In the beginning when log books were first
introduced they were used to protect
the driver from having their company make them drive of
fear loosing their job. Have you ever heard
the expression if you wont do it I will find someone else that will!
This is exactly what was happening way back then, and why
log books were required.
In those days in trucking the equipment would give
you a beating, and the roads were really poor with lots of stops to
have to be made in the towns you have to go through. Two lane roads
were the main highways back then and the trucks didn't have sleepers
for the driver to sleep in.
No air conditioning and poor heat systems also
created a situation where it was very difficult to rest, or get any
sleep so this made the problem even worse.
Now
Today's trucks have most of the
conveniences of home inside the truck, climate controls, air ride, and
a ride similar to a car. Instead of drivers taking a beating from the
truck they drive they ride in comfort.
The roads although far from perfect are such a
dramatic change from what they were in the beginning that it makes it
much easier to drive both farther and faster and still be safer than
ever.
Here's where we have the
problem now....
Instead of log books being used to protect the
driver, they are being used by the governing state, and federal
enforcement as a means of taking money from the driver and the
trucking company in the form of fines and penalties. This greed
motivated system is even being done by cities in some parts of the
country.
These Governing enforcement groups (DOT, Highway
Patrol, Police Department) use the guise that they do this for
safety reasons.
Groups like mothers against tired truckers are
quick to jump on the band wagon and push for bigger fines and
penalties against drivers for violations found in these log books.
This is really doing nothing for safety.. what it does is make a lot
of money for these governing bodies.
Let me make this clear to
everyone I am not against Mothers against tired truckers or the actual
officers who are out there doing the job given them by these governing
bodies.
I am however saying that the bodies that give them the orders
to enforce this and a lot of other matters are motivated by
GREED not Safety. The officers who are
forced to enforce this we can hope will give as many breaks as they
can to drivers but still it needs to be changed at the highest level.
I believe that groups like Mothers against tired
truckers hearts are in the right place, but I don't think they are
getting the real story. They are being told that the truckers are
trying to drive more than they should, and that log book rules,
regulations, and penalties being made tougher is the solution.
(This puts a lot of the drivers money in the
hands of these agencies but does very little or nothing except make
the drivers have to work harder to replace the money the government
just stole from them)
Here are the facts:
-
We do not get
tired, or feel rested just because a piece of paper says we should
or requires us to take a break
-
Many times drivers sleep while they are
being loaded or unloaded
-
Sometimes even though we are able to show
the needed time in the sleeper to be legal but legal doesn't mean a
thing as far as rested
-
When you tell a company you have hours they
will want you to run!
-
You can have hours available and still be
tired
-
It would be simpler and safer for drivers
to just do away with log books all together and just go on how we
actually feel.
-
If you did away with log books and
gave drivers the power to just tell their company without penalty
that they are tired and need to rest things would work in a much
safer manner
-
MORE TO COME!
