Trucking can be like a bad marriage...

Hi,

Yes, I must admit...that security guard really got to me yesterday...I drove throughout the early morning, trying to meet a deadline, just to be stalled by a pompus security guard who thinks he's 'Mugabi' the brutal dictator from Africa...



Ok, this guy thought he was Napolian or something....they gave him a small plastic badge and
it just went to his head...

His ego was inflated...and he just wanted to exert his power and will...

I felt like telling him 'Look pal, your not in Africa no more, lighten up!!'

When colonial powers eventually withdrew over there, a series of brutal dictatorships rose up...instead of these guys helping their people, they became power hungry, greedy, and exeedingly cruel in how they governmed...

Normally I'm very patient...but yesterday I was wore out, my weekend was ticking away, and I just did not feel like putting up or out...

I had to put out, for the DOT man...(phycologically) by acknowledging his 'authority' over my person...only when i did that did he ease up....

And I sure didn't feel like doing the same for this guy, this security guard....

Oh well, like I said, he can explain to the freight company why their load was late...this security guard failed to see the big picture...it's not about 'him'...it's about moving freight for custimor...but he made it all about his ego and bowing down to him...

I'll admit...he did get the better of me emotionally, on that particular day...I should of been more patient...oh well...


Anyways...about the back roads you mentioned...
Yes, I notice that too...that back roads tend to be better maintained, probably cause their less traveled...
It seems now days the interstates are full of drama...accidents, construction, pot holes, and thick traffic...

I was on the backroads in Texas once...not a car, or human trace in sight...I felt like I was on mars...that's cool, unless your truck breaks down...expecially if you don't have a qualcom and no cell phone signal...

Anyways, hope ya slept well...and I hope you don't run into any Mugabis..



On your journey....

 

Seeing that it's Halloween and all, I want you all to see the faces of the two Senators who are behind bill SB 3884...I want you two see the faces of those who want to take money out of your pocket, the faces of those who want to monitor your every breathing moment in your truck...
The faces of certain law makers who want you to rot your life away at desolate rest areas and truck stops spending more time sleeping than actually driving...(are they insane!!)
(And all this while more and more rest areas are getting shut down)

The faces behind the laws that are making trucking less and less profitable, and more and more of a pain in the btt to do...

First up is Senator Mark Pryor, Democrat of Arkansas



Say hello Senator to the drivers you make laws for, that you don't even know...Funny Senator, no ones trying to rob you of the ability to earn a living...what do ya make a year $150,000 or more? What lobby group is pushing you to push and pass this bill?

Second Senator responsible for pushing bill SB 3884 is Senator
Lamar Alexandar Replican, Tennesse...



Say hello Senator, to those your trying to screw over, yes, that would be us truck drivers...we're the ones effected by these bills...your taking money out of our pocket, and making it increasingly hard for us to do our job...

Now let me explain what bill SB 3884 is...

If passed, it would require all trucks carry on board HOS data boxes that would in theory, track all your movement, and basically replace paper logs...

Here's a loose summary of what these devices would do..

'EOBRs would require each to be integrally linked or communicate with the vehicles engine control module; to identify each individual who operates the vehicle; to accurately record driving time; to provide real-time tracking of the vehicle's location; to enable law enforcement personnel to access the information contained in the device during roadside inspections; and to be tamper resistant.'

Ok, I don't know about you, but I don't want all of that in my truck...it's an ivasion of privacy for one, it's just like wearing a electronic ankle bracelet for parolees..



As you can see here, this lady is having an electronic ankle bracelet place on her ankle for monitoring...the only difference is she broke the law!!

We drivers have not...but their treating us as if we already have...
The two Senators who are proposing this bill, want to treat us like parolees, without the right to privacy...

Again...US Senators Mark Pryor D and Lamar Alexander R want to infringe on your personal rights by forcing you to install these tracking devices in your truck...

Neither of them have ever driven a commercial truck before, neither of them know what it's like to sleep inside of one, at a truck stop...neither of them understand sleep cycle...and neither of them bothered to consult with Real drivers for our input...

They want us to sit still for 10 hours at a time, and yet these same Senator types want to also pass bills where trucks can't idle!!

So now we're suppose to sit still in the desert or frozen terrain or Wyoming...but yet can't idle our trucks!!

Are you guys crazy!!

Please remember these two Senators come election time...

This is the stuff we drivers should be paying attention too...not that other mumbo jumbo Fox news crap...

This stuff here is what effects us...

Anyways, just wanted to share that...

As bad as Mugabi the security guard was, at least he didn't have legislature power to enact laws that make it more and more unbearable to perform your duties and live...

 

Goodnight Rocky64...

But, before I crash, (lay down and sleep) I would just like to say...

I hope I wasn't too hard on those Senators...in all likely hood, they don't know a semi truck from the back of their hand...and I'm sure their not the 'authors' of the bill...rather some lobby group approached someone on their Senate team and convinced them this was a bill or 'cause' worth legistlating...

And I wouldn't be suprised if it's the company that manufactures those black boxes...

I mean think about it...if your the company that builds and manufactors these electronic HOS logs, what better way to garuntee sales than to convince the government that their neccisary, can save lives, ect ect...and there by making the government mandate your product..



That way millions of dollors in sales would be generated...yes follow the money...

The company behind the technology of these logs, cannot generate enough business or sales of their product on their own, so I suspect what they do is put together a 'Lobby group' under who knows what name...and a briefcase full of money and gifts, and lot's of 'stats', and then head to WA to convince convince convince, whatever Senator or law maker will listen to them.

The private market or consumers have no need for this product...so 'Let's get the government to mandate our product, thus garunteeing sales'...

This kinda stuff has been done before...where a business that makes a device or product, successfully convinces law makers to mandate it's use onto the general public or other specific sector.

No doubt they prepare all sorts of doom and gloom statistics that show how drowsy drivers kill...1 million people a year...and how these HOS devices can greatly reduce that number to just 10 or less...

The same thing occured with the new TV technology...but I don't want to get off track here...

I guess I'm just trying to say that the Senators probablly don't know a Semi truck from a mule...but were convince by a special interest group, that these devices can save the world...when in reality the only thing it will save is the companies bottum line...

Companies getting government to mandate their products...

Anyways...more on that later...right now it's late...gotta get up early...
Sadly, a pretty uneventful Halloween...no candy no nothing...:smt009

And I find myself alone, in a dirt parking lot/truck stop in the middle of the night...
Oddly enough, none of the trucks are idling their engines...which makes for a eerie quietness...maybe one I can go to sleep too...

Later...

 

Goodnight Rocky64...

But, before I crash, (lay down and sleep) I would just like to say...

I hope I wasn't too hard on those Senators...in all likely hood, they don't know a semi truck from the back of their hand...and I'm sure their not the 'authors' of the bill...rather some lobby group approached someone on their Senate team and convinced them this was a bill or 'cause' worth legistlating...

And I wouldn't be suprised if it's the company that manufactures those black boxes...

I mean think about it...if your the company that builds and manufactors these electronic HOS logs, what better way to garuntee sells than to convince the government that their neccisary, can save lives, ect ect...and there by making the government mandate your product..



That way millions of dollors in sales would be generated...yes follow the money...

The company behind the technology of these logs, cannot generate enough business or sales of their product on their own, so I suspect what they do is put together a 'Lobby group' under who knows what name...and a briefcase full of money and gifts, and lot's of 'stats', and then head to WA to convince convince convince, whatever Senator or law maker will listen to them.

The private market or consumers have no need for this product...so 'Let's get the government to mandate our product, thus garunteeing sales'...

This kinda stuff has been done before...where a business that makes a device or product, successfully convinces law makers to mandate it's use onto the general public or other specific sector.

No doubt they prepare all sorts of doom and gloom statistics that show how drowsy drivers kill...1 million people a year...and how these HOS devices can greatly reduce that number to just 10 or less...

The same thing occured with the new TV technology...but I don't want to get off track here...

I guess I'm just trying to say that the Senators probablly don't know a Semi truck from a mule...but were convince by a special interest group, that these devices can save the world...when in reality the only thing it will save is the companies bottum line...

Companies getting government to mandate their products...

Anyways...more on that later...right now it's late...gotta get up early...
Sadly, a pretty uneventful Halloween...no candy no nothing...:smt009

And I find myself alone, in a dirt parking lot/truck stop in the middle of the night...
Oddly enough, none of the trucks are idling their engines...which makes for a eerie quietness...maybe one I can go to sleep too...

Later...

 

Ok, this sucks...I spent 20 minutes typing the last post, and accidently erased it all...

Oh well, let me start again...but this time a condenced version...

I'm really wore out right now...and I should be sleeping...but like to get in a bit of personal time before I go to bed...I like to know there's more to my life than being used as manual labour by second and third parties...

I told the guy I work for today that I'm tired of being bounced around like a ping pong ball...



Everyone seems to use you, in this trade...they use your time, your energy, your moral...and by the end of the day or your shift...there's hardly nothing left for you...

I'm tired, and wore out, and yet they have me going out again tomorrow...they should of consulted with me...instead they just slam you down with a load without asking if you want it or not...and this is how you get sleep apnia...

The number one reason behind driver fatigue is inconsiderate dispatching...
If dispatchers would consult more with drivers about which loads they want and can run safely...a good deal of driver fatigue issues would be solved...

It does no good to keep tightning log book rules, if dispatchers keep dispatching the way they do...

(And a lot of that depends on they type of routes you run)
(Dedicated type stuff is the worst...the hardest on drivers)

I told the guy i work for that the only way I can make this work long term anymore, is if eventually I don't have to answer to no one, and if and only if I can pick my own loads from various load boards...

This marriage I have with trucking could indeed work again...but only if I have 100% say in how I'm 'handled'...

No more goofy dispatchers or dispatching...
Again, I'm not a ping pong ball for them to bounce around at their leisure...(nor should you be)



We're sending you to the Bronx, then to New Jersey...after that you must pick up a load in downtown Philidelphia...from there sending you back to New Jersey...hope you have $500.00 cash for tolls...we'll pay you back...

Ouch!...stop it, enough already...

Oh, before I go, I took a photo of what I ate 40 minutes ago...it's called the 'Heart attack express meal'...and I think I purchased and ate it just out of rebellion...like cheap sex on a Friday night...but in the end it only hurts yourself...oh well...so goes the marriage...

 

While parked at a truck stop yesterday...there was a young outdoor retro hippie couple...(photo of them at bottom of page)

(you know...the kind that come from apparent middle class homes, but for whatever reason choose to rebel against the 'establishment' and go live in the woods zig zagging throughout the country attending those weird odd forest hippie gatherings)

Well they looked like that type of a couple...they were young, vibrant and healthy...but had that rough sun scorched skin tone...
(they will regret that in a few years, when they tire of their hippie adventures, and try to blend back into the mainstream)

Anyhow...I'm not one to judge...

But they were out there with their little puppy dog, infront of truck stop...with cardboard sign...I observed this from inside the truck...

But no one would help them...most of the truckers who refused were older men...
No females walked past them...and that would be interesting to see if a female would have given to this young couple...

Anyhow...everytime I looked out there...there they were...I was already ready for bed...and just assumed someone would help...

No one did...everyone had a excuse why not to help...

I tried to ignore them, and the fact that they were in need...but everytime I looked out the window...there they were...young and jubilent...yet their needs ignored...

Finally I was compelled to act...

I could not stand by and watch people in need, who seemed so nice, be ignored...

I said to myself 'God, how can I ignore their needs, and then turn around and expect you to fulfill mine, or even listen to me'...

So I acted...got dressed, walked over and said 'Anyone help you yet?'

they said 'no'...I said...wait there, I'll help ya out....I went inside to the atm machine, withdrew $20.00...walked out, gave it to the male...and said...'You mean to tell me none of these drivers helped you two?'

And he was like 'Nah...' and said something about company drivers vs owner operators...and I said 'whatever...here...you two have a good night and look after each other'...

They said 'thanks'...and with that I walked away and never looked back...

I do however, kinda wish I could of seen their faces when they realized it was a $20 bill....oh well...

I just knew I couldn't stand by and see two young people in need, and not help...I'm just not made of that...

Will they learn anything from that?...who knows...will my luck increase because of what I did?....heck no...it will probablly get worse...

I'm just the opposite of most...it seems when I do 'apparent' good...bad things seem to follow...but I still do good when I can or have the ability...

Below is a photo of the couple...and now their on here...and in the minds of whoever reads this...amazing...Jack and Dian...

 

In the past...this is how a driver would or could rise up...

1. Work for someone or a company, save up money, either get a loan or outright pay cash for a old clunker truck...



Maybe go buy a used cab over or something for around $3000-$5000 bucks...

First truck was never to pretty, but you didn't care...you were young and enthuised...and you mainly wanted to make money...
When your young, you usually don't have a lot of bills (at least back in the day)...and with truck paid for, you soon find cash over flowing out your pockets...

So then you re-invest in a newer nicer truck...



And would keep the older one...
The older truck, since paid for, was a sure money maker and allowed you to bank roll other items to grow your business...either other trucks or a trailer...

And if by this time, your credit is good...now you can go to the bank and just finance whatever else you want or wanted...

Point being...many got their start from old beaters...



Your concern wasn't cosmetics...rather revenue...it's how many a truck driver got their start...back in the day....that is before Green peace took over the government...

Now, with these new emission standards and this new DOT inspection thing...and every other private electronic company trying to force the government to implement their technology into trucks...starting this way is becoming harder and harder...

Why?

Because many trucking companies that you lease onto, want your truck to fall under these new NHTSA (National Highway Safety Administration) guidlines...and as such, are less willing to hire guys or gals, in older trucks...

Which means now, you have to go finance a truck for $10-$40,000..(assuming you have the credit to do so)...which means your over all operating costs go up and so on...

So unless you have the ability to finance a newer truck...the system is beggining to push average Joes, out of the system...
(thereby forcing more and more to become slaves to the large master companies...where you have no say in how your life is ran, where you have robotically programed company dispatchers directing your life...where your electronically monitored from dusk to dawn, hog tied to your truck, not able to seperate from even an empty trailer 'to go play'...routed in such a way where all you see is bland scenery, and have to park at bland, emotionally stripped truck stops like the Pilot)

But the thing is...in the past, it was 'average Joes' who rose up to become some of the trucking titans you know and work for today...CL Werner being one of them....

Trucking in the past, gave folks like me and you, average people without large academia creditials, the ability to rise up, make large sums of money and realize our dreams....

But in todays over regulatory enviornment...and with ever increasing bogus middle government agencies like the NHTSA popping up...it's becoming much harder to do that...

Me personally, I could care less about national elections and the dem vs rep fiasco...

The government that concerns me is the middle government...these smaller secret governming agencies that keep popping up, where they pass and impose rules, laws and regulations on industry without any vote...
I mean who are these people? How do they get appointed to these offices?
Where do they get their authority from?

And how come they get to seemingly by-bass the democratic process?

I'm going to do more investigation over the following weeks and see if I can get the answers I see...follow the trail...
I sort of did with the above post, about those two Senators sponsoring that electronic log book rule...

Anyways...times are changing...that's for sure...

 

Either you've got to invest $30,000-$120,000 in higher education...
Or you've got to invest $30,000-$120,000 in a new truck or equiptment...

What's wrong with that picture??

Notice how more and more...no matter what you do, you have to invest $30,000-$120,000 to do it?

Even if you want to buy a small cargo van...and run parcel freight...
Investment will be between $30,000-$120,000 bucks...(not including interest)

And who do you have to turn to for this money?
The banks, of course....



Think about this people...think...

Who is really controlling things?
Who got us in this economic mess?
Who's sitting on billions of dollors right now, that don't want to loan money to anyone unless you have perfect credit and other rating criteria...

Does all this sound conspiritorial?...
Just some food for thought...