Do you shutdown when the 14 hour clock is up no matter what?

it is comical and its also a sad testimony that an 18yr old can drive a 24ft uhaul pulling a trailer and drive the same time

but a professional driver with a cdl cannot

 

If you are, as I think you are, saying you rather go to jail than kill a cow, PETA is having open membership.

As to comments that scare me. I share the road with drivers who think they should drive til they feel tired. I was a pallbearer for a friend of that mindset. If you feel it's brave or manly or courageous to risk jail time over cows or money don't get any of that on me. I don't worry about my actions, I know my abilities and won't exceed same. It's all those out there on the road with us. The OP presented a question involving 20 miles. A driver could do that without incident probably half asleep. It's kinda like the guy who's never flown. He enters the plane, notices the ####pit door open, sticks his head in and inquires, "how often do these planes crash?". Pilot turns and deadpans, "once".

If a drunk clips you sending you out of control and there is a fatality, you had an accident.

If a drunk clips you sending you out of control, there is a fatality and you are in HOS violation, you are a federal felon.

 

Ramlingman....a couple things.

First, there is a Walmart driver looking at a life sentence or at least manslaughter right now over what you're bragging about. And Crete driver that got 6 years and might be getting out right about now. And I don't want to hear about cattle's rights because that won't wash in a murder trial.

Second, I understand you like your new job hauling livestock and I'm happy for you but if I recall correctly, it wasn't too long ago you were one of those "freaking freight haulers".

Now here's a question for Wore Out.

I see lots of cattle pots along my route and I never see one getting DOT'd so I figure they turn a blind eye but what do you think will happen if the day comes when E-logs get mandated....will livestock be exempt? Will you guys have to team?

 

I feel like teaming is coming for the guys that run longer routes. That's why I slowed down several years ago to see if there was money in shorter hauls that one man can do without killing himself or others. 600 miles tops. So far so good. I am kinda hoping that most sale barns step up and provide a rest stop with hay and water for the mandatory 12 hour rest period. Not sure how it will play out and may take me out when it happens but I'm sure somehow the industry will survive. To answer the other question yes 99 percent of DOT turn a blind eye to a cow truck. I'm sure in part because even if it's empty you get a lil poo on you inspecting it. I was also told at one time if an official shuts you down or removes you from the animals he becomes responsible for them. Honestly I can't say, I do feel that the blind eye is coming to an end. I also by no means meant that the lives of a few cattle I'm hauling are more important than a human being hurt bad or worse. I can see this is one them deals that I'm just a ####### Bullhauler so I gotta be stupid. I'm not gonna debate the point with him said my piece it went over his head. The last comment was in no way pointed at you Rank ol buddy.

 

I know what you meant. No problem here. My friend, anyone that's been thanked 3308 times on 2858 posts can say whatever they want. Make that 3309.

 

Wore Out, no one has even intimated you are less than intelligent. You have, on the other hand directly labeled freight haulers less than intelligent.

You say you've been at it 20 years. I'm going to assume (yes I know the adage) no one coerced you with bodily harm into bovine relocation niche. With said assumption in mind I would hope and pray you don't accept loads knowing you will put animals or humans at risk. I would also hope in 20 years you are an expert in contingency planning.

As for things going over someone's head, I'd label same bovine fecal material.

 

He's above getting drawn into a whistling match. I can't think of a single post where Wore Out has labeled anyone as stupid. And Lord knows he's had ample opportunity. Livestock is what it is. It's always been that way. For some reason livestock haulers seem able to avoid getting into wrecks and killing people. One day though, some kids will die and a driver will go to jail and the job will change.

And I'm sorry for jumping on you like I did Ramblingman but holy smokes I was starting to cringe reading that. Maybe it's just me but Karma is a #####.

 

Wore out ain't stupid anyone who knows anythin bout him&reading his posts knows that....he is on the other hand nutz...he's pulls a rack...so that's a given.....but even that's not why he nutz....he's got a classic top shelf 359...pullin a pot...instead of the Chickenbox that ol girl Deserves to be under.....and that my friends is just WRONG....lmfao
Seriously though and everybody is entitled to their opinions.....but questioning a man that has been running a Successful niche business for over 20 years is nonsense...&for all you perfectly legal types....theres a reason the govt has built in exemptions for a few different segments of the transportation industry.....
But hey whadda I know....

 

I grew up in a farming and ranching area and dad and grandpa did it so I kinda fell back into it. Is everything I do legal to the letter of the law? Not so much. Do I take chances? Not anymore. Just as an example, last night (this morning?) I was about 100 miles from the feedlot and I parked for 2 hours then went and unloaded. I didn't feel comfortable so I stopped. If your trailer is loaded right and they have room there is no reason you can't stop for a couple hours unless it's summer of course. I had an old timer tell me once "if you're resting they're resting".

And to the comments about so what if one dies or join PETA blah blah.....if they knew the hard work that goes into getting the cattle to the point they're on the trailer to go from the ranch to the feedlot they'd have more compassion. Not the fake PETA compassion, but true compassion that will make you do everything in your power to make sure they arrive safe. And the same goes for fats. Yeah, they're going to slaughter but the easier you work them, the less stress you out on them, the more careful you are, all that translates to more money back in the rancher's pocket when they grade the carcass.

It's easy for the "city folk" to say you should just do this and that. But the difference between hauling freight and hauling livestock is that we don't deal with some nameless manager that's in charge of telling you what door to hit. We deal with the man or woman that was up at 3am pulling the calf and giving it cpr to keep it alive and wrapping it in blankets and putting it on the floor of the pickup to warm it up so it will stay alive. And when you're at the ranch and you load a family's year's worth of sweat and tears and what is likely their annual income on your trailer you bet your bottom dollar I'm going to do everything in my power to make sure they all walk off on the other end.

We all have our place in the circle, be it the guy hauling the cattle in or the guy with the dry van hauling in boxes so the guy with the reefer can haul the meat. We all need each other to keep going. But I don't think that gives anyone the right to tell me to park because they're just animals anymore than it gives me the right to tell someone how to do something I'm not familiar with.

 

I have always figured 50mph average and never had that problem, when/if I do I might consider retirement! Maybe don't stop at the rest area and wait and pee when you get there, lol. Its a job, and as a matter of fact its a pretty easy job to figure out, since DOT basically has full control now. there are mile markers and...

 

Hmmmmm. .........

"He's above getting in a whistling contest"

Maybe we differ on definition but in my dictionary once you post to an online forum, you're smack dab in the middle of said contest.

When did we lose the ability to have a discussion involving differing opinions sans comments like: "if my decisions scare you,you're scared of everything" ,"you obviously know nothing about bovine relocation" or "I said my piece, it went over his head"?

A professional driver (using the qualification sense of the term not talent level), moves "freight". It's semantics to distinguish "live" freight from "non live" freight. Doesn't matter what freight a driver exercised his/her free will in choosing to haul.

In the past a driver could do things they glowingly reminisce about now. My point, has been and will remain, in the present industry and societal climate if you choose to continue these practices you are putting everything including your free will at risk.

Don't care if you've done it 10, 20, 50 or a 100 years. Don't care how you rationalize your decision. Claiming someone from the "outside" doesn't understand, or compassion for the rancher or animals, or claiming livestock freight is entitled to special exemption won't reduce your jail time by a milisecond.

I can only hope EVERY driver has the cerebral capacity to know how to get their chosen freight from shipper to receiver safely for the freight and the fellow beings sharing the roads.