ATA chairman calls HOS 'huge, huge scary issue' - 10/24/2007

[Stan Smith]

ORLANDO, Fla. — Surrounded by the latest presentation technology and with the stage set for a big name concert, new chairman Ray Kuntz hit some hot button issues and stole the show here Tuesday on the closing evening of the 2007 American Trucking Associations Management Conference and Exhibition. (Click on the link below for rest of story)
TheTrucker.com - America's Trucking Newspaper

[tramp1155]

which end of a crack-pipe has this fool been on ???
He sated "" We now have a 34 hopur restart rule that lest's alot of drivers live a normal life.They can plan a thier days off in the middle of the week to attend thier son's football game or thier daughters piano recital""..""Instead having valuable time taken out of a family paycheck, they can do a 34 hour restart and start all over again.""
""Companies likewise benefit, allowing for flexibility,as in the case particularly bad weather and road delays.Instead of trying to run through it you can pull over,do a 34 hour restart and make the world a safer place.""

We as drivers were not doing these very things before the logging changes in '03??? Unless you drive for a major carrier who has drop trailers scattered all over the nation,restart or not if you are not available Monday thru Friday you pretty much take a pay adjustment anyway.As most shippers and recievers are only open those 5 days a week..And just what in the he!! has a 34 hour restart have to do with bad weather and whether I choose to run or not to run ?? I have never shut down over 34 hours in a snow storm and if I did that darn restart would be the last thing on my mind..
Used to be you had a day or two off you picked up yesterday's hours.2 weeks ago I was running around 3600 miles every 8 days and staying within the guide lines of the 70 hour rule,,what does this chump expect 4500 miles ?? Why don't just be honest and say we want more work out of employees and therefore shrinking the need for a bigger driver pool.Let's see 10 at 3600 in 8 days = 36,000 miles...Now 8 at 4500 in 8 days= 36,000 miles..Less people = less workers comp insurance and less equipment to maintain plus without paying these driver's more money they can say ""you earned more money""..And guess what these fine folks who own the company got freight moved cheaper by utilizing less people and equipment with-out having to up thier cost per mile on labor...Sounds kinda Wal-Martish (do it with less and make more $$)..

[Traveler]

Tramp ,you hit the nail right on the head. He also didn't make mention of the fact that it has become pretty common place for the co. to try and automatically restart the driver at their bidding. That is not how the rule was originally set up but due to the fact the some drivers are not aware of this they are being forced to sit for 34 hrs at a point awaay from home and then restart making it harder for them to get their home time. I have heard of this happening first hand from some drivers who weren't very happy about not being given the choice of when to restart. It's a bad thing especially since right now there isn't enough freight to keep the drivers we have working in the industry. And with the arrival of the Mexican drivers it is going to get even slower for the American drivers. I was dissappointed that the new head of the ATA made no mention of their position on that issue either. As far as I can se it was simply an opportunity for the head of the ATA to pay alot of lip service to the major trucking co. in the US.

[tramp1155]

I e-mailed the ATA during the hieght of the Mexican truck issue,and I was e-mailed back.Thier response was ""we don't get involved in those issues"".To which I replied you sure ain't wasting any time on this HOS deal and how I thought they had no interest of the driver in mind.The guy who e-mailed me back saying ""you just don't get it""..Of course I had to e-mail once more and discuss how they are only interested in doing whatever it takes to lessen the financial burden on these large carriers at the American driver's expense..I guess maybe I am a hot-head on some of these issues but I hate it when these people pee on my back and tell me it's raining..