Profile: ocala323
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Drivers, it seems to me that we are arguing a moot point. There are three areas I would like to quickly address: Legal authority for EOBRs, privacy of information, Liability and Risk Assessment.
The legal authority for EOBRs comes directly from Article 1, section 8 of the US Constituiton pertaining to the authority of Congress to regulate interstate commerce and the Reasonable and Proper clause. When we as drivers climb behind the wheel of our trucks, we have a weight of greater regulation and a lessor reasonable expectation of privacy because we are actively engaged in interstate commerce as provided for under law. We are no longer John Doe, private citizen. Given this, congress has given the USDOT the right to make regulation as deemed necessary and proper to ensure legitimate and safe… more »
The second point is Privacy of information. This too is a moot point because all of our personal information is readily accesible by almost anyone who chooses to view it. The companies keep complete dosiers on every driver (as required by law) and combined with the new 2010 driver safety datebase, there is no such thing as private information. Evet company, law enforment officer or agency, as well as any other interested party may gain access at any time. The privacy issue is a red herring in the debate.
The third point is liability and risk assessment. It has been my experience as a fleet owner and driver that there is a good reason why some drivers do not want anyone seeing what they are doing. There is an ideology that suggests that if we wont police ourselves, then someone will do it for us. That being said, in this present age, I welcome EOBRs because they take the falsification argument out of trucking opponents hands. I would even welcome 24/hr serveillance camerasand a complete onbord recording set up. As long as I am in accordance with the law, it makes the job of some personal injury lawyer that much harder. Remeber, people dont just go after companies anymore. They will go after we the drivers also. I for one do not want to owe the rest of my life to some other person because I could not prove my case. If we will accept and use the new regulations as a tool for our benefit, I belive that it will eventually make the best of us more valuable in the long term.
To sum up , truckdrivers are not like in our society, and for a few good reasons. However, the government has the authority to madate EOBRs and enforce their use, information privacy for truckdrivers does not exist in any substantial form, and in present day, the risk of not having one outweighs the cost of having it. « less
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Listen Fellas…and Ladies…these new rules are part of a bigger picture…This is another area where the government needs to “close down an open, and free society”…These “black boxes” are already in most cars, especially new ones…surveilance cameras are everywhere…We are being tracked by our cell phones…Tracking the trucks that move around the country serves just ONE purpose…tracking citizens…Look at where this country is heading and you will understand the reasoning behind these “rule changes”…Sen. Graham, and Sen. Schumer met with the President a few days ago to clean up the details on how to enact a US Worker ID badge…They are moving to destroy the American idea of a free society and embedd… more »