The importance of real-world trucking

I recently drove the OOIDA tour truck from Reno, Nev., back to headquarters here in the Kansas City metro area – and it turned into a love/hate kind of trip.

I remember when I was trucking full time, I would wonder what it was like to have a real job, as truckers would say. You know, a 9-to-5 job where I wasn’t gone all the time and where I wasn’t having to deal with DOT, four-wheelers, and waiting for lazy shippers or receivers. Well, now that I have that office job, it made me realize how lucky I was to be a trucker.

You know offices don’t provide views like driving across Wyoming on Interstate 80. There were storms out ahead of me and that beautiful big sky. I think, when driving, we take some of these things for granted at times.

So, while it felt good being behind the wheel of a truck again, out on the open road, the buzzing and beeping sure was a buzzkill. That’s when it went from being the good part of trucking to the not fun part.

Our current truck, generously provided to us by Western Star, was a test truck, so it has all the latest “safety features” on it. That was a new experience for me because none of my trucks ever had that stuff on it.

And, now I know why.

I spent more time looking down at the computer screen that was beeping, buzzing and honking at me all the frickin’ time.

I kept poking around trying to shut all that stuff off. Honestly, I felt more distracted while driving than I ever have before. Some of the alerts honestly made me jump, and I can’t think that’s safe at all.

Then we have the lane-departure system. Every time you go into a construction zone where you cross a line, it pulls the wheel because it doesn’t really know what is going on around you. There’s no way that’s safe on wet or slick roads.

The thing is, there are drivers out there who love all of this technology. That’s fine. If they have the money and want to invest in a truck with all the bells and whistles, by all means, go for it. That’s your choice.

That’s what lawmakers and regulators need to get through their heads. If this new technology is helpful and good for truckers, it will eventually get adopted – voluntarily. That’s why OOIDA objects so often to more and more mandates being shoved down truckers’ throats.

Look at the EPA’s emission mandate coming at us. I remember going through those earlier emission mandates and all the problems it caused on the trucks I owned. The list of repairs on one of my last trucks was as long as I am tall. Thank goodness I had a great relationship with my shop.

Now we’re looking at a possible speed limiter mandate, automatic emergency braking mandate, and who knows what else the agency will dream up.

While all that technology was annoying on my trip back to HQ, it was a great experience. Experience that I can draw from when talking to lawmakers and folks at FMCSA. I’ve always said these things about technology and relay what our members say, but that firsthand experience is so much better.

So if you’re like me, and not a fan of all the electronics and having mandates forcing you to give up control of your truck, use that information to educate lawmakers. Use that real-world experience when you’re filing comments on proposed regulations. Also, be sure to remind members of Congress that nothing will ever replace the safety you get with a well-trained driver!

OOIDA will always fight against unnecessary government mandates, but we are so much more successful when we all fight together. LL