It seems that the more government restrictions are placed on the trucking industry in terms of "adequate rest", the more difficult it is to find a place to get that rest.
Once again the government has given the trucking industry unrealistic, and unsafe guidelines to uphold, without mandating laws against unreasonable parking conditions.
The picture here was taken today at a small truck stop in Pine Bluff, AR. In the state of Arkansas it is illegal for trucks to park on state property such as off-ramps, or on-ramps, and now private business owners, such as the one that owns this truck stop, are having to make parking rules like this because their truck stops ate filling up with drivers needing to sleep because of the big brother tracking and detection devises that are being required in trucks, instead of being filled with truckers looking for a cup of coffee, a snack, and a bathroom stop!
Wake up America, hyper-inflation is coming, and SOON! trucking companies are being forced by the government to hire more drivers, pay those drivers less money, while driving slower, less fuel efficient trucks. Not to mention the fact that the drivers being mass produced through truck driving schools are much less professional than those that were graduating 20 to 25 years ago.
The industry is being overrun with government bureaucrats that have a strangle hold on the trucking companies and small business owners under the false pretense of safety. SAFETY!? The latest dung heap to come out of Washington, the current "hours of service" rules, forces drivers to drive sleepy. Don't believe me? Go ask any truck driver, they'll likely tell you I'm right.
Listen up! 18 wheelers pay for the roads that you all drive on, yet we have fewer rights than any other American driver. Imagine if you will, the government mandates that all automobiles will have a $4000 sattellite tracking system installed at the owners cost, then the monthly service must be maintained by the owner. The Feds will have 24 hr a day access to your whereabouts. You will be given a set amount of time that you are allowed to operate your vehicle, and if you violate these boundaries you will suffer heavy fines. Then it will be suggested that all vehicles have speed retarders installed, again at the owners expense, and will be set at 65 mph regardless of your driving record.
People, doesn't this sound exactly like the world that George Orwell created in the novel 1984? What the hell is happening here? Why are we letting it happen? Understand this, even if you are not a trucker you will suffer the same demise in a few short years if we do not stop this NOW!
You will never be able to legislate 100% safe highways. Most accidents involving big trucks are usually the fault of someone in a car, yet the trucks are always blamed. I know this to be true. In 15 years of driving I have had one accident. I was not at fault, but was told by the OK Highway Patrol Officer that had I not been there, there would not have been an accident, then he wrote me a ticket for improperly passing a car in a passing zone. Yep, that's right! I got a ticket for passing a car in a passing zone. Lol! The guy in the car didn't get a ticket although he turned left with an 18 wheeler between him and the road he was turning on.
I am not telling you this to whine, but to say this, I could tell you one story after another like this. It's not a conspiracy, but things are being put in motion that will have an incredible impact on our nations already troubled economy.
Get involved! Go to www.OOIDA.com and stay abreast of what is happening in the transportation industry and see what you can do to make a difference!
God bless and keep on truckin'!
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