It is hard to drive on a highway these days without passing by an eighteen-wheeler. These large vehicles transport massive amounts of material from one end of the nation to the other. If not properly handled, these vehicles can pose serious safety issues. Both federal and state law regulate the training and safety procedures of truck drivers. Just how effective these regulations are is up for debate. Deregulation efforts in other economic areas have met strong resistance when applied to the trucking industry. Because of the danger that tractor trailers pose to drivers of smaller vehicles, the everyday driver does not like the idea of easing up on trucking restrictions.
Regulation often does not have the effect on drivers that was intended. For example, truckers are required to rest a certain amount of hours each day and take regular breaks. But drivers can easily get around this requirement. They keep logs of when they drive and when they rest. A truck driver can skirt the issue by maintaining two sets of logs. He will keep one log for the public (for inspection) and one for himself. The inspection log will demonstrate the required amount of rest. The real one shows the real story. Some only have a log setup for inspection. They just ignore breaks, even if breaks are recorded.
Truck drivers are under a great deal of pressure to deliver their loads. Unless a carrier company employs a driver as a wageworker for the company, the drivers work by the mile. A driver increases his pay by driving more miles. Because of how they are paid, there is a lot of incentive to drive over the speed limit and to avoid stops. Rising fuel costs, which increase the cost of running a truck route, contribute to the pressure on drivers. Many carrier companies set absurd delivery schedules and expect the drivers to meet them. This pressure to perform results in drivers being sleep deprived and very sleepy. The situation is largely uncontrollable at this time.
That is not to say that stricture regulations have not helped the situation. However, the problem is still there. In accidents involving tractor trailers, driver fatigue is a still a factor in many cases. The typical carrier company business model continues to cause problems that are difficult to address with regulations. The current regulations are a good start, but not enough to keep drivers safe. Accident rates have been reduced. Regulatory compliance can only accomplish so much. In the end, strong driver training and common sense procedures are the best thing to prevent accidents.
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