{"id":10562,"date":"2016-07-01T17:07:16","date_gmt":"2016-07-01T21:07:16","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.tenfourmagazine.com\/?p=10562"},"modified":"2016-07-01T17:07:16","modified_gmt":"2016-07-01T21:07:16","slug":"dumb-regulations","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.tenfourmagazine.com\/content\/2016\/07\/poetry-in-motion\/dumb-regulations\/","title":{"rendered":"Dumb Regulations"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"JulyPoemPic\"<\/a>This industry is rapidly changing \u2013 some ways for the better and some for the worse. One thing I hear about often is the upcoming mandate on all trucks to be equipped with an Electronic Logging Device (ELD) by the end of next year. While the concept seems to be rooted in safety, it is the opinion and experience of many professional drivers that the ELD\u2019s actually pose serious safety risks, since they cannot account for real-world scenarios in which a driver\u2019s discernment is best. Driving safely is critical, and should be priority #1 for any driver \u2013 especially \u201cprofessional\u201d drivers. But lawmakers and advocacy groups just keep stifling our ability to make real-world decisions based on how we feel as individuals in real-world situations. They are crippling our industry, and our economy, by imposing \u201cone-size-fits-all\u201d rules on a very dynamic and diverse industry. Professional drivers are professional drivers, not just seat warmers and steering wheel holders. No computer device can match the intellect and discernment of a skilled driver \u2013 they know best, from experience, when to take a rest break and when they\u2019re fit to drive. This poem is a rant about the ridiculous ELD mandate and other unnecessary and expensive rules that the all-too-smart clueless lawmakers are imposing on our professionals in the name of \u201c$afety\u201d \u2013 enjoy!<\/p>\n

ELD\u2019S VS. REALITY<\/strong><\/p>\n

I had an issue, just the other day,
\nA trooper pulled me over, said \u201cOh, by the way,
\nI\u2019m gonna go ahead, and do a Level 1.\u201d
\nLevel 1, well that\u2019s a piece of cake,
\nNo big deal for the time it takes…
\nObliged as I was, I handed him my \u201cbook of fun\u201d.<\/p>\n

Fun was over, when he kinda laughed,
\nAt my paper pages, with a little graph.
\n\u201cSoon you\u2019ll be running, on a mandated ELD.\u201d
\nELD, well that\u2019s a load of crap,
\nTellin\u2019 me when I should take a nap…
\n20 years of truckin\u2019, doesn\u2019t even mean a thing?<\/p>\n

Thing about it, is I understand,
\nSome folks drive, until they\u2019re poundin\u2019 sand.
\nBut what about the rest of us, can\u2019t they set us free?
\nFree of points, on my C.S.A,
\nAnd threats to take my CDL away…
\nIf the ELD and my body, simply disagree.<\/p>\n

Disagree, if you think you must,
\nAll I\u2019m sayin\u2019 is, that I don\u2019t trust.
\nA damn computer, over actual reality.
\nReality, it\u2019s disappearing quick,
\nDriving truck is not a cursor click…
\nIt\u2019s a skill performed, by an individual human being.<\/p>\n

Being human, means that I know best,
\nWhen to roll, and when to take a rest.
\nThat ELD, is just another complicated thing.
\nThings that complicate, the workin\u2019 man,
\nImposed by people who don\u2019t understand…
\nEverybody doesn\u2019t fit, inside the same old box.<\/p>\n

Clock the speeders, when they\u2019re flyin\u2019 past,
\nFines remind them, not to go so fast.
\nBut fines for visors, and faded conspicuity?
\nConspicuously, we\u2019ve been singled out,
\nBy wigs who haven\u2019t got a clue about…
\nWhat it\u2019s like to be raised, in the driver\u2019s seat.<\/p>\n

Seat occupiers, keep your ELD,
\nI myself prefer, responsibility.
\nPride and joy, and a little bit of common sense.
\nDo you sense a tinge, of hostility,
\nThey\u2019re stifling our ability…
\nWith liberal rules, imposed on us at our expense.<\/p>\n

Expensive, yes, and we must comply,
\nThe good guys leave, and we wonder why.
\nBut when they\u2019re gone, then we got nothin\u2019 left.
\nI left the level 1, in a rotten mood,
\nA couple new stickers and an attitude…
\nAnd don\u2019t get me started, about my DPF!<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

This industry is rapidly changing \u2013 some ways for the better and some for the worse. One thing I hear about often is the upcoming mandate on all trucks to be equipped with an Electronic Logging Device (ELD) by the end of next year. While the concept seems to be rooted in safety, it is<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":10563,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"ngg_post_thumbnail":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[13],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-10562","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-poetry-in-motion"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.tenfourmagazine.com\/content\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/10562","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.tenfourmagazine.com\/content\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.tenfourmagazine.com\/content\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.tenfourmagazine.com\/content\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.tenfourmagazine.com\/content\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=10562"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.tenfourmagazine.com\/content\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/10562\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":10564,"href":"https:\/\/www.tenfourmagazine.com\/content\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/10562\/revisions\/10564"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.tenfourmagazine.com\/content\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/10563"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.tenfourmagazine.com\/content\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=10562"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.tenfourmagazine.com\/content\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=10562"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.tenfourmagazine.com\/content\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=10562"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}