What Changes Are Needed in trucking?

The issues involved in trucking. (for the company driver)

*******Hours of service? *******
I do not have an issue with the way theses are written. If any changes are to be made it should be flexibility after being delayed by loading or unloading to get to a safe haven without penalty, however, I believe ,that a carrier would, given the opportunity, abuse these as well. I would remove the loop hole that allows a driver to go to line 1 while at a shipper, receiver or in a carriers facility. This should all be line 4 and the driver should be compensated for this time at a rate comparable to his mileage pay. The carrier must plan on average unload and load times so the load can be delivered legally and allow the driver time to get to a safe and legal place to park for his or her break , where there are sanitary facilities and a hot meal available. I would add that all time required on line 4 be handled the same way. If DOT really wants a driver to get under the truck to do a PTI there needs to be a clean dry place for the driver to do a real PTI not just a light check and make sure there is air in each of the tires.

****** How about a weekly inspection by trained service professionals at the companies expense?
Bet we would have safer trucks out there then! Then would the driver be responsible for the carrier’s incompetence in not keeping the truck in compliance? And the driver wouldn’t have to crawl around on ground that has (who knows how recently) been urinated or defecated on. These recommendations would make roadside inspection unnecessary eliminating the cost to the State and Federal Government. You would still need scale houses and DOT personnel to check weights and make sure drivers are not logging illegally, however the blame could truly be on the driver or the service personnel doing inspection. Drivers are not trained service personnel.
CSA 2010? From what I understand of them it is just another protection granted the carriers and shippers and receivers. Penalizes drivers not just for their actions but practices of the carriers and shippers and receivers. If the driver is not provided with spare fuses and bulbs, how can DOT hold him responsible for bulb issues? Again pay him for breakdown hourly he will have the truck in good repair.

*******Governed trucks? *******
DANGEROUS!
“Any vehicle traveling the highways and byways of our nation that is incapable of maintaining a speed of three to four MPH off (slower than) the speed of traffic is a hazard to the motoring public, and a danger to the driver”. (This is a quote from the commercial drivers manual)
It does not save on fuel costs. It limits legal productivity for both drivers and carriers. It also causes drivers to log illegally to keep their productivity and paychecks steady.

*******Weight / Size limits*******
Most Truck parking is planned for day cabs with forty eight foot trailers. If anything it should be back at 48 ft not longer with no increase in length. It should also be standard in all 48 contiguous states. Scale fees should be reimbursed to carrier from shippers. If not able to weigh at shippers facility at no charge. This would insure that the load is loaded properly. Any time spent at shipper compensated at hourly wage comparable to mileage pay.

*******Truck Parking *******
Not enough of it east of I35 and in all major metropolitan areas. Any parking area without sanitary facilities should be converted to include such facilities and space made for restaurant/ fuel / shower facilities. Especially in metropolitan areas. Do you really expect a driver to go 10 hours without a bathroom break? Or skip a shower for the day because he couldn’t make it to a truck stop where he is allowed to buy fuel for a shower? Land and zoning for such facilities should be purchased by DOT through eminent domain laws and leased to Private companies through a limited time use bid process.

*******Showers? *******
Showers should be free as often as needed by the driver at any facility offering showers with the presentation of a commercial license regardless of fuel purchases or carriers should not be allowed to designate such services be purchased at particular establishments or carriers should pay for the showers drivers need daily.

*******Fuel purchases?*******
Fuel purchases should be for no less than full tanks. This would limit companies pushing the capacities of the loads beyond what is safe for example running an 80,000 lb load with 1/8 fuel making the driver need fuel at 150 to 200 mile intervals. This practice makes the driver use unnecessary time to fuel costing loss of productivity.

*******Dispatches *******
Dispatch should be at 50 MPH using all 14 hours to run the 11 making a maximum daily dispatch 550 miles. This will balance the city/ highway driving times and allow for delays such as accidents and most weather related delays. However in situations where weather and or accidents prevent on time delivery in no way should a driver be penalized. Delivery and pickup times would set time for line 4 pay to begin.

*******WEATHER RELATED RESCHEDULES*******
SEE LAYOVER
No penalty to the driver or carrier (this will keep trucks off the highways and allow removal and treatment crews to do their jobs safely).

*******Breakdown*******
Breakdown pay to be determined by time broken down on line 4 at comparable hourly wage to mileage wage. A maximum driver benefit of no less than $150/ day plus hotel and transportation while the truck is being repaired. If The driver has hours to use.

*******Layover*******
On loads that require a one half day or more loss of productivity driver should be compensated at $75 per one half day delay. This will allow the driver to get the proper rest while not interfering with regular sleep periods without losing pay. If the driver has hours to use. Extended to days not under a load also if the driver has hours to use.

*******Per Diem Pay*******
Per Diem pay should not be part of mileage pay advertised by carriers. It should be on top of advertised mileage pay( and regular pay). The same way the government pays per diem to its away from home employees. The way carriers get to use this is criminal in nature. While it does reduce the tax owed by a driver it also reduces the amount of social security and Medicare payments that are matched and made by employer and employee as well as the amount of unemployment wages and workers compensation payments that a driver would be entitled to if he or she became unemployed or unable to work. It is not a long term benefit to the employee the way it is administered at present.

Comparable to mileage pay explanation: .32/ mile x 50 mph (dispatch time) or ( 550 x .32 )/11h= $16/ hour
Example of dispatch p/up AT 0700 150 miles away. Driver must be legally able to head to shipper after pti at 0400 leaving three hours for travel to shipper at 50mph. Average load time at shipper 3 h driver leaves at 1000 it delivers 500 miles and needs fuel and because it will go past 14 hours available today add .5 h to make a total need of 10.5 hours necessary to deliver legally if no adverse weather or traffic conditions are encountered. So the earliest the appt can be for on the following day is 0630. But this has no mid day break or restroom break taken into consideration. He/ she has been on duty since 0345 when pti was started to 1000. So in fairness the company should add a minimum of 2 hours for meal and restroom breaks for the 10.5 hours of on duty driving / fueling and pti time required to make it to the consignee. So the earliest legal delivery time should be 0830 the following day providing time zones are not crossed.

How about limiting the workday to 11 hours of work in a 14 hour period?

please add the changes you feel need to be made.
lets get a meaningful discussion going. maybe we can get several drivers to come together and get this undesireable mess fixed.
The other alternative is for the GOV'T to open the southern border and flood the US with mexican drivers that will accept this working environment.