User-agent: Mediapartners-Google* Disallow: Trucks World News: RULES BROKEN by TIRED TRUCKERS * USA: Can’t find places to rest
Google
 
Loading

Jul 15, 2015

RULES BROKEN by TIRED TRUCKERS * USA: Can’t find places to rest

* Ohio - More semis on road leading to create safety hazard

-- A growing number semi-trucks on the road has produced not only more traffic congestion and accidents, but also a safety hazard that forces some truckers to drive tired and break rules by working too many hours... Truck driver Angela Sanders of Toledo described a recent competition between trucks to find suitable parking at rest areas and truck stops. According to Sanders, the number of parking spots has not kept up with the increased number of trucks on the road... Under federal rules, drivers can put in 11 hours a day driving, and work no more than a total of 14 hours before a mandatory 10 hours of down time. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s count of trucks on the road shows just how much traffic has increased in recent years. The NHTSA said the number of large trucks registered across the country grew from 8.2 million in 2004 to 10.6 million in 2013... The state Ohio, meanwhile, has seen an increase in truck accidents with a record 21,290 crashes in 2014, with 143 of those involving fatalities... Even with the federal rules, financial pressure can push people to bend or break the rules. Lucy Vaillancort, a long-haul trucker from Quebec, Canada, said the common expression is “when the wheels aren’t turning, you’re not earning” ... Tony Price, an experienced driver from Dayton, agreed, adding that more parking would be a step forward for safety. Price said too many truck stops are full at night and most shopping centers and commercial areas are off-limits to big trucks... “You’re 80 feet long and you weigh 80,000 pounds. You can’t just park at a meter downtown,” Price said... The trucking industry is well aware of the parking problems. Kevin Burch, 2nd Vice Chairman of the American Trucking Associations, said drivers often are caught in the middle between the push to keep the wheels rolling and the need to abide by the rules of the road... 
Springfield, OH, USA - The Springfield NEWS-Sun, by Jim Otte - July 13, 2015

Labels:

posted by Unknown @ 9:48 AM 

0 Comments:

Post a Comment

<< Home