A Whack Back

Today's Thoughts By Jeff Head 10/16/12 A Whack Back

I have often said that the FMCSA is going to keep whacking on us as truck drivers until there is not one driver left out on the open road. That each different government or special interest group in turn will take yet another whack in their zest to make sure not one killer trucker is left regardless of how many safe and legal drivers they remove from the highways. They have what I call a “Whack Whack Whack“ mentality. They put up a change and when it gets knocked down, they just keep whacking at it over and over until finally, they figure a way to slip it through. Usually when they do, nine decent drivers fall for each renegade they remove from the highway.

So what have drivers all over this world been doing about this little plan of theirs? Fighting back is what. Recently I was asked by a friend to take a look at a driver from another country and see what it was I thought about the things he was doing and how maybe I could help him.  What I found was an awesome idea in which the concept I have thought about many of times over the years. Our highways are dangerous and as such hundreds of drivers die each year out there just in America. Thousands all over the world but not one government, not one safety group that I am aware of recognizes this fact.

Just in America along, the last time I looked into it over seven hundred truck drivers die each year in wrecks doing their jobs delivering freight. About eighty percent of those wrecks are caused by someone else. A portion of those wrecks are caused by people committing suicide, a fact that you will never hear anyone talk about. And another small portion of these wrecks are caused by someone trying to teach that truck driver where and how they are supposed to drive that truck while out on the open road. This last one in my view is nothing more than out right murder. Another fact you will not find anyone talking about.

All just things I have contemplated in my mind as I travel through my trucking career. As you well may know, drivers die from many other reasons such as poor health and other factors that our life style contributes to our specific occupation. Just a bad area of town on the right day can end the life of a driver.  In short, truck drivers can expect to die about fifteen years earlier that anyone else.

So as I went and looked at “Truckies Danger Money”, And I learned of not only his petition to get drivers danger pay, but his coffin that he has built to use as a tool to get his message across, I asked myself, what can I do to help? Nothing was my answer. This driver is doing it all by himself. He is doing what I call “Reverse Whacking” all on his own. What I mean by this is as the world whacks at us as killer truckers, we killer truckers need to “Whack Whack Whack” right back. Every time they get one over on us, we need to stand up and knock them right back down. We as safe and legal truckers need to stand our ground not only often but as loudly and proudly as we can.  As for danger pay, I hope he makes some headway with his idea. The highways we drive on to support our families can be very dangerous at times indeed. It would be nice if someone would notice our sacrifices once in a while instead of always pointing out our shortcomings and using them against us.  Truckers all over the world care as much about highway safety as anyone wearing a badge or sitting behind a government desk. I hope one day we can work in unison not only as truckers worldwide, but with governments and special interest groups worldwide as well to make our highways safer.

My complete respect and support goes out to “Truckies Danger Money.” Seek him out on face Book and take a look see. I urge each and every one of you to come up with your own idea and take a whack back, let them know we truckers are here. Stand up and demand to run safe and legal without reprisal. Far too many of us find our careers ending way too soon and for reasons that are not even close to being fair.

Be safe peeps.

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