Wal-Mart pushes for Longer Trucker Work Days

[Sandpiper]

Just in case this got missed


Wal-Mart Pushes for Longer Trucker Days

Tue Mar 8, 3:38 PM ET Business - AP


By LESLIE MILLER, Associated Press Writer

WASHINGTON - Wal-Mart and other retailers are lobbying Congress to extend the workday for truckers to 16 hours, something labor unions and safety advocates say would make roadways more dangerous for all drivers.

Rep. John Boozman (news, bio, voting record), an Arkansas Republican whose district includes Wal-Mart's headquarters in Fayetteville, is sponsoring a bill that would allow a 16-hour workday as long as the trucker took an unpaid two-hour break. The proposal is expected to be offered as an amendment during debate over the highway spending bill on Wednesday.

"Truckers are pushing harder than ever to make their runs within the mandated timeframe," Boozman said. "Optional rest breaks will reduce driver layovers and improve both safety and efficiency."

Current rules limit drivers' workdays to 14 hours, with only 11 consecutive hours of driving allowed, union leaders and safety advocates say. That gives truckers three hours to eat, rest or load and unload their trucks.

<snip>

http://news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/ap/20050308/ap_on_bi_ge/trucker_rules_1

[sasquatch]

1. Hell while you're at it, why don't you just make it mandatory to take meth

while you're driving an XVIII wheeler.
:eyes:

[Devlzown]

2. You beat me to it.

I guess Wal-Mart isn't selling enough cold medicine these days.:crazy:

[Elwood P Dowd]

3. When do the 3,000 Mexican trucks start hitting the highways?

They are limited to a few miles now, but that's due to end soon.
Just think about all those giant Mexican clunkers on the interstates
along with a bunch of exhausted American truckers.

[Selatius]

4. All in the name of efficiency

Being more efficient means having larger profit margins. You can be even more efficient if you detach yourself from any moral or ethical compass.

Paying a kid in Niger 50 cents an hour to make a shoe? Bringing it back to the US and charging 50 to 100 bucks for the same product? Now that's what I call efficient!

(/End sarcasm)

[Tux]

5. Let's just go ahead and do it

Republicians want no middle class and the working class to be slaves to the upper class. They may as well state it.

[RamboLiberal]

6. Lot of discussion on this story on LBN

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=102x1295937

[NC_Nurse]

7. Who cares if a few people get killed

by asleep-at -the-wheel truck drivers? We gotta have our "extra - low prices"!
:puke: :puke: :puke: :puke: :puke: :puke: :puke: :puke:

[Snotcicles]

8. And the current rules are a recent change from

A total of 15 hours on duty, 10 hours driving. In one 24 hour period.