Letters to the Editor: Maintenance Issues; Heavier Trucks

These letters appear in the April 9 print edition of Transport Topics. Click here to subscribe today.

Maintenance Issues

I would like to offer qualified support to the observations made by a Feb. 19 letter writer (p. 7) who said: “Frankly, the overall standard of truck repair in the U.S.A. is appalling regarding vehicle maintenance. . . . Just look at the running gear when stopped at a light — that tells all to the trained eye.”

First, the writer is correct in his observation that running gear maintenance on many commercial motor vehicles (trailers) is frequently inadequate. He also is correct that many trailers operating on our highways are probably not structurally sound. I personally have seen trailers with daylight coming up through the floor or roof or walls. I also have stepped into trailers in which my weight (150 pounds) caused the floor to sag.

However, I will wager that the trailer he mentioned in his letter still was loaded and sent on down the highway. Did he notify the company that owned the trailer or the broker who arranged the load? Did he discuss the situation with the driver? Loading a trailer that may be unsafe is an open invitation to causing a structural failure that could result in a fatality. It also is asking to be a defendant in a lawsuit.

Yes, state commercial truck teams are understaffed and budget constrained. In some states, they are restricted from performing recordkeeping audits unless they are investigating an accident.

More important, many small carriers (private and for-hire) and independents play budgetary roulette. They gamble that by deferring maintenance on trailers or delaying replacement, the fines and out-of-service costs will be less than the cost of missed maintenance.

They also gamble that it isn’t their wife, kids or friends who will become the next injury or fatality when the equipment fails.

Are there solutions? Certainly . . . but they require a change in financing and business ethics. Motor vehicle operators are required to maintain their vehicles in a safe condition. That means realistic maintenance schedules and budgets.
Drivers must remember that they, too, are required to certify before operating that the equipment they are operating is safe. That is a legal and ethical obligation.

States and the federal government also have a responsibility to fund regulatory mandates. Legislators on both levels of government need to see the wisdom of fully funding truck inspections. Diverting resources from these teams does, in fact, endanger the public.

William Downey
Consultant/Mediator
Regulatory Compliance and Operations Solutions
Tampa, Fla.

Heavier Trucks

Well, leave it to Congress to come up with totally ridiculous reasoning for passing a new law.

I don’t know how in the world they figure heavier trucks are more fuel efficient. All this will do is cost more in fuel and wear and tear on the trucks in the form of tires and driveline component wear — and let us not forget those all-important brakes that are going to have to stop that extra 17,000 pounds.
Just think of what this will do to the nation’s roads, which are in bad enough shape already.

Let’s just look at what has been proposed in the past few months: American Trucking Associations wants to slow everybody down and now the senator wants to add 17,000 pounds more weight.

Hmm . . . Slower, much heavier trucks equal more weight for longer periods of time on bridges — many of which are more than 40 years old. You may say that doesn’t make any difference; it will only be a couple of seconds. However, just ask an engineer what those couple of seconds will add up to in the space of six months or a year in stress on that bridge.

Proposing heavier trucks is bad in my opinion, but heck fire — everybody knows a truck driver doesn’t know anything. All we do is sit up in the truck and hold the steering wheel, and go from truck stop to truck stop eating at the buffet.

Frank Williams
Driver
Joe Tex Xpress
Mount Vernon, Texas

I don’t think having heavier trucks on the road is a good idea. Relatively few commodities would be able to take advantage of it, anyway. Hauling extra weight would use more fuel per mile.

Plus, the additional stress it would put on tractor and trailer brake systems would present a serious threat, in my opinion, to the safety of our highways, making brake systems less efficient and increasing the stopping distance at any speed.

I’m afraid this proposed legislation would contribute to more accidents on our highways.

Randall Deardorff
Owner
Transportation Sales
Barrington, R.I.