Editorial: Remembering Independence

Marching happily toward the Fourth of July, one can see some of the spirit of Independence Hall 238 steamy summers ago in — of all places — trucking.

Billeted in front of a monitor to read public comment on a proposed federal regulation, we saw the opinions of those who would be affected by the plan erupting with force and aimed, in this case, at the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration.

“We have Petitioned for Redress in the most humble terms,” wrote Adams, Franklin, Hancock, et al through the quill of Thomas Jefferson. Today, the right to petition continues, but it’s so much easier using a Web-based comment portal.

The 56 signatories to the Declaration of Independence, if alive today, would be absolutely delighted to see that federal officials have to sift through vigorously argued public opinion before completing a regulation on such esoteric notions as an electronic logging device (see story, p. 3).

Among the many accusations hurled at George III by those assembled in Philadelphia in 1776 was that he “sent hither swarms of officers to harass our people.” We have definitely been to FMCSA listening sessions that sound just like that.

While we often have our differences with FMCSA Administrator Anne Ferro, we like the ELD rule for the most part.

And we’re particularly glad that tax-paying fleet managers get a shot in the policy process. To keep government accountable, for instance, we prefer a formal rulemaking process to the issuance of “guidance,” which rapidly turns into a trap for civil torts.

Furthermore, in many cases it would be better if elected Congress substituted its will for that of career civil servants. People in trucking should take advantage of the independence that was declared.

There’s baseball and World Cup futbol, depending on your preferences, and it’s warm enough to go swimming.

If traveling to Philadelphia to see where it all happened, the Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission estimates that 2.7 million cars will be doing just that. In preparation for that, trucks are delivering holiday essentials such as gasoline, ice cream, sporting goods, suntan lotion and the cheap ­sunglasses.

Just as long as swarms of officers are not sent hither.

Happy Independence Day.