Scott Olson/Getty Images Over Memorial Day weekend, The Drive wrote about a proposal making its way through Congress. A series of measures in the Build America 250 Bill dubbed the “Trucker Dignity” package would create what amounts to a trucker’s bill of rights, guaranteeing such basic necessities as bathroom access at loading and unloading sites. It’s nothing outlandish, and really, you might not expect something like this to be necessary. But it is. We typically sign off our stories with an invitation to submit news tips, but as we often do with stories like this, we felt it was best instead to ask the truckers in our audience just what they thought of the whole thing. After all, who’s in a better position to comment on the needs of America’s freight drivers than the people doing the actual driving? Well, they answered. At the time this follow-up was published, we’d already received nearly 150 comments on the story itself (plus many, many more on social media), along with a couple dozen emails. Despite the sheer volume, you’ll notice that most of the feedback fell into one of just a few categories. Since you can’t see what was emailed to us directly, we figured we’d share it here to add to the discussion. Let’s jump in: Author’s note: All content here appears in its original format except where profanity was censored or private information was redacted. Some of these are excerpts from longer emails. “Claude” writes: I am a driver who drives a variety of commercial vehicles to include trucks. I’m in the process of going back over the road in a few days now. I know for a fact some of these shipper are going to misappropriate this money. They already plan to get the thousands of dollars from the government and filthy, oderous, row of port a potties at the far edge their property. The parking areas will be a dirt area or gravel area without adequate lighting, electricity or clean permanent showers. The shippers and anyone else else getting this money need to have routine visits done on their properties and facilities. They will decline and lower the quality as soon as possible. “Fast Wolf” has simple needs: Broker transparency concerning freight rates Meanwhile, “Rex” says the middlemen take it coming and going: I worked for [Redacted] trucking in oklahoma that leased trucks and took 20% of the fuel surcharge. They didn’t let the drivers know this until orientation, at least our group. They issued us WEX fuel cards which had no discounts on fuel, which was also odd. (WEX & Com data offer some of the biggest discounts) The drivers were responsible for all the fuel and def, taken at the end of the week from our pay. I suspect the company kept the discounts for themselves also. I stayed with them for 6 months then left. I never ran into this problem in my 33 years of trucking. I learned later of other trucking carriers doing this also to drivers. I haven’t heard any trucking forums talking about this scam but I know it’s more prevalent than we think. Someone should dig into this and maybe get it stopped. Whoever pays for the fuel gets the surcharges and available discounts, should be the law! Now here’s a curveball being thrown in the ongoing emissions deregulation push: State laws on DEF are making things extra weird right now, “Eddie” says: I agree with all that congress is coming up with. However, if you take the DEF away from trucks in certain states and areas will not be able to idle their big engine for warmth or AC. Not all trucks or trucking companies can afford auxiliary power units (APU) to be installed on their trucks. The APU supplies heat and AC to the inside of the cab and sleeper. They also keep the truck batteries charged and some even supply the truck with 110v for the driver to use for a TV, microwave, ect. Im afraid that states like CA will not let the trucks even enter the state with a non working DPF filter. “Joshua” had a lot to say. Here’s a sample: Im not really sure whether or not this will do any good. But ill pass it on anyways with the best of hopes. I have been driving for 16 years. So i have alittle experience with alittle bit of an education. And maybe alittle common sense, still on the fence with the last statement. There are alot of laws and rules in place. Regretfully the ones who make all that governs the trucking community has spent no time behind the wheel, or at the shippers/receivers. The traffic in a car is nothing like traffic in a semi truck. The long hours, lonely weeks, the places and people that look down or treat truckers like dirt. We are out here for one purpose or another. Over time this just start to blend. Doesn’t do any good to complain. Noone cares or will hear us out. Hear from from the ones who are truely in the crap. Pay is a hit and miss, some companies pay pretty good and some dont. Get that everywhere. But if I run outside of the hours or the law I will make way more. The taxes suck. I say that because I can’t do taxes like that, and it cost a good amount to keep uncle sam off our cases with the deductions we are supposed to have. “Joshua” wasn’t the first, last, or only person to mention parking. Let’s give “el brown” the floor (another excerpt): Truckers are always operating under time restrictions.. With that being said, there should be laws requiring companies to provide parking after on there property if loading or unloading depletes there drive or on duty hours.. It isn’t fair to hold a driver for 5/6 hours then insist they have to leave.. when in 4/5 hours they can have a full 10hr break resetting there hours to a full 14 hours.. .. Especially if truck parking is 2hrs away, or weather conditions make driving unsafe. “George” says: I think that all the truck stops should stop all the pay parking as we spend hundreds and thousands of dollars on their fuel, good, and supplies, I think we’re all getting robbed while the CEO are getting richer off of us And “Lamar:” In large cities where parking is not free why can’t it be that the trucking companies pay the parking fee.? There’s also this note from “Ruben,” who says things have been trending downward for American truckers for decades: I’m a driver with 21 years under my belt. I don’t know where this will go but I hope you run with it. When I started driving I was talking to ask ol timer that was in the business 20+ years before me. So where talking the 80’s. The rates haven’t not charged and they’ve gotten worse. That’s my first point. 2nd Allot of the truck stops that never use to charge to park and now putting gates up to charge us to go in and stay the nite, or you need to spend 50 dollars or full up more then 300 gallons. Mind you they didn’t do that before. So us Owner Operators get screwed. The RATES get worse the Truck Stops charge us to sleep, and we pay more to FEED are family. What little free parking left for truckers isn’t necessarily safe, “Orlando” writes: A truckers car transporter in Florida was hijacked and killed how about make it mandatory have 2 or 3 security guards at all times at all rest and truck stops. “Don” had plenty more to say beyond this, but his comments on parking dovetailed with another common complaint: restroom access. the cost of showers & parking is outrageous these days. most are $20+ for each. If a driver paid for parking & a shower everyday thats $40+. Add that up weekly 5 to 7 days that’s a minimum of $200 a wk. some drivers decide to take just 1 shower a wk because of this cost. I say decide its more like cant afford to take but 1. Poor facilities aren’t always a result of businesses being cheap. Sometimes it’s the government being the government, “Alfred” writes: I was delivering at Nash food distribution which took an excessive amount of time to deliver, would not allow drivers the use of restrooms. They are military contractors and as a veteran was treated worse than by any other shipper or receiver in the country or Canada or Mexico. I swore them off. I never returned. Those requirements should be included in their contracts or banned from contracting wiyh the government. And then there are the hours and compensation. Here’s “Lee” to kick us off: I’ve been a driver for the last 28 years. 21 with the current company. They take advantage of the 8 day 70 hour rule. Because the company is so large it has multiple accounts that technically operate 24 7. They use the 70 hour rule for the account I am on. The company runs 5 days a week and occasionally on Saturday. So most of our routes are 13.5 to 14 hours a day. So many of our suppliers do not allow us to use the bathroom. Or actually enter the facility for that matter. And our time after 40 hours are not worth more as it is for the rest of the country. I am required to work over 40 hours a week for straight pay. Make truckers the most discriminated against people in America! We are not human enough to use the bathroom or to make more money after 40 hours. “Memmen Trucking” writes: I could care less about needing a bathroom. Every over the road driver has plenty enough room in the truck behind the curtain to figure it out. What bothers me is truck stops continuously adding pay parking while shippers offer no parking beyond picks and drops. And what’s up with building pot shops next to truck stops ? Ive seen it on several occasions. WTF is wrong with people. A failed test can cost a guy his career. Why the [****] would they allow a pot shop that close to us in the first place. That’s stupid! “Don” has an idea: Time and half for hr driver I work 120 to 140 hr every 2 week and only get straight time. Working 10 to 14 hr day. Some time 5 to 6 day a week.why does a driver get treated like a second class worker. I close to 40 yr driving in with a clean record hauling hasmat And “Gary” too: Truckers need to be given their per diem back. It’s a game changer on a truckers income. A reader going only by “Health Coach” sums it up nicely: The pay doesn’t reflect the work and time involved, most drivers get paid when the wheels are turning but we spend In 7 days 168 Hours in our trucks at around them getting fuel grabbing a bite to eat and a shower running inside the shipping and receiving offices, I know I’m not going to get rich in trucking, it has perks though being a trucker, there is a lot of freedom on the open rd cool places interesting people you meet in your travels the pay isnt the worst but I do know it could be much better There’s a lot to unpack here, but it sure seems like most truckers want three simple things: someplace safe to park, someplace clean to pee, and enough money in their pocket to make it worthwhile when you inevitably fail to deliver on the other two. Doesn’t seem unreasonable when you put it like that, does it?
+13 others
