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Chapter
1:
Introduction
(pp. 1-4)
Right off on the 1st sentence we
are told what this book will be about.
Author J. Peter Rothe writes, ãThis book is about truck
driversâ lives, risks, and views on safetyä (p. 1).
Making long hauls across borders and state lines, truck drivers
drive about a hundred thousand miles each year.
Rain, snow, fog, or shine, they will travel from mauka to makai
to deliver their goods (hopefully) on time.
Truckers must abide by rules and regulations
set forth by ãfederal and regional jurisdictions in Canada and the
United States,ä such as the ãamount of hours truckers can work,
vehicle maintenance, and the use of illegal substances.ä
But of course, who will follow the rules if that will mean more
money? Some do, and some donât.
I never knew that there were trucking rules
and regulations. If I
really think about it, there are rules and regulations for nearly
everything. Drivers must
follow the rules of the road, and have a driverâs license.
The Research and Design of Book
Throughout this book, Rothe writes from his
observations and interviews to ãproduce a realistic portrayal of
trucker and safetyä (p. 2). He
talked to people at weigh stations, truckers, waitresses, and read
trucker magazines to get the scoop ãas represented in the trucker
mediaä (p. 2). In this
book, Rothe focuses on ãtruckers who operate in western Canada and/or
the western United Statesä due to similarities that may represent
everyone.
I think this is fine.
There are truckers everywhere and in every state.
Without them we would never get our goods.
If we learn more about truckers, we may help them and ourselves
to become better drivers on the road by avoiding their pet peeves.
Perhaps they feel more comfortable when little cars giving them
more room. By the way, in class I learned that truckers differ
everywhere, and this book doesn't properly represent everyone.
Chapter
2:
Crossing the Canada-United States Border
(pp. 5-21)
What is it like to cross a countryâs
border? Do Canadian
truckers operate in the same way as American truckers?
How do they do it?
Lets hop in with Peter Rothe as he goes on a
journey from British Columbia to Los Angeles with trucker Vic.
Repairs are made to the truck before setting
off; this causes them to have a late start.
Then, they head to the border, Blaine, Washington, and get their
first check: export
declarations, and equipment check.
Checks such as these and weigh scales are
time consuming, and to make the checks run smoothly truckers try to be
very corporative. They keep
their trucks clean and shiny, and they themselves try to keep a neat,
clean appearance.
Speed limit in Canada is fifty-five, and once
Vic rolls on to the United States soil he zooms to speed limit that cars
can travel. This gives Vic
ãa feeling of equalityä (p. 8).
Perhaps being able to drive at the same speed
cars travel makes truckers feel better about themselves, and makes them
feel that their job is important. I
wonder if they think about the safety of others as they drive on faster,
rolling terrain?
Vehicle Inspection Centers/Weigh Scales
Truckers fear vehicle inspection
centers/weigh scales. If
they do not stop for a scale they get fined up to a hundred dollars or
more, and if the inspector finds something wrong with the truck the fine
goes up even more. They can even get the ãgo to jail cardä.
Do not mess with the inspectors.
The longer the stay at the scales, the more time a trucker
looses. To play it safe a
trucker must have proper permits, keep excess load weights off, and
maintain clean appearances. ãDonât
look conspicuousä (p. 9).
Having scales are important for all who share
the roads. If a truck
exceeds the maximum weight it may cause the load to shift and it may be
a factor in an accident.
Front Axle Brakes: The
Canadian And American Scene
It is against the law to drive without front
axle brakes in America, but not in Canada.
There are truckers who believe that having front axle brakes
causes accidents because ãit lessens the driverâs ability to control
a vehicle on ice or rainy road because all of the truckâs weight is on
the back, giving front axle brakes little grabbing powerä (p. 12)
I think having brakes in Canada should be law
if it will prevent accidents, and especially for those who cross onto
the American border. Maybe
more training can be given for those who believe that front axle brakes
do not work, and training can be given to those who drive with front
axle brakes already. If there are skeptical people well, let them have a
simulation test drive of both in different conditions.
Different trucks have different licenses.
A truck with air brakes can only be driven with someone who has
the licenses to operate that vehicle.
The test is similar to a driverâs test:
there is the written test and the hands-on test.
A trucker must also have ãsixteen hours of driving school
theory class or a twenty-four hour certification courseä (pp. 12-13).
Only one driverâs license per ãcommercial vehicle operatorä
is allowed in both Canada and the United States.
This is good.
I would not want to see someone who is not certified or trained
to drive a rig on the roads. That
would be unsafe to the trucker and motorists.
Earning a Class 1 Equivalent License In the United States
A Commercial Driver License (CDL) became
ãeffective April 1, 1992.ä It
states, ãno persons are allowed to operate trucks unless they have
passed written and driving tests that meet federal standardsä (p. 13).
You must ãdemonstrate basic motor vehicle control skills, and
safe driving skills for your vehicle groupä (p. 13). Some places require that you have a ãmedical examinerâs
certificate,ä and some people pay money under the table.
Thereâs a good and bad here. Now I know that there are dishonest truckers out there
driving, and hearing this makes me a more cautious driver.
The National Safety Code is the same in all
ãprovincesä in Canada, but not in America.
This code restricts the amount of hours a trucker is allowed to
drive. In Canada, you can
drive ãthirteen hours in a twenty-four hour period for interprovincial
driving, and are restricted to being on duty no more than fifteen hours
a day or sixty hours during a seven day week period or seventy hours
during eight consecutive daysä (p. 15).
In the U.S. you canât drive more than sixty hours in a period
of seven continuous days. Logbooks
are especially important, and are ãstrictly enforced.ä
I think time should be restricted more.
Drivers need more time to get some shuteye.
Itâs hard to drive for long periods of time on the same stretch
of road, and keep a watchful eye on traffic and obstacles.
We should be glad to hear Vic say that ãhe
does not use drugs nor does he like it being used in truckingä (p.
15). At least thatâs one
trucker playing it safe on the roads.
Anyway, Rothe reports, ãDrug use by truckers is the
major challenge faced in the Canadian and United States transportation
industryä (p. 15).
Canada has no drug testing regulations.
The U.S. Federal Highway Administration has ãfive:
pre-employment, post-accident, periodic and random testing along
with testing for ãreasonable causeää (p. 15).
Vic thinks this is a bunch of bull especially when they get a
drug test after an accident because itâs mandatory for truckers to get
checked, but not the other motorist involved.
When rush hour traffic hits, Vic stays calm
and says that at times like this, ãthe trucker quality, ãlots of
patience,ä is needed. Thereâs
no use in cursing and swearing (p. 16).
Perhaps all drivers involved in an accident
should undergo drug testing. It
will make it fair for everyone, and if someone tests positive they can
be made to pay for all the medical expenses of the person who was
driving with a negative drug test.
If both test negative, well, weâll see.
More thought can go into this, and I know it will be a
controversy.
Leon
James
What
do you think of Rothe's method of getting data or observations?
I
think Rothe's method is rather good especially if this is his first
attempt at gathering data from truckers. I think he utilizes his
resources well, and displays a partially accurate picture of truckers.
What
kind of questions do you wish he would have asked?
I
would liked to have seen him ask more about where the truckers got their
training, what they did other than driving their trucks, and how they
are able to balance their work with family.
What
is lacking in the way truckers are trained, selected or treated?
Some
truckers lack training in emotional intelligence skills such as how to
handle their stress as a trucker, dealing with obstacles, and with
reasoning. There are many who run around obstacles and problems
instead of dealing with them directly.
Leena-Rose
Dwiggins Do
you feel the precaution truckers take for vehicle inspection
centers/weigh scales "vanish" the moment they are back on the
road? No.
I feel that the need to be cautious will always be present on or off the
road. I think some may have feel a bit guilty if they know that
their load is too heavy. Have
studies shown that issuance of monetary penalties decrease safety
violations? I
don't know. Perhaps those who give the penalties feel that it is
their responsibility to "punish" truckers who do not abide by
the rules and regulations. Shaunna
Mazza How
would a trucker get caught and charged with a violation? One
way a trucker would get caught is by flying past the weigh scales.
Sometimes there are police sitting out watching for these
truckers. Another way is if their load is too heavy, their vehicle
does not pass safety inspection, or they are carrying something illegal. Do
police know the rules and regulations of a trucker? Yes.
William Luat from the Honolulu Police Department helped me answer this
question. He says, "A Honolulu
Police Officer is required to know the Traffic Code of the City and
County of Honolulu. The state does also have specific inspectors
who deal with these trucks." This extends to the police of
other states as well. How
does a weigh station work? Do truckers always have to stop
through? Who checks to see if their weight is okay? Truckers
will see a sign on the road that says something like "Scales
Ahead". Yes, they must stop at the scales. There are
usually inspectors at the stations to check the weight load. Robby
Solmssen Is
55 the maximum speed limit in Canada? No,
I do not think so. Are
there published results for front axle brakes compared to those required
in the United States (rear brakes)? Proof that can be shown. Yes,
there are published results of the difference of brakes. How
are the log times for driving hours regulated? With a
computer? Can the driver fix or add in his own times? The
log times are logged in a book. The driver can fix or add in his
own time.
I prepared for
this oral presentation and oral.html early like the day I learned I was
to be the first presenter. I read the book and wrote my comments
and reactions so I would not forget them the day of my
presentation. There was also a handout I passed out that was fun
to make, and made me feel more confident during my presentation.
A trucker's life
is not easy, and I am thankful that there are still a lot of honest
truckers on the road. Without truckers we would not be able to get
our goods. We can learn a lot from a trucker.
I am unable to
comment on my fellow classmate's g13oral.html reports at this moment as
there are no reports up and running on the web.
For the future
generations: start your work early! Procrastination kills.
Be optimistic, and realistic. Take your oral presentation and
oral.html report and work on it little by little. Do not wait
until the last possible moment when you are forced to work under stress.
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