Truckers win in federal court
The rules, imposed in December, were supported by the trucking industry but opposed by safety advocates and the truckers’ union. Eugenia Gratto, spokeswoman for the International Brotherhood of Teamsters, said the decision by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia was a victory for workers and especially for the drivers.

I know and have heard from a lot of drivers that like the new rules. I (and others) think that we are forced to get more rest and it is harder to get ‘creative’ with your logbook.

After 45 days or maybe longer depending on delaying tactics by FMCSA we go back to the old rules. I can only drive for 10 hours straight and have to take an 8 hour break instead of the new 10 hour break. Try driving 10-8-10-8 for a few days cross country. You’re eating and showering during the time you’re supposed to be sleeping. You can say that we don’t have to drive like that, but there are several companies and brokers that schedule their delivery times so you have to drive like that. Think about that this summer as you’re driving down the highway with the kids on vacation. And this ruling was for the drivers? PATT and CRASH have their own agenda of shutting down the entire industry, by only allowing drivers on the road for 8 hours and not at night. The Teamsters are probably only involved because the fewer hours their drivers are allowed to drive means that those companies have to hire more drivers to cover those routes, which means more union members and more union dues.

The compromise the government came up, I thought was a good deal. The actual work day was cut from 15 to 14 hours a day. And the big stumbling block was that once your day started, you had to stop driving after 14 hours. No matter when or how many breaks you took. Warehouses that took advantage of drivers for free labor loading and unloading their trucks had to schedule their trucks more efficiently and get those drivers out of there and on the road. That was great. Companies started charging for detention. It was supposed to fix the undocumented time that drivers spend on docks. It did a little, there were still times you had to get creative, but it was starting to change for the better.

The court sided with the groups, saying the administration “cited absolutely no studies in support” of its argument that reducing the amount of time drivers were eligible to drive would compensate for the increase in driving time.

How about common sense? How about all the hearings with industry AND DRIVERS! Drivers had a lot of input in the process.

Joan Claybrook, president of the consumer advocacy group Public Citizen, which sued over the rules, said the rule changes were made to benefit the trucking industry.

What’s good for the industry is good for drivers. When I’m on the road, I want to be able to work, not be stranded at some truck stop clear across the country. Rates were being raised partly because of the new rules and teams were in demand to move freight without having to worry about the new rules. (Teams never run out of hours under any rules.)

Instead of keeping these rules till they come up with something better, we have to go back to the old ones. Every company, the entire industry spent millions converting software that audits logbooks and educating drivers and staff on the new rules. I really hope FMCSA comes up with something and we stay the course and at least give the new rules a chance.

Japanese company Kawasaki Engineering Co. have created the Dream Plus, a fatigue-treatment device which will be marketed to gyms and beauty salons, and like a hyperbaric chamber uses a high-pressure pod to raise oxygen levels in the blood. Don’t try this if you’re claustrophobic. . . or tall. . . or hefty. Somehow the picture of the man’s hand pressed feverishly against the glass doesn’t reassure us, but hey, they say David Beckham uses it so we might as well.

No tall or hefty? That leaves most of us out. Wonder if PATT would buy me one? It probably wouldn’t fit in the sleeper anyway.

• Make a rule that any industry that requires a big truck has to be within 1 miles of a turnpike exit.

• Or only 6 wheel straight trucks allowed in NJ. Since one big truck can carry about 2.5 times more than the largest delivery truck, that would mean three times as many little trucks in NJ. But I guess little trucks aren’t the problem.

• How about no trucks at all! All industry - move out of NJ! People only live in NJ. They have to shop in PA, NY or DE. Need a new car? Go to another state to get it! Want a job? Not in NJ! Want your trash removed? Have a zillion pickup trucks and minivans moving trash to take it from the transfer stations to the dumps. Want a building bigger than a house? Not in NJ! Want to see a big concert? Not in NJ! Need to go to a store bigger then a gas station? Not in NJ! Want gas for your car? Not in NJ! Have a happy life! Be careful for what you wish for.

What about New York City? I suppose they can only receive trucks from CT or NY State. Or move everything by boat! After all, it is an island. Save every truck driver out here the headache; ban all trucks from NJ!

New Jersey wants the road taxes, fuel taxes and the tolls. Trucks pay 3 times or more than a car toll. And everyone wants their stuff. Instead of banning trucks from certain roads, ban cars from certain lanes on the turnpike. The NJ turnpike has a section where there are express lanes in the middle and feeder lanes on the sides. No trucks allowed in express lanes ever, and even on the feeder lanes trucks aren’t allowed in the far-left lane. But cars can zip in and around trucks at will, impede us by hogging the middle lane when we can’t pass on the left. That crowds all the trucks going in and out of NJ into two lanes in each direction. That’s crazy!!! Even at 3 or 4 in the morning when all the truckers are trying to get to or get through NYC or Newark, or just trying to miss traffic in general, we are still stuck in those two lanes. From Midnight to 5 am open all lanes to trucks! Restrict cars to two lanes in each direction! You wouldn’t see trucks during the day unless they absolutely had to be there. Which is still a lot, but allow trucks to zip through at night and I’d sleep somewhere during the day just to be able to drive through on all lanes at night.

I’m not saying truckers are perfect, but take cars out of the way and you won’t have truck-car accidents. And probably fewer truck-truck accidents too. Simply because we drive more, most of us get constant defensive driving training, and we work with each other and talk to each other on the CB about what is going on. Even if I can’t see a traffic jam, I know to slow start slowing down even before I see it, because everyone is on the CB about it. Cars just zoom on by ignorant and think trucks are the problem making them slow down a little.

So it’s not a “safety issue”, it’s an idiot issue. No one is even thinking. It’s safer to put laws on trucks that don’t live in NJ and therefore can’t vote in NJ. Put restrictions on cars (voters) that live in NJ, you’d have to be held accountable and have to explain yourself. And God forbid anyone being held accountable in politics.

They seem to think that trucks intentionally go through NJ, like we’re sightseeing or something. There is a lot of industry in NJ. Plus you have to go through NJ to get to NYC or Boston or anywhere in the NE. I agree, ban trucks from NJ!!! I hate going there almost as much as NYC. I would love not to have to go in or even through NJ at all!

Charleston.Net: Local News: Trucker in deadly crash didn’t have big rig license 07/16/04

The Mexican truck driver responsible for a deadly truck crash earlier this month on Edisto Island wasn’t licensed to drive tractor-trailers in the United States, leaving local authorities to wonder why he was behind the wheel at all.

He was behind the wheel, because the truck owner is crooked.

Investigators think Silva-Morales was delivering produce from Florida to a store on Edisto Beach when his 18-wheeler veered into oncoming traffic on S.C. Highway 174 and collided with Seamster’s tractor-trailer. Both trucks exploded, killing Seamster. Silva-Morales was injured but has since recovered. The truck Silva-Morales was driving was registered in Ohio, but investigators don’t know if the vehicle belonged to a large trucking company or a small company. The man listed as the owner of the truck driven by Silva-Morales could not be reached for comment.

The truck was registered in Ohio with a Mexican driver running produce from Florida to SC. As much as I’m against the Mexican truck issue, this really has nothing to do with Mexican trucks. It sounds more like an outlaw US owner getting cheap drivers.

Since the owner of the truck was unavailable for comment, (he was busy packing his bags for an extended business trip). The details may be slow coming out.

Park said if Silva-Morales had possessed a Mexican commercial driver’s license, he could have applied for the U.S. equivalent, but he would have had to prove he was in the country legally.

And that’s the question of the day. They should find this owner and string him up. If he’s hiring illegals that didn’t even have a Mexican CDL, they might want to check the truck’s insurance and everything else.

Leon said just because Silva-Morales had no U.S. commercial driver’s license does not necessarily mean he is an unsafe driver.

He’s right, just because someone doesn’t have a license, doesn’t mean they’re unsafe. HAVING A WRECK AND KILLING SOMEONE MAKES HIM UNSAFE And just because he doesn’t have a CDL, doesn’t mean he can’t drive a big truck. This made my head explode. This guy Leon is an idiot plain and simple. Trying to pacify the people that are against the Mexican truck issue, but it backfires and makes him look like an idiot.

1 Comments

• At July 17, 2004, "Elegant" John wrote:

  Excellent point and I'm in total agreement with you here. This does not have anything to do with the Mexican truck issue and everything to do with a fly-by-night owner.

Bloomberg.com: U.S. Trucker Safety Rules Thrown Out by U.S. Appeals Court

July 16 (Bloomberg) — A federal appeals court threw out rules aimed at encouraging the 3 million truck drivers who ply U.S. highways to get more sleep, saying an agency responsible for road safety failed to consider the effect on their health.

We actually do get more rest with the new rules. 10 hours every day and if we hit 70 hours within 8 days, it’s a required 34 hour break.

The decision affects J.B. Hunt Transport Services Inc. and Swift Transportation Co., two of the biggest truckers, which raised rates on routes where the rules prevented drivers from completing assignments. It upheld a challenge from Public Citizen, a highway-safety advocacy group that contended the Transportation Department rules might make drivers more tired.

Companies that raised rates in response to the new rules - made money even though fuel prices went up. I got that right here.

Bonnie Robin-Vergeer, who argued the case for Public Citizen, said in an interview that the court ruling would require the DOT to put the old rules back into effect.

Driving under the old rules of drive 10 - rest 8 - drive 10, is a lot of driving. After a couple of days of that, I was worn out. 8 hours doesn’t leave much time for eating or showering and barely enough for sleeping. After a little getting used to them, I actually like the new rules better. I still get a little creative, but I’m forced not to drive as hard as 10-8-10-8.

According to the ATA and FMCSA they have 45 days to rehear the case. After that a couple more delaying tactics can be used, but then it’s back to the drawing board, while everyone switches back to the old rules.

ATA Issues Statement on HOS Decision

Here’s the actual court ruling. And the response from FMCSA.

1 Comments

• At August 17, 2008, the 48th ronin wrote:

  article quted was published july 16 2004... but we didn't go back to the old rules did we?

Freight outlook looking real good
Freight demand remained very strong in this year’s second quarter, as motor carriers, ports, and even railroads continue to report record demand and - in some cases - rising profits.

Even with the rising demand there are still trucking companies going under because of higher registration fee, insurance, fuel prices and new toll roads to name only a few of the obstacles to making a profit in this business.

This article mentions Yellow, Overnight and Old Dominion Truck lines more than a few times. They are all reporting and raising expectations of profits for the next quarter.

Even railroads are finding themselves swamped with freight and scrambling for a means to carry it. Union Pacific Corp. (UP), in particular, is taking additional measures to manage traffic growth on its rail network: pressing nearly 2,500 extra trainmen into service, putting nearly 700 conductors into engineer training and acquiring 500 locomotives, all in the last nine months.

I always thought it would be cool to drive a train!

…record business volumes in each of the first six months of the year have made it difficult to improve service performance.” said Dick Davidson, UP’s chairman & CEO “In fact, during the second quarter of 2004, [we] handled more carloads than in any other quarter in its history.” He also noted that UP believes freight demand is only going to increase as the year progresses.” Looking ahead, demand continues to increase, with the upcoming peak shipping season demand expected to be at record-breaking levels as well.

What’s good for trains is good for trucks. Trains are having trouble hauling everything, demand for trucks is increasing, I guess it’s not at the point to raise wages yet.