More duct tape on a broken ax handle

user-gravatar Headshot

Anyone with a lick of sense knows it’s unsafe to duct-tape a broken ax handle. Those who don’t have that kind of sense work for the FMCSA.

I could pretty much say “The End” and have made my point today, but I feel like there’s space for a quick correlation and an opportunity to mention one of the best op/ed pieces I’ve read about the ELD mandate yet.

Just ask Stumpy, over in Eaton, about using a broke ax …Just ask Stumpy, over in Eaton, about using a broke ax …

Lord honey, yes, I went there again. I know everyone is sick and tired of it, including those of us who are looking for anything to write about that doesn’t involve ELD, Tesla, Uber or the word automated and remain anywhere within the momentary realm of trucking-oriented content. Believe me, we’re trying here.

Steve Viscelli said some things that needed to be said. Some common-sense things and things that have been overlooked time and again in the industry. If you want people to be safe, you pay them to be safe.

You pay them to be safe and you fix the underlying problem, which is the hours of service. The hours of service (ax handle) is broken and no amount of (duct tape) ELD can fix it to make things safer. It’s unsafe to swing a broken ax without taking the busted handle off and putting a new one behind the killing part of the tool. You’re mandating people to swing a broken ax and no good will come of it. (Just ask ol’ Stumpy over at the hardware store in Eaton, he’ll tell ya’ about using a broke ax.)

Here’s another thing to think about.

According to statistics, somewhere north of 85 percent of the people who will be mandated to use ELD’s to make them safer, already have exemplary safety ratings. So one of two things must become true, or this whole thing is based on turtle crap and unicorn tears.

One – there is indeed a safety standard that is better than exemplary, and we just don’t know about it yet, or Two — the FMCSA doesn’t trust its own safety scoring system enough to target the true safety offenders, and feels the need to wrap some more duct tape around another broken ax handle.

One way or the other, we’re about to find out. Swing true, Stumpy.

The Business Manual for Owner-Operators
Overdrive editors and ATBS present the industry’s best manual for prospective and committed owner-operators. You’ll find exceptional depth on many issues in the Partners in Business book, updated annually.
Download
Partners in Business Issue Cover