As someone who has burned up the highways behind the wheel, owned a carrier business, been a teen and commercial driving instructor, and now consults on compliance and risk control in the trucking industry, I've seen firsthand the importance of mandates, rules, and regs in ensuring safety on our roads. The recent discussions surrounding the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration's decision to rescind certain requirements for the under-21 Safe Driver Apprenticeship Pilot Program keep the heat in the ongoing debate about the balance between regulation and operational freedom.
Let's be clear: mandates, rules, and regulations are not arbitrary impositions designed to stifle or hinder profitability. They're designed to serve as necessary guardrails that guide our behavior and ensure that safety remains an important aspect of our operations.
One of the primary arguments against regs often revolves around pushback from industry stakeholders. You will never find someone more pro-libertarian, anti-authority, or resistant to rules than me. When I left the driver seat, I was half metal and operated more illegally than anyone else on the highway in every BASIC except Drug and Alcohol. I might've been asleep but I wasn't high. Resistance to change is a natural human instinct, particularly when it pertains to altering established practices or investing in new rules for a possible Nanny State takeover of all your freedoms. However, I often remind carriers and drivers alike that the pursuit of profit cannot come at the expense of public safety. My spinal fusions and countless surgeries have cost over $2 Million. Every single one was from making a bad decision. Many are in commercial vehicles because I did not follow the rules. An "Outlaw" was an understatement. My PSP was 4 pages long. I became good at compliance because I broke the rules first.
Consider driver-facing cameras. They're contentious devices for drivers and carriers and a contentious issue that's sparked hot debate within the trucking community, even between Jim Mullen and I. (I like the guy and wished he would've stayed in the role.) While some view, cams as an invasion of privacy or an unnecessary burden, the reality is that these systems like Motive provide invaluable insight and visibility into driver behavior and enable proactive intervention to prevent accidents before they occur, and they do it at the root by changing behavior. Education is key. Dispelling misconceptions and highlighting the benefits of this tech can help bridge the gap between skepticism and acceptance. Generally, drivers distrust the carrier more than the cam. They don't know what you'll do with the data.
Then, a less contentious topic, continuous monitoring of MVRs through companies like SambaSafety and Embark Safety, represents another common-sense approach to enhancing safety on our highways. Providing real-time access to qualifying information such as license status, carriers can identify issues and disqualified drivers and intervene accordingly, mitigating potential risks and liabilities.
Beyond specific tech or regs, you have to recognize the broader philosophical underpinning behind regs: the need for governance. As commercial drivers, we operate within a complex ecosystem where individual actions can have far-reaching consequences. Without clear rules and boundaries, the delicate balance between profitability and safety is easily disrupted, leading to increased risks for all road users.
As someone who once pushed the boundaries myself—scratch that, I broke every regulation possible outside of drug and alcohol prohibitions in 300-399, ignoring hours regs and prioritizing profits over safety—the lure of unchecked autonomy driven by the work ethic and motivated by the dollar is powerfully persuasive. However, individuals like the former "me" underscore the necessity of robust regulatory frameworks to rein in risky behavior and uphold our moral and ethical responsibilities on the road.
Mandates, rules, and regulations are not obstacles to be overcome but essential tools for promoting safety and accountability in our industry. We need to find some compromise, and I get it. I pushed, I moved the boundaries myself—scratch that, I broke every regulation possible outside of drug and alcohol prohibitions in 300-399, ignoring hours regs and prioritizing profits over safety—the lure of unchecked autonomy driven by work ethic and motivated by the dollar is powerfully persuasive. However, individuals like the former "me" underscore the necessity of robust regulatory frameworks to rein in risky behavior and uphold our moral and ethical responsibilities on the road.
Mandates, rules, and regulations are not obstacles to be overcome but essential tools for promoting safety and accountability in our industry. We need to find compromise on these measures not viewing them as burdensome constraints but as necessary safeguards for everybody.
In short...we need the adult in the room for at least "Dad" level supervision and oversight.
Kommentare