Letters: Natural Gas, Safety Compliance

The natural-gas pricing increase does not make sense (“Natural Gas Prices May Double by 2015, [Financial Times] Reports,” TTNews.com, 5-17). Shell can export it as liquefied natural gas and not keep it here. Hmmm . . .

There is such a glut now that the drillers are flaring it off as they have no place to put it, yet someone forecasts a shortage because some trucks will begin using it.

Where is the infrastructure now — or the predicted availability of infrastructure — to support the widespread use of natural gas for transportation?

Cracking natural gas to propane or butane seems to make more sense, as most of the end-use structure for those fuels has been — and is — in place.

Tom Seiter

Broker

Eastman Logistics

Houston

Safety Compliance

I read with interest American Trucking Associations President Bill Graves’ article titled “Safety Compliance Enters the 21st Century” (Opinion, 5-21, p. 9) and why some trucking companies are fighting the mandatory electronic logging devices (ELDs).

As the owner of a trucking company, I can give you the real reason why so many of us oppose the change. The biggest challenge we face today is finding and retaining drivers, and the prospects for the future are not good.

Go across America at any business or profession and you will find industries working many hours of overtime — even double shifts — and then driving home to sleep in their own beds.

I propose a very simple solution: Whenever a driver has driven 10 hours and is within a two-hour drive of his terminal, that rule should be suspended.

Let’s be honest. If any of us are away for a few days a week and are within two hours of seeing our family and sleeping in our own bed, what do you think you will want to do?

We must keep our drivers happy. Change the rules and go to electronic logs, and you will see the retention rate improve and more people will become drivers.

Allan Parnell

CEO

Mister “P” Express Inc.

Jeffersonville, Ind.