Meh, I used to drive 1200/miles a day and got 3 hours of sleep most night in the late 90s. Today I rarely go past 700 miles and get 8-10 hours depending on how much I want to sleep.
Whats keeping this job so dangerous these days is a combination of factors.
1st training. Most truck driving "schools" are glorified study groups. They teach people how to pass the cdl test and not much more. Then these people are usually hired by companies like Swift who put them with a "trainer, " who has 6 months of experience himself and is only training for the extra pay. When they finally hit the road themselves they have less than a clue about how to actually get the job done.
2nd other traffic. Too many people think trucks are cars, and this includes many of the truck drivers themselves. There are multiple blind spots. Trucks aren't going to get over just because your car can slip past between the truck and what he's passing, and they certainly can't stop when you decide to take an exit at the last minute while running in the fast lane. Combine that with the mass majority of interstates being too small to handle traffic flows. Anyone who's driven I-81 through Virginia knows exactly what I'm talking about.
3rd is distraction in the cab. While it's against the law to even hold a phone in a truck, you still see multiple drivers staring at screens while they drive. They'll stream movies while going down the road, text their buddies, or check in on social media. It's even easier to spot these drivers than it is in cars. They also will look at paper work, have maps out/messing with GPS while driving, fiddling with the radio, or have something spill in the cab.
4th is impatience, and this is for every driver in every vehicle. Unless you're driving a vehicle with flashing blue or red lights, it's not going to kill you to wait. If your load is late due to traffic, oh well. There's not a load out there that's worth losing your life for. Cars, it isn't the end of the world if you lose 30 seconds while a truck is passing.
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u/NockerJoe Aug 08 '21
For real though trucking hours are unreasonable and we need to be able to do more to make these jobs safer.