Letter to the Editor: HOS Rules

he federal hours-of-service rules for drivers should never have been changed except for the 34-hour restart provision of the new rules.

The problem was supposed to be fixed in the 1980s and ’90s when the government made the forced dispatch illegal. That was a step in the right direction, but they were shooting the messenger, not the problem maker.

The problem makers are the shippers and receivers who keep the driver at their facilities to count the product on or off the truck instead of letting him or her take a power nap or get a meal. They keep the drivers there sometimes for 10 to 20 hours on duty.

“We are not a lumper service. If you have a product that re-quires a breakdown, we will not fingerprint it for you. All loads that require a lumper or a breakdown will be charged back to the customer.

“We will try to make every effort to keep this charge as low as possible and negotiate the lowest price.

“We feel this is for our drivers’ welfare as well as yours. The effort it takes for the driver to unload can be put to better use. For example, we can keep him or her fresh so that the next customer has a well-rested and ready driver, not one who is already tired from unloading 44,000 pounds of freight.

“We greatly appreciate your cooperation on this, as a tired driver is an unsafe driver for everyone concerned.”

We have sent this letter to shippers and receivers and found that most of them appreciated it. But there are a few that resist treating the driver like a human being, and instead prefer a personal slave or storage shed.

Glenn Doescher

I>Owner

eft Lane Express

remont, Neb

This letter appeared in the Nov. 22 edition of Transport Topics. Subscribe today

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