live on their 400-550 take home pay a week and live in their truck 30 days a clip.

Also on the last page of that study on the right hand side the DOT printed a disclaimer that study was not done by the Government and doesn't repersent the DOT.

I don't have the stats in front of me but have seen them several times on a website I can't remember at the moment, I will post a link to it when I pull it out of my head. But anyway the true stats are the safest driver on the road with a CDL is a middle aged woman 45-55 with 5-15 years driving and a BMI under 40%. Followed by a man 45-55 with no health issues, BMI under 40%, and 5-15 years of driving. When you get to drivers over 55 you have those guys you read about that have the heart attacks behind the wheel that skew the stats but in my opinion the older drivers are the best and everything I know about trucking I learned from an old timer.

 

Seems like most hiring criteria these days is geared towards making only students qualified to drive. For instance, companies go on and on about being a professional driver. But professionalism to them means having a clear record. But they don't want to hire you if you leave another company because you're not willing to break the law. That pretty much leaves out anyone that has experience and still has a license. Only trainees can qualify under that criteria. When they use up those licenses, they will be back for more "professionals" from the latest group of trainees.
I can remember when professionalism meant doing your best regardless of how you feel about it. I guess that only applies to drivers willing to run more than one log book now.
It seems like companies are looking for more and more ways to get rid of the experienced drivers, and any little excuse will work. A good safety record means very little any more, unless you're a trainee. Reminds me of back in the 70's when there was a lot of union reps taking handouts under the table and laying down on job. Wonder how many recruiters are getting trucking school kickbacks.

 

It's true what your saying. The day of the 50-200 truckload carriers is over and now only the mega carriers are left standing. A company with 200 trucks or more doesn't want you my friend, you cost too much. It doesn't even want me because even though I only have 6 years as a driver (2001-2005 then 2008-now), I still remember when $0.36 a mile was my starting wage out of truck diving school and owner ops leased on got a $1.05 per mile plus ALL the Fuel surcharges. You being a driver for 21 years still remember when an owner operator could put 150,000 a year profit in their pockects like my dad did. These mega carriers don't want that because they have to keep cost low in order to haul loads for walmart and drive out the midsized carriers to gain market share. In order to do that they need company drivers who will work for 30-35,000 MAX and a Fleased driver making 50 K or less and living in the truck because if they take a week off the poor fool not only loses the wages but owes the company a $1,000.

This self insured stuff needs to end ASAP! If these mega carriers had to insure those younger drivers at a fair market rate you would see how fast they had to raise prices. Most don't have the bond requirements in cash reserve anyway and the Government doesn't check it out. They just pay as they go on accidents. Arrow didn't have it and there is no way in Heck those companies like USF Glenn Moore, All the best ways, and parent company Yellow roadway have that type of cash in reserves. If they did the stock wouldn't be worthless and the Wall Street boys saying they are near failing. I don't think Swift has the 2-3.8 billion in cash to pay off the accidents if half thier fleet had a bad accident right now. The Government never steps in and ask to see the books either.

Fuel is another way smaller companies are getting pushed out. Pilot overcharges the smaller companies and then passes on the saving to mega carriers by giving the up to 21 cents off a gallon! Now that they have the J they have 75% of the OTR fuel market lowering the cost to even more big carriers. The government screwed the small trucker by allowing this trust to form.

 

Don't necessarily do it for your career but definitely do it for yourself and enroll in an anger management class. They are usually free from your health care provider. You'll be in there with people who were court ordered to be there, real live Jerry Spring Sh8t going on. It will change your life if you honestly go in there with an open mind truly accept the tools and methods for working through your anger no matter what level of it you have or are perceived to have (by your employer, DOT or any other power that be).

 

Anger is a personality disorder ???

Hmmm, I wonder if the Doc would remain calm...while I raped his wife, with him watching.

After all, no need in showing the world how ugly REAL emotions can be.

Now where did I leave my Cabbage Patch doll ? :smt075

 

I have always thought that time with company or time driving class 8 should be required info for accident reports. If the newbies and job jumpers are really a problem statistically, then the insurance companies and their rates would force things to change.