11/26/06

Trashy Truck Drivers

Public relations nightmare is now a safety threat too.

DEBORAH WHISTLER
EDITOR

      I've received hundreds of letters over the years from truckers complaining about some particularly unwholesome habits of some of their fellow drivers. Up until now, those complaints mostly just centered on the bad reputation they were generating for the rest of the professional driver industry.
      But now, trashy truckers have become more than a PR problem. It has blossomed into a dilemma that will impact us all, in ways we hadn't quite imagined.
      With the lack of parking for big rigs becoming an increasing problem throughout the country, many of the places that have allowed trucks access are now shutting them out. Why? Because some drivers are leaving their mark in disgusting ways.
      First to announce the crackdown on trashy truckers was the state of Utah. It has had a law on the books for years that outlawed truck parking along Interstate interchanges. They recently decided to enforce it. Why? The folks who had to clean up the mess left by truckers had just had it.
      Most offensive is the practice of leaving bottles of urine sitting for highway workers to pick up.
      Sande Adkins, who administrates the Adopt A Highway program for the California Department of Transportation called me recently requesting my help with this issue.
      Dealing with trucker waste is an astronomical problem for the state, she says. On just one segment of highway alone they need to hire Hazmat crews every two weeks to keep up with the urine and defecation left by commercial drivers. The price tag for each cleanup? $4,000. "We just can't afford it," says Sande.
      They have tried everything. They installed porta potties, but they just got trashed and required as much or more cleanup. They thought of putting up a guardrail and blocking trucks from parking. But the stretch of road concerned is located at a brake check area, so trucks have to be allowed to stop there. They even thought of having the area steam cleaned, but then they run into pollution issues with storm water runoff. Adkins is at her wit's end coming up with a solution.
      One country western radio station that has adopted a section of highway is trying to help. When they heard the problem, they started broadcasting about the issue, hoping trucker listeners might be persuaded to think twice before leaving their mark at the side of the road. But truckers aren't the only listeners, so once again, the public is left with a lovely perception of professional truck drivers.
      I recently received a letter from Linda Watson, a driver for LHR Enterprises, who has lost one of her safest harbors due to the behavior of a few bad drivers.
      One of her favorite stops was a Wal-Mart off I-81 in Woodstock, Virginia. Linda was unsettled to find on her last trip that Wal-Mart had constructed a 3-foot wall that all but barricaded trucks from their usual parking area.
      Apparently, trash, damage and general bad trucker etiquette had resulted in an edict from Wal-Mart Corporate: restrict truck parking. Linda says they plan to post "No Truck Parking" signs and enlist the aid of local police to enforce the ban.
      "Drivers out there, like me, who depend on Wal-Mart as a place to park, be aware (this problem resulted) because of the actions of a few trashy truck drivers," Linda said.
      The folks who are placing these restrictions on trucks are well aware of the possible safety ramifications. A Utah DOT man said that state rest areas are few and far between and almost always full. "There's a big concern that we're going to kick some sleepy driver back on the road."
      An American Trucking Assns. study shows there is a 28,412-parking space shortfall nationwide. And consequently many states — like Utah — have previously looked the other way when truckers needed to park illegally to catch some ZZZs. But no more.
      Truck executives should do whatever possible to educate drivers about the ramifications of their actions. One thing you should consider is making porta potties standard equipment in long-haul trucks.
      This obnoxious behavior affects the health and safety of those expected to clean up after the trashers, and of other drivers who won't be able to park their rigs to get much-needed rest.
      This is not only a public relations nightmare, but a safety threat as well.
We found this article on, http://www.heavydutytrucking.com/2002/08/008a0208.asp