State of trucking: to be legal or iilegal?

lildaddy this is just an observation but you state you drive sometimes 12-14 hours non-stop, I find this interesting as you post so much exercise/diet advice in the health forum, I thought you of all people would KNOW better.

Most people realize that sitting/standing/laying in one position for a long time can lead to DVT for starters (and possibly enders if your not careful) I am amazed that someone such as yourself who chimes about health and fitness would do such a silly thing, guess you are not any better/smarter than those who eat a cheeseburger everyday, and only drive 10 or 11 hours, at least they are NOT breaking the law.

 

OUCH. Luv, I'm not perfect, I've never seen anyone who was. I do have a business to run and from time to time I do have to "git er done", if that makes me a outlaw then so be it, been called a lot worst and because I speak on the benifits of living a healthy life and share my knowlege on fitness, diet and nutrition with other truckers in the drivers health corner, that does'nt make me any better or worst than the next man.

Luv, if I've said something or did anything to offend you, I apologize as thats not my intent, but right now I am feeling a little heat coming from your side of the room. I am peace loving man and I'm into making love not war so please except my apologies and lets move on.
Thanks LUV,
Lil daddy

 

AS I agree with some of what you say, the part about logs is nothing but revenue and you will drive 12 or 14 hours without stopping has gotten to me. Why? Well I am in the log department remind you: biggrin100 (27):
Listen if you want: I know you may not agree with the regulations and that is fine. You have your own opinion as I have my own. I don't always agree with the regulations but, if you don't follow they and you are in an accident unfortunately you could be held accountable for that accident if you are found falsifying your logs (which proves you are over your HOS). I don't know your personal life and I am not asking for your personal life, but I will assume you have family that cares about you. If so is that extra chance worth visiting your family behind bars with big bubba? Truck drivers are prime candidates for these criminal 4 wheelers trying to cause accidents so if they get you to hit them and you are over your HOS they win! It doesn't matter; they go back 30 days up to the minute of the accident.
I really try to let drivers know what their consequences are if they run/log illegal, but many seem to continue to run illegal. I can't help but shake my head at them like ok, that is your choice and I will go on with my life. I like to drink but I do it at home because I am scared someone else or myself might mess up and we have an accident and I go to jail and my kids are left mommy less! Family would rather have a steady income and a husband or wife at home, than we would like to visit you in prison because someone got killed. Especially if that someone tried to kill their selves and you was the innocent bystander. Please keep this in mind as you don't wake up and say you are going to be in an accident, accidents happen without planning them.

 

I see I am not the only one who thinks you need to follow the HOS and not drive illegal so now there is heat from 2 corners of the room so to speak. I have nothing against you, I only take issue with your breaking the HOS....plain and simple. It is drivers like you who put others at risk on the road and who will eventually get caught. I just hope it is before you hurt or kill someone that is totaly innocent. You might as well as made the statement "I drink and drive" cuz it wouldnt have angered me any more. The HOS are there for a reason and drivers that choose to ignore them cause the "powers that be" to keep trying to regulate drivers even more! My husband shares the road everyday with you "supertruckerwannabes" and so does my family, so yes it makes me angry when you drive illegaly.

 

Do you think that being an O/O makes you less a slave - I think most so called O/Os are more a slave! As a company driver you can move to a new company or take time off for a family emergency. Try that when you are leasing-to-own a truck from a company or you are upside down on the truck and the payments are $3k a month wheither you roll the wheels or not! As to the part about "no forced dispatch for O/Os" try turning a bunch of dispatches down and get yourself starved out - the other side of that is that the company you're leased to is under no obligation to give you runs so you better toe the line and be a good little employee - oh sorry, "contractor" (yah right).

 

This just keeps getting better, now I'm being called a supertrucker along with wannabe and outlaw. Whats next? Just because we have different opinions on logs and HOS, must we resort to name calling Luv? I don't agree with your veiws on this topic, but I do respect your right to express your veiws and opinions, and I know you do not agree with mine. Thats fine, just give me the same respect that I give you. Right or wrong, good or bad, we all have our own veiws and opinions on topics that affect this industry and thats the true beauty of this forum, "being able to express veiws and opinions without the threat of verbal attacks".

Common sense over rules the law when It comes to someone else telling me how to drive or how to run my business. Safety is 1st and foremost in my business. If I don't feel that it's safe me to drive for whatever reason or that road conditions or traffic are such that I need to stop, than I stop. I don't keep driving because my log book says that I can still drive for another 4hrs, or because new HOS rules say that if I stop than I have to stop for 10hrs, to me thats not smart trucking. On the flip side of that, If I've been driving for 12hrs and I feel alert and energetic, I'm not going to stop because a book says that I'm out of hours. I never push myself to the point of total exaustion while driving. If I feel tired or drowsy, then I stop, I don't care what a log book says. There are numerous factors that determine how long I drive on a daily basis that override HOS or a log book.

Just because the speed limit on a given stretch of highway is 65mph does'nt mean that I drive 65mph. Road conditions, traffic and other factors dictate what it's safe for me to do, even though legally I can drive 65mph, that does'nt make it right. With me the same goes with logs and HOS. Just because it's legal does'nt make it right or the smartest thing to do.

That being said," I in am not telling/suggesting/encouraging anyone to drive illegal". I was only stating what I do and I am a man who accepts full responsibility for my actions. As a truckdriver be smart and use common sense, it'll take you along way in this business.

 

Yeap it is your choice to run illegal and you know what the outcome might be. I hope you do make it out alive and I hope no one else gets hurt. Remember sometimes our bodies don't realize we are as tired as we really are.

Yes you can have your own opinion as well
Be carefull out there

 

I understand what Lil Daddy is getting at here, also understand the other points of view. Calling him a "supertruckerwannabe" is a little harsh though, in my opinion.

I have been off the road for 3 years now, but when I drove, I drove just like this. for the most part, I had basically the same route every week, and during a couple days of that route, I put in a large amount of driving hours. I was illegal, but I was in no way risking the lives of anyone. I was simply well rested. Believe it or not, there are people that have enough common sense out there to know and follow their own limits. That doesn't mean they need to be called names on message boards for being honest about what they do.

On the other side, these hours of service rules are there, not to generate revenue, but to keep the roads safe because there are plenty of drivers out there that won't or can't use common sense and be aware of their own limitations. Thanks to those people, we have to have these laws.

If I were to go back out on the road now, I would drive legally. Not because I agree with the rules, but because I don't want to take the chance of getting caught. The consequences are simply too high now.

 

I guess I don't know why the issue of running illegal.

Where I work...our trucks are governed at 68mph and our driver's drive 11 hours legally and get to their destinations with no problems!
And would like to state this is a very large LTL carrier.
Actually.....most arrive before the time designated by the manifest.

So in my opinion...I don't see how running illegal does any good.

 

If my use of the common term for a trucker that runs illegal or has disreguard for others (supertruckerwannabe) offened anyone maybe I should have used a different term, I will appologize for that word but I will not now nor ever appologize for my stance on truckers who run illegal nor the dangers they pose to those who share the road with them.