Okay, that’s the trucker’s point of view. Now how about the point of view of non-truckers?
A 70 hour workweek in a dangerous job that requires maximum alertness is perfectly reasonable. If you ask me, it should be 40. And it’s jaw-dropping that the old limit was 82. Are you kidding me?! I’m sharing the highways with the WALKING DEAD? So they can make more money?
It’s not okay for airline pilots to fly as much as the want without resting, and it’s not okay for truckers. If they don’t sleep, they aren’t just risking their own lives — they’re risking mine.
They don’t own the highways and they don’t have that right.
And 129 hours in a week is not more than 18.5 hours per day. If you have a wife and young kids and you know you can’t work for 2-3 months a year you get it done when you can.
That was a long week for me. I generally only worked about 100-110 at the time.
So, how many hours a day or a week should normal civilians be permitted to drive? Would it bother you to know that I've driven the Cleveland, OH to Tampa, FL route straight through several times. That's back when the speed limit was a sluggish 55. 18-19 hours driving, non-stop.
I'm not saying I wasn't pushing things a bit (I was a bit younger when I did that), but I also think it's downright silly to try to impose that much restriction on truck drivers. It's not about making a lot of money - it's about staying solvent. It's a very competitive business.
The only effect we'll really see from this new set of regulations is that the cost of shipping goods will increase 20% or more.
Totally agree with you, and I am a truck driver. 70 is to much 60 should be a maximum hour a week,if you can’t get by on the pay take your ass back to school or drive a tanker. I only work 11 hours a day and bring in 1500 a week. fatigue is the number one cause of deaths you risk your lives and others for a extra buck? get real people keep in mind we have families to come home to, what good does it do if you wreck because you are tired this is why the rules are in effect.