Letter to the Editor: Driver Health

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his letter is about the recent Opinion piece by Kathryn Clements on driver health. (Click here for previous coverage.)

Ms. Clements may not be familiar with the time constraints imposed on drivers by the current hours-of-service rules, or the lack of safe, secure grounds where a mere walk (the simplest, most beneficial means for a driver to exercise) can be had. You can’t just park the truck and walk off. If you do, you may return to find a rearranged hood and shards of your busted mirror reflecting your stupidity.

Time could be set aside daily for walking, if the HOS allowed. The big distribution centers could designate walking areas for drivers to do a mile or two for half an hour while being loaded or unloaded. This would be so beneficial — just the time and space to walk in safety, while safely parked, without being penalized with less time to log. Give us room to park, a place to walk and free time to do it and you’ll see fewer stressed-out drivers in filthy break rooms, smoking and eating junk from the vending machines.

If the anecdotal evidence Ms. Clements cites on an owner-operator’s life span proves true — 55 to 57 years — I’ll be a goner before sensible revisions to the HOS come down. Until then, it seems clear that I am compelled to cheat death by cheating on my logbook.

George Michael

wner-Operator

ewisburg, Pa.

This letter appears in the Dec. 18-25 print edition of Transport Topics. Subscribe today.