Letters to the Editor

Over the past 36 years in business there have been so many times I have been helped by other drivers, both truck and automobile, that I can’t possibly drive past someone in need.

How can the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration so closely regulate a driver and then ignore the environment in which that driver operates?

I’ve read many articles on the proposed increase in bonds. It is clear there is a need to “shake out” the bad guys, but who is going to do that? The bad guys will remain or learn a new scam, and the honest guys will continue to pay more in bond fees and freight rates.

I am writing regarding my opposition to the recent bill in Congress to raise broker surety bonds to $100,000 (“Bill Would Mandate Bond of $100,000 for Brokers,” 7-4, p. 3).

In your article about bill number S. 1281 on July 4, the focus should have been on safe transport, not on banning one specialized form of transportation.

I read your recent article on fuel-card fraud with great interest. The complexity and cost of investment in the technologies was mind-boggling.

These dunderheads in Washington, D.C., need a check-up from the neck up. How about mandating minimum rates coming out of the ports so the drayage operators can afford to buy newer trucks without federal funds? That’s a good way to save a few million dollars on the deficit, don’t you think?

This never-ending hours-of-service regulatory process reminds me of a quip from a John Wayne movie: “We’re burnin’ daylight.” Trucks continue to roll down our nation’s highways, with drivers more confused than ever on pending legislation.

Without small brokers serving the industry, independent truckers would be at the mercy of a small, powerful group of large property brokers to secure their loads on the backhaul.

Building a culture of safety and respect will raise the bar for all of your employees, both labor and management. You’ll be surprised when employees you’ve already written off come to you for help rising above their own failures because they want to better themselves.