PLEASE HELP!
We beg and we beg for better training standards for truck drivers .... look at what the trainee was doing .... LOOK AT WHERE THE TRAINER WAS ..... look at even more dead people .... because ... THEY WON'T LISTEN TO US.

Sorry peeps ....... just a little out of sorts about this one .... Please call your reps and help SAFE TRUCK DRIVERS make Americas highways safer. We need higher standards for who can be a driver and higher standards for who can train them. It is our families that are dieing out on the highways. This is not a game. Real people die.

It's time big business and politicians realize this. Please. I beg you. Tell your Representatives today that the truck drivers you know want safer highways for all of America. The story follows. Thanks for letting me vent.. Geuss it's one of those days.

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Man killed in semi tractor-trailer wreck
By AARON LeCLAIR / lbedit7@laramieboomerang.com Saturday, March 26, 2011

A semi tractor-trailer driver was killed Friday in a fiery wreck that shut down the eastbound lanes of Interstate 80 between Laramie and Cheyenne for more than seven hours.

Jerry Roberts, 48, of Omaha, Neb., a driver for Fremont Contract Carriers Inc. (FCC), was pronounced dead at the scene of a wreck involving two tractor-trailers that took place at 5:40 a.m. near milepost 335 on I-80, according to the Wyoming Highway Patrol (WHP).

In addition to the Roberts, troopers found in the cab the remains of a dog that they believe belonged to him.

The wreck forced the WHP to close eastbound I-80 to commercial vehicles from 5:50 a.m. to about 2 p.m.

Light vehicles were diverted to Happy Jack Road to get to Cheyenne.

No hazardous materials were spilled, but the eastbound lanes were littered with debris and cargo, Trooper Troy Marrs said.

While the passing lane was opened to traffic, the driving lane remained closed at press time so the Wyoming Department of Transportation could remove the larger pieces of debris with heavy equipment.

Welton J. Seawright, 51, of Melvindale, Mich., an inexperienced CRST Trucking driver who was disoriented and driving too slow, caused the wreck, Marrs said.

Hes a brand new driver; he had only been driving a truck for three weeks, he said. He got disoriented in the dark, going up and down the hills, and his truck was bogging down.

Marrs said Seawright thought he was driving up an incline when he wasnt, which is why he was in second gear and traveling at 5 mph in the driving lane even though the highway was dry and visibility was clear.

Roberts came upon the CRST tractor-trailer and rear-ended it at 65-75 mph.

It appeared he applied brakes shortly before impact, Marrs said.

Shortly after the collision, the FCC semi exploded and caught fire.

The tractor was fully engulfed, Marrs said.

He couldnt say if the explosion took place upon impact or after the FCC tractor-trailer came to rest.

We know there was an explosion very shortly after impact, Marrs said.

Both tractor-trailers came to rest in the driving lane of eastbound I-80 near the Buford exit.

The only extensive damage the CRST truck sustained was to its trailer, Marrs said.

Seawright complained of neck pain and was transported by ambulance to Ivinson Memorial Hospital, where he was treated and released.

His instructor, Otis B. Willson, 40, of Anton, Mich., was asleep in the cab at the time of the wreck and was uninjured, Marrs said.

The Laramie Fire Department, Laramie County Fire District One, District 10, F. E. Warren and the Vedauwoo, Little Laramie and Centennial Valley volunteer fire departments responded to the semi fire.

The city of Laramie also contributed a water tanker.

Marrs said the WHP seized and impounded the CRST tractor-trailer because the company refused to allow troopers access to the black-box recorder in the cab.

The only two ways we can read that are either by a court order, in the form of a search warrant or subpoena, or by the company or vehicle owner giving us permission, Marrs said. It will be held until we can get a court order to seize that information.

A WHP press release says upon completion of the investigation, all information will be turned over to the Albany County Attorneys Office for the filing of any criminal charges.

"SCREEERUNCH" …… Yup, there goes another hood. I'm coming out the door and walking across the front of the fuel isle up at the Petro in Reno, NV last night. And that’s what I hear, "SCREERUNCH". I look up... and the driver making the noise is coming out from one isle looking past the fuel isle for a parking spot while his trailer is running over the driver's hood parked next to the dropped trailers that have been there forever. There is a light pole there and I guess the guy that got ran over thought that by parking behind it outside of a designated parking spot, that he would be ok long enough to run in and take a shower. Reno as you know can be a very busy place on a normal day. Last night Donner Pass had the chain law in effect, so it was really packed.
So as I sat there in what I hoped was a safe spot for me, I watched as dozens of trucks circled round and round trying to find a spot to park. Did they not check earlier in the day as to what the road conditions were? I know I did. I had been sitting over at the Love's in Fernly, Nv just about thirty miles away when I booked a load for next day pick up in Sparks NV. I checked and found that everything was open. Drivers inside the store talked liked there was no problem and the fuel clerk took down the paper they had pinned up about any closings.
So I traveled the thirty miles over to Reno so I could fuel up and get a shower. When I get there, everything has changed. Now the chain law is in effect on Donner Pass, the parking lot has just a few spots left and I was lucky to get one of the last. So how is a driver supposed to know when things are going to change? There just does not seem to be a way. The more places you look to find the correct information, the more confusing it seems to become. Not even the government sources seem to agree sometimes as to what is right. Thinking about it, I'm not sure how anyone could be right. The weather does what it does when it does it. There is no trying to figure it out. It just is.
So now we have all the truck stops in the area filled with driver after driver circling trying to find that one spot and be the first one into it. It's not long before someone parks where they are not supposed to and someone comes along and there goes another hood." SCREERUNCH". What are we supposed to do? We have to go somewhere as we cannot continue on because the road is closed. The Truck stops have told the government that they are providing enough parking for us. We drivers know that’s not true on a good night. We begged for Jason's law to be voted in and they just ignored our request. It all boils down to it's a personal problem. Yours.
I wish I knew the answer. All we can do is keep pushing Jason's law and try as we might to find a spot to park at a reasonable time while we still make our appointment. Oh yea, I forgot. We still need to keep our log book straight so I'm interested to see how putting independent of each other on board recorders in every truck is going to work when they shut drivers down without taking into consideration of all the other drivers in the area with EOBR's.
I think that in a perfect world we would have representatives that knew and understood everything they have to deal with up on Capitol Hill. That world will never exist. So it's our job to fill them in on what it is that we need to make our highways safer not only for us, but the American public. Let them know about Jason's Law and perhaps how it is we should pay for the program. I've always been a firm believer that letters do work. Let's keep trying just in case I happen to be right.

Jeff Head Like Today's Thoughts…. Don't forget to share or add me as your friend

Last night, I finished up watching the TV series "That 70 Show" on Netflix. It was kind of sad to see it come to an end. I guess that after eight years worth of shows, you really become connected with the characters and their day to day liv...es as the show relates them. There have been many other series over the years that I have missed due to the fact that I'm an over the road trucker. And in today's world, with all our new technology, it's great to be able to go back and catch up on some of the things we missed, like complete TV series.

It makes me sad though, thinking back on those lost years. What else we as truckers missed in our lives. The sacrifices we made by choosing a career such as ours. I know our family lives suffer greatly, missing ball games and other school activities. But we try. My son once told me, "For someone that is never here, you sure are here a awful lot". That's because no matter how far away I was, I always tried my best to be as involved with his life as I could be. I'm thinking though, it just was not enough. Not for me anyway. That lost time can never be recovered.

And we lost time with other things people with normal jobs get to do. Hobbies like bowling or golfing, even fishing seems more like a dream to us. When we do get home, by the time you get sat down long enough to catch your breath, the phone is ringing wanting you to leave again for who knows how long this time. But that’s the sacrifice we chose when we chose trucking as our career. Often, drivers do not last long after they figure out just how much time they will be gone from their families. They have a hard time dealing with the loneliness that the highway offers. Others like me find the solitude a peaceful refuge and long for it when we do get home. It take a certain kind of person to do thirty years partly as an over the road trucker.

Thirty years. That’s a long time. Even though I have enjoyed the years I did on the road, I find that I miss very much the time I could have spent with my family and friends. I know that I can never get that time back, but I do try as I can to stay in contact with them. I even made a forum on the internet and invited my whole family to join in. Some did, others did not. At least I made the effort. When I finally do settle down, I think it will be like starting a whole new life, meeting people for the first time that I've known forever. Hopefully then, I will be able to catch up on all the things we as truckers sacrifice as we bring America the products she needs so all the normal people can live their normal lives with their families.

I'm not sad about my choice to be an over the road trucker. It's a life that I have enjoyed very much. It's just that from time to time something reminds me of what I missed had I worked a normal job. Like I said though, that time has passed. All we can do is look forward to one day retiring that old highway. Look forward to re-kindling old relationships and maybe, just maybe, get a chance to go sit on the bank with a fishing pole and actually catching a fish with our grandchildren before that danged phone rings with another load that just has to go.

Jeff Head Like Today's Thoughts…. Don't forget to share or add me as your friend

What a rainy morning. Left Eugene, OR and headed out across Highway 58 on my way to Reno, NV today. Talk about raining. Pitch black and the wind was howling shaking my truck all over the road. Raining so hard a...t times that the windshield wipers could barely keep up. But I know the highway. I've run across it many times over the years. So making my way in the dark and the rain was just another morning in the wide world of trucking.
It was not long though, before I come up on a car that was doing much slower than I was. Every time traffic would come at us on that dark rainy highway, the car in front of me would hit their brakes and slow down. Same when the road would start getting curvy. It was very clear to me that whoever was driving that car was defiantly having a hard time handling those conditions. I'm not sure exactly why though. Could have been and elderly person with failing eye sight due to age. Or was it a young in-experienced teenager with just a few months behind the wheel. Maybe just tired. I do like to start early and it might have been late for their day.
Over the years I've seen this many times. I've also seen how some other drivers will handle it. Cars and trucks alike. Not going to pick on just one group on this point. But we as truck drivers, what is our job here? The times when we run up on slower traffic, less experienced drivers, or the elderly. Drivers that for whatever reason, on purpose or totally have no clue as to what they are doing, totally get in our way. What is our job in these situations?As you know, you can get as many answers to the question as you ask different people. And we all know what we see the answer is all too often out on the highway. Some think our job is to push this driver down the road. To pass un-safely and to teach them how to drive. But for me the answer can only be one thing. My job is to make sure that the people I share the highway with make it home to their families. It's just that simple. So I laid back so my head lights did not glare in their rear view mirror. Stayed back so that my big truck did not cause them to be more concerned with how close I was pushing them then keeping their mind where it needed to be, on the road. I did my job making sure that they had plenty of room to do as they needed to do. That they did not have to worry that a big arse trucker was about the run all over them if they did not go faster down that road then they could safely handle. That was my job as I see it and that's what I did. it's what I always do.Did this hold me up? Sure it did. But that was not the important thing here. Besides keeping them as safe as I could with my limited interaction into the situation. I also helped our image as truck drivers by not shoving them down the road two feet off their rear bumper. It's the little things that add up to the big things. And now that they are safely at home. Maybe the things they relate about their experience on the highway that dark morning will be a good thing for truckers. Who Knows? Now go do your job.
Jeff Head
Like Today's Thoughts…. Don't forget to share or add me as your friend

Just a little about me and what I'm aboutAfter witnessing an accident in which only one little girl survived, Jeffs passion for running legal and profitable grew to a peek. Offering a personal account of how drivers view the industry, and what happens when they try to improve it. By showing interested parties that some drivers do actually care and that if given a chance, more and more drivers are trying to Do the Right Thing. His goal is for these drivers to be able to run legal and safe without Reprisal.

Driving for approximately 30-years, this little girl inspired Jeff to share his stories. As echoes of the little girls screams haunted him in the weeks after the accident, he decided to write Running Legal Blues. By telling his stories, Jeff outlines the old renegade ways of trucking past, and what actually happens to Drivers that try to bring positive changes to the industry on their own in the modern day trucking world.

Starting with his first deuce and half in the army, Jeff then moved on to trucks of all shapes and sizes during his thirty year career. He delivered such products as food and gas locally, then on to delivering disaster relief supplies to hurricane areas. Currently he is an Owner Operator of his own eighteen wheeler running freight coast to coast.

Jeff in his own way is trying to let the FMCSA and other drivers know that they are not alone when they try to make trucking safer. Todays drivers know that safety is number one. His goal is to change the current image of the trucking industry form being renegades of the road, back to what they use to be known as Knights of the Highway.

As I was riding along today, thinking about the events of the last few days. My thoughts turned into the events of, well just about as long ago as I can remember. Basically, all my thoughts boiled down... to what others perceive my image to be. I cannot remember a time where anyone had a clue as to what it was I was actually trying to do. The memory that stood out the most as a young kid was walking home from a friend's house and being told by my probation officer, (never smooch on your friends sister if he don't want you to), is the memory of him telling me that I would either be dead or in jail by the time I was twenty one. What I was actually doing at my friends house was giving his mom my paycheck so she could feed her kids that week.

Fast forward a few years and I remembered being at a person's house that I thought I was supposed to be like family too. Anyhow, as I walked un-noticed into the room where he and a friend were chatting, I catch part of the conversation. "We need to go down to the truck stops and clean them up by spreading the word of God" Just then he notices me and of course, It not about me at all. He knows I'm a good guy, and let's not forget, that I'm a Christian too. I was happy for him thinking about my well being. But the fact was as I told him, it's hard to walk into a truck stop and not trip over the other guy that is trying to clean us up because we need all the Christian help we can get, being truckers and all.

I guess the final point I came to, after eleven hours of driving today is this. If we as truckers were to actually achieve a perfect image, would the perception of those that think they know what we are thinking just not kick all our efforts to the curb? I've understood for years that if all the people that thought they knew what it was that I was doing were so wrong, how could I as a human just like them be any closer to right when I thought I knew what they were up to.

Personally, I've learned to give a guy a chance. I'm pretty sure that if we as truckers will never get that chance. But that’s ok. I like a good challenge. No matter what they think I'm doing, no matter what they perceive me to be. I know what I am as a trucker, as a person. As long as I live my life so that I believe my image to be top notch, that’s the best I can do. I'll leave others to their perception. I'm sure that I will never be able to convince certain people that sometimes, they might just be wrong. But that's just a human thing.

I was just wondering ….. who is allowed to be a trucking advocate? I mean what are the rules? What are the standards? Do you have to be a certain religion? Is it based on the color of your skin? Perhaps it's you have t...o dress a certain way or keep certain friends. Is there a "you must wear underwear qualification"? Because if there is…. I might be in trouble on Saturday nights ….

Serious though. Is there some sort of rule that I'm not aware of that forces me to be of a certain type or I'm not allowed to promote safe and legal truck drivers to the world. The very nature of a trucker is independence. A person whom goes out into the world and does thing their way. We as advocates each have our own perspective and they vary greatly between us. Just like the people we are trying to reach out in the real world. Not every person out there is a Christian. Not every person likes to be laid back. Some are Muslims, some like rock and roll, and some like shock jocks like Howard Stern, while others tune in to Don Imus.

If we as advocates are only going to reserve ourselves to only one type of person that we can be, then we will miss ninety percent of the people we share the road with. While I may not agree with another advocate, I certainly agree with the fact that they have the right to their style. I know that the people that will read my stuff would never read someone that is more laid back then I am or perhaps more on the radical side. This is a good thing though. Because as we spread out and catch people of all ages or whatever groups you might put them in: The point is to catch as many as we can. To think only my way is right and everyone else needs to be destroyed is in my opinion working against our goals.
So just to be clear. I am a Christian that believes in the laws of this land. That means that I do not discriminate because of race, age, religion or whether or not you wear underwear on Saturday night. I hope this clears things up. If not, then I'm afraid that the things that will destroy our efforts will come from within our group. Not the outside world.

Came up on a C R England truck today .... weaving from the emergency lane to almost running another big truck off the highway as it tried to pass .... I tried several times to get the driver to answer on the CB .... no luck...

So after... a few minutes I made the decision that this driver was about as un-safe as one could get .... and I made the 911 call. I was lucky this time and got a dispatcher that was interested in my situation and was able to give him all the info .... He was going to send help ...

A few minutes later.... Three wide loads came up on us and I was able to warn them as they passed me.... but they would not pass the England truck ... who was still weaving all over the road....

I received a call from the Missouri State Patrol .... He gathered more info and my description so the officer in route could find me as we continued traveling ....By the time she arrived ... there were ten trucks and a few cars that would not pass due to the erratic driving of the England truck ...

The lady bear pulled up beside me and I pointed out the truck causing the problem .... And she moved ahead ,,,, I got on the CB as we were all working together to keep traffic away from this driver and let them know to help the lady bear find the right truck..

She pulled in behind C R England ..... in just a few seconds the truck once again weaved off into the emergency lane and she lit him up .... For almost three miles... England did not see the lady bear behind her .... finally ... England pulled over ....

So once again ... SAFE TRUCK DRIVERS made the road a little safer for the American public .... Thanks to all the drivers that helped today ... and a special thanks to the Missouri law enforcement that took us seriously and hopefully removed a un-safer truck driver from our highways

Did he not just say ….. "A friendlier environment for American small business". Obahama, that's who. I swear I heard him say just those words. Well, that is what his right hand was saying. What his left hand was whisp...ering behind our backs is "Let's take American tax dollars and give them to the Mexican truckers to buy the equipment they need to come across our border to take our American trucking jobs."

Yup, you heard it right. They are at it again. The Mexican truck pilot program is back….. again. Although still in its early stages, this time they have added a few interesting twist according to some of the news articles that I have been reading. Now keeping in mind that we as a country are only about fourteen trillion dollars in debt, Obahama has agreed to pay for electronic on board recorders for every Mexican truck that crosses our borders under this new version of the program. That means as I see it, that they are going to take money from my company that I need for keeping my truck repaired and safe to drive on our highways and give it to a person from another country so they can come up here and put me…. out of business.

Also, in this new version, is the fact that if a company can last eighteen months on our highways, they will forever be able to run in the United States. So even if the program is successfully ended, they remain. And let's not leave out company drivers. No sir. Why pay an American driver American wages when you can pay a third world driver less than half. I was reading just the other day about a company that imports foreign drivers at a reduced pay and houses them here in the states. When will this end.

We as American citizens need to start informing the powers that be of this one fact. You are either for us, or you are against us. We want our jobs,,,, period. We can no longer support the rest of the world while we stand back and watch ourselves fill the welfare lines. I have nothing against foreign trade, but the deals that are being made benefit no one but the other guy and the politicians that make the deals. It has been a long time since a deal has been made to the benefit of the America people and that stretch needs to come to a close…. NOW.

So, once again, instead of building our businesses, investing in our jobs and spending time with our families; we are going to have to drop everything and raise holy hell with the current administration and explain to them that we, as Americans, want our jobs. That we, as Safe truck drivers want to keep our Highways safe for the American public. That they, as our dually elected American officials work for us, not them.

Just my opinion
Jeff Head

I would like to issue a complaint on, the service attendant/owner, of Peoples Transport, 503 A Meighan Blvd, Gadsden, AL 35901. On 3/3/11, I purchased my ticket “online” for Twenty-two Dollars ($22.00). Gadsden, AL to Birmingham, AL.

When I... arrived at the station to get my ticket, the person I believe to be the owner got belligerent with me because I did not purchase my ticket directly from him at his terminal. He relayed to me that because of passengers like me that used Greyhounds on line services, I was putting terminals like his out of business. That Greyhound charges him to print my ticket and he was not happy with the cost. In short, due to the fact that I did not according to him, properly buy a ticket through him; I was in some sort of violation of his world. Therefore as punishment, I was banned from the interior of the terminal. I was to wait outside in the weather. Now as a diabetic on medication that is marked stay out of direct sunlight, I found this to be just a bit objectionable.

In fact, this person pushed me so far that I finally explained to him that he was losing business because of the way he treated his customers. To this he claimed I was not his customer but Greyhounds customer. I also pointed out that I would be happy to wait outside the two hours for the bus, and that he could have a F…ed up day. Turned and left the building. Your agent followed me outside demanding my ticket back. I would not give it to him. So then he informed me that if I said one more word, he would have me escorted off his property and banned from any Greyhound bus. He claimed he had the phone numbers to the drivers themselves and I would never make it to Birmingham if he had anything to do with it.

Now, I as a non Greyhound employee/person, having no clue as to the proper way to purchase a ticket to ride on your buses. I do believe that I did use a proper avenue in doing so. Furthermore, any disputes between Greyhound and their associates should not have anything to do with me. My part is to buy the ticket, ride the bus, the end. Anything else is to you and yours.

But that is not what happened here. I was verbally attacked, physically threatened with police, lost the price of the fare 22.00 twenty-two dollars ticket due to the fact that I could not count on being able to board the bus, and had to pay a taxi $90.00 ninety dollars to ensure I made my business appointment in Birmingham.

So I respectfully ask for a refund of not only my ticket price, but the fair for the taxi to replace the service that Greyhound should have provided to me without finding myself in the middle of what I believe to be a major dispute between Greyhound and their associates. 112.00 One Hundred twelve dollars.
Confirmation number for the unused ticket still in my possession is 7######.

Respectfully yours,

Jeff Head