Practice what you preachPosted by Adam Ledlow at 03:47 PM
When doing my monthly Truck Stop Question, I usually end up having a little chit-chat with the driver even after the initial interview is over. Typically this is an opportunity for the driver to vent about whatever happens to be bothering him about the trucking industry, and what I should be doing – or writing – to make things better.
The top two complaints I hear are usually focus on the high costs a driver must incur (including the high price of fuel) and how most four-wheelers don’t have the slightest idea how trucking works. The latter complaint includes, but is not limited to, cars cutting trucks off and slamming on the breaks, cars riding in trucks’ blind spots, cars not letting trucks change lanes; just a general distaste for the egocentric mentality of the automotive community.
Well, I’ve got news for you truckers: you’re far from perfect. During a half hour drive from Scarborough to Bowmanville this week, not once, not twice, but THREE times I saw big rigs driving more than 130 km/h, one which nearly ran a car onto the shoulder while making a last minute lane change. Does this sound like the actions of someone who’s concerned about conserving fuel? Does this sound like the actions of someone who is ready to hit their brakes and prevent thousands of pounds of freight from steamrolling the vehicles in front of them? I think not.
Having said that, are truckers still the best drivers on the road? Almost certainly. Are car drivers usually at fault with most car-truck accidents? Yes, the majority of the time, but that’s no excuse for barrelling down the highway like you’re driving a sports car instead of an 80,000-lb. behemoth. There’s such a thing as respect for your freight, your fellow motorists and your job. It’s time for truckers to take some responsibility instead laying all the blame on four-wheelers. Drivers should be approaching these reckless cowboys in their own companies or the industry’s name will continue to be dragged through the mud.
Comments
The highway 401 between Scarborough and Bowmanville is likely the busiest stretch of road in Canada. Living and working in one of the western prairie provinces, I have often wondered how you "easterners" manage to remain sane dealing with the insanity of the traffic congestion on a daily basis, that I have witnessed in the GTA.
Like you, I have seen many unprofessional manoeuvres on the part of so-called professional drivers, on the stretch of the 401, between Missisauga and Bowmanville. Funny thing, those truck drivers fit right in with the rest of the motorists, regardless of the type of vehicle they are driving. In other words, the modus operandi seems to be; when in Rome, do as the Romans do.
Yes, these unprofessional truck drivers are in fact discarding their prior training and supposed superior level of driving etiquette when they behave like the average four-wheeler, but in fact, they fit right in with the rest of the crowd on the 401. If they tried a similar move in Regina or Calgary, they might well end up in Jail!
As you correctly stated, in generel terms, statistics will bear out the fact that the vast majority of accidents are the fault of four wheelers. The issue of speeding trucks, in my humble opinon, is miniscule to the point of irrelevance, when compared to the predominant issue of unsafe manoeuvres by four wheelers. That doesn't excuse any type of unprofessional conduct on the part of a supposed professional driver, but it puts things in perspective.
I suspect your main idea is to bolster the OTA's proposal on speed limiters. I think the OTA would catogorize anyone who doesn't agree with their viewpoint as being anti-public safety. The reality is that the OTA's basis for proposing the speed limiter issue is purely derived from industry competition issues, which they have cleverly wrapped in the public safety banner. They know damned well that nobody will reasonably oppose them if they can possibly present this as a public safety issue. As a result, they seem to have abbandoned any reasonable consideration of the relevant facts.
It is however refreshing not to hear their golden oldie about the "driver shortage" for a change. For the time being at least, the large fleet owners seem to be harmonizing to a slightly different tune. I wish them well.
Jake Goertzen
Posted by: Jake Goertzen | February 16, 2007 10:27 PM
I also drive ( a car) the 401 between Newcastle and Pickering several times a day. While I agree that most Truck Drivers are better drivers than most car drivers, it only takes a few to cause a disaster. I see every day, tailgating less than one car length, speeds up to 130km, and three trucks across the 401. I also see the trucks come up to a car at a great rate of speed, and car drivers feeling they have to speed up, or get rammed from behind. I have had to change from the center lane to the left lane several times in order not to be rear-ended by a truck, and no I was not a slow-poke in that lane, I was moving....
Posted by: Doug | February 22, 2007 07:49 AM