Letters From Readers

RETREAD RECOUNT

In your February article on retreads, when you calculated the new tire cost, you did not deduct the credit that they give you for the new casing. I have received up to $75 for each; if you multiply that by 36, it comes to $2,700. The cost of the new tires comes to $9,900, and if you divide that by 700,000 your cost per mile is only 1.414 cents. This makes a difference of $54 per year more.

If you have a cap come off and it tears off a quarter fender, you’re out $150 because you can’t buy just one fender. I have been in the business 16 years, and I am a leased operator. I have never run caps because I know guys who do, and when I see the damage they do, it is not worth it.

I enjoy reading Overdrive and do find some helpful tips.

John Vagnozzi
Philadelphia


SOMEONE ELSE NEEDS A WAKE-UP CALL

I live on Long Island, N.Y., and run locally. Every night at the rest area I see the police giving tickets to truck drivers for idling. They wake up drivers and welcome them to New York with a ticket. I think it’s terrible that these hard-working drivers, who are away from their homes to bring us the things we need, can’t even get undisturbed rest.
Someone needs to get on these lawmakers and local law enforcement and wake them up. It’s just not fair. The police target truck drivers because it’s easy money. I guess safety goes right out the window. I hope this gets out to the right people and something gets done.

Alan Forsyth
Patchogue, N.Y.


MOST TRUCKERS UNFAIRLY RIDICULED

I recently read of a lady complaining about how rude truckers are and how we never stop and offer assistance anymore.

When was the last time anyone saw a four-wheeler stop to help a broken-down 18-wheeler? Why is everything always our fault? When a car and truck get tangled up, no matter what happens, it is automatically our fault.

So the next time a truck happens to get in your way, wave and smile and let the driver know how much he is appreciated. Leaving our families for days at a time and all the rules we are forced to follow – living on the road is a tough life. We are grossly underpaid and ridiculed for many reasons.

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I agree that there are some people who do give the industry a bad name, and it makes you wonder how they ever got on the road. But just because one driver is a bad apple doesn’t mean we all are.

There are really good people out there on the road making sacrifices to make the lives of Americans more comfortable. So if this fits you, trucker, my hat is off to you!
If you are one of those bad apples, clean up your act and join the rest of us who try to act and look professional.

Kenneth Caldwell and Patsy Moreno
Jewett, Texas


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The Business Manual for Owner-Operators
Overdrive editors and ATBS present the industry’s best manual for prospective and committed owner-operators. You’ll find exceptional depth on many issues in the 2022 edition of Partners in Business.
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