With the new CSA laws.

I don't know what stuff "Do it legal, you'll be OK" crowd is smoking, I guess they never run crowded/no parking areas of the country, never had "unexpected" delays in no parking zones, never had minor from safety (Not DOT) points things broke down in the middle of nowhere. When do you think stuff breaks, right before your Pretrip or on the road with no shop just a weigh station in sight? You never had darned choice of pushing it for 15 extra minutes or sitting on the side of a street for days? You never had a choice of pushing it little bit or crawling it "legal & by the book" in snow & ice for hours (or even days)? Sure, companies are just eager to jump and to repair stuff on your request in the most remote areas, they just can't wait. And definitely companies plan loads and appointment times with your CSA score, fatigue, health, stress etc. in mind.

I don't like to put twice as many hours as an average worker to make equivalent wages. I don't argue for more hours to work, but CSA is another step towards even lower wages, so I'll be on the road for the same number of hours for less, here is why:

1) HOS doesn't provide for flexibility (no need for more hours, make it less but flexible)
2) Lack of parking in the large urban areas
3) Shippers/Receivers who don't give a dime about your CSA scores
4) Trucking companies just preplan on a cautious side and crack down on log book violations (regardless of the circumstances) = less miles, less money, more job hopping, more stress....

5) Trucking bosses deliberately "elected" high turn over industry model for a reason of YOU being easily replacable, CSA will not change that, it will just make lots of good & experienced drivers "not desirable" employment wise based on technicalities. Chances are against experienced crowd (probability of nasty things happen increases with the number of miles you drive), fresh drivers with pristine CSA records will make roads and truck stops much safer. No matter what they say there is no lack of people "willing" to drive trucks. CSA will do nothing (good) to supply - demand.

BTW, it's been almost a year, if your wages shot up and you think it's because of CSA, let us know.

 

And simply pointing out that it's the driver.

Doesn't solve ####.

The CSA scores were put in place BECAUSE of the companies and the drivers who are intimidated by those companies.

The drivers have NEVER run this industry.

In better economic times, I would bet the effects of CSA would be reeking havoc among the bottom feeders at this time. I.E. They would fold and go home. The real drivers, would simply refuse to work for these people.

By "real driver" I mean to imply those of us who would be doing this job....and not something else.

 

Question back to you: At almost three years into an administration, at what point does Prince Charming take responsibility for his impact on the Republic?

Okay, two more questions: Who is it that sets the direction in which the country goes via a prioritized "wish list" to Congress? and Who has signature or veto power?

 

There is a saying - imbecility of the Law is mitigated by the laxity of its enforcement.

Looks like corporate-Big brother partnership will not allow for any enforcement slack while changing nothing else. It doesn't sound good, if you have other options than trucking = run and don't look back. I know, I know most of us didn't have any other options and that's why we drive trucks Then I guess we all are just royally screwed (again).

 

Are you serious? Bottom-feeders run most of the industry's training programs for new drivers, CSA means little to them.

Corporate trucking didn't scramble everything it has to intercept CSA for simple reason, CSA is good for them, it's designed to target small operations & owner operators (who serve a niche no big carrier can serve ). They are ecstatic about Owner Op customers crawling to them.

 

That's a shame that you don't have any marketable skills that you can use. They are stuck in trucking and that's where the problem is not enough educated professional drivers. When I started driving people wanted to drive they didn't do it as they had to. Still amazes me how many people are out there driving for 30 some cents a mile. But when you say something they'll tell you it's better than not working at all. But when you tell them about a better paying company 80% of the time it come back to a don't qualify too many tickets or something else.

 

Define "small" please.

There was a recent article published by an attorney, who stated 3 companies with over 300 trucks had already been to him begging for help.

His advise: Electronic logs.

And we both know the reasoning behind that one.

Sure, we can blame the drivers. But the drivers wouldn't be pushing that hard, without reason. Greed being one I'm sure. But not the main reason.

And yes. CSA is good for the larger companies who can cover loads easier. CSA is going to force E-Logs down the industries throat. And it's going to force them back to grade school. So someone can teach them to spell -- logistics.

Training companies, bottom feeders. Well yes, there are 100's of bottom feeders out there. And I hope they all go belly up.

But not every "training" company is a bottom feeder.

If your company can not spell logistics. You will sit a lot, to protect those hours. Albeit....not making any money.

If a company can't plan 2 loads in a row. Who the hell wants to work for them anyway? CSA or no.

 

Modern trucking is employment of the last resort, it's nobody's secret. Do you really think that most of the unemployed don't have marketable skills? You can market yourself & your skill until your face is blue in color, it doesn't mean that you can sell either.

"Ironically" trucking is employment of the last resort for great many of the college educated guys (disposed of for one reason or another), so your statement about lack of the educated truck drivers is totally false (I know you didn't mean "educated" in this sense). Trucking was NEVER as educated and "cultured" as it is now.

 

http://www.fmcsa.dot.gov/about/news...mpany-Declared-Imminent-Hazard-to-Public.aspx

1 down a "Gazillion" to go,,nice job their Gunther and its DRIVERS

 

Educated dummies. Cultured d--- heads. This new breed [ most of them, not all ] could not hold a candle to truckers of years past when it comes to trucking. These folks today are simply steering wheel holders who need a pay check for a while, and are simply doing this as a last resort. Trained to hold a steering wheel, and do as someone in an office tells them to do.
Truckers of yester-year grew up in the business, had the background to know the ins and outs, and were smart enough to get the job done. Formal education might not have been plentiful, but they were head and shoulders above this new breed.


Sorry if I offend some, but this is what I see.