In an editorial for the Morning Call, Journalist Paul Carpenter is adamant about increasing regulations for truckers.
He points to a recent crash on Interstate 78 where a truck driver fell asleep at the wheel and crashed into a passenger vehicle, killing the motorist inside.
The driver of the big rig was charged with homicide by vehicle, involuntary manslaughter, reckless endangerment and other offenses.
Our deepest condolences go out to the family of the victim.
Carpenter’s suggested solution?
Get rid of the trucking industry and use railroads as the primary means of shipping.
“If America went back to supporting the railroad industry (trucks use 10 times as much fuel as trains to haul the same amount of cargo), we would not need 40-ton monsters” he says.
If you thought that sounded ridiculous, wait till you hear his plan to make that happen.
“If fuel taxes were fair, truckers would pay 9,600 times as much tax per gallon as other motorists” he continues.
We’re not sure if he was being serious or was just crying out for attention, but anyone with a little bit of common sense can figure out that this is not a solution. This is pure idiocy.
Unless he has some weird fetish an and gets excited about paying $200 for a gallon of milk. Increasing the cost to deliver goods will increase the cost to buy them, simple economics. This will hurt not just truckers, but everyone.
Maybe he had one too many Budweisers as he typed up this story, as he later goes on to say: “Truckers will squeal like pigs if anybody suggests anything that puts a crimp in their profits.”
If this is the case, hopefully he remembers those Buds were delivered to the store by the very same people he is attacking, truckers. A man or woman who breaks their back to deliver everything you buy, with an average yearly income of a $38,000.
Shameful would not begin to even describe the story written by this “journalist”.
As you can tell, we’re quite outraged that anyone would put those words together and submit it to the internet. However the further on you read in his article, the harder it is to take him seriously. Because the truth is, our country would not function with out Truckers.
To all those who drive a truck for a living, we thank you and hope you keep on truckin’. We couldn’t survive without you.
