Young Driver Program a Bad Idea

In reference to your story in July’s issue (“Feds Ponder Young Driver Program,” page 12): I can’t believe this is being considered!

If the industry needs drivers, they need to do something about keeping them. My husband has been driving for 11 years, myself for three years, and we are looking to get out. There are way too many inexperienced punks looking for an easy job. Courtesy on the road is disappearing, along with safe drivers. Crash training seems to be a norm.

The industry needs quality drivers, meaning safe and smart with more training before they are let loose on the road at any age. Trucking also needs incentives to keep its experienced, accident-free drivers. This takes raising drivers’ pay, regardless of higher consumer prices. Consumers should be used to paying more for convenience. Trucking is the only industry that does not get cost-of-living increases. I love driving, but some of us can’t afford to continue. Drivers can’t afford to strike to show consumers how bad it would be if America stopped rolling.

I’m also tired of dealing with moronic four-wheelers. Now those morons are driving trucks because companies are just looking for a warm body to put behind the wheel, rather than safe, well-trained and experienced drivers. I can’t figure out why companies waste money paying for damage students cause, but won’t take care of accident-free drivers.

Wendy Kurzym
Plano, Texas


Unknown Samaritan

On April 5 on I-95 near Florence, S.C., we were going north in a blue-and-white Ford F250 truck, pulling a 27-foot Prowler trailer, when a 32-foot Bounder RV pulling a car came across from the fast lane and forced us to the shoulder. He then came to the shoulder, forcing us to go on the grass and down the ravine as he drove on.

We would like to thank the truck driver who was nice enough to pull the man over to tell him what he did. When the man walked around his unit to see if any damage was done, and saw there was none, he got into his RV and kept going north.

The truck driver called the state police and gave them the Bounder’s plate number. They apprehended the RV’s driver about 20 miles up the road, brought him back and charged him with the accident. We hope by writing to you the trucker may see our “thank you” in your magazine, and know how much we appreciate what he did for us. As in New Jersey your insurance goes up with each accident, he gave us the proof we needed to show it wasn’t something that we could have avoided. We thank him so much.

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Mr. and Mrs. George Berrue
Edison, N.J.


Whiners and Crybaby Club

Some time ago, I was reading a letter from another driver who mentioned starting a “Whiners and Crybaby Club.” At the time I didn’t give it much thought, but as time went by and I heard drivers whining about slow service or that the company is out to get them, I thought this Whiners and Crybaby Club might just be the ticket.

A few nights ago I was in Salinas, Calif., waiting to be loaded with not a lot going on, and I mentioned it across my CB. The response was better than I had counted on. More than one driver came back wanting to be the CEO and VP, as it seemed to me they were more than willing to fight for that right.

Some wanted to know where I was hiding; to stay in the true “Rambo” fashion, I gave them someone else’s truck number. Two drivers wanted an application so bad they started bobtailing around the truckstop.

These hands must have thought or the lack of thought, so I jumped from my truck and set out on a mission! I didn’t leave the safe confines of my truck alone – I took my trusted hand-held “Rambo” radio with me. After ducking in and out of the truckstop for about two hours and watching these two fools, I thought maybe they needed to be CEO and VP of the Whiners and Crybaby Club.

The next problem it seems would be getting the application to all these people. We could tape them on their trucks, hide them in the menus at about any truckstop, or put them in the restrooms. For all those that seem to have a problem reading, we could just have them put an “X” on the bottom line.

In the parking lot, at the shippers, etc., we could just use a sticky note for an on-the-spot award. You know the ones: those who take two slots, pull out 10 feet in the travel lane, knock over signs.

I was told some years ago that we are part of the problem or part of the solution. After hearing some whining my reply is no! You are the problem or the solution, which are you? Be careful when you start to whine, you may be chosen to join the Whiners and Crybaby Club!

Floyd Collins
Arizona

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