My company has banned ANY cell phone usage while driving.

If your company calls while your driving don't answer and if they ask tell them why . I don't know about you,but I can't go 10 hours without making at least a couple of pit stops. Thats when you call them back. Better yet turn the phone off. BTW I would stay there because of there isn't any jobs to be had.

 

Every state that I have seen that passed the law about driving and using a cell phone always have the clause with the hands free device on the phone. I'm sure your company jumped the gun and just maybe if you brought it up at a safety meeting they might adopt the clause too.

 

Sign it....who cares. How are they going to know if you are on the phone anyways....cross referance your call records against your log book? Palease....sign it and go on as usual.

 

Regarding the authorities going back and checking cell phone records if you're involved in an accident:

It's not so much me or the vast majority of other truckers I'm worried about. It's the other bozos. This week has been like I've got a big target on my trailer (no, I don't pull for the big store chain!).

Headed up US 45 in MS the other day. I get in the left lane to pass one of those rolling billboards (those Sprinter-type vehicles with the changing messages on three sides). It's raining hard, and suddenly with no signal (and only doing 45 MPH), he decides he wants my lane. I brake hard and avoid the worst.

I swear...four-wheelers are getting worse by the week. And if any of them decide to make a boneheaded move in front of any of us, our fault or not, we're screwed if we're doing something at the same time we're driving.

I'm not taking that chance. My family knows to call and then call back immediately if it's something I have to address right now. Otherwise, it waits.

 

well since the four wheelers have made it worse for us. you know that this would be coming. As for me its on and on dash but i dont answer it if the screen doesnt say my familys code word i dont aswer it. My faimily knows just to text and if it is emergency needed asap text 911home an if i see that i pull over and stop

 

The data shows that you are almost as distracted using a hands free as you are with the phone in your hand.
A call to dispatch, or someone else that is a non emotional call is not too bad. Most people tested did ok while driving with those calls.
The ones that caused the most issues are ones with emotion. Talking to people we care about etc.
An in depth conversation will take away 50-60% of your concentration.
Pull off the freaking road. I do not care how professional you think you are. You are only fooling yourself if you think you can have prolonged conversations, even with blue tooth and really pay the kind of attention to the road that you need too.
It only takes a secondary laps, and it is too late.

 

Then they should ban the CB, passengers, qualcomm messages, etc as well.

I'm the most distracted when my wife rides with me. I guess some people just don't know how to keep their priorities straight. Put a phone to their ear, and they forget they drive a truck. On the phone or not, I always remember I'm driving a truck and that's where my focus is, the voice coming from my headset is no different than the voice coming from the radio or the CB. it's always secondary. That doesn't mean I'm incapable of driving with it.

The problem I have are these nitwits holding the phone to their ear, left foot up on the dash, one hand on the wheel at 6 o'clock with the cruise locked in at the oh-so-fast 62mph weaving in their lane.

Cell Phones can distract, if you let them. Just like passengers can distract, if you let them. Or the radio. A football game, nascar race, etc can distract. The CB. Pristine surroundings, hot girl jogging down the sidewalk, etc. I'm all for a ban on hand-held cell phones for ALL drivers. But to ban a bluetooth/handsfree headset is no different than having a passenger riding shotgun.

 

Sly Fox someone actually did a study that stated having a passenger is a lot safer than being on the phone. The studies I have read indicated there isn't any difference on the usage of a headset as far as using the phone. The biggest reason is the phone still has to be dialed. I haven't had any luck with voice commands while in a car let alone a truck.

 

So, don't dial in traffic? It all comes down to personal responsibility. If you can't handle talking on the phone....don't. I don't understand why you need the gov't to tell you that?