Truckers Just Want Respect

Driving a truck has never been easy, and being a trucker is even more difficult. Many truck drivers feel they are not appreciated or respected by the general public, or even worse, the others in their industry. After spending 13 years as on over-the-road driver and logging more than 1.5 million miles, Darrell Berkheimer set out to write a short book outlining why truckers feel this way. His book, titled “Abuses in Trucking: Why All of Us Pay More” cites, among other things, that the 90% turnover rate in trucking is the most condemning statistic. As a truck driver, you don’t need to be told how life on the road can be difficult – you live it every day – but this book was written to give drivers a means of informing others – in a respectful way – about situations that need to be changed, for the benefit of all of us. Darrell lays out the problems and addresses the issues surrounding them. Having been a newspaper writer and editor for 28 years before becoming a truck driver, Darrell was in a unique position to write this book. All of you are well aware that millions of dollars are wasted on recruiting efforts as a result of the high turnover, and perhaps billions of dollars are wasted when drivers and their trucks sit idle for lengthy, unnecessary and inexcusable periods – all because of the industry’s inefficiencies. As the book emphasizes, you and I, and everyone else in the nation, pays higher prices for everything as a result of that waste. Darrell believes that the emphasis on the higher prices should be the main thrust to initiate public pressure for appropriate changes. The book is small and easy to read – I read the whole thing in two hours – but it was very enlightening. This is a great little book to read and then share with others like shippers, receivers, dispatchers, company managers, enforcement personnel, and anybody who buys stuff and wishes that it cost less (I think that is everybody). I would highly recommend this book, which is available at www.amazon.com for just $7.00, or you can get a copy from the writer himself by calling (406) 593-6567. Retired now and living in Butte, Montana, Darrell hopes that this crusade of his will open people’s eyes to the inefficiencies in trucking and that things will change for the better – for both drivers and consumers – because of it.