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Another boring meaningless study perpetrated  on the ignorant to push an agenda.

Studies clash on safety impact of hours rule
By Max Heine

A study released today by an insurance trade group says the new hours-of-service rule has resulted in truckers driving more and being slightly more fatigued than under the old rule.

However, a new report from the American Trucking Associations shows that the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety study is “bogus, as usual,” said ATA spokesman Mike Russell.

Just come out and say what you mean Mike, don’t hold back. I wouldn’t trust any study done by ATA either. They are for the industry’s productivity, not the driver’s welfare.

While the drivers responding to the IIHS study said their sleep time had increased under the new rule, they reported slightly more instances than when the old rule was in effect of driving drowsy or falling asleep at the wheel. When drivers were asked about dozing at the wheel at least once in the past month, the reported percentage increased from 13 percent in 2003 to 15 percent in 2004.

Help me out with this one. Their sleep time has increased, but they’re more tired? And not just tired, but "drowsy".

But look what we have here, a study done about truckers and sleep (that I’ve mentioned before here) that says 28% of commercial drivers have a sleep disorder.  No matter how much sleep time they get, maybe they are not getting the restorative rest they need.

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Originally posted 2005-03-14 01:31:00.

I really miss the old days of trucking. The two lane deserted scenic highways, before the congestion of interstates. I would wind through the endless small towns and incredible scenery, stop at a small truck stop, long before the days of franchises that made every truck stop look and the food taste exactly the same. I miss the local flavor of food and people. The truck stops where I knew everyone including the owner and everyone knew me.

Back then I would stop to help someone along the road, because I was as dependable as the cell phones and satellites they now have. If it was another truck I probably knew him. We would work on a problem together to get him going again. I wouldn’t have to worry about being left stranded myself because I knew he would help me without asking.

Back when the CB was one of our most modern tools and it was used as such. Everyone was professional, helped each other and respected each other on the radio as they did in person.

My first impression of truckers was when I was a kid and we were on the family vacation. I don’t even remember where we were going or coming from. I do remember being in a major traffic jam and the trucker next to us tossing lollipops from his truck to us kids in the back seat. We missed some, we caught some. I think it helped everyone pass the time. Back when we didn’t have to worry about candy being laced with anything but too much sugar.

Back then I had the reputation of a professional. People wrote songs about me, made movies about me and they were in awe when I told someone proudly I was a trucker. There were the outlaws among us that got all the press, just like the outlaws of the old west. But mostly we were respected. We knew every little crook and cranny of this country like the wrinkles on our wind beaten and calloused hands. We were depended upon not only to help a lost tourist but to lend someone a hand with only a thank you as a reward.

Too bad I’ve only been driving for 5 years. Because that’s the trucking I signed up for. Not today’s traffic and abuse. Truck stops today are like McDonald’s, they all look the same, inside and out with no individual character. I’ve seen all 48 and most of Canada more than a few times. That sounds impressive, but from the interstate you don’t see much. I can’t even listen to the CB while I drive because of the abusive, vulgar, trash talking. Some drivers can’t even be bothered to wave, thanks to a cell phone in one hand and trying to steer, shift and drink coffee with the other. And thanks to my coworkers fine example, I can’t even pull into a mall parking lot without being harassed by some junior security nazi.

I’m sure my fantasy of how it used to be and how it really was is probably two completely different realities. So be it. This is still the trucking I signed up for. I’m proud of what I do. I tell everyone that the worst day trucking is better than the best day I ever had in any office.

Originally posted 2008-05-28 20:35:27.

Claybrook: highway fatality statistics get ’spin’

Claybrook, in a release issued Aug. 10, stated that the “historic low” in highway deaths, an .8 percent reduction from 2002, was only part of a steady historic decline — 46 percent between 1982 and 2002, and not really news.

The number of highway deaths for 2003 was the lowest since record keeping began 29 years ago; although the number of fatalities involving large trucks grew slightly, from 4,939 to 4,986, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA).

NHTSA’s “latest spin also downplays the real news in the numbers — that 42,643 people lost their lives on the road last year,” Claybrook said.

Claybrook maintained that the Department of Transportation had done an “about face.” She said that NHTSA Administrator Dr. Jeffrey Runge in 2003 said a declining death rate was not cause for celebration and predicted highway fatalities could reach 50,000 annually by the year 2008.

Now, however, “the emphasis has shifted to death rates rather than real numbers,” Claybrook said.

It must be me. Someone explain what this woman is saying. Aren’t death rates real numbers? Deaths went down, but she’s not happy until it’s zero? Sorry, don’t think that’s going to happen.

At least she didn’t bring up trucks. Whose numbers are about the same under 5,000. And the ATA had to put their two cents in saying that

…most truck crashes involve at least one passenger vehicle and that errors by passenger car drivers cause up to 75 percent of car-truck crashes.

These people are completely insane.

Originally posted 2008-11-25 02:00:00.

People think this whole North American Union (NAU) is good idea???

A Mexico-U.S.-Canada highway? Roll it out | ajc.com.
By ROBERT P. CADY

Published on: 06/23/06

Reading
recently on a conservative Web site about the Bush administration’s
quiet support for a major highway from Mexico through the heart of the
United States to join Canada — a so-called NAFTA superhighway — I
couldn’t help but think the timing may be right to form the
controversial North American Union. There has been talk of this for
years. Support has grown since the successful formation of the European
Union.

The EU is a success? Everyone in Europe is living better than they were before? Even if they are what makes this a good idea for US? If it was just us and Canada maybe. But why drag us down to Mexico’s level. So between the two of us we can bring them inline with the us? At what cost?

The idea is simple; create an
open federation of the three countries, with a common set of trade
rules. In so doing, allow the free flow of citizens within the Union.
Finally, create a new currency that would combine the economic
strengths of each country and compete against the Euro, the common
currency of the European union.

Sounds so simple. But so far the only country benefiting is Mexico.

The NAFTA superhighway is
a good example of this. Building it would allow container ships to land
at Mexico’s new "Smart Port" at Lazaro Cardenas, travel in Mexican
trucks up through the center of the United States, drop loads at
designated depots and deliver containers all the way through to Canada,
all under the watchful eye of a common security system.

We haven’t heard about this from the administration but the plans
are reportedly in place, with custom centers being built and the road
ready to start in Texas next year. Perhaps it’s been kept quiet until
it is a fait accompli because such a plan bypasses the dockworkers’
unions in the U.S ports, and the Teamsters truckers until after the
offloads. It also becomes fodder for the jingoists.

You think? Maybe we need a few more Jingoists to balance out the nuts that want to destroy our way of life. Like I said, the only benefactor here is Mexico. Oh yeah, companies in the US and Canada get cheap labor and their cheap crap from China even cheaper.

I know this gets a little long, the really scary part is on the next page!

Tags:nafta superhighway

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Originally posted 2006-07-01 03:00:00.

Remember when I mentioned about shippers treating drivers like crap in the previous post? These two signs were at our latest pickup. Between the New York attitude and these signs it didn’t put me in a very good mood. Then when I was told I was responsible for the case count, my response was, “Nope”. They said you can’t take the load unless I signed for the piece count. I said, “okay”. And I started putting my pads and straps back on the trailer and started getting ready to leave, when the Operations Manager came back and said, “Wait!” He’ll call the customer and figure out something.

I already knew the customer needed this product really bad and was paying us to team this load cross country in two days. I really was ready to leave. We had an LTL ready in Chicago that would have paid for fuel and we really wanted to go home now! The customer calls me and said they had been having problems with this warehouse and they had two loads left and they were going move their business somewhere else. Plus, she was going to give me $200 to count cases because she didn’t trust these people.

After that, I counted the cases. The guy on the forklift tried to “help”, telling me how many cases were on that pallet. But after he placed it in the trailer, I counted it anyway. If there’s anything I’m good at, it’s giving back more attitude than I’m getting.

I was beginning to think I screwed up, but after the customer told us they were done with this warehouse I didn’t feel so bad and it confirmed my initial feeling that I wouldn’t be coming here anymore. I still helped the customer, got the job done and stood up to not being treated like crap.

Originally posted 2006-05-16 17:44:03.

Sounds simple.

American Trucker.
Yes, you can be profitable in trucking with planning, forethought, and the knowledge of correct business principles and their application. Then look for a specific niche in which to specialize. If you want to compete in the truckload side of the business, you have to provide something no one else is willing to do, and then do it better than anyone else. Always charge a profitable rate for your service. You won’t ever compete on price with the big boys because they have a huge revenue source that a small company or single O/O doesn’t have, in their lease-purchase drivers.

I think I figured it out on my own, but it took awhile and I’m still learning. I would add that it’s more than just driving down the road bumping docks as fast as you can. If that’s all you want to do, be a company driver for one of the “big boys”, because unless you’re truck is paid for and never breaks down, I don’t think you can make much money with regular palletized freight that’s been brokered. But that’s just my opinion.

Originally posted 2006-08-09 07:52:00.