Dashboard Confidential – August/September 2018
In the early through the mid-1970s, I was a company driver for several small companies. After gaining some experience, the urge to buy a truck reared its ugly head. Not content to be locked into the East Coast, I wanted to go everywhere and run cross-country. I had a good paying job, so that was not the missing link. I wanted more.
Because of oil embargoes and more political posturing than can be covered here, I chose probably the worst time to buy into trucking. Fuel shortages and rationing, blockades of interstates as well as truck stops, you could get in but not get out or risk getting your air lines cut. There was gunfire, rocks tossed off bridges and police-led convoys across Pennsylvania and Ohio. I was there, and it got ugly.
There were a few “leaders” who spouted off to the press, threatening to bring America to its knees. I knew then, as now, that is not how to win the hearts and minds of Washington and the consumers. You don’t get action by starving Mom and Dad or endangering the public.
It was right about that time I first heard the names Jim Johnston and Todd Spencer, seemingly cooler heads who had plans to organize without being the bad guys. Unity without baseball bats and threats. From a distance I watched and read what I could find. A new group of truck businessmen called Owner-Operator Independent Drivers Association was formed. I joined in the late 1970s, and to this day my number is 8169. It was truly one of my best decisions.
By working with our legislators and law enforcement on a federal level as well as state and local, OOIDA worked hard to gain the small truck business person some insight as well as some listening and speaking power.
There was a period of time when out-of-state truckers were hit with unfair fuel marker taxes. Vermont had a long history of taking our money because we were out of state. OOIDA fought that battle and won. I personally passed that word along, and many drivers I knew filed for and got those multiyear refunds.
A similar fight over the five-axle tax stamp in Pennsylvania went on for years. OOIDA fought and won that battle too. Myself and many others I worked with got a rather large refund check, thank you. There were several others refunds to follow. In the 1990s, when it was found that the new low-sulfur fuel was damaging fuel pumps on diesel engines, there was a movement to recoup losses. Again, OOIDA went to bat for us little guys, and I was reimbursed with a healthy check. Again, thank you.
On a political front, the great state of Tennessee had a director of the Public Service Commission, Keith Bissell. Mr. Bissell led a personal campaign to fatten the coffers at the expense of truckers.
Probably the most famous was the pair of scales in Brownsville, Tenn., west of Jackson on I-40. Trucks were pulled around back and searched, drivers berated and treated like criminals. I recall one search that had the invading officer inspecting between layers of lunchmeat in the driver’s fridge. Supposedly, they were looking for drugs or contraband.
I experienced firsthand an overzealous officer who completely upended my sleeper and everything in it. When finished, he found nothing, but he left my truck a total mess. There was nothing to I could do about it but move on. If they wanted to find a reason to cite you, you were a cash cow and nothing less.
Along comes OOIDA and with a bank of lawyers, and through a very lengthy court battle, with much testimony from victimized drivers, Mr. Bissell was removed and new procedures introduced. The reign of terror was over and we, as drivers, found Tennessee much easier to cross.
As a small-business truck owner, I have always devoured anything in print about trucks. In the many years of being a member, one of the best perks has been Land Line Magazine. I can honestly say it helps me stay on top of my business on issues that affect how I work. In that I have recently passed the 10-year mark as a contributor on these pages, is very humbling, indeed.
To be onboard and help celebrate the 45th birthday of OOIDA is truly an honor not taken lightly.
For all OOIDA has done for me and the small-business trucker, thank you. LL