Truckers Expressed Their Opinion About Problems In Cargo Transportation

November 6, 20210

Earlier, the government asked members of US transportation industry for their views on current supply chain issues.

Over 450 comments were submitted before October 16, which were reviewed by Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg.

Both individual truckers and representatives of cargo transportation companies expressed their opinion. Their comments will be used to inform President Joe Biden next year.

Richard Davis: “Times have changed a lot in the past 85 years in the trucking industry. More regulation has caused a lot of that change. Truck drivers are required or forced to work for free many hours a week. The government restricts the amount of time a driver can work and make money. ELDs cause drivers to rush, hurry, speed, cut corners to save every precious minute they can in a day.”

AFZ Cartage: “There needs to be more enforcement of safety violations. Trucking companies need to be held accountable for their unsafe equipment with a national database for repeat offenders and connect CDL licenses in a nationwide database to remove unsafe drivers from American highways.”

Jaden Wilson: “In my opinion as a truck driver, the best way to solve shortages related to COVID-19 is to reconsider electronic logbooks. Along with increasing truck accidents they make delivering essential goods such as food harder than it has to be. When it comes down to it you’re driving while tired and trying to sleep while being wide awake. They force drivers to run over the speed limit and drive while tired thus increasing truck wrecks. We saw a decrease in truck wrecks during the hours of service exemption during COVID. This is because we could take our time, drive the speed limit, and stop for a nap without running out of hours.

Richard Conklin: “As a trucker, there are not enough facilities for truckers to utilize. Restaurants, rest areas, parking. The food selection out on the road is horrible, all fast food. Truck stops have taken out sit down restaurants for fast food. Not a healthy situation. The way the truckers are treated by the public is sickening. All these inspections of trucks are not for safety. It’s a revenue generator for cities, counties, and states. The four-wheelers are doing far worse unsafe driving and their vehicles are not mechanically sound either. Many drivers like me are leaving the profession in droves.”

Among the issues drivers said are detrimental to their operations and the functioning of the supply chain were: