Dear Editor:

My truck will go 75 mph, but I consistently turn in trips showing eight mpg or more.

This happens because rule number one in my personal policy manual states: “Lack of planning on your part is no grounds for an emergency on my part”.

Furthermore, I won’t go back to driving a truck with a severely limited top speed.

I like the ability to speed up when passing because it decreases my exposure and doesn’t slow up traffic.

It then follows that the best safety device that can be installed in a truck is a well-trained, professional driver with a good attitude about safety and reliable judgement.

Instead of wasting money on technology which usually doesn’t live up to expectations, why not spend some of it training drivers to operate cost effectively and safely. Let’s pay drivers for “ALL” the work that they do.

Let’s see some performance bonuses that are worthwhile and within reach.

Let’s get management, compliance, and dispatch all playing from the same sheet of music where safety policy is concerned.

Let’s set shipping schedules that allow for timely delivery, and ample rest between runs.

There are lots of tools that give a good picture of a driver’s habits on the road, and corrective action can be taken before they become a problem.

And then let’s find a way to get the really bad drivers off the road.

George Norman, E-mail