Real Truckers Was:[geeks] Work getting slow

[Mike Nicewonger]

on 4/15/02 11:17 PM, Scott Newell at newell at cei.net wrote:

> crazed overloaded truckers on the highway,

Geez what a pile of stuff that statement is. If anything in the last 15
years the road has become safer from a truck operator standpoint.  More
stringent driver qualifications, stronger rules putting drivers with too
many points or DWI off the road. The current CDL (commercial drivers
license) rules will FOREVER remove your privileges to drive a truck if you
get any drunk/drug related tickets or too many speeding tickets. CDL drivers
must pass a physical EVERY year.

As for overloaded, you cannot haul a load from Baltimore to New York without
passing through at least 3 weight/safety inspection stations I don'know
about out in the west but you are playing with fire if you operate an
overloaded truck here.

It is also a proven fact that truck/auto accidents are 90% the fault of the
auto operator. People complain about trucks and think they are some great
evil beast in thier way making them late for work ot whatever. And lastly.
Trucks pay for the roads we drive on. The average tractor trailer pays over
$15.000 in highway use taxes over and beyond the what they pay in fuel tax
or Apportioned License tag fees which are typically $1800.00 per year.

EVERYTHING in this country that the typical consumer buys had to travel by
truck somwhere in it's journey from raw prooduct to the fucking Wal-Mart
shelf

The last thing you need to remember, while you may spend your 30 or so
minutes in traffic commuting that driver has to put up with all the bullshit
you see on the road ALL DAY with construction and other fun stuff tossed in.

I have owned trucks, (real trucks I mean) and my family has been in trucking
for 35 years. I also used to commute 1.5 hours each way in my car. Trucks
were never the problem. Assholes in cars who cannot wait like everyone else
in traffic are the biggest problem

<Mike steps off soapbox>

Mike N