Dear editor,

I am writing today to voice my concern – no, dread – at the implementing of the proposed HoS regs which have been approved.

First let me say I am a 42-year-old truck driver and drive longhaul in Canada and the U.S.

Secondly I am not lazy, nor do I want to be home every weekend. Usually my log book gets filled right up before I go home and I do a good job averaging 13,000 miles a month. But if these new HoS rules are implemented as they stand I will be looking for something else, maybe local work.

Here are a few things that have helped me in my decision.

First, because I am sure we work enough hours now. As everyone knows we are allowed to work 70 or 120 hours, but they don’t take into account all the hours we give away which may be a lot for some drivers.

Secondly, I am sure the highways will become more dangerous as more older, experienced drivers will figure out that working 168 hours in two weeks is way too much for them, and of course the companies want all they can get out of their truck and will try to ensure that those trucks are worked to the limit of the law.

Thirdly, anyone with the notion that the longer hours mean more money are delusional, the companies have geared the pay scale so that you have to work all the hours available to you to make a decent living, which by the way means that there is little time for anything else, such as family or leisure time.

And finally I am tired now at 120 hrs in two weeks. What am I going to be like at 168? There is a way to fix this easily of course but we wouldn’t want to hurt the economy that has been running on the backs of truck drivers since deregulation, now would we?

Ed Epema

Dundurn, Sask.