Arkansas congressman would have truck drivers work 16 hours per day
Rep. John Boozman (R-Ark.), whose district includes the headquarters of both Wal-Mart and J. B. Hunt Transport, is sponsoring an amendment that would extend the allowable workday of truck drivers from 14 to 16 hours - twice the number of hours that most Americans work - without any additional pay. Boozman said, "There are several trucking companies in the state of Arkansas. I'm just trying to represent them to the best of my ability."
Driver fatigue and sleep deprivation are already major safety problems in the trucking industry. Requiring truckers to work 16 hours straight will further endanger motorists. The last thing we need is for tired truckers to become even more fatigued and threaten the safety of those around them on the roads. See Public Citizen release. Critics of the Boozman amendment note that under the proposal, drivers could be encouraged to falsely enter two hours of work time as break time.
The Shigley Law Firm represents plaintiffs in wrongful death and catastrophic injury cases statewide in Georgia, and in other states subject to the multijurisdictional practice and pro hac vice rules in each state. Ken Shigley was designated as a "SuperLawyer" in Atlanta Magazine and one of the "Legal Elite" in Georgia Trend Magazine. He is a Certified Civil Trial Advocate of the National Board of Trial Advocacy, Chair of the Southeastern Motor Carrier Liability Institute and former chair of the Georgia Insurance Law Institute. He particularly focuses on cases arising from truck wrecks and accidents (tractor trailers truck wrecks, semi truck wrecks,18 wheeler truck wrecks, big rig truck wrecks, log truck wrecks, dump truck wrecks).
I am a 53 year old male and have been a driver sense 1999 and in that short time, (6 years.) I have seen a lot problem's in the driving industry and if they or obvious to me they should be obvious to others. Not just to the company's but the law makers that is at lest the one is that are not in the trucking company's pockets.
The professional driver works harder and more hours than any one should and or more likely to suffer for it…hardtacks…stress…depression…and all of these can led to a maraud of other problems.
I have read and heard that a driver can make $900 to a $1000 A week .This is deceiving. After your deductions and if you can get the miles, it is more often than not that a driver well tack home far less.
I have made $250 To $300 a week. The problem is mileage pay for the miles you get. Therefore, a driver well pushes his logbook to the limit or past the limit. This is not because the driver wants to it is because he hast to
In order to support his family.
There or those who have ask me why I drive for a living? Why work for a system that is so blatantly unfair and so dishonest to it workers? It's because at 53 it is practically imposable to get a job. I have been told I am too old. Therefore, I will do what I have to. This is not a problem with just me, but with ten's of thousand's of drivers in US.
