More Regulations for Truckers? Booker and Menendez Think So [POLL]

Send in the clowns.
Or in this case, the politicians.

Following the recent spate of trucker accidents – especially the one that landed comedian Tracy Morgan in the hospital, you’d have to figure that some politician was going to jump into the fray to stem the tide – some how.

Well now we have a double play – our esteemed tag-team of Senator Cory Booker and Senator Bob Menendez.
Both are proposing stricter regulations on the amount of time drivers can drive, and the necessary amount of time needed for them to rest.

I’m not a trucker – but I would imagine that there are plenty of safeguards in place to insure that truckers get the proper amount of rest.

According to this from nj.com, one gets the impression that truckers hands will be tied to the point where making a living will be impossible – and that hauling freight will be slowed down considerably.

But should these rules be implemented at the expense of one’s life? Or are there enough rules in place already – and perhaps not enough enforcement?

Perhaps all the responsibility shouldn’t be placed on the drivers.

One commenter on the article had this to say:

Regulations for drivers are updated quite often. It's time to take a look at the other side.

Freight brokers and dispatchers.

A load that paid $1400.00 - then in the mid 80's only paid $900.00. Milage rates have also decreased and the amount of drivers, since deregulation, has grown at a tremendous amount, especially in the past 8 years with state employment agencies sending all these unemployed people to truck driver school.

The market is flooded with drivers and many of them will work for peanuts, just to work. Freight brokers cut the rate paid to drivers and pocket a larger percentage, up to 50% if they can get away with it, average 30% is their goal for sitting at their computer.

Dispatchers are just as bad, not all, but many especially when bonuses are involved they do forced dispatching. They don't worry, if the driver get's caught breaking the rules he get's penalized, not the dispatcher.

If the driver doesn't do it, he get's crummy loads, no loads, or fired. It's time the government starts looking into the trucking office and set stiff penalties for brokers and dispatchers and office managers.

So obviously the driver in the scenario is the villain since he (or she) is the one at the wheel.
Maybe the two esteemed Senators need to do more homework before crafting more legislation.