Letter to the Editor: Hours of Service

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really don’t know what the true fix for this federal rule should be.

Let me start with the fact that I’m a city driver who is home every night. In the past I have driven short-haul and had to fill out a logbook. The company that I work for now keeps a close eye on the drivers based here in Chicago — almost 800 of us.

Let’s see having electronic on-board recorders required on all trucks. I’d like to see that, but I know it won’t work, for different reasons.

First, I’ve talked with a driver or two who use onboard logging systems. Say the driver is logged off duty for the day, but he or she wants to drive to the store. That will show up as on-duty time.

We all know there are about as many people and companies that want these recorders and logging systems as there are those that don’t want them. Just think of the drivers coming in from Canada and Mexico. It’s not going to happen.

I read a news story recently about a company that’s going to be hiring drivers from Mexico to come up and drive here for 14 cents a mile. Now tell me — are they going to be able to even do a logbook, let alone speak or read English?

I just hope that the industry as a whole can fix the system. I’ve been a driver since 1982, but I’ve still got several years to go.

Mike Berkowitz

I>Driver

es Plaines, Ill.

This letter appeared in the Dec. 6 edition of Transport Topics. Subscribe today.