The hours-of-service issue is a big joke. There are some drivers who push themselves too far, but the company and dispatchers should be held responsible for giving them loads that were supposed to be there yesterday.
I also think the know-it-all rule makers should spend about a month with drivers to see how stressful our job really is. We have to worry about out-of-control four-wheelers, who can’t stand to be behind a big truck and pass at 100 mph only to get in front to slam their brakes
I think it’s time for all of the truckers to get together and fight for our rights as tax-paying, licensed professionals.
David Lankford
Williamsburg, Ky.
Freedom of the Road is the Key
I was recently chatting with a neighbor of mine, and he asked me why I drive a truck for a living. Much to my surprise, I didn’t have an immediate response. After 21 years of shifting gears, you would think I could give him a good answer.
I pondered over that question the following week during my runs and came to the following conclusions. Shifting gears through a transmission is still a thrill to me.
Making that perfect shift at a critical time is comparable to a fine opera. Nothing can beat a long curve on a lonely interstate with the sound of your engine brakes piercing the silence, and as you exit the curve, the sound of your diesel accelerating as you apply steady pressure to the throttle. And then there is the self-gratification of knowing when to shut your unit down for some well deserved rest.
