Tractor First, Right?

It's the Teamsters and the ATA. Teamsters, because they cant compete with the independent owner ops and small fleets. ATA because dumbing down the regs and the handholding allows dummies who need their hands held to now qualify.

So now, you have a bunch of dummies, crammed in truckstops for 2/3s of the day, making less money than we made 30 years ago (and we were home ever weekend too!). And they tell me that they are safer. Running a fleet of idiots is safer...sure, I believe you.

"But stats, Six..."

Like the "truck" that hit the woman in Houston. M&M Mars can pay for a study and have statistics that show that eating a chocolate bar a day promotes strong tooth enamel. Putting morons in trucks is a bad idea. In fact, the only thing thats worse than putting a moron in a truck is putting 2 morons in a truck.


D=2MT

Disaster equals 2 Morons in a Truck.

 

I agree. But that doesn't change the fact they are in this industry. The average truck driver is an incompetent ignorant mouth breather with an iq lower than a chimpanzee.

 

It is my hope that once some time has passed and the statistics don't show elogs to make the highways safer that we can have a discussion with politicians about the 14 hour clock. Give us back the flexibility we one had.

Edit to add: most guys like to blame elogs on the ata and qualcomm but i don't agree with that at all. Highway Safety groups have a MUCH larger sphere of influence in Washington than the ata ever dreamed of. the ata didn't push for the 30 minute break or the 14 hour rule. What they pushed for is to make everyone play by the rules they have to play by.

 

CRST?

 

I watched 2-3 trucks get loaded in front of me yesterday. It's a short 600 mile run to unload for Monday morning. 2 of the trucks had 2 people in each of them. I didn't ask if they both were drivers, or trainers for securement or what. I've read that Lepton1 runs team with his brother, but I didn't think team was common for flatbed? Both pairs of drivers were new Canadians.

Anyway one truck left 3-4 hours ahead of me last night. I passed them today about 5 pm, still 200 miles to the delivery. I'm confused on the need for a team, that's running slower than a solo driver?

 

It could be that was the best load they could get. Can't deliver till Monday so stopped at their preferred location for the weekend. Teaming isn't as common in flatbed as it is in reefer or van, but their is still a good number doing it. If my dad was still around id consider it. Some of that team freight is very lucrative. Jet engines for example.

 

Lol. I passed two trucks yesterday and at one time they were 1/2 mile behind me. Today I dropped the trailer, got the stacked empties, secured them and all the dunnage. Even had to fight sailing straps in the wind. Left the drop yard and 5 miles down the road passed the first truck coming in.

He was at least 2 hours or better behind me and I slept in. I left 1.5 hours behind my first plan. Now they can do 70 and I was only running about 73. I can't pick up that much time on them.

 

Some guys can't manage their time. They stop an hour for breakfast. Two hours later they stop another hour for lunch. Then sir down 2 hours early so they can park at their favorite truck stop and sit at the counter of wisdom for 3 hours. Spend another 4 playing xbox. Sleep for 8.

 

Lol I ran from the springs to Kaycee before stopping except for fuel and the port in Cheyenne. Thirty minutes I am pulling out and the truck I passed while he was parked at the mm65 pullout is exiting the freeway. He was about 4 hours behind me today.

I do have to say that they are on elogs but I ran that totally legal and got 670+ miles in.