Safety First, Even in Recessions

We just read an article about how the economy is forcing truck drivers to play “outside the rules” My answer is why?

Why do drivers feel that the way to survive is to be dishonest? The article, Tough times driving truckies outside rules, say police” on stuff.co.nz has valid points of drivers exhausted and doing what it takes to stay on the road. That’s all correct. But wouldn’t it be easier to just be honest? Instead of drivers fixing logbooks, why don’t they just follow the safety guidelines? Safety is the most important aspect of driving.

Here’s an example of a few opinions we have heard flying around. A driver needs more money, so he pushes the mileage to get that freight delivered. Is it worth the risk? Really? Think about it. The driver drives for 13 hours instead of the legal time to get a shipment delivered and get paid. Because the driver is tired, the risk goes up of fatigue setting in and someone getting hurt. Either the driver or someone he or she hits will be seriously hurt.

Here’s another example. The driver saves money by not keeping up on the maintenance of the truck. Again, is it worth the risk? Neglecting maintenance also creates a dangerous situation. If a brakes fail or go out someone is going to get hurt. It’s not worth it and can’t be justified, no matter what.

The best thing to do out there is follow the safety rules, keep a good score with the new CSA 2010, and keep your job. It’s not worth the risk.

It’s true. Most Truck Drivers follow the guidelines taught by their trainers in truck driving school. It’s the few bad apples that hurt the industry’s reputation and endanger the motoring public.

http://www.stuff.co.nz/business/industries/4026730/Tough-times-driving-truckies-outside-rules