What you think about the Dan Rather Report about trucking

Clearly this is a very insightful and informative report. Many of these things is what we warn you about right here on the website and since you take the initiative to ask question first you already know about it before deciding to go forth. In fact these things are why I decided to do the site years ago so that people could be enlighten before going forward.

The report is good and will help a lot of people. However, many of the other problems which are presented as an industry wide problems is actually a problem more so with the companies and schools and corruption of officials which happen in many industries and should not be presented as a trucking industry problem.

There are problems and it's good to speak on them and not let them go under the rug when you encounter them that helps to eliminate them. (As a trucking school student, or driver)

I have heard about trainers like the one she spoke of and they only exist because people don't report them. Make notes of the time and date and report such violations and of course the attitude of management is like that companies attitude of the trainer at CRST people on the report you may lose your job instead of corrective measure being taken. Well, in that case you talk to a lawyer and that's where the log of events will help you.

I applaud Desiree for reporting her incidents, this is what helps to make the industry a better place. I thank her for trying to be a part of the solution by speaking out and being concerned enough about others to put herself in their shoes and pointing out certain issues. (Like very low pay, that's why we warn you here on this site not to go by what companies advertise in their recruiting efforts, talk to drivers with that company and that your first year will not be what you expect.)


We must be careful not to present some the problems or issues with specific organizations or companies as if it is a representation of the industry as a whole because it simply is not true. Notice how the wording of some of the statements that Dan Rather made leads any non trucking viewer to believe that what they just heard is the norm across the board.
(The statement about now knowing is a untrained driver at the wheel of the truck involved in the accident should come with pointing out that most of the time the four wheeler is at fault because stated the way it is, the viewer would assumed that most truck drivers are at fault and may be under trained, just not true)

There is an industry wide problem though and that is the way shippers, receivers have truckers waiting to load or deliver and how the DOT log regs require that time to be shown as on duty not driving and the companies don't pay for that until after a certain number of hours and so everyone involved knows that this is a bunch of crap that way things currently are. That is an industry wide problem. This is an issue that probably
%85 percent of drivers deals with and everyone in the industry knows about it. That should be the next story.