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December 2011/January 2012 Letters

Congrats on EOBR win, OOIDA
I finally had time to read Judge Wood’s remand on the mandatory EOBR for “bad actors” case.

My two initial thoughts:

  1. Our lawyers are pretty good.
  2. Judge Wood is really smart and needs an important job in Washington.

To my mind, Judge Wood accomplished the following for us:

  1. She is requiring the FMCSA to prove at least one negative with respect to EOBR driver harassment.
  2. She has kicked the door open for us with respect to cost/benefit.
  3. She has left the door open to us with respect to Fourth Amendment (which is closest to my heart).

All in all, I expect to be long dead before mandatory EOBRs are realized.

So thanks and congratulations to OOIDA and our legal team.

Earl Jennings
Griffin, GA

Great article, great hero
Articles like “Trucker rescues woman from gun-wielding suspect” by Staff Writer Clarissa Kell-Holland are why I subscribe to Land Line online. Brought tears to my eyes. So well-written, too.

Thank you and pass on to OOIDA Member Mike Schiotis that he is a hero. How many cars and trucks passed that scene and didn’t have “that something special” to take action like this guy did?

Everyday heroes like police and firefighters run toward danger while others flee from it, and that’s what this ordinary guy did.

The public often does not appreciate that the big trucks they see and are annoyed by on the roadways often contain exemplary people with exemplary stories. 

Nancy Hrabak,
Connellsville, PA

Editor’s note: Readers who missed the story about Mike Schiotis online can read it in this issue on Page 38.

Shame on OOIDA? Shame on you
To the American Independent Property Brokers and President James Lamb, I would like to say I am offended by your “shame on you OOIDA ad.”

I am a life member of OOIDA and a 44-year owner-operator in the heavy haul business. Most truckers, and myself, who have been paying attention to our industry have watched our business slowly taken away from us and taken over by the broker industry. I can’t tell you how many times 60 percent of the freight rate is gone before it is on my trailer because of double brokering and/or skimming, while so many of you don’t even factor your own freight bills. I have watched the greed and unethical practices of the broker industry put many of my friends out of business or one breakdown away from gone.

You make money off our investments and our sweat. At the same time you don’t even have a favorable opinion of us – and the arrogance when you talk to us is unacceptable. You hold each load up for auction to the cheapest carrier; then all of a sudden it’s hot and has to go now!

I find it ironic now that the shoe is on the other foot and you are asked to have some accountability, you are whining like the bottom feeders you are. You will find no sympathy from any truckers on this one. Too many of you have been operating from your kitchen table or out of the trunk of your car. But maybe your good times at our expense are over. We can only hope.

Tom Rychener
Wauseon, OH

EPA not interested in little guy
Staff Writer Charlie Morasch was right on with the story on OOIDA’s testimony on EPA regulations.

I have been both an owner-operator and a company driver. Owners take better care of their equipment and have more experience than many company drivers. Many owners can tell you down to the dime what their cost per mile is. If research was done on idling, you would find people who pay the bill themselves only do it when it is really necessary.

The problem I have is my truck runs great with over 700,000 miles, yet I can’t go into the ports in California because it is too old. I’m almost 64 years old and I’m not about to buy a new one just because some political hack wants me to go bankrupt.

EPA is not interested in the little guy because it is not about the environment. They don’t like small business truckers because it is harder to control them and they don’t support EPA’s agenda.

Karl Weber
Wisconsin Dells, WI

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