DOT Help Us

On Nov. 11, I pulled into the scales on I-40 at West Memphis. It was raining buckets at the time, and instead of going back to I-40 I pulled around back to park a little while. There was one more truck back there; otherwise, the 50 or so spots were empty. After about 30 to 45 minutes, the officer on duty jumped in his car and came over to me and said that I had to leave now or he would start writing tickets. He said there would be no parking or sleeping on his lot. So I packed it up and left.

  1. It’s not his lot. It’s paid for with state and federal money.
  2. They never use any of those spaces for anything.
  3. I thought that DOT was there to help and assist truckers and motorists as they journey through their state. DOT always wants us to comply and assist but never help us in anything.

One more thing, why do DOT officers always yell at the top of their voices? Is this something they are taught at DOT school?
Frank Sellars
Columbia, Ala.


Show all the Alternatives
I recently visited one of Florida’s largest truckstops and while there, I picked up a copy of Truckers News. It is a top-notch publication for drivers with regard to information and enlightenment. However, when I came across the Health Stop article by Kristen Record [“Pain in the Neck,” November 2004], I was somewhat flabbergasted. Your magazine is broad-scoped, but this article intentionally or unintentionally omitted the alternatives available to drivers who suffer post-traumatic injuries as a result of motor vehicles accidents – “whiplash.” Chiropractic or osteopathic manipulation was not even mentioned.

Alternative choices help reduce the use of prescription drugs, which can be addictive. Chiropractic medicine is recognized in all 50 states and in the worker’s compensation laws, as well as all major insurance companies. We D.C.s are physicians, therefore we can order necessary MRIs, CAT scans, etc. We were taught and certified to take, develop and read X-rays. Also, many D.C.s utilize physical therapy modalities.

I have specialized in personal injury work for many years. However, I am retiring and changing professions. I hope to join the proud ranks of professional drivers. I am in pursuit of my CDL.

I have suffered thoughtless prejudice in my former career. Alternative health care is on the rise. I want to join the trucking industry and read informative articles which will broaden my scope of knowledge, not limit my creative thinking and alternative choices.

Like brakes (p. 32 of the same issue), we all need adjusting.
Daniel R. Huber, D.C.
St. Petersburg, Fla.


Be Careful in Maryland
I am a subscriber to Truckers News, and I enjoy reading it.

In the past three years, I have noticed an increase of accidents here in Maryland. It has increased to about one a month involving an 18-wheeler.

I believe you should investigate why this state is having so many 18-wheeler accidents and let drivers know they must be careful when passing through Maryland. Every week I see an accident on TV, but not much is covered in the newspapers. I noticed last week that a TV station here is having a reporter do a special report on the growing problems with the increased accidents with big trucks. According to their report, in 2003 there were 7,506 accidents involving big trucks with 87 people killed. As of this year, there have been 78 people killed.

Maryland has a lot of troopers, but they cannot control the high speeding four-wheelers that pull in front of 18-wheelers and then hit their brakes. I believe there should be a special highway for only 18-wheelers or big trucks to bypass this area all the way to New York.
Tommy Robinson
Jessup, Md.


Truckers Made our Journey Better
Yesterday, my wife and I returned from a 5,000-mile round trip covering 13 states. What was so unusual about this trip was that it was done by driving a 1949 V-8 Ford from Anaheim, Calif., to Pittsburgh, Pa., and back to Anaheim.

On the road, I had the opportunity to talk to about 100 truckers via the CB network with hundreds of others listening in. We could not stop at any truckstops without drawing attention to this car (It’s in showroom condition). We personally met as well as talked via the CB to many 18-wheeler drivers in our days on the road and believe me, when I needed road information as well as directions, they were the most courteous and helpful people you would ever care to come in contact with.

I just wanted to say thanks to all those 18-wheeler drivers that made our trip more memorable. In the state of Missouri, one of them even played the Marines hymn on his harmonica over the CB once he found out we were Marine brothers.
Al Geisweidt
Anaheim Hills, Calif.