Chapters 13&14
Chapter 12: Giving Motorist a Brake
In this chapter the author is riding with Karl a 63-year-old company driver who used to be a owner-operator but had to give it up because of health problems and age. He was beginning to lose circulation in his right leg so he could not put in the amount of hours necessary for an owner-operator to make ends meet. So he decided to become a company man who gets of at 7pm.
Karl is similar to BJ in chapter 7 he is an older and more experienced driver. He follows the trend of older drivers who do not believe in front axle brakes. Even when confronted with evidence in the experimental setting he discounts it because it is done under controlled conditions and not in the real world.
On this trip they are required to stop at a government regulated brake check area. This area is strategically positioned right before dangerous mountain terrain and a steep slope before a ferry terminal. The truckers must stop here and check their brakes before continuing on to the ferry or on highway 99. On this particular highway there are three choices in the event of an emergency: Smash into the mountain, hit the car next to you or roll into the ocean. It is nicknamed the killer highway and seems to be like the highway that runs from Waimanalo to Hawaii Kai.
Karl stops at this brake station regularly and sometimes even gets to pass through because the operator of the station knows that the truck is in good condition from the previous day. Karl was very proud of this but said that he didn?t mind stopping because he gets paid by the hour. The attendant?s name is George and his job is just to really make sure that the trucks come to a complete stop in order to prevent runaways.
On the highway many motorist do not respect the truck or the truckers. The posted speed limit is 60 km/hr but most whip around the turns at 80-90 km/hr. Karl emphasized the rights of truckers at the expense of other drivers. To him other motorist were "four-wheeling it" and truckers were out on the road day and night trying to make a living. They are not under the same pressures as truckers. We saw these feelings in a number of other truckers that the author rode with: Vic, Simon, and Giddyup. Their basic complaint was that motorist do not understand the plight of the trucker. There are certain dangers and limitations that a trucker driving an eighteen wheeler comes across. Braking and acceleration, shifting loads and jackknifing are some of the major problems that Karl mentioned.
As they approached a steep incline Karl sped up coming dangerously close to a station wagon in front of him. The couple in the backseat got visibly agitated by this maneuver and were observed to be looking back constantly and talking to each other animatedly and point at them in the cab of the truck. Karl gave an explanation for his actions. He said that it is routine and that a truckers need maximum speed to get up the hill and if he did not do that he would be shifting gears forever just to make it up the hill at a reasonable speed. He said that it is the motorist problem that they do not understand the plight of the trucker.
When the highway opened up into two passing lanes Karl tried to pass on the left but lacked the speed or power to pass because of his load. His speed dropped considerably during this time and he went from 70 km/hr to about 40 km/hr. So he drove along side the station wagon for about a half-mile. As he and the slow moving station wagon crept along a line of cars accumulated behind them. And the station wagon, being unsure of Karl?s next move kept pace with the truck. He was an elderly driver and was keeping pace with the truck at 40 km/hr, which is like 25 mph. When confronted with the question about how his actions resulted in the pile up behind him he shrugged his shoulders and said that the driver next to him is the stupid one because he does not realize that 40 km/hr is as fast at the truck goes on this type of incline. Karl said that there should be a shared understanding between truckers and four-wheelers about what a truck is allowed to do and what they can do then they both can cooperate better on the nation?s highways.
After the station wagon finally sped up it was impossible for Karl to move back over into the slow moving lane because of the cars behind him passing at 80 km/hr. By this time Karl?s speed dropped to 20 km/hr, which is like 13 miles per hour. So he continued to drive in the fast lane until further down the road.
While traveling along the mountain road the author became aware that the perfect brakes was necessary to negotiate the turns. When asked questions about front axle brakes Rothe found out that Karl was opposed to front axle brakes. He has driven as an owner-operator all his life and never experienced negative effect when not using front axle brakes. In fact he said that they hinder safe driving rather than help it. He contends that on icy roads the trucker could lose control since the brakes tend to pull the truck to the right.
Rothe said that with new technology the possibility of the brakes locking is remote. Still Karl was not convinced. He said that he had 45 years of experience and that he knows better. He said that for gradual braking front axle brakes are adequate but truckers usually down shift or use their engine brakes to help slow them down. Though presented with evidence that was from research on the subject that stated that front axle brakes help improve braking distance and lane changes.
To Karl, proof is in the person. He relies on experience and street smarts. To counter all of Rothe?s arguments for front axle brakes he asked, "If the safety of front axle brakes is so well proven, then why has the Canadian government not mandated front axle brakes?" Rothe replied that the United States had done so. But Karl said "but don?t we live in Canada?"
The risks that Karl takes because he feels confident in his own abilities and familiarity to the surroundings were very unsettling to Rothe. He came away from his brief encounter with Karl rather shaken. Maybe it was because Karl was so old but it was because of the tactics that Karl employed like tailgating and other dangerous behavior.
Chapter 13: Thirty Hours on the Road, No Big Deal
Randy is a 28-year-old owner operator. Rothe rode with him on a trip from Vancouver to Edmonton. He makes about 16 thousand dollars a month but his expenses are great. His truck alone costs 2400 a month. He is starting another child with his wife and because of his busy work schedule and the potential loss in salary if he is not working he and his wife have decided to have a caesarian baby to minimize the amount of time that Randy needs to stay in the hospital.
Randy hopes that the laws for trucking becomes stricter so that the rates paid to truckers will go up so that he does not have to work as much. But as it is now he runs two or three logbooks especially when he is in the United States. But when in Canada he says they hardly ever check. They just care if it look neat and tidy.
Randy says that sometimes he takes a one or two-hour nap at the side of the road and then stretches out and walks around so that he feels invigorated to take on the next few hundred miles. He also says that challenging driving makes it easier for him to stay alert since all of his concentration must be on driving. He says that a popular tactic used by truckers is to take a quick 10-minute nap at the side of the road. They light a cigarette and then hold it between their fingers and put their head down on the steering wheel. When the cigarette burns down it gives the trucker a little shock from the burn. It is a like an alarm clock.
Randy predicted that he was going to be running 100 km/hr, which is equal to about 65 miles per hour. To help with this he has a radar detector. He bought it on the black market for 100 dollar but would cost almost 500 dollars new. So far it has saved him a lot of time and money. But he is not sure what the laws are in the provinces he passes through about radar detectors.
Ironically Randy realizes that speed is the cause of most accidents. Yet he continues to speed to make good time. He remembers a time when he almost had a head on collision with another truck. But he was able to stop on time because he was not speeding. He also reasoned that it was okay to stay about 8 km/hr above the speed limit because police and highway patrol give that much leeway for error of the gun or equipment. When no one was around Randy would bump his speed up a bit and say that he was not hurting anyone.
For Randy the first signs of fatigue are burning eyes and the tendency to forget where he is. He is followed by the need to go to sleep. If he has a deadline to meet he will look for a coffee shop or if time permits he will look for a place to stop along side the road and take an hour nap. That is enough for him to shake off the cobwebs.
Agar described the signs of fatigue as variations in the truck?s rpm, which indicates that little attention is being paid to the pressure applied to the foot pedal. Slight drifting of the vehicle within its lane and rubbing of the face and head with the hand are all signs of fatigue.
To fight fatigue Randy also uses several techniques. He uses the CB, continually checks his mirrors, waves to truckers and concentrates on steering and shifting. As they approached a weigh scale, Randy related a story of when he tried to beat the scale. He stopped far ahead of the scale and took a nap when he was tired and overloaded. At about 2am he proceeded on toward the scale believing them to be closed for the night. He did not bother to check with others on his CB and was caught when the scales were open. He was fined 300 dollars for the infraction.
As they went on after a brief truck stop Rothe asked Randy about L freight lines. The company that Randy worked for. Randy said that he was never asked about his driving history or credentials. The interviewers were only interested in his equipment and getting him familiar with how to do paper work.
To fight off fatigue Rothe asked Randy about the difference between owner-operators and company drivers. He stated that owners are more professional. They have more pride in their work and know everything about their rig. But company men will carry a quarter for their p-hone call and little else. They do not care about the truck because it is not theirs.
Next they were passing thro0ugh several national parks to get to Edmonton. This was a particularly dangerous part of the trip since the animals come up close to the road and could possibly get run over and killed. Randy stated that it is better to hit the animal and crash than to try to avoid it and skid off the road. This is because officers reason that the accident was due to driver fatigue. It is better to have evidence of an accident. And blood everywhere from an animal is pretty good evidence.
The last stretch of highway to Edmonton was boring and Randy felt vulnerable to fatigue. He did not say that he was tired but he did say that he was bored. He waved at all the on coming trucks to alleviate his boredom. When he called his dispatcher he found that he could stay the night in Edmonton. This pleased him because he has relatives there and could do some shopping at the West Edmonton Mall. Rothe got off at the Convention Inn and said goodbye to Randy. Later Rothe sat down and figured out the hours for Randy. He figured that Randy had been driving for 30 hours straight with only a little 1-hour nap in between. Though his consecutive driving time was 30 hours Randy logged it down as 14 hours.
Should the owner-operator be mandated to retire when they turn 65 years old or in the case of a serious health problem?
--Jesse Tudela
I believe that as long as they are not a threat to society they should be allowed to work. We do not take away the licenses of the elderly who drive on the roads everyday because they might be able to still perform the basic duties that is required to drive a motor vehicle. The same rules should apply to truck drivers.
Do you think that Randy has a psychological disorder caused by his fatigue and stress of the job? Could Randy be suffering from depression because he spends 30 hours on the road consecutively? Why does he have to do that?
--Jesse Tudela
I will answer the last question first. He does this to make money. He is an owner-operator that needs the constant flow of jobs so that he can stay profitable. No I do not believe that he has a psychological disorder and I do not believe that he suffers from depression. He is just doing what he deems necessary to take care of himself and his family. Maybe the reason why he is working so hard now is that he does not want to work forever and is looking at early retirement or a change of profession.
How do truckers deal with fatigue or their tiredness while driving?
--Alex Lactaotao
There are a variety of ways that truckers deal with their fatigue and tiredness. Some take naps while others use drugs to help them stay alert. Coffee and No Doz pills are examples of legal stimulants that drivers can employ. Those that do use drugs to help them stay alert often use amphetamines or cocaine. They are also techniques that can be employed to help fight off boredom or fatigue. One of these is waving to all of the trucks that pass you going the opposite direction. Another is to chat on the CB or listen to the radio.
What would be a good way to educate the general public about the dangers and limitations of big rigs? Should it be included in driver's education?
--George Pederson
I think that the best way would be to have a web site or a popular movie made about the subject. Smokey and the Bandit was the last movie I remember seeing where there was a big rig involved. It did not do much to educate the public on the dangers though. I think that if we were somehow able to make it entertaining then it would work. Web sites are the wave of the future. They help to educate those that go there on all sorts of subjects. The paradox is how to get those people who deal with trucks and big rigs to the web site. May7be there needs to be a big traffic accident that has a lot of media value in order to educate the public.
Do you think that companies should pay all their employees by the hour? Would this increase the safety of more drivers?
--Jason Thompson
I do not think that companies should pay all of their employees by the hour. It would make people wage slaves and they would be more likely to goof off and not do their part and the company would end up being the loser. I do not think that it would do much for safety either. Safety comes from good driver education and a commitment to safety regulations and proper vehicle maintenance.
What kind of new research approach would you recommend on truck driving?
--Dr. Leon James (Dr. Driving)
I think that all research would be time consuming and a financial drain. I think that research should be done at the primary level and then followed up later. Truck driving schools would be a good place to start. There we could have access to the grades and reports on each driver and then follow them up later with a success rate and accident report for each driver. Then a comprehensive analysis of this information while factoring in all of the variable like type of truck and location of driving area we would be able to somewhat accurately predict the out come of drivers from various schools if we were able to get enough applicants for the project.