February 2005 Page 9

I just recently picked up your November '06 issue and that is the first time I read your publication. May I react as a "non-trucker"? I notice that several articles point out the professionalism of truck drivers. Also "The Bear's View" decries the tendency for motorists to speed. I would like to vent my frustrations with truckers in this regard.

We do a lot of driving between AB and BC on the Trans Canada Highway. I find that I have to travel at 110 in Banff National Park, (speed limit 90) to avoid being passed by a truck. Normally I have no problem being passed, but when the road is really slushy it is horrific so I try to prevent it. If one does keep ahead of the truck, expect to have the truck practically riding your bumper. That is unprofessional!!

Also, just this fall a citizen of Salmon Arm was killed by a trucker who ran a red light in our city. People who observe the traffic through town tell me this is a common occurrence. In our travels on the TCH we have seen many instances where a truck was upset and it was obvious speed was the reason. I just wish that truckers would realize that they need to obey the speed limits more than cars as they require so much more time to stop, a point made in one of the articles in your magazine.

Would you please print my letter in your next issue? By the way, I do not hate truck drivers. Tragically, a brother-in-law was killed while unloading a shipment in the NWT because the load was unsafely loaded in order to get a greater payload. Not his decision but the shipper's.

Sincerely;

Name withheld by editor

Editor’s note: You have brought up a number of issues here that I will try to address in a calm rational manner, something I have to admit I wasn’t prepared to do when I first sat down. There are many non-truckers that read our magazine and we encourage that because it helps to foster better relations between truckers and four wheelers. The only way to combat stereotyping or any other type of prejudice is to educate people. To start with, you will find that truck drivers come from all walks of life. There are city kids, farmers, teachers, lawyers, doctors, accountants, RCMP Officers, military people and church ministers like this issues Rig of the Month. They also have anywhere from a grade school education to University degrees. They are your neighbors, family and friends and customers no matter what business you may be in. Yes there are bad truck drivers, but they are far outnumbered by good, professional ones. I defy you to show me any occupation that doesn’t have its share of idiots that unfortunately stand out from the crowd.

Since you’ve started reading Pro-Trucker I encourage you to pick up the December/January 2007 issue and read the letter starting on page 9. The writer, truck driver Dan Cholodylo, made a statement that has to hit home to anyone that is willing to look closely at themselves. I know it had that affect on me. He said, “I think it’s time to stop blaming everyone else for the bad traffic and start looking within our own vehicles for poor performance.” Let me know if you can’t find a copy of the issue and I will email the article to you.

Now back to your comments. To start with, common sense tells me that if any vehicle catches up to you on the highway, truck or car, then it is traveling at a higher average speed than you are. You tell me that your reaction was to speed up to stop them from passing. Now we have two problems. First we have a speeding truck and now we have a second vehicle speeding to stay ahead of a fully loaded truck on what you describe as a very dangerous icy road.

There are better ways to deal with these situations that involve making an official complaint and then going to court as a witness for the crown. Tim Schewe did an article outlining how to do this and I can send you that article also. Other than that, unless you are planning on joining the RCMP, I would suggest it would be much safer if you let them control the speed of vehicles on the highway.

The system does work for weeding out speeding truck drivers. Too many speeding tickets and the driver will loose their job. Then their driving abstract will prevent them from getting a job with a reputable company. This in turn weeds out the companies that hire unsafe drivers as their insurance rates soon put them out of business. If there is a lack of speed control in a specific area then complaints should be made to the local police. When I talk to professional drivers, complaints about the lack of speed enforcement are second only to complaints I hear about four wheelers.

Concerning the accident in Salmon Arm, it was a tragedy and I sympathize with the friends and relatives. I too have lost people very close to me through traffic accidents. As I said truckers are human and mistakes are made but the statement, “People who observe the traffic through town tell me this is a common occurrence” is silly at best. If this were a common occurrence the RCMP in Salmon Arm would soon have the local courtroom filled with the offenders.

Concerning truck crashes. You live on one of the busiest truck highways in B.C. and I suggest you compare the number of truck accidents to car accidents over a six-month period and then get back to me.

You also talk of another tragic accident where your brother-in-law was killed. If this was a local move then the driver may not have had to cross the local scales but if it was a highway load then at one time or another it probably did. That is where the weight and method of securing the load would have been checked. It’s not always fair but the ultimate responsibility always rests with the driver to ensure that the load he is carrying is safe before he leaves the yard.

Last but far from least is the statement, “I just wish that truckers would realize that they need to obey the speed limits more than cars…” I feel like Ann Landers and another university student is trying to set me up with a bogus letter, but here goes. This is C-A-N-A-D-A. We are a democracy not a third world dictatorship where your level of compliance is directly related to your level of influence. Everyone here is equal under the law. (Unless of course you’re a white-collar criminal or a politician.)