Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
Big rig drivers aren't any better or worse than other drivers. Difference is because of the size of their vehicle, the bad eggs are more visible. Part of the problem is the unrealistic expectation of delivery time by their bosses while still trying to maintain correct driving logs as required by law. Last I heard they are not allowed to drive more than 10 hours a day unless they switch out with a partner driver. Rest areas and truck stops fill up quick. Not many hotels or motels will allow big rigs to park on their lot. So once these options are off the table, they have no other choice but to pull off and stop for the night. If cops were smart, they'd stake out truck stops for the usual lot lizards and drug dealers. I drive past a local truck stop late when on the late shifts. Seen plenty of ugly lot lizards (hookers) and some highly questionable guys on bicycles or in run down beater cars going from rig to rig knocking on doors.
My younger brother had his own rig he hauled steel sometimes over 100,000 lbs, I have been with him when he had to make a delivery and had to be there at a certain time. I cannot believe the number of cars that came inches from being totaled because they pass to close to his truck. So there are far more 4 wheel idiots on the road than truckers along with those crotch rocket punks weaving in and out of traffic. And im no tailgater I'm 60 yrs old I obey the law and speed limit but these younger drivers today they think the speed limit dose not apply to them and I get plenty of tailgaters behind me all the time.
There are plenty of idiots driving all types of vehicles. Since this is a thread about truckers annoyances I am bringing those things up. Yes, just driving down the highways I've witnessed plenty of idiocy from smaller cars maneuvering around as well and sometimes wonder what they are thinking. Yes, I have had 18 wheelers ride my ass while I am in one of the right lanes unable to get out so IMO those drivers were *******s putting my life in danger. They had no reason to be driving 20ft off my bumper at 60MPH or so and I was praying the police would see and ticket his butt. I have had that happen several times. As well, I have seen cars whip in right in front of a truck, putting the trucker in, at least, a temporary tailgating position and I have often wondered what the driver of the car was smoking to be so stupid! Likewise cars that seem to just ride, alongside an 18 wheeler in his blind spot. Personally, if I get in that position in which we are the same speed, I tap the gas a bit and move ahead, or ease up and fall back-depending on the situation. To me, it's just stupidity for a car to just be cruising along in a truckers blind spot!
Truckers get a free ride thanks to how roads are effectively subsidized for them. Yes, they pay the few pennies in road tax on diesel fuel. But it's hardly a regressive tax structure given that an 80,000 truck pays the same as a three thousand pound VW diesel.
Nothing could be further from the truth. The IFTA fuel tax rates assessed against motor carriers are higher than those collected from non-commercial motorists. For example, California fuel tax is 33.5 cents per gallon for diesel sold to non-commercial motorists, whereas California's IFTA rate is 45 cents per gallon. Some county and municipal jurisdictions also collect additional fuel taxes.
If truckers wish to lay equitable claim to ownership of the roads, then fine.
Peg the registration and/or fuel tax to Gross Vehicle weight. Which would of course be proportionate to the amount of damage they incur on the roads.
We pay much more than non-commercial vehicles in terms of registration fees, plus we also pay highway use taxes, weight-distance taxes, and oversize/overweight permit fees. Also, we pay higher tolls.
You are beyond clueless internet warrior, possibly worse than the rest of them.
And how many truckers do you have to work with every day? I'm beyond clueless huh? Well, I happen to work for a trucking company, and deal with truckers from all over the country every day and I can tell you that some of these comments ae ludicrous, so up yours!
Nothing could be further from the truth. The IFTA fuel tax rates assessed against motor carriers are higher than those collected from non-commercial motorists. For example, California fuel tax is 33.5 cents per gallon for diesel sold to non-commercial motorists, whereas California's IFTA rate is 45 cents per gallon. Some county and municipal jurisdictions also collect additional fuel taxes.
We pay much more than non-commercial vehicles in terms of registration fees, plus we also pay highway use taxes, weight-distance taxes, and oversize/overweight permit fees. Also, we pay higher tolls.
Last I heard they are not allowed to drive more than 10 hours a day unless they switch out with a partner driver.
The long and short of it is that we can drive for 11 hours within a window of 14 hours after coming on duty, and we then have to take 10 hours off-duty. There is a mandatory 30 minute break that must be taken before the 8th hour, and that break counts against the 14 hour clock, so we really only have a 13.5 hour window. We are limited to 70 hours of on-duty time per 8 days; this limit can be "restarted" by taking 34 consecutive hours off-duty.
I don't think teams can run 5 on & 5 off anymore, or that sleeper berth time can be split like in the old days. But those don't apply to my situation anymore, because I'm a local (daycab) driver.
You do realize they CANNOT move a couple hundred yards ahead because they will get woke up, hauled out of the truck and get a ticket for parking too far out of the already full rest area.
And if the truck has a placarded load, it cannot be parked in the shoulder per federal HAZMAT regulations.
The long and short of it is that we can drive for 11 hours within a window of 14 hours after coming on duty, and we then have to take 10 hours off-duty. There is a mandatory 30 minute break that must be taken before the 8th hour, and that break counts against the 14 hour clock, so we really only have a 13.5 hour window. We are limited to 70 hours of on-duty time per 8 days; this limit can be "restarted" by taking 34 consecutive hours off-duty.
I don't think teams can run 5 on & 5 off anymore, or that sleeper berth time can be split like in the old days. But those don't apply to my situation anymore, because I'm a local (daycab) driver.
Five and five no longer applies to teams. The split sleeper is a good way to go over the 11 and 14 hours. It can for for about two days, then it turns into a mess.
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
