Attn CDL holders.

[sheppieblaze]

as a cdl holder we as group are held at higher standards then the general motoring public...aka 4 wheelers......then the goverment wants to be up are ass about whatever we do..then pass laws and tell us how to do our jobs  when they never sat in the seat of a big truck.then the hos rules for next year..then how we get treated at shippers and recievers and then the general public..not always bad but still....I could go on forever..but  "good stuff trucks bring it"

[J.C.]

I use a bluetooth, however, it is easy for people that dont drive a truck to not understand which includes the the ones that come up with all of the rules and regulations. There has been many times where I have gotten lost by bad directions or made a wrong turn and had to call so the customer could walk me through the turns and what not to get there. Yes you can pull over but if you are in Chicago, Louisville, or any major city including the east coast, there is not a place to just pull over to make a call. Most of these cities you can get a huge fine for parking on a shoulder to make a call. You are damned if you do, damned if you don't.  I have been driving since 2003, I can map my trip, call for directions and so on before starting the trip, but something can always happen to where you need that phone call. Again, there is no place or truckstops/rest areas out on the east coast nor big cities like Chicago that a truck can just pull off to make a call. It would be nice but the fact is, it's just not possible sometimes.

i didnt even think about the city aspect, esp parking, thanks for making that point. how did truckers find the place they were looking for before cell phones? block a street to use a pay phone? With the advancement of technology, cell phones are a commodity it seems. it just pains me to look over, and a dude is looking at his phone and not the road.

from another point of view, what if you were doin 60 down I-75, and you get a call, or text. you look down and a car screams over in front of you without a turn signal, and now he has to slam on the brakes for whatever reason(we have all seen it happen), and now whose fault is it? well sir we noticed your phone rang 10 seconds before the crash... i think its a rule that makes the roads safer for everyone, not just to pick on the truckers.

on another topic, part of that deal is having a CSA score. im not a trucker, but i can see some of the pros of it. the better you drive, the better your score, the better chances for pay raises, etc. i think thats fair, kind of like employment history, or a credit score. what problems do you see associated with this?

[sheppieblaze]

the whole phone thing is crazy..like when im in the truck its mounted on the dash and you answer the bluetooth with a  a voice or a finger...and the finding a pay phone..back in the day truck stops used to have phone banks..some still have atleast a couple pay phones and parking try to get to a truck stop,rest area,or where ever thats has truck parking and is very safe to park at for your 10hr break..but back to the car switching lanes..if the truck does hit the car 9 times out of ten its the truckers fault no matter what..and then that comes into the csa thing..your at fault thats points..and now speeding tickets thats a good one...if your in a big truck and get a warning your screwed because you get the points but you cant go to court and fight it all because you dint get a written ticket. so the  more incedents speeding accidents.etc,ect can come back and get you..like keeping your job and finding a new one. but back to the phone and directions ona city streets, most companys with give you directions from the interstate to location..sometimes they are wrong..lol. but as long you got a good atlas and/or a truck specfic gps you should be alright..but all else fails find a spot to pull over and call the shipper/reciever... so long story short a driver has way more responseablites then just driving down the road..there is so much to talk about,talk about and remember its almost mind boggling

[sheppieblaze]

to the guy talking about driver shortages..its not really a driver shortage..it just comes down to the industry  now days,driver pay, and how companys treat thiere drivers. thats why the driver retation rate is so low and turnover rate is nearly 80% in the otr side of things..thats why im getting out of otr and getting into a day cab

[MR NASTY]

Long story short safety  in big trucks is up by leaps and bounds...every reporting agency reports this to be true.  The problem is with the governments looking to cut the budgets all these agency's are passing legislation to try to prove they are needed.  Hands free is the way to go and it doesn't take a rocket scientist to see that!  There biggest issue affecting safety out here is the big company's and there driver farms they have going on.  Some people will not have the aptitude to drive a big rig no matter how much training they get.  Its not hard to do but if you don't have constant situational awareness that's when problems arise.  I have family on the road and it kills me to see a guy in a Volvo with his foot up on the dash rolling down the road talking or just not paying attention in general.  Most people know what they personaly capable of and these new rules and regs. are nothing but a money grab.

[4x4xdodgeman]

it's all about $$$$$$. for the goverment!!!!! or states!!!!

[millser]

i have a CDL Class A they cant go by wreacks or crashs its 2000 to1 2000 cars ,trucks    1 big trucks

[magic]

i would debate you jc....lets start messing with the rest of you then...drug test...medical cards...c how many of you keep your "privilege" lol...lets be fair i can kill you just as easy in a car or truck as i can in my semi...you can die from a wreck yourself doing only 25 mph...the world is getting smaller and smaller everyday and that is why there is more and more accidents...i would invite you to ride with me just to the east coast and back and you will see with your own eyes who and what the problems are

[bigdawg41]

i would debate you jc....lets start messing with the rest of you then...drug test...medical cards...c how many of you keep your "privilege" lol...lets be fair i can kill you just as easy in a car or truck as i can in my semi...you can die from a wreck yourself doing only 25 mph...the world is getting smaller and smaller everyday and that is why there is more and more accidents...i would invite you to ride with me just to the east coast and back and you will see with your own eyes who and what the problems are

amen brother!

[Hammerlane]

Point of veiw from 30 yrs in the industry..(14 yrs of it OTR, 15 yrs local)

 Back in the 70's cops wrote tickets to the driver.. they were responsible for their equipment 100% after it left the yard.
in the 80's after deregulation cops wrote the tickets to the companies instead, to force the responsibility on them, they failed!
CSA is about returning that responsibility back on the driver where it belongs.. keep up on your equipment and you dont get cited, maintain your speed and you don't get cited, no citations.. no CSA points. maintain your equipment.. whether you do it yourself or have a shop do it..
as a driver you have the right (responsibility) to refuse to drive equipment with DOT defects.. WITHOUT REPRUCUSSION FROM THE COMPANY..
its a law!  

 There are 2 types of operators out there.. truck drivers.. and steering wheel holders.. the industry is SWAMPED with steering wheel holders..
a true truck driver knows his equipment.. top to bottom, knows the regulations and laws.. most that I interview can't even do a pre trip.
there is no shortage of drivers.. they are a dime a dozen, we have a stack of applications a foot thick.. there is a shortage of qualified drivers!
thats the other reason for CSA.. to weed out the steering wheel holders.  

dont google this, lets see answers from your head.
most cannot answer these simple questions (should be general knowlege for a truck driver)

how many points of inspection are there in a DOT pre trip?
how many inspections are you required to perform on a daily basis?
when were the HOS regulations first established (year)
when were they changed (yr)


it scares me how many cannot answer this very important safety question
Equipment:
If you begin to loose air pressure, what is going to happen and when (tractor protection valve)

As far as cell phones..I see this as a positive move, not financial.. I don't want anyone on the phone while driving..I can't tell you how many times I've almost been taken off my bike by some JA on a phone.. how many times I've almost been wiped out in my truck.. your ignorance and inattention should not be my death sentence.   I see the government using the trucking industry as a means to an end.. try and take phones away from the general public.. you would hve anarchy on your hands.
so...start with the truckers.. this establishes public opinion.. yea.. yea. they shouldn't be on the phone.. it's not sfe.
now that that is established.. what's good for the goose.. is good for the gander.

Just my .02

[gator82]

Point of veiw from 30 yrs in the industry..(14 yrs of it OTR, 15 yrs local)

  Back in the 70's cops wrote tickets to the driver.. they were responsible for their equipment 100% after it left the yard.
in the 80's after deregulation cops wrote the tickets to the companies instead, to force the responsibility on them, they failed!
CSA is about returning that responsibility back on the driver where it belongs.. keep up on your equipment and you dont get cited, maintain your speed and you don't get cited, no citations.. no CSA points. maintain your equipment.. whether you do it yourself or have a shop do it..
as a driver you have the right (responsibility) to refuse to drive equipment with DOT defects.. WITHOUT REPRUCUSSION FROM THE COMPANY..
its a law! 

  There are 2 types of operators out there.. truck drivers.. and steering wheel holders.. the industry is SWAMPED with steering wheel holders..
a true truck driver knows his equipment.. top to bottom, knows the regulations and laws.. most that I interview can't even do a pre trip.
there is no shortage of drivers.. they are a dime a dozen, we have a stack of applications a foot thick.. there is a shortage of qualified drivers!
thats the other reason for CSA.. to weed out the steering wheel holders. 

dont google this, lets see answers from your head.
most cannot answer these simple questions (should be general knowlege for a truck driver)

how many points of inspection are there in a DOT pre trip?
how many inspections are you required to perform on a daily basis?
when were the HOS regulations first established (year)
when were they changed (yr)


it scares me how many cannot answer this very important safety question
Equipment:
If you begin to loose air pressure, what is going to happen and when (tractor protection valve)

As far as cell phones..I see this as a positive move, not financial.. I don't want anyone on the phone while driving..I can't tell you how many times I've almost been taken off my bike by some JA on a phone.. how many times I've almost been wiped out in my truck.. your ignorance and inattention should not be my death sentence.   I see the government using the trucking industry as a means to an end.. try and take phones away from the general public.. you would hve anarchy on your hands.
so...start with the truckers.. this establishes public opinion.. yea.. yea. they shouldn't be on the phone.. it's not sfe.
now that that is established.. what's good for the goose.. is good for the gander.

Just my .02

Very well said!

[wideopen]

Point of veiw from 30 yrs in the industry..(14 yrs of it OTR, 15 yrs local)

  Back in the 70's cops wrote tickets to the driver.. they were responsible for their equipment 100% after it left the yard.
in the 80's after deregulation cops wrote the tickets to the companies instead, to force the responsibility on them, they failed!
CSA is about returning that responsibility back on the driver where it belongs.. keep up on your equipment and you dont get cited, maintain your speed and you don't get cited, no citations.. no CSA points. maintain your equipment.. whether you do it yourself or have a shop do it..
as a driver you have the right (responsibility) to refuse to drive equipment with DOT defects.. WITHOUT REPRUCUSSION FROM THE COMPANY..
its a law! 

  There are 2 types of operators out there.. truck drivers.. and steering wheel holders.. the industry is SWAMPED with steering wheel holders..
a true truck driver knows his equipment.. top to bottom, knows the regulations and laws.. most that I interview can't even do a pre trip.
there is no shortage of drivers.. they are a dime a dozen, we have a stack of applications a foot thick.. there is a shortage of qualified drivers!
thats the other reason for CSA.. to weed out the steering wheel holders. 

dont google this, lets see answers from your head.
most cannot answer these simple questions (should be general knowlege for a truck driver)

how many points of inspection are there in a DOT pre trip?
how many inspections are you required to perform on a daily basis?
when were the HOS regulations first established (year)
when were they changed (yr)


it scares me how many cannot answer this very important safety question
Equipment:
If you begin to loose air pressure, what is going to happen and when (tractor protection valve)

As far as cell phones..I see this as a positive move, not financial.. I don't want anyone on the phone while driving..I can't tell you how many times I've almost been taken off my bike by some JA on a phone.. how many times I've almost been wiped out in my truck.. your ignorance and inattention should not be my death sentence.   I see the government using the trucking industry as a means to an end.. try and take phones away from the general public.. you would hve anarchy on your hands.
so...start with the truckers.. this establishes public opinion.. yea.. yea. they shouldn't be on the phone.. it's not sfe.
now that that is established.. what's good for the goose.. is good for the gander.

Just my .02

Very well said!

2X

i only got 2 of the questions right wow and the pre/post trip were my strong points

[MUD HUNTER]

i would debate you jc....lets start messing with the rest of you then...drug test...medical cards...c how many of you keep your "privilege" lol...lets be fair i can kill you just as easy in a car or truck as i can in my semi...you can die from a wreck yourself doing only 25 mph...the world is getting smaller and smaller everyday and that is why there is more and more accidents...i would invite you to ride with me just to the east coast and back and you will see with your own eyes who and what the problems are

Sorry man... this is the silliest thing I think I've read all week.

A Professional Driver should WITHOUT A DOUBT be held to a higher standard. PERIOD. For the very same reason a Doctor should be licensed, a mechanic should be certified, and so on.

Sure, a car could cause death, obviously. But to argue that the damage could potentially be as devastating is absurd. 4K pound car vs 100K tractor... maybe with a "Hazmat" load... Come on!

As another with 20+ years in the business (Fleet Maintenance Management) I agree with Hammer 110% word for word.

PS: CSA also effects the companies... they can lose their operating authority just as a drive could lose their license. Our company (Con-Way Freight) has the second lowest (best) CSA score in our industry, and 80+% of our violations are lighting defects which is directly related to the lack of proper pre/post trip inspection by the driver.

[MR NASTY]

Well I've seen people die in small crashes between 2 cars and die ... and I've seen people get pulverized by a semi and walk away...there is no rhyme or reason to it cause I've seen it the opposite to!  To make a long story short anyone not paying attention while driving is a accident waiting to happen!

[ToughBowtieTruck]

I'm glad company tickets exist. Not every thing is within driver control Hammerlane.



Had my first DOT pull-over in my 6 years of truck driving. First thing he said was "You have nothing to worry, you didn't do anything wrong. Any reason why there aren't any clearance/i.d. lights on the sides of the truck?"

Me: "I've been told it was built without them therefore wouldn't have any."

He was impressed with my knowledge of the required lights and such this truck didn't even have as well, when we went through the Level II inspection. There is no reason why I should be punished for things like this that are not within my control.

Sure in a perfect world, I could refuse to drive. In the real world, they'll have someone else do it anyway. Company tickets can protect the good truck drivers from the bad companies.

[Flexpipe]

Point of veiw from 30 yrs in the industry..(14 yrs of it OTR, 15 yrs local)

  Back in the 70's cops wrote tickets to the driver.. they were responsible for their equipment 100% after it left the yard.
in the 80's after deregulation cops wrote the tickets to the companies instead, to force the responsibility on them, they failed!
CSA is about returning that responsibility back on the driver where it belongs.. keep up on your equipment and you dont get cited, maintain your speed and you don't get cited, no citations.. no CSA points. maintain your equipment.. whether you do it yourself or have a shop do it..
as a driver you have the right (responsibility) to refuse to drive equipment with DOT defects.. WITHOUT REPRUCUSSION FROM THE COMPANY..
its a law! 

  There are 2 types of operators out there.. truck drivers.. and steering wheel holders.. the industry is SWAMPED with steering wheel holders..
a true truck driver knows his equipment.. top to bottom, knows the regulations and laws.. most that I interview can't even do a pre trip.
there is no shortage of drivers.. they are a dime a dozen, we have a stack of applications a foot thick.. there is a shortage of qualified drivers!
thats the other reason for CSA.. to weed out the steering wheel holders. 

dont google this, lets see answers from your head.
most cannot answer these simple questions (should be general knowlege for a truck driver)

how many points of inspection are there in a DOT pre trip?
how many inspections are you required to perform on a daily basis?
when were the HOS regulations first established (year)
when were they changed (yr)


it scares me how many cannot answer this very important safety question
Equipment:
If you begin to loose air pressure, what is going to happen and when (tractor protection valve)

As far as cell phones..I see this as a positive move, not financial.. I don't want anyone on the phone while driving..I can't tell you how many times I've almost been taken off my bike by some JA on a phone.. how many times I've almost been wiped out in my truck.. your ignorance and inattention should not be my death sentence.   I see the government using the trucking industry as a means to an end.. try and take phones away from the general public.. you would hve anarchy on your hands.
so...start with the truckers.. this establishes public opinion.. yea.. yea. they shouldn't be on the phone.. it's not sfe.
now that that is established.. what's good for the goose.. is good for the gander.

Just my .02

I drive a day cab with 53ft trailer around Grand Rapids everyday and there are a lot more idiots driving 4 wheelers than there are responsible truck drivers out there just my opinion 

[Blazin40s]

I just got the self certification letter in the mail yesterday.

[bigdawg41]

I just got the self certification letter in the mail yesterday.

got mine friday

[Hammerlane]

I'm glad company tickets exist. Not every thing is within driver control Hammerlane.



Had my first DOT pull-over in my 6 years of truck driving. First thing he said was "You have nothing to worry, you didn't do anything wrong. Any reason why there aren't any clearance/i.d. lights on the sides of the truck?"

Me: "I've been told it was built without them therefore wouldn't have any."

He was impressed with my knowledge of the required lights and such this truck didn't even have as well, when we went through the Level II inspection. There is no reason why I should be punished for things like this that are not within my control.

Sure in a perfect world, I could refuse to drive. In the real world, they'll have someone else do it anyway. Company tickets can protect the good truck drivers from the bad companies.

Don't mistake my message TBT, I agree there are responsibilities elsewhere within the industry that
should also be held to standard (or above) and companies (whether transport, mfg., service etc...) should
maintain or exceed these standards, however, the ball does fall lastly on the operator (driver).
law enforcment must also meet or exceed those standards and be highly knowlegeable in regulations on the variety of equipment out there.  it is law enforcments job to do just that.. enforce the laws and regulations, it's the cops job to document the violation (ie.. tickets) that's it!  it's up to the courts to determine if the violation is valid, unfortunately many cops are disgruntled and courts have become financially currupt, but many drivers are either 1.) lazy, and don't care to increase their knowlege and look at trucking only as a means of financial survival
          2.) as you state, the companies are lazy and force the drivers to.. or find another body to.....
hence, CSA 2010... this holds all parties responsible which will lead to the #1 and #2 being removed from the industry therfore improving highway safety.

[ToughBowtieTruck]

I'm glad company tickets exist. Not every thing is within driver control Hammerlane.



Had my first DOT pull-over in my 6 years of truck driving. First thing he said was "You have nothing to worry, you didn't do anything wrong. Any reason why there aren't any clearance/i.d. lights on the sides of the truck?"

Me: "I've been told it was built without them therefore wouldn't have any."

He was impressed with my knowledge of the required lights and such this truck didn't even have as well, when we went through the Level II inspection. There is no reason why I should be punished for things like this that are not within my control.

Sure in a perfect world, I could refuse to drive. In the real world, they'll have someone else do it anyway. Company tickets can protect the good truck drivers from the bad companies.

Don't mistake my message TBT, I agree there are responsibilities elsewhere within the industry that
should also be held to standard (or above) and companies (whether transport, mfg., service etc...) should
maintain or exceed these standards, however, the ball does fall lastly on the operator (driver).
law enforcment must also meet or exceed those standards and be highly knowlegeable in regulations on the variety of equipment out there.  it is law enforcments job to do just that.. enforce the laws and regulations, it's the cops job to document the violation (ie.. tickets) that's it!  it's up to the courts to determine if the violation is valid, unfortunately many cops are disgruntled and courts have become financially currupt, but many drivers are either 1.) lazy, and don't care to increase their knowlege and look at trucking only as a means of financial survival
           2.) as you state, the companies are lazy and force the drivers to.. or find another body to.....
hence, CSA 2010... this holds all parties responsible which will lead to the #1 and #2 being removed from the industry therfore improving highway safety.

Hopefully so. As far as our rigs are going, I've been talking with the owner and he is updating all the rigs to pass inspection, one is already finished. Just needed that wake-up call, I guess. But I will say that all the rigs lack are some lights/reflectors, everything else is already to spec for sure.