The tight deadlines are a byproduct of the deregulation of trucking in the early 1980s, which in my view launched the industry on a road filled with problems and looming disasters. While some changes were needed, some things got out of hand. People who could read a balance sheet but who didn t have a clue about running a trucking company began entering the industry. This, as well as revised rate structuring, created a competitive marketplace that has dropped freight rates to a point where they may affect safety. That pressure is passed on to dispatchers and drivers.
Trucking is a complex business.
It s also critically important in our daily lives. And it depends on good, safe, reliable truck drivers. While an unsafe vehicle can be dangerous, it s an unsafe driver that frightens me most. There s the presence of arrogance and that can be deadly. Truck drivers need to set the good driving example.