Truckers Unite Against Regulations and Mandates.

The trucking industry is one of America's most important industries. That is a fact. Nearly every industry utilizes the trucking industry to move products, bring in raw materials, or do business altogether. Even industries that are naturally competitive with the trucking industry either work with truckers or employ truckers just to operate their businesses.

Burlington Northern Santa Fe and Union Pacific, two of America's largest railways, operate fleets of trucks, that if inoperable, would harm the company nearly as much as the shutdown of the rail lines. At the same time, airlines also operate fleets of trucks to repair, move, and fuel their planes.

While trucking remains essential to America's economy, many of our lawmakers do not realize this. Each year, increased regulations, mandates, and changes to existing laws hamper the efforts of American drivers to do their daily tasks. In recent days, the CSA and EOBR mandates combined with changes to the HOS laws and increased fuel economy standards are threatening to drive up the costs that truckers like you face daily.

As the costs of trucking increase, all other products increase in price also. Soon, economists will warn us that we are heading back into recession. This does not have to be the case. Without all of these unnecessary regulations, truckers and trucking companies could help fuel an economic recovery. But with the current state of things, that is not bound to happen.

Americans, both truckers and civilians alike, need to come together and advocate a removal of these hindrances to the flow of goods in our economy. In addition, Congress needs to re-analyze increasing truck weights as was done earlier in the year. If the HOS laws are going to change next year, why not allow the drivers to haul more cargo with their less driving time?

As was said earlier, stop the regs, and we'll create some jobs. Perhaps, if for a week, some of our representatives performed the duties that all truck drivers perform, they would learn to appreciate the work that America's haulers do. Remember, without trucks, America's economy stops.