In the Driver’s Seat

A new rule could be published as soon as November, and if FMCSA has its way, the new inflation-adjusted required coverage minimum would range from $1 million to $3 million per accident. “If it goes through, it will cost some coin,” Jimmy says, once again being money not easily recouped by independents who pay their own expenses.

As far as other federal regulations, like hours of service rules and the reduction of driving time from 80 to 72 hours per week, he doesn’t usually run afoul of the mandated breaks and on-duty time limits. Of course he knows of plenty of drivers who have been forced into their 34-hour restarts due to loading delays, traffic jams, and breakdowns, but Jimmy has steadily escaped the forced rest.

The worst-case scenario for truckers is being just an hour or so from a delivery or home and being forced to stop, which certainly frustrates shippers, drivers, and customers alike.

A number of trucking companies claim they have lost business since the new rule was implemented last year, as frustrated drivers can lose up to a load a week due to the shortened driving time, and some have walked off the job rather than comply.

The logic behind the restart—to ward off chronic fatigue—is sound, but the implementation, according to most truckers, is off. Forcing drivers to stop when they’re a short distance from their destination seems ridiculous to most, and worse yet, trying to sleep when they aren’t tired can throw off circadian rhythms for days.

Further, worrying about the breaks and restart simply adds more stress to their time behind the wheel, and then when drivers do get tired, it’s often at the most inopportune time when they can’t rest. Another transportation conundrum.

Knights in Shining Armor
Today’s trucking is not the inclusive brotherhood featured in the song “Convoy” by C.W. McCall and Chip Davis or the 1978 movie based on the folksy lyrics. Though most any driver will stop to help in an emergency situation, surprisingly, Jimmy says truckers can be rather cliquey. Size does matter, but custom paint is a better measure of worth to old-fashioned Knights of the Highway like Jimmy.

So what does the future hold for small, independent owner-operators? According to Jimmy, it’s not pretty. “With all the new rules and expenses, I see the extinction of small operators like me,” he says. Such a loss would be crippling to the industry, so let’s hope regulators and truckers can compromise to find a happy medium.

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