In the last several years, trucking has undergone major reconstruction. When it comes to companies, most have invested in technology, not driver benefits.
As I think about it, going on sitting for almost 48 hours with no pay; it tells me that this industry is all about self and not blood, which is the drivers.
As more drivers are pumped out of company schools and 3 day training programs to become a "professional truck driver," "where you can be a paid tourist." Really??
Anyways, not going there right now. As drivers now a days, many feel beaten to the point where they don't have any fight left and the next generation of truck drivers who like and don't know the true freedom of the road. No one gives each other support. "Let the company handle it" is the attitude. For years, I have tried to get drivers to understand that we have the power; not by striking, not by boycotting, or even by means of work slow downs. The true damage can come down from being legal; run logs legal, shut down early if you have to,vknow the area for stops you are going into, parking and crime.
If you have equipment issues that could land you a ticket, get it fixed. If you get someone who says worry about it later, tell them you can't, it's a safety issue!
Drivers we have the power, we just need to agree! Don't take it from behind!
So I posed the question a couple days ago, and got what I was hoping for. The question is and will always be would you be willing to pay to park? It was pretty much a mixed bag of sorts.
With the way trucking is and the hours of service, electronic logs, data recorders, and so much more, cheating the log book has become a harder challenge then ever. Staying within a 14 hour clock is, at times, really hard to almost impossible. Not that I am saying drivers cheat their log books, I am just making the statement 'cause if you really look at the way things have changed for us in just a few years we are so limited in how we do things.
In some parts of the country parking is not a big issue. However, other parts are. You pull in to a truck stop at 7 pm, and there is no place to park. Yet other places you go, you can pull in at midnight and find a spot.
So as the question goes, are you willing to pay to park?
One general point I received was "Only if that's the last option". So who then should be responsible for us to build parking spots.............the federal government? State or local governments? Private companies? Well, that has always been up for debate. After all, the feds created the rules and therefore should build us places. Then again, they build them and then close them up or even think about this,when you use government rest areas were built with tax dollars, so, in turn, you are paying for parking there even if you don't use them.
Cities should have parking areas built in industrial areas, if they want us to move. On that one, there was the city of South Bend, Indiana that built an area just for trucks going to the industrial park on the east side of town. They then had to close it up because drivers where trashing the place; pee bottles, trash, tires and oil, vandalism to the small out houses they built, and drivers making noise like crazy. Never was there an issue of crime, just trash.
Should it be up to the shippers and receivers? They want us their to move "their" freight, so they need to provide us with a place to park. Well, on that note, a food warehouse in Northern Connecticut had done just that. Drivers were allowed to come in early for their appointment time and park, until the one day a driver was robbed and sued the chain for $500,000, and it was later found out he was never robbed. It just an insurance scam. I do believe they did jail time, but the chain said they don't want the risk for the safety of the driver and trucks.
Shopping centers, malls, stores, and many other places used to let us park, but not any more. Reasons are one, drivers that feel they are a gift to the economy and can do what they want. They feel they have to be respected. (I see it all the time today) They park where the cars are and block spaces. Two, the trash issue, pee bottles, and lazy trash throwers.
So, that leaves the private property owners, like the truck stops. I saw where a couple people posted that they rip you off and over price EVERYTHING. Yes, I agree truck/travel stop/centers are over priced now a days. So, the thing about this is, who cleans the lot? Who patches the pot holes? Who cleans the place? The property owners do, and as we in trucking know, we have too many drivers who are lazy and hurt the rest of us. I don't see truck drivers out their picking up trash. I don't see truck drivers cleaning the fuel island, refilling the washer fluid, helping empty the trash. No, instead I see and hear drivers complain about how bad the place is.
In general I think before we go and talk about the "horrible" and "evil" greedy chains, and instead think about how maybe we can help out in some ways today. So until someone can up with a good strong plan to help the truckers and companies, we may just end up their paying to park.
On a side note, Jason's Law is not going to help parking. Just like the other government help outs, we all get screwed in the end. As I said before, it sucks what happened to Jason, but it's a feel good law; an empty cake with sweet frosting on the outside.
In 1988, a Green Bay, Wisconsin Company by the name of Schneider National, with the help of Irwin Jacobs, started a whole new chapter in trucking history that we take for granted today. This little company introduced a 30 pound device that helped to track and make more effective the delivery and movement of freight. This product was known as OmniTRACS!
By 1993, Jacobs was being anointed by Fleet Owner as "The Man Who Changed Trucking."
Today we have devices in our trucks such as GPS, mapping software, electronic logs, cell phones, satellite radio, television, DVD Players, and so much more. It has saved, by now, millions of dollars both for the companies and the drivers. That's good, right?
In perspective, yes. In reality, no! Why, you might ask? Well, let me tell you...........
The other day, I was sitting in the Loves in Mifflinville, Pennsylvania. As I sat there, I saw several US Xpress trucks pull in from the Dollar Tree account out of Berwick, Pennsylvania. Many of them where flying through the parking lot. Some didn't know how to back up, so they parked on the fuel island. Twice as other trucks were backing up, they drove behind them, no concern for the driver backing up. Also, I have a friend who works as a dispatcher with Tractor Farm and Supply out of Hagerstown, Maryland. Many times he has drivers call him to ask how to get back out of the customer. The system has to be programmed by the dispatcher and if the driver doesn't have a load, it will not activate to tell him where to go.
To add to another story, I watched a driver following his GPS (which was a Garman Truck one) drive right past the customer passing several signs that said "NO TRUCKS PAST THIS POINT." I said something to him on the CB and luckily the driver had his CB on. He was able to stop before he got too far. He said the GPS told him it was on the left, but the place was the only one on the road and a huge plant. It was the PPG plant off US 41 in Evansville Indiana.
The problem I see is that the more technical we get, the more we become dependent on it and become stupider. I am a mid 90's driver who has seen the whole industry go from one side to the other. As the world changes, companies invest more into the technology side of it, taking the driver thinking factor out of the job. This can both be good and bad, as an owner operator it's a challenge to keep up with the big fleet prices, where as if you target the specialized side, you can have your own say for the most part. As a company it can give the advantage of being more effective in cost time and operations, yet still takes away the ability for drivers to think for themselves.
As drivers, we tend to fight because we have no control, yet we blame the next generation of drivers because they never had the old school philosophy,or even the old school practice of thinking. I don't have the answer since this is the new trucking. Common sense is pretty much given to the computer, and it does the thinking for the driver. The fact is, many companies invest millions a year in technology advances to compete with each other.
In personal perspectives, it is not the trucking your parents grew up in. This is the "Star Trek" generation where old meets new and old is gone. You either get in the game or quit. Well not that simple; I am modern old school. I will accept the new, but will always remember where I came from and those who have shifted the wheels behind me. I will help a trucker on the side of the road, I will help a driver back up, I will say hi to other drivers, I will wave as well, and I will flash my lights to let you in.
As for you,I hope you remember those that came before us. We are the truckers of America, let's be proud and let them truckers roll!!
I did do research!
You're driving your nice, pretty, Corvette, cruising down that big old interstate at 85 miles per hour; not a care in the world. Suddenly, you are cut off by one of those dang nasty pain in the butt semi trucks! Curses! You stupid mother #@$%! Get out of my way!
Well you get past him after a long hard 2 1/2 miles at 72 miles per hour,you flip him off and act a fool! Then you head to the park for the car show. You have to stop and get gas, a drink, and a bag of chips everyday.
So would you think of a truck as being conventional? Most people out side of trucking would not. They really have no clue what things they use everyday is moved via a truck. Sure the rail moves stuff, but did you know today 87% of rail freight is moved on a rail container? Do you know what those even are? Pretty much, they are a box that is put on a flat version of a train car. They are moved by a large crane and put on a chassis that is then locked down and looks like a truck trailer. Yet, they are stilled moved via truck.
Think about this one; right now you are reading this on your computer or even your phone. It is a device that is made out of plastic and other stuff. That plastic was made from oil and compounds, that was made in a warehouse some where in the world. Now as you sip your beverage, well powered up on the computer that gets it's power from the power plant miles away; a truck brought that coal to dump in that hopper to burn; a utility crew put those power lines up with their trucks, which is powered by the fuel that a tanker brought from a refiner somewhere; that was on a pipeline from somewhere as well. I think you get the point.
The news media can care less about the story of the average American truck driver, who has a family, or sadly had a family he lost to his lifestyle. They only care about the carnage of a wreck. The headline reads "Truck Kills 3 in Wreck," and it turns out that it was a pick up. Besides, I have never seen a vehicle randomly kill. Of course Stephen King showed us that trucks can kill in "Maximum Overdrive," but, really the fact that we have cars, trucks, motorcycles and stuff on the roads. It's a virile part of the system,with every culture; we will have some sort of transportation system.
I don't buy into "Without Trucks America Would Stop," because if that happened there would be something else. Besides, is anyone really going to shut down? No, I don't think so. We just need to learn and deal with each other.
To the General Public a truck driver is:
A pill popper;
Prostitute lover
A rebel with a mission to beat and destroy!
They drive at high rates of speed, tailgating everything in sight and they are just a pain to get and be around.
To A Truck Driver a truck driver is:
The life blood of this country,The reason this country is up and running,without trucks America would stop!
Ok, now does anyone really believe this crap?
I am a truck driver and tell you this...............
A truck driver is an impatient person.A truck driver is a kind and patient person.
A truck driver is a cold blooded person.
A truck driver is a warm and loving person.
A truck driver is a law breaking manic.
A truck driver obeys each and every law, regulation and is morally good.
A truck driver is a self righteous pig.
A truck driver is a selfless, genuine, productive person
A truck driver is a sexually dangerous person.
A truck driver is a religious person with a strong moral compass.
To put this into perspective, A truck driver is simply put -- human with all the human frailties and strengths.
I have seen both negative and positive from truck drivers in my 14 years behind the wheel. The one thing that gets me is how so many organizations want to pit drivers against each other,. It's hard to say what I'm writing about since I have no clue tonight. I was thinking of something but got side tracked and forgot.
I guess I would like to see respect from each other out here, we as commercial drivers need to stand up and stand together. If we let those people and organizations divide us we will fail.
At one time people did look at truckers as being cool,but once the movie Convoy, Breaker Breaker, and Smokey & The Bandit came out we've had a major image issue to work on, then came the massive truckers strike in the 70's, Oh Boy!
We are in dire straits now and nothing is going to change unless we make it happen!
I'm not calling for a truckers strike, because so many issues have to be answered and who would be in charge of the negotiations? Not OOIDA, or Trucking Bozo, no one!
What are the issues?
Everyone has their own option on what the issues are. They are numerous and complicated.
We need to slow down; run legal; tell the customer what can be done; tell our company what we will do;
We need to keep precise logs in accordance with the rules and regulations and stick to it. Make the logs work for us instead of against us.
If they threaten you -- leave. They are a crap place for whom to work. The most impact we, as truckers, can do is use the same laws they want us to obey to the "T" and stay absolutely legal. What can they do? Fine us? Give us points? Arrest us? For obeying the law? I don't think so.
And last to add, they, the legislators, rarely ever get input from the real drivers who are out here everyday of the week doing what we do best. So don't be afraid to call your elected representatives office and talk to them or their aids regularly. You would be surprised how much they really do want to hear from us the "Regular Joe" .
First off, you want this but you don't want that! Come on drivers! What is your problem?
Someone tell me, with all the talk and government proposals of EOBR's, we as drivers don't want it, yet we run to suit our hours and our income. Maybe, and more than likely, this is more of an insurance issue, not a "safety" issue. It's a proven fact that large carriers get discounts if they provide more detailed information to determine if the driver, not the company, broke the rules. Then the insurance company will place blame on the driver, and he gets black balled.
Yet certain organizations claim all big companies are bent on controlling the owner operator. Well, I don't buy it. I'm sure that there are a few carriers that want more then what they have. For the most part, each company has it's little part of the market.
Now, I don't think we need more government regulatory rules at all. We live in a free market; if you can't make it, either you don't know how to run a business, and you should not expect someone to bail you out.
Logs-run legal dang it! If you want to change things, play by the rules. I do,and if you run legal, then what can the cops do? Yes, they may find something, but if they want to find something, they will no matter what!
So in turn if you want to nag about something look at yourself first! After all. if you run legal and someone challenges you, either you are working for the wrong people or just plain stupid!
Don't let someone scare you! Don't let them tell you that you are running wrong if you're running legal. If they tell you otherwise, get out now!
Please run legal. You can do damage by doing the truth, be safe, and be careful!
Several years ago the organization for truck stops stated there is more parking spaces for trucks then there are trucks. Really?? you may say. So, maybe that's true in overall perspective. Yes, there are truck spaces open all over 24/7. However, the catch is the open spots are no where they need to be.
I am one who doesn't like to park on ramps, but if that's my only choice (that or over hours), I'll go there and pray for the best (that no one hits me). As many of us know, parking is a major issue and, at times, it's almost impossible to get spots. With the Hours of Service changing all the time, what's a driver to do?!?!
Take for example, the horrible story of Jason Rivenburg getting robbed and killed at a closed up gas station. Who is responsible? Well first the criminal, but who's next? Who knows,we are told all the time,"plan your trips accordingly." So I did,and then I get to my planed destination and place is full, "no parking" signs on the ramp, the Wal-Mart store doesn't want truck parking there! What are we to do?
Here is my thought; Jason's Law is good, however I feel the states should encourage truck stops to expand. Give them tax breaks, explain to the local folks how this expansion can help. Also,create areas inside industrial parks where trucks can park with state and the federal tax incentives for these places. Set it up like some kind of information line so that if a truck stop is misusing the tax breaks/incentives they get in trouble. Let the IRS handle that since they love nailing people.
Drivers your turn. Want to know why most places don't like us there? OUR IMAGE! Urine bottles, trash, garbage, loud idling trucks! And parking how the freak you want! STOP IT! That is just out right nasty! Do you really live like that? How about I come to your house, (Wait, let me get your address, I'll post it) and all of us will fill old bottles with pee and bags of trash and throw them on your lawn! I maybe preaching to the preacher, but I'm sick of it! The selfish attitudes get US no where.
Things I do, we may not be allowed to park many places nowadays,but if I get a chance and do park in somewhere other then a truck parking area, I will check with local law enforcement, or security. If they say yes,I park in the back, away from cars, not only to give them their area, but so when I go to leave I'm not stuck or blocked in. I make sure if I use pee bottles I put them in the trash. In general, I'm just being responsible and respecting their property.
Lastly, I may tick people off, but I'm not a fan of Jason's Law because it was a "feel good law," and like so many of its kind, someone will sneak something in for their own personal political wants. The bill has good things in it, but I am afraid it will get hit too.
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