Ask a professional driver!

[WILDBILL]

More and more decisions in regards to my way of living are being made in the back rooms of corporate America by so called Trucking experts who have never seen the inside of a big rig and consequently trucking has become more and more confusing with it's growing list of regulations, laws, rules, bylaws, restrictions, bursting at the seams with enough paperwork to choke a horse!

I don't pretend to represent or speak for the trucking industry, but enough is enough!

The chatter coming from the growing number of so called trucking experts has become loud and abnoxious turning into a shouting match which almost requires a Philadelphia lawyer's translation.

With everything i'm hearing from these so called experts, not one professional truck driver has ever been invited to speak or comment at any state level or local transportation hearing and so I got to tell you folks that it's beginning to look like the inmates have taken over the asylum!

The truth of the matter is, « If you want to know how to run this industry properly, the simple way with the least amount of confusion, then start by asking the people who are behind the wheel, the real experts who have the foot on the pedal and who make the wheels turn, ask the professional truck driver,you may be surprised to find out that there is an intelligent solution to everything that is problematic in our industry!!


Wildbill.....Ornry as ever!

[Dreamer]

You've got a good point Wildbill. Too many legislators have no clue what saftey is about, what actually WORKS for a driver, or what a driver goes thru. "Hey, let's do this, tell them to work this many hours without breaks or overtime... it'll be safer!"..



The problem is, when they DO ask for driver input, you have a disgustingly small number of drivers actually give their opinions. Remember when the new HOS were being discussed? They asked for input, and if I remember correctly, it was only in the thousands of drivers who gave input out of MILLIONS.

And they wonder what happened?

[WILDBILL]

Thankyou for the feedback Dreamer and yes, you have hit the nail square on the head.
Too few professional drivers involved in the decision making process!!

Here is an excellent example of who exactly some of the decision makers are, for instance, you must have heard of a Gal by the name of Julie Boulet?

Hang on to your hat!!

Julie Boulet is a nice young lady who is very well educated and went all through school finally ending up with a University degree in Pharmaceuticals!!

Not bad eh??

Julie Boulet has never driven a truck and does'nt even drive a car these days, but for some strange and unexplained reason, ended up as Québec Minister of Transportation.
( Funny how these people get jobs they know absolutely nothing about )


She arrogantly stands up in the Québec Government parliment during general assembly and dictates to the general population how a vehicule especially a truck should be driven.
I wonder where she suddenly got all of her expertise in regards to truck driving?
I was sure that she majored in Pharmaceuticals!!

Now remember! She does'nt even drive a car!!

She has been preaching for the last six months or so about road safety and limiting big truck speeds by forcing trucking companies to implement expensive speed limiters in all of their trucks regardless of the costs.

Now here is the punch line!

Transport minister learns it doesn’t pay to speed in Quebec Reported by OOIDA


Journalists in Quebec are having a field day one week after Transportation Minister Julie Boulet introduced legislation that includes stiffer penalties for speeding and a mandate for speed limiters on heavy trucks.

Following a press conference about the topic of speeding on Friday, Nov. 16, journalists witnessed Boulet’s limo driver breaking various speed-related laws as he drove the minister away from the event.

Boulet did not know she was being tailed by the journalists working for Journal Montreal. She later claimed to be resting in back and unaware of the driver’s behavior.
« She's awful aware of everyone elses behaviour »

The Journal reported their staff observed three infractions by Boulet’s limo driver – traveling 107 kilometers per hour (66 mph) in a 70 km/h (44 mph) zone; passing a vehicle on the right at speeds of 120 km/h (75 mph); and, traveling 130 km/h (81 mph) in a 100 km/h (62 mph) zone.

Boulet’s critics say it’s hypocritical for her to introduce legislation concerning highway safety while she neglects current speed laws and the very enforcement of those laws.
« Especially when she's got absolutely no credentials or credibility in the trucking industry »


She and her limo driver were caught red handed last week 2007-11-15 speeding through Montreal in speeds excessive of 40 kilometers over the legal speed limit and to top it off, they were photographed dangerously passing a semi truck on the right also at a high rate of speed!!

Julie Boulet's defense!! " She was asleep or resting in the back of the limo 15 minutes after leaving the Press Conferance ( Sure she was! )

She was asleep alright!! and like most politicians who get caught with their pants down around their ankles, they are never guilty, but god help some
poor working stiff truck driver who happens to make even the smallest clerical mistake in their log book, watch out because there will be hell to pay with expensive fines and a giant black mark against your driving record for five years!!

So there you have it!!

A nice lady who lies through her teeth with a degree in pharmaceuticals
is making sure that old Wildbill walks the straight and narrow!! ( Scarey, scarey stuff )

Come to think of it!! Someone's got to keep an eye on Old Wildbill, the Outlaw that I am!! Hee! Hee! Hee! Hee!



Wildbill........Ornry as ever!!