to this already unsafe situation. Since Mr. Bush has now allowed truckers from Mexico to drive their loads all the way to there destination in the US instead of the prior restricted miles they were allowed to drive into the US, it should really add to the already unsafe road conditions.
My dad had the integrity to resign from his 20+ years as a truck driver as soon as he was diagnosed with congestive heart failure. There are plenty of truck drivers out there that are FAR from peak condition. As long as they have a license (that’s debatable) and pass the piss test then their employed and on the road with a truck as a guided nuclear missle on the road. It’s scary and now I see a proliferation of truckers using one hand to steer a 18-wheeler and the hand holding a cell phone. Bluetooth anyone?
It’s the drunk or distracted driver going 100mph behind the wheel of a SUV that scares me more than a commercial truck.
Besides, aren’t ALL drivers a risk to the road if they’re driving and have a medical history that makes them subject to seizures, passing out, or heart failure?
I realize the study is singling out the commercial vehicle drivers because of their size. But the roads are never going to be 100% “safe” as long as humans are involved.
Gee, didn’t Mr. Clinton sign the NAFTA agreement? I agree that the government has exercised little control, but blame both useless parties, not just the lame duck.
Man do I ever agree with you on the cell phones. I am generally opposed to “nanny state” legislation but the person operating an 80,000 pound truck tractor with trailer should NEVER be using a cell phone at the same time.
If the article did anything to me, it provided a clear reminder to pay extreme attention while driving and to carry a healthy fear and respect for automobiles. Driving is by a large margin statistically the most dangerous activity most of us engage in, and we do it several times a day. Not enough people drive with that fact in mind.
I can’t tell my loved ones enough; pay attention pay attention pay attention!! You can be the best driver in the world, but if the guy coming the other direction has a heart attack and crosses over you had better be paying full attention and be aware of your surroundings!
Matt you are 100% correct. I have stressed that with my kids (and wife) but I don’t know if they really understand how important constant awareness is.
1) first of all there are not illegal alien truckers! all truck drivers get a cdl license and are tested periodically. secondly, does it really matter if they are from mexico or canada? we have had drivers fm canada drive their load to their destinations, why not the mexicans. what we fear the most is thinking we are going to lose jobs and we are not. according to the agreement, we are allowing them to deliver that load and possibly take a load back w/them into their country. they are not allowed to driver interstate load (state to state; vs country to country). concern, like most, is the condition of the vehicles. most trucks are safe and if DOT does it’s safety checks, you’ll find out they are no different than ours as far as safety. how many truckers do you know that don’t abide by the logbook or hours of duty? i used to be a driver trainer and seen many folks that did. they were interested in the $$$$ and not safety, as designed by the FED DOT!
2) medical: we can’t control if and when we have a heart attack or seizure. we can get regular check-ups to ensure we keep in touch with our doctors for treatments if necessary. the driver who talked about that his walking to the mailbox was harder than driving – agreed! many of you might sit at you desk today and read/write and complete your business. that is the same with a truck driver. he spends 80% of his day driving. now, if you want to talk about fed disability and payment. don’t we want them to earn a paycheck if they can, instead of getting a freebie? afterall, they are contributing back to society w/o relying on being paid to live. many folks want to feel as if are independent. now we do have folks that live on welfare that could be working but like the idea of free money. personally, i feel that they need to get off their duff and work. another reason why we can’t get out of debt, we allow folks to get away with things.
3) i am glad we have a nation that can say many folks help each other. even though we have an increase in oil prices, we still punch the clock for a paycheck and still pay for our commodoties (clothing, resources, etc).
afterall, how many of us are truly perfectly fit? can some of say, we drive that same route everyday, we can drive that in our sleep? my hat is off to those that do driver the roads. if you look at the amount of goods transported and the number of folks that use buses to travel to the number of accidents, you’ll find that the trucking industry is NUMBER 1 in safety.
We keep dodging the real issue. Truckers work long hours that they do not get paid for. If truckers were paid for their time they would have the opportunity to take better care of themselves. Stop regulating against the trucker. Start regulating with the trucker. Then we will see healthier truckers.
Is it possible some of these drivers are retired police officers I used to see at the local donut shop?
to this already unsafe situation. Since Mr. Bush has now allowed truckers from Mexico to drive their loads all the way to there destination in the US instead of the prior restricted miles they were allowed to drive into the US, it should really add to the already unsafe road conditions.
My dad had the integrity to resign from his 20+ years as a truck driver as soon as he was diagnosed with congestive heart failure. There are plenty of truck drivers out there that are FAR from peak condition. As long as they have a license (that’s debatable) and pass the piss test then their employed and on the road with a truck as a guided nuclear missle on the road. It’s scary and now I see a proliferation of truckers using one hand to steer a 18-wheeler and the hand holding a cell phone. Bluetooth anyone?
…than unsafe truckers on the road.
It’s the drunk or distracted driver going 100mph behind the wheel of a SUV that scares me more than a commercial truck.
Besides, aren’t ALL drivers a risk to the road if they’re driving and have a medical history that makes them subject to seizures, passing out, or heart failure?
I realize the study is singling out the commercial vehicle drivers because of their size. But the roads are never going to be 100% “safe” as long as humans are involved.
Gee, didn’t Mr. Clinton sign the NAFTA agreement? I agree that the government has exercised little control, but blame both useless parties, not just the lame duck.
Man do I ever agree with you on the cell phones. I am generally opposed to “nanny state” legislation but the person operating an 80,000 pound truck tractor with trailer should NEVER be using a cell phone at the same time.
If the article did anything to me, it provided a clear reminder to pay extreme attention while driving and to carry a healthy fear and respect for automobiles. Driving is by a large margin statistically the most dangerous activity most of us engage in, and we do it several times a day. Not enough people drive with that fact in mind.
I can’t tell my loved ones enough; pay attention pay attention pay attention!! You can be the best driver in the world, but if the guy coming the other direction has a heart attack and crosses over you had better be paying full attention and be aware of your surroundings!
Matt you are 100% correct. I have stressed that with my kids (and wife) but I don’t know if they really understand how important constant awareness is.
1) first of all there are not illegal alien truckers! all truck drivers get a cdl license and are tested periodically. secondly, does it really matter if they are from mexico or canada? we have had drivers fm canada drive their load to their destinations, why not the mexicans. what we fear the most is thinking we are going to lose jobs and we are not. according to the agreement, we are allowing them to deliver that load and possibly take a load back w/them into their country. they are not allowed to driver interstate load (state to state; vs country to country). concern, like most, is the condition of the vehicles. most trucks are safe and if DOT does it’s safety checks, you’ll find out they are no different than ours as far as safety. how many truckers do you know that don’t abide by the logbook or hours of duty? i used to be a driver trainer and seen many folks that did. they were interested in the $$$$ and not safety, as designed by the FED DOT!
2) medical: we can’t control if and when we have a heart attack or seizure. we can get regular check-ups to ensure we keep in touch with our doctors for treatments if necessary. the driver who talked about that his walking to the mailbox was harder than driving – agreed! many of you might sit at you desk today and read/write and complete your business. that is the same with a truck driver. he spends 80% of his day driving. now, if you want to talk about fed disability and payment. don’t we want them to earn a paycheck if they can, instead of getting a freebie? afterall, they are contributing back to society w/o relying on being paid to live. many folks want to feel as if are independent. now we do have folks that live on welfare that could be working but like the idea of free money. personally, i feel that they need to get off their duff and work. another reason why we can’t get out of debt, we allow folks to get away with things.
3) i am glad we have a nation that can say many folks help each other. even though we have an increase in oil prices, we still punch the clock for a paycheck and still pay for our commodoties (clothing, resources, etc).
afterall, how many of us are truly perfectly fit? can some of say, we drive that same route everyday, we can drive that in our sleep? my hat is off to those that do driver the roads. if you look at the amount of goods transported and the number of folks that use buses to travel to the number of accidents, you’ll find that the trucking industry is NUMBER 1 in safety.
We keep dodging the real issue. Truckers work long hours that they do not get paid for. If truckers were paid for their time they would have the opportunity to take better care of themselves. Stop regulating against the trucker. Start regulating with the trucker. Then we will see healthier truckers.