Truck Drivers Outraged That They'll Get More Sleep Soon
You'd think that if you worked more than 80 hours a week and somebody came to you and said, "Hey buddy, I only want you to work 70 hours a week now," you'd be happy as a clam. Unless you were a long-haul trucker. Never satisfied, these guys.
The WSJ reports that the federal government is putting in place new regulations designed to promote trucking safety, which will cut truckers' maximum work week down to 70 hours (from the previous 82) and require rest breaks during the day. The goal is to make sure those hardworking truck drivers out there get some nice sleep, so they don't plow into the rest of us at high speeds.
The Transportation Department says 3,887 people were killed in 2012 in crashes involving large trucks. It doesn't have precise statistics on fatigue-related crashes, but cited one study showing that roughly 13% of large-truck crashes involve a sleep-deprived driver.
These regulations are estimated to cost the trucking industry "one-third of 1% of its annual revenue." Still, independent truckers are outraged, because they say this will make it harder for them to compete with the big trucking companies, and the big trucking companies are outraged because they say this will eat into their profit margins. (Unionized truckers don't give a shit because they already have better hour and job security thanks to their union.)
Haha, maybe those truckers wouldn't be so touchy if hey got more sleep, amirite? Haha, [methamphetamine joke].
Unionize the trucking industry, raise gas taxes, tax the rich and subsidize sleep for the working class, more sleep for the proletariat, more sleep for everyone, everyone go to sleep, holiday weekend for all citizens (to sleep).
