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CSA 2010 Not a Win for Drivers

I do not agree with Editor Randy Grider’s article about CSA 2010 in the January issue of Truckers News. CSA 2010 will not present a golden opportunity for any driver, regardless of his or her driving record. What CSA 2010 does is tighten down government control on an industry that is already so heavily regulated that drivers can not make a good living for themselves, much less their families.

When one speaks of measuring a person’s BMI in order for them to drive a commercial truck, this raises a serious question as to when law enforcement is going to require a person to pass a BMI in order for them to get a regular drivers license. When will law enforcement require everyday people to get a physical and drug screen in order for them to operate a four-wheeler, six-wheeler or one of the large motor homes? When is law enforcement going to get their heads out of their rectums and understand that it’s the four-wheeler or six-wheeler that causes seven out of 10 accidents on the road that involve big rigs. I would also like to know why a ticket received while operating a car or pickup truck affects my CDL? I would also like to know why a ticket I receive while operating a commercial motor vehicle affects my insurance for my privately owned four-wheelers? The system is not fair and equal!

If the Department of Transportation wants trucking to be safer then might I suggest that it look at trucking dispatchers, pickup and delivery schedules and the requirements placed on drivers by the customers themselves. What the DOT needs to do is get its nose out of trucking and concentrate more on education of the four-wheelers as to driving around big rigs.

If it does come down to a requirement to measure BMI in order for me to continue driving, then I’ll become a former driver. I spent half my life in the military and was subject to weight screening, BMI tests, constant physical conditioning, eating the right types of food and physical testing every six months.

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What it boils down to is the DOT, along with company and customer requirements, places a lot of stress on drivers. Some drivers are not equipped to handle this kind of pressure, so their weight goes up, their blood pressure goes up and they get angry very easily. Combine that with the pressure placed on drivers to avoid all the stupid mistakes made by drivers of four-wheelers, and you have a person whose nerves are almost shot. I refuse to let all this get next to me. I also refuse to allow government to intrude any further into my private life.

William Loyd, Masillon, Ohio


Show some respect

A thanks goes out to Mike Giglio for writing his letter to the editor in the January 2010 issue of Truckers News. The article addresses how some drivers act and behave on a daily basis, showing little regard for the fellow driver who follows them into a truckstop bathroom or shower.

I am one of those low-wage janitors he mentions and am shocked at how some people can behave. His letter barely scratches the surface of the appalling behavior and disgusting habits of some drivers. The bathrooms are only the beginning; simply emptying the trash on an hourly basis is an act of handling hazardous waste. The gallon milk jugs full of urine with no cap, the garbage bags full of fecal matter, the list goes on. I must agree: Drivers, quit acting the fool and have a little respect for the guy cleaning up after you. If you open the door to your truck and trash falls out or you can barely see out the windshield because of the debris on the dashboard, you have a problem. Take some pride in your profession, your home on wheels and yourself. There are more people involved in the trucking industry than just the driver behind the wheel.

Mike Camp, Iowa


A no-nonsense candidate

After 20-plus years on the road, I have been lucky enough to have witnessed a few things. I have also heard a lot of opinions on how to fix what is wrong. Some of them have been good, some bad, but no one was willing to do anything to make things change, until now.

I have never believed in the business-as-usual way of politics. There is a candidate who has finally decided that he has had enough talk and wants to shake things up, so to speak. He is a truck driver who finally said enough is enough. His name is Rich Gordon and he wants to be the next Governor of the state of Pennsylvania.

What makes him so different is that he will freely tell you he isn’t a politician, that he isn’t a member of the Republican or Democratic party. That he isn’t going to take money from special interest groups in order to win a spot in the government. Rich (like me and a lot of people) is fed up with the way things are being done with our money. He’s fed up with our elected officials who make promises every four years but never deliver on our behalf, just to those who paid their way. He is tired of sitting around complaining about it and not doing enough.

Take a look at what he is about and if you believe like I do then let’s help put him in office. His Web page is www.gordonforpagovernor.com/. If you agree with what he has to say then give him your support. The way I see it, either we can keep complaining and electing the same politicians or we can try someone else who actually has the moxie to take on the business-as-usual candidates and make a stand for what the working man and woman really believe in.

Tim A. Lester, Harrisonburg, Va.


Sound off

Submit a Letter: Send letters to Truckers News, Attn: Randy Grider, 3200 Rice Mine Road NE, Tuscaloosa, Ala., 35406 or [email protected].

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Who do you think determines the price of diesel fuel?

Via Facebook

As a former trucker and owner-operator, I’d have to say the government. If we’d shut down like we talked about years ago when JB started railing freight, I don’t think we’d have this problem we’re having now.

— Kent S.

Partly due to our inability to balance human needs with environmental concerns, the idea that we can’t responsibly drill for oil without destroying the environment and excessive government controls that make responsibly exploiting our natural resources cost-prohibitive.

— Dean T.

Big government with all its taxes.

— Stacy B.

Many economic factors determine the price of fuel including supply and demand, the stock market and markup at the pump.

— Sam O.

Investors, big time. They even rent storage tanks to store oil until they get their price. The Bushes, Clintons and so on.

— Walter O.

OPEC.

— Ronnie Q.

Market/Commodity speculators — same idiots who caused the Wall Street crash(es)!

— David S.

Oil companies/Market speculators.

— Ben W.


Via Twitter

Very glad when you have an answer on this. We want to know, too!

— @autobaanradio

Well, in the end it’s the store. They have to make a profit from selling it, so ultimately the last few cents are up to them.

— @bobertreefer

Big Oil controls the price. Prices change for no apparent economic reason.

— @Lawsonbulk

There is no single person that decides. It’s a mix of the market/economy, supply/demand and local competition.

— @jsday


What’s your favorite website and why?



“Facebook, to stay in touch with all my friends.”

— Ron Temple

Frisards Trucking, New Orleans, La.


“Probably Wildwood Chrome Shop in Wildwood, Fla. I’m always looking for new chrome accessories for my truck: bumpers, visors, you know, whatever. I’m a chrome freak.”

— Chris Dixon

owner-operator leased to Riteway Transport, Meridian, Miss.


“I enjoy Facebook because I keep track of my family and all that’s going on while I’m out on the road. See what they’re up to, you know, kind of get an insight on everything that’s going on.”

— Thomas Davis

Wando, Savannah, Ga.


Jack: “Facebook because I can keep in touch with friends and family.”

Shirley: “I really don’t have one, but I go to OOIDA a lot.”

— Jack and Shirley Clifford

owner-operators leased to Ray Trans, Santa Fe, Texas


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