What Would You Change?

I agree the HOS are a bit extreme as they are now. But we need something in place to protect the drivers and the public. If done away with, these greedy companies would expect your truck to be moving all the time. We'd be back to the old days with drivers popping speed so they can get from Maine to Texas in one day and then to Oregon the next. (maybe an extreme example, but you get my point). And if you can't do it, clean out your truck and we'll find someone who can.

 

They still kinda do, now it's like, if you insist on doing a pre trip, we'll find someone who doesn't... especially if you find something wrong with their equipment (disposable driver either way, your choice how).

 

The Hours Of Service. Who keeps going in to work earlier and earlier each day?

 

Take the power from the folks that have always had it. And the ones really driving most of the issues being discussed , and that would be the shippers & the receivers.

 

Educate the public on the basics rules of the road, simple logical stuff that EVERYONE SHOULD know but doesn't, how to merge from an on ramp, what lane to be in, what side to pass on, and where NOT to be when around a truck.

I am in no way saying that the trucking side is perfect, far from it, but there are an increasing number of drivers out there that really don't know that they are even doing anything wrong.

Most four wheelers think it is the job of an 80,000 pound 80 foot long rig to magically move out of their way so they can maneuver their 15 foot long 3000 pound car, onto the highway Exactly WHO do they think that YIELD sign at the end of the on ramp is for???

I think public service commercial's could go a LONG way to at least letting these people know what is right/wrong.

As far as being featured in an article? Naw, I would just piss to many people off, I have learned over the years that being brutally honest isn't usually what people want to hear.

 

Do away with the 60/70 limit rule. This would EASILY solve so many problems and not affect day to day hour limits which are necessary to prevent fatigue issues. If a driver wanted to work a weekend he could, who wants to sit in wheeling WV for 24-30 hours waiting to pickup the hours you drove 6-7 days ago? What does the hours worked 7 days ago have to do with today?

This causes too many drivers to "look for midnight" to pick up hours, then run, at the worst possible time.

 

The biggest change that needs to be made is how easy it is to become a truck driver. A good percentage of drivers out here don't understand the regulations that already exist. If we were to weed out all the unhealthy and undereducated drivers in the current pool of drivers, our pay would increase.

I feel that under the current situation all drivers should be on ELD's and be speed limited to no more than 72mph. There is no need to have unprofessional truck drivers operating at reckless speeds with no real accounting of hours of service.

Also I would change the habit state police got into in regards to construction zones. They treat it as a paid nap now. In CT for example, they shine their spot lights at you as you drive by, so you can't see what they are doing in the car. There is almost zero enforcement in construction zones in most states. PA is about the only state that State Troopers actively work construction zones. They reposition every so often to warn motorists of stopped traffic.

 

Yea ok most unprofessionals are the ones on elogs and driving 62mph trucks not being able to keep up with the flow of traffic stats will back that up

 

Change the 14 running clock bad rule

 

You Can Start By Writing an Article Titled" Who is Accountable"
When you have Drivers Running out of their mind trying to reach their destinations in compliance with so called safe driving 14 hour / 10 hour / 1/2 hour break after 8 hours of etc. when a driver pulls over for his/her "Safety" break & gets swiped by a tornado or earth quake etc. Who is responsible for that wreck or death etc.? I can Give you more but just start with that for now. Ask your Law Makers is SAFETY & Compliance Really means Just That or did we some how Changed it to more jobs for law reinforcement.Did the law makers do any studies regarding safety stops ( rest Area's) when was the last time they funded projects regarding Rest Area's Or is BE SAFE as Long as it Doesn't Cost Me Any Money.Why not take a few of these so called experts on a road trip for a week and let them see how FUN & Easy it is to find a place to park any where in continental USA or Canada. .