Head of FMCSA goes on a ride along with a truck driver

I don't think we can expect anybody to do anything proactively in this country anymore. We are a society that rather then thinking things out prefer to go with knee jerk reactions, without thought or regards for how they affect people. I'm sure most of the laws we must obey we're probably made after a well publicized accident. That's why our trucks are governed down to 65mph while there are more more and more roads with 70mph+ speed limits, these goofy HOS laws, sleep apnea studies, and so on. I'm all for safety, but to think that anybody is going to stick their necks out, get off their tails, and try to fix something that doesn't personally affect them is just dreaming. It seems absurd to me that all these rules and regulations are always written and pushed for by people that have never even been in a truck as a passenger. Hopefully one day drivers will play apart in the drafting of laws and regulations that affect our safety. Sorry for being so long winded, keep on trucking!

 

They just keep regulating to the lowest common denominator .... If one driver has a huge wreck and gets national attention after 9 hours behind the wheel, you know they will want us cut back to 8. This will require more trucks on the road (each one actually having less productivity) - and more people will be hired to drive them ... and we will call it "progress" ...

 

She looks like she knows a lot about this industry....

 

I figured out a long time ago how to stop 100% of truck crashes. Studies show the largest percentage of wrecks actually occur in the first two hours of a driver's day. So, make it illegal to be on duty for the first two hours.......

 

Really 2 days is just a drop in the bucket, a week would have been a lot better, 2 weeks even more. I hope they got to go through some of the rough, potholed roads too where money is taken for tolls, and taxes and goes where? surely not in road repairs; rest areas with no parking for trucks, and small truck stops that have been allowed to receive your money, but not enough room to turn around in once you get there.

 

I like the one FB comment, did she get to try and sleep in 95 degree heat with no AC or in freezing temps...

They all say that.


It was planned as a week trip until the driver hit up on her!

 

Probably stayed in a Motel.

 

actually story I read in landline--said HE got a room and she slept in the truck--& although longer would be better it did give her a taste--& slight understanding--&maybe im hopless optimist--(&really want to believe it isn't a PR smoke&mirrors stunt)but I guess I figure something is better n nothin'
Just my $.02

 

I just do not buy that the pampered politician really was in the truck for a long time.