I've long been a believer in a "Graduated CDL", where the HOS regulations would allow greater latitude and discretion to experienced drivers with good safety records.

That would reward experienced drivers who drive safely, while it would protect the noobs and less experienced drivers from being pushed beyond their safe operating limits.

It would also provide incentives for companies to retain more experienced safe drivers.

 

I wish I could find some Stats on when I started driving in '78 and accidents there were involving trucks. We all pretty much ran 18+ hours a day and I don't remember seeing all that many accidents.
Trucks weren't as comfortable as todays obviously and maybe that's why people were more alert :P
Seriously though-my Kenworth was so comfortable I was getting tired more easily.

 

What's really funny is that they decided to do this, and also allow the Mexican drivers to drive further into the USA.

So here is my question.... How do we make the mexican drivers uphold to the laws of the land if we can't seem to agree on what they are to begin with?

 

From where I am sitting this does not seem to be an issue.

We take the same approach with them as everything else.

Just ignore it and hope that any problems will just go away.

 

When I first started driving we didn't have so many regulations. It was rare to see an accident involving an 18 wheeler. The ones I recall usually happened in bad weather and on mountain roads. Most seemed to be those hauling swinging beef or tankers. The driver usually lost control going off of a mountain. We didn't have the interstate system we have today. It is a shame that people who have no experience or knowledge about this industry can tell us how we can work. The 34 hour restart was the best part of the new hours of service. It encouraged people to take time off to get a restart on their week. Unfortunately, the way the hours were structured it also forces many to continue driving when they should stop and rest. These people don't have a clue as to what is safe out here on the road. Perhaps we need to start bombarding those who are making these rules with letters giving them the facts about their rules and how we need them structured. Frankly, I think the logs and hours of service have more to do with fundraising for the government than safety. Yoopr is correct about how we used to run. We ran harder yet had fewer accidents. We had the same hours of service rules for decades. Now we seem to have new hos about every other year. All I can say is that someone is getting rich with all these changes. I am talking about lawyers who write these rules and bureaucrats.

 

I'd like to see us go back to the old rules. Worked well enough and the truckstops weren't as plugged up at night like they are now. That's my biggest complaint, finding a place to park in order to kill 10 hours.

As for the frequency of accidents, I'd hazard a guess that with more volume on the roads accidents will increase. Add into that mix the common use of cell phones, driver thru eats and assorted other distractions that didn't exist in the old days and it's a given accidents will climb.

 

Yes. But what really, really kills me is that is that no money is being spent in the heightening of public awareness to driving behavior (4 wheelers) near trucks on public roads.

Regarding safety, what is the government doing about educating drivers as to the nature of a moving 18'er and what would be considered courteous and safe driving?

If they did a reality series, even if it were only a few shows, on life in a big rig from the trucker's perspective, I really think we would see a different attitude with regards to this industry and gain some respect for what we do.

Think about it. If you show a car driver how close he came to loosing his life when he cut you off while on the cell and chugging a Starsuck's he might behave a bit differently. Or how about showing a truck crashing into the back of a car, just as it cut in front of you at a stoplight on a rainy day? Hmm? Or the guy who tried to duck under you while you were making a right hand turn at a 4-way? Been there....

Instead of focusing on us dirty-unwashed as being the problem, all this effort should be directed equally, to include the public who condemns us :roll:

Next........

 

One thing that I'll add that I haven't seen mentioned yet. There isn't enough land in the U.S to build all the Truck stops and rest areas that will be needed for Parking if they cut down on the Hours

 

Let's see what these pencil necks could come up with next. These rule makers should spend a couple of weeks with some drivers to get a good perspective on the trucking industry.