The New York Times reports:
As Trucking Rules Are Eased, a Debate on Safety Grows. Gee, truckers will be getting less sleep -- how could anything bad possibly happen? Gee, maybe getting a big ol' truck now makes a bit more sense.
Oddly enough, Edmunds reports: Explorer sales near all-time low. Man, what crappy timing since it's only a matter of time before 18 wheels end up in your back seat. Avoid the third row!
That's a snap of what we'll all get used to seeing more and more in our rear-view mirrors. And our trunk. And our backseat.
Just surfed in, great blog though.
Posted by: Jim | Tuesday, December 05, 2006 at 11:57 AM
Okay, yes driver training does need to improve. The "CDL mill" schools have got to go. However, the regulations they are changing or eliminating...that's a good thing. The current Federal Motor Carrier Safety Regulations date from the 1930's. Trucks were about 40 feet long, didn't have power steering (you haven't had a work out until you've tried to steer a big rig with manual steering), and there was no interstate highway system. Also the old regulations had you operating on an 18 hour clock, 10 on, 8 off. This was a wonderful way to totally destroy your body clock and keep you tired. If I remember correctly the new hours of service regulations are now on a 24 hour clock. Many big companies use computerized logs alowing the DOT to more easily check the number of hours a gearjammer has been rolling. For companies that do this it pretty much eliminates the two log book business.
Also, 80% of the time when a big rig mixes it up with a 4-wheeler the accident was the fault of the car driver. In addtion to more stringent CDL training we really, really need to improve education for the car driving public on how to safely share the road with 18-wheelers.
Posted by: Jay | Tuesday, December 05, 2006 at 11:04 AM