Letters to the Editor

This week's letters look at an impressive safety streak, and why drivers quit.

I just finished watching the LiveOnWeb panel discussion about the driver shortage, and I appreciated how you looked at a very complex problem, packaging issues together that definitely affect driver retention and hiring.

Last year brought some great gifts to trucking — higher rates, dropping fuel prices, increased tonnage and hours-of-service relief, to name a few. The one item that trucking did not get in 2014 was an increased driver pool. I think we all know this problem will haunt trucking for many years to come.

Concerning the LiveOnWeb panel conversation that focused on the truck-driver shortage (1/13), I have to say it was a great discussion.

In the annual State of American Business address by U.S. Chamber of Commerce President Thomas Donohue in Washington, D.C., on Jan. 14, he talks about making it easier for businesses and workers to move ahead and ease the tax burden that is on them, along with getting the government out of the way so that business owners can do what they do best — which is to create jobs and produce products or services.

Your article about the Transport Topics archives project included a picture of Ted Rodgers that brought back memories you may find of interest.

In the “stick or carrot” discussion of employee motivation and management, electronic logging devices typically are considered as and used as a “stick” against truck drivers.

I was asked by a top consulting firm what I see as the future of autonomous vehicles as it relates to the trucking industry. I have never been asked such a futuristic question in all my years in trucking.

I keep seeing articles about safety, traffic accidents and crowded highways. We all want our roads to be safe, and we all want to travel on roads that are free of congestion — but what can be done to achieve our desires?

It won’t be long before the holiday season is upon us, arguably the busiest and most stressful time of year for professional drivers.