CBC Marketplace - How unqualified truckers are getting on our roads

[ripcord]

That's rather industrious.

Yeah, they sounded hard working, but I can't think of 2 other guys I know, relatives it not, that I'd want to be in such tight quarters with for months at a time.

He also mentioned that one of those trucks had a funny little hole drilled in the floor of the sleeper, if you know what I mean. Yuck.

 

[john_pifer]

A few professions and 'industries' got pretty much taken over by Punjabis, the problem starts with immigration frauds where applicants pay tens of thousands dollars to both immigration consultants and future employers. They're there on payroll but actually work elsewhere. Drivers is one large volume group that comes in. Gov knows about it but do nothing as half of gov positions would have to be purged. This is not hearsay, I know.

There’s an Indian restaurant right off I-40 in Kingston Springs, TN., not far from us.

It’s called Punjabi Dhaba.

Caters mainly to Indian OTR truckers.

Not the best Indian food, but decent. Unfortunately not great choices for Indian food in our immediate vicinity, so it gets the job done when needed. At least the biryani is decent. Hard to screw that up.

 

[Nesterenko]

At my work, we can see the docks of a neighboring business and more than once we have watched drivers attempting to back into their docks. They can make dozens of attempts and spend at least 30 minutes trying. These are always OTR trucks so they usually have (2) drivers and one will get out and help guide the other driver to no avail. Then the other tries and is no better. We've even seen someone from the facility walk outside, talk to the drivers, and they leave. Can only presume the company told them there's no way they're trusting them with their shipment !

Yeah, I don't know how they can't back up a rig.
I understand some spots can be tight but come on. I don't know why but I actually find it easier to back up a 53 foot trailer than say a 26 foot straight body truck.

 

[Pew]

My friend has been driving trucks for 10 years, he says the sandal-wearing container drivers and the ones who can't speak/understand English are the worst.

There was a thread here a few years ago where a non-english speaking driver who had a texas-only CDL(?) burned hia brakes down i70 towards Denver and killed multiple people. The owner of that company just registered a new name a day after the crash happened and afaik nothing happened to the owner.

But on the other hand, we get stronger enforcement then we get the "but muh freedumb is violated!" groups that fight it. I mean look at the backlash when elogs went live.

 

[Mewbs]

This is a very eye-opening investigation as to how truck drivers, who shouldn't be getting their licenses, are in fact being given shortcuts for getting their licenses and ending up on our roads without sufficient training. Scary stuff:


I've heard about this stuff for years, much if it from a retired professional truck driver friend of mine, years ago, who took his job very seriously and was quite incensed by these "license farms" that put people that shouldn't be behind the wheel of these vehicles on the road. It's nice to see it being investigated, as it needs to be cracked-down on.

Ya know, that truck driver that hit my Yaris the other day was driving a big semi really fast on the left side fast lane, in which big trucks usually don't drive on. Also he was Chinese so there was a language barrier and his name wasn't even listed in the registered drivers on the Truck's Insurance card. I'm starting to suspect the guy wasn't trained as most big rigs are usually on the right side of the highway.

 

[Creekside]

My friend has been driving trucks for 10 years, he says the sandal-wearing container drivers and the ones who can't speak/understand English are the worst.

There was a thread here a few years ago where a non-english speaking driver who had a texas-only CDL(?) burned hia brakes down i70 towards Denver and killed multiple people. The owner of that company just registered a new name a day after the crash happened and afaik nothing happened to the owner.

But on the other hand, we get stronger enforcement then we get the "but muh freedumb is violated!" groups that fight it. I mean look at the backlash when elogs went live.

I understand why elogs were mandated but I’ll stand by my opinion that it’s people in DC making these laws that have never been in a truck. I agree that there was a need for them but the way it was rolled out could’ve been much better. Rather than mandating it based on year of truck only it should’ve been carriers with over X number of drivers. The mega carriers were the ones paying the lobbyist’s anyway. I’m one guy and my only driver is myself. If I buy a 2000 or newer truck I have to run an Elog. I’ve never run over my hours of service in my career and don’t have a single ticket on my driving record. Why do I have to pay for something to fix a problem that I don’t have?

 

[Pew]

I understand why elogs were mandated but I’ll stand by my opinion that it’s people in DC making these laws that have never been in a truck. I agree that there was a need for them but the way it was rolled out could’ve been much better. Rather than mandating it based on year of truck only it should’ve been carriers with over X number of drivers. The mega carriers were the ones paying the lobbyist’s anyway. I’m one guy and my only driver is myself. If I buy a 2000 or newer truck I have to run an Elog. I’ve never run over my hours of service in my career and don’t have a single ticket on my driving record. Why do I have to pay for something to fix a problem that I don’t have?

Indeed, I have no idea what the stipulations are for elogs or any other trucking regulations but it does seem that the mega carriers are constantly trying to push small carriers out or undercut them and the gov wants to back those mega corps because of lobbying/bribing or because they are easier to control and record.

But then there's also very fly-by-night companies that almost require their drivers to break every rule in the CDL book. My friend quit a company like that after a few weeks because they wanted him to run over hours in an overloaded truck. They tried to dock his pay but he threatened to report them.

 

[DirectRejection]

My relatives were killed by an underqualified, negligent big rig driver. It was completely senseless. Imagine a big rig trying to pass five cars on a highway out in the middle of the desert. My relatives were in exactly the wrong place at that moment.

Thank you for posting @OVERKILL.

 

[4WD]

My workplace knows all about them from time to time. Backing into industrial warehouse concrete loading docks and hitting the dock at 2 mph fully loaded and breaking them up. And backing into cars 5 car lengths away. Makes sense. Who could be possibly changing the laws to allow in unsafe non skilled drivers on the road. Ahhhh. I better stop now.

I have an idea who …

 

[GON]

In the very early 1980s I was a high school student and worked in a warehouse. We had truck drivers from various firms in and out all day long. Every single driver was a union driver.

I speculate that union truck drivers in the early 1980s made as much annually as most truck drivers make today. And when I make this specualtion, it is in actually dollars, not inflation adjusted. I know Wal-Mart, UPS drivers and some others make inflation adjusted money today. Many of today's drivers simple make very little pay for the challenging work they do. As a result, people that would like to drive select other professions, as the pay is so poor on a MACRO level. In the 1980s, union drivers had a decent pension and good health insurance. Not sure how many truck drivers receive a pension and good health insurance today.

Supplementally, truck drivers in the 1980s (MACRO basis again) didn't touch the freight in their trucks, except to get the freight to the tailgate. Today, I see many drivers unloading the freight.

 

[ripcord]

I have a friend who self selected out of truck driving school. He said he didn't feel like he had the "awareness" to handle the backing up and other maneuvering and didn't want to wind up hurting someone. Not everyone has good enough visual spacial skills or proprioception to be a good truck driver.

I was disappointed for him as I felt long haul would have been a good fit for him.