Chapters 1&2
Research design.
Interviews (done at 10-20 hour intervals with audio tape)
Observations (taken about the attitudes and behaviors)
Interviews with reporters waitresses and weight scale attendants
Also looked at data collected from Canadian agencies on accidents and braking
Looked at truck driver magazines and literature to get first hand accounts
Took a trip with Vic
Crossed the boarder
In terms of driving Vic appreciated that there was an increased speed limit and
that cars and trucks were treated with the same uniformity
It had to do with the dignity of truck drivers and not being treated differently
Weigh scales
Loss of time for the truckers
Attendants aggravate and harass the truckers
Leaves open sign on and no one is in
Loss of time means that they get more aggressive when driving
Some go around the weigh stations and take alternate routes
Regulations are sometimes very strict
Front axel brakes
Some truck drivers disconnect their front axel brakes because they think that it helps them retain control on icy or wet roads. This is because most of the weight is distributed in the rear giving the front little grabbing power.
Canada does not have a law that mandates front axel brakes. Only in BC. Federal law in the United states says that motor vehicles must have brakes on all wheels.
Regulations on driving
Allowed to drive 13 hours in a 24 hour period for interprovincial driving
Restricted from being on duty more than 15 hours in a day or sixty hours in a 7 day week
Or seventy hours in an eight consecutive days
Enforced by log book
United states is different
Truckers are not permitted to drive for more than 10 hours after being off duty for 8 consecutive hours or more than 60 hours in a period of seven consecutive days
Vic questioned the 10 hour driving rule. He reasoned tha the teamsters lobbied for it
Drug testing
In 1988 United States Federal Highway adminestration established procedures for five drug tests
Pre-employment, post-accident, periodic and random testing and testing for reasonable cause
Vic said that his constitutional rights were being violated. Why is the truck driver the only one tested after the accident. Other people are at fault also
Rules were callenged and there is a temporary injunction on this at this writing
Truckers need lots of patience. Vic said that "you might as well stay in your lane. There is no use cursing and swearing"
Encountered a driver that shot the gap and closed off the truck driverâs attempt at reentering the truck lane
So he just stayed in the passing lane until conditions improved.
Kapaa quary road.
The truck drivers do not stop even though they have a yield sign
It depens on how much they want to break the law. Breaking the regulations means that they will be on time or aviod delays. Also not fixing the truck means that they can have more money for themselves and still work.
This books gets into the cognitive processes of a truck driver and lets us know what they are up against. If it were anyone of us we would not be able to handle it
It would be too much for us to cope with all the delays and traffic and assholes who want to cut us off
How important is time to Vic and other drivers? Why are front axel brakes important and unimportant?
--Jason Thompson
Time is very important for a truck driver. It could mean the difference between getting paid for a job and not getting paid. It also affects the driver's reputation. If they are unable to get loads to their destinations on time then the dispatchers lose faith in them and do not give them the loads that are the most profitable. Front axel brakes are very important and have been mandated in the United States. They are not yet required in Canada. There is a myth that follows the older truck drivers that front axel brakes are the cause of many accidents. This is because most of the weight is on the back of the truck and not on the front of which the front axel brakes work.
Do the 10 consecutive hours in the United States start once you cross the boarder or do the previous hours count?
--Jason Thompson
I believe that the hours start once you cross the boarder. To solve this problem many truck drivers who routinely cross the boarder also carry two log books. One for the States and one for Canada. Drivers sometimes cheat on their log books so they can get away with not logging the right amount of hours.
Do you think that Rothe's results would have been any different if he interviewed drivers in other parts of the country rather than just Canada and Washington?
--George Pederson
I think that throughout this book Rothe give a fair and detailed look at the truck drivers in North America. He also went down to Texas and other parts of the country in his search for information.
Do you think that Vic would have been such a straight shooter if Rothe wasn't riding with him?
--George Pederson
I think that Vic would have remained the same but I do think that he was on his best behavior because Rothe was with him.
In you opinion is the weight station that important for truckers to obey and follow the regulations? Does it serve a purpose?
--Jesse Tudela
I think that if properly enforced the weight stations could serve a very useful purpose. It would ban trucks that were overloaded from running on the highways of America and Canada. It would save the taxpayers a lot of money in road costs.
In your opinion, should all truckers and trucking companies be in a union to minimize danger to the public and increase trucker's livelihood?
--Jesse Tudela
I do not believe that truckers and trucking companies should be unionized. We would be handing over a very important transportation and shipping resource to a very closed off part of the business world. Though it may increase truckers livelihood I would not be so sure that it would increase safety. The public would have to bear the cost of the increased pay to truckers and the union strikes that happen way to often could cripple the economy.
What happens if they do not deliver they cargo on time?
--Alex Lactaotao
They are many things that could happen to the trucker if he does not deliver his cargo on time. He could get a penalty in the result of a monetary fine or a reduced payment on the shipment. It could result in the lost of a job and loss of faith in the trucker by the dispatcher which would result in less work.
How can you reduce the pressure on truckers without reducing safety?
--Dr. Leon James (Dr. Driving)
First one would need to increase the pay for truckers so that they could make more money in less hours so they would not have to work as much. Also the dispatchers could figure in a couple of extra hours so that they have a little leeway when delivering a load.