by: Pash Brar
Over and over in the news there are reports of lack of safety in the trucking industry. There have been multiple overpass hits being highlighted. Commercial vehicle safety is reporting about 60% of trucks pulled over were unsafe and pulled off the road. Many experts are speculating as to why this is happening, but are they really getting to the source of the problems?
A firm with multiple overpass hits is claiming the drivers are to blame. The hits coincide with the exit of the long-time dispatcher of this firm. Prior to the dispatcher exit, there were never any issues in this company for almost 20 years. The firm said the driver did not wait for route instructions or a permit, took off and hit an overpass that was highly publicized by the media leading to their suspension. I believe the previous dispatcher arranged the routes and permits prior to giving the dispatch. I believe this can be done now to prevent driver error. Do not give any dispatch instructions until all safety protocols are in place. The driver is wrong, but the firm dispatching is also wrong in my opinion. The firm is accountable for doing their due diligence first prior to the dispatch.
Obtaining a National Safety Code (NSC) number is quite easy. I believe this is a major source of some of the safety issues. It’s too easy. Many, many firms have lost their NSC due to repeat violations. I can name several off the top of my head. When the code is lost, the firm simply opens a new trucking company with a different name. They put the new company in a relative name with a different address, to not get caught, and continue the previous practices. All the same people who did the previous violations are still involved. There are also insurance agency’s that help this deceptive practice. The agencies know it’s the same people who violated safety and lost the NSC number, but still insure them under the new name. I believe that some of these insurance agencies need to be audited, fined, and lose their own license for their active participation in this deceptive practice.
Mechanics and repair shops are also a safety issue in trucking. Giving a decal to equipment that is not legally safe for the road is a huge issue. I recently had a driver leave a repair shop and a $36,000 invoice, and 3 minutes later their truck motor was on fire. This truck was clearly not ok for the road and insurance is investigating. I’ve seen repair bills showing the same item multiple times for different prices all on the same bill. I’ve seen used parts used, but the invoice says the parts are new. I’ve seen trucking companies force drivers to get an MVI on their truck every month instead of every 6 months and share in the profits with the repair shop with no work being done on the vehicle. It’s sad and very deceptive. The trucker is being robbed by their employer and the repair shop, and they think their truck is safe when it is not. I’ve also seen truckers who don’t want to pay for work needed or can’t afford it, so they ask the mechanic to let it slide. Be careful of what repair shop you go to. An honest mechanic won’t let anything slide and will do the work to make you and everyone around you safe.
Truckers are supposed to do a safety check each time they enter the road. I had a trucker call me to say there were issues with the siding of his new trailer. I asked him if it was safe. He said not really, but he would still go out. I then said to have his wife, elderly mother, and 3 kids drive in their car beside the trailer. He said no. He then agreed to pull the trailer off the road so I could arrange an immediate repair. Those are the types of decisions a trucker needs to make each day they go on the road. Is it ok for my loved ones to be in my cab, beside or behind me in a car when I’m fully loaded? Is my truck and trailer safe enough that myself, my family, or anyone on the road will not be harmed if they travel near me? That puts things into perspective.
I believe harsher penalties need to be enforced other than a small monetary fine or license suspension. Fines are so small for infractions that I see trucking companies laugh it off. They don’t care. If it’s a larger fine or suspension, they will bankrupt the company and open again under a new name since the NSC is so easy to obtain. It will be a never-ending cycle and the safety will continue to be a big issue.
Often new companies are opened by drivers who were kicked out of a firm for multiple safety violations. These drivers go from firm to firm and keep getting kicked out for infractions. Their solution is to open their own firm and become their own boss. They didn’t care about safety when employed under someone, so they won’t care about safety on their own. They easily obtain the NSC number and off they go. The speed and ease of obtaining an NSC number must be stopped.
Trucking needs more regulation from multiple sources because it’s not just one thing, but a multitude of items which has led to an unsafe environment. Many regulators aren’t in the actual trucking industry and don’t know what goes on behind the scenes. The media gets “expert” opinions from people who hold a title related to trucking, who are not actually in trucking. I hope to see actual trucking people providing guidance on how to fix the issues in the future. Not all truckers are bad like the media is portraying. They’re working people who work hard for their families and help you get the goods you need. Most actually want to make it home safely to their families. You need the trucker to get what you need, so I hope to see more knowledgeable solutions to help solve the safety issues in the future.
