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Post edited 4:46 pm – October 13, 2011 by Uncle Stan

In case you've missed the news, the National Transportation Safety Board is calling for a COMPLETE ban on cell phone use – even hands-free use – by Commercial drivers. The impetus is a tragic truck crash that killed 11 people in Kentucky.

First off, if you're a driver of ANYTHING and can't refrain from casual phone conversations while driving, SHAME ON YOU! What can possibly be so important that it can't wait as it did in the days before cell phones? That being said…

Cell phones in a vehicle make sense. They are life savers in an emergency. More than once I've contacted authorities via my Bluetooth-enabled phone to report erratic and aggressive drivers as well as to summon EMS. (Of course, emergency calls would be exempt in the regulation.) In addition, many hours have been saved by my office being able to contact me for a short-notice re-routing or cancellation. There is no excuse, however, for the virtually continuous use of a phone while driving as was the case with this particular truck driver right up to the minute of the accident.

Once again, it is the actions of o few (or the one) that beget a knee-jerk reaction that makes life more difficult for the rest of us who use common sense behind the wheel. Personal responsibility, company policy, and enforcement of existing laws are a far more reasonable approach to solving the problem. If it's dangerous for me as the holder of a CDL to use a phone in any way while driving a bus, then I contend it is equally dangerous for the driver of a four-wheeler or a motorcycle (yes, I've seen it!) Banning my use is discriminatory.

If this proposal gets legs, we need to fight it. If the ban applies to us it must apply to EVERYONE.

Well it is official.  The FMCSA has made their final ruling.  Limiting the use of cell phones.  

http://www.fmcsa.dot.gov/rules…..ruleid=347

If you are lawyer and understand it all.  I am not a lawyer but what I do understand says that CMV drivers cannot in any way operate any type of hand-held cell phones.  Even the "two way" cell phones are not to be used. 

And from my understanding the hands free units are limited also.  All phone must be mounted in somewhat in the vehicle.  Close to the driver.  You cannot reach across the seat to get it.  You can't reach into your briefcase to get it.  It must be mounted somehow within reach. 

I asked my employer about having in a case on my side.  From their understanding, that is not even allowed.  It must be mounted to the vehicle in some way.  It was suggested some kind of suction cup mounting device to hold the cell phone and mounted on the side glass.

Uncle Stan is right in the post above.  There are some out there that want to ban ALL cell phone use.  There is another link with the proposed ruling that everyone should read.

http://www.fmcsa.dot.gov/rules…..ruleid=324

Click on either link and click "view PDF version". 

I find the proposed ruling much more interesting.  If you happen to get a chance to read this, look at the page labeled 80022.  No there are not 80,000 pages, which with a government ruling I am surprised there is not. 

On page 80022 there is a graph showing how long a drivers eyes are diverted from the road when preforming different tasks while driving.  I find it very odd that it is more dangerous to take your eyes off the road to look at your speedometer and the dashboard than it is to talk on a cellphone.  

I totally admit that something needs to be done.  However, I am not sold on the idea that the cell phone use is the major problem.

I have not been driving for years as maybe many of you have been.  But I do know that over the past few months there have been a major amount of bus wrecks.  And I know there has been a problem with all CMV companies, trucking included, on getting qualified, quality drivers.

I have seen over just the last year how worse truck drivers and bus drivers operate these vehicle out on the road.  

I myself have filed at least 5 complaints with different companies out there on how their drivers are driving.  Both trucking companies and bus companies.  In my previous years driving I have never filed one complaint on a driver.      

Maybe the answer is not only limiting cell phone use.  Maybe something should be looking into the actual qualifications of some of these drivers out there.

When I first started driving a bus, I had never driven a tour bus in my life.  However, I had driven 18 wheelers, school buses, just about any size vehicle that the Navy had.  I wasn't green about driving when I first started driving a tour bus.  But I can't count how many people I have met in my few years of driving have never driven a large vehicle in their life.  They go take the test.  Pass the test and then someone puts them to work. 

Any driver will tell you, driving a tour bus is not the same thing as driving a car.  Shoot driving a tour bus is not the same thing as driving a big rig.  No two vehicle act alike.  To drive something safely you have to have some kind of experience. 

The have talked for months now about investigation the reasons of all these bus wrecks.  They have blamed fatigue.  They have blamed the regulation not being strong enough.  Now they have jumped onto the band wagon with the cell phones. 

My grandmother used to have a saying: "they gag at a gnat and swallow a camel". 

Yes I used my cell phone.  But I know enough that if I do have to "multi-task" for some reason, my main concentration is to be on the road in front of me. 

As with any bus driver out there, I am on the road for several days at times.  My wife works and my son is off at college.  Due to our different schedules there are times that if I didn't talk to my wife or son when I was driving I would not get to talk to them at all.  Our schedules don't sync with each other very often. 

I think that the FMCSA and the FTSB needs to step back a few steps and take another look at the picture.  Look at all angles on why these wrecks are happening.  Not just that cell phone use is a factor.  I think there are more factors involved than just cell phone use. 

If they completely ban ALL cell phone use, I can see a need for a different job in my future.  And if that does happen, I would love to see a class action suit for discrimination filed.  If the CMV drivers are limit then all drivers should be limited.  We are the professionals and have been trained to do this for a living.  Well, some of us have anyway. 

Keep it safe.  Look where you are at all times.  And to take a saying from my trucking/CB days.  Keep the greasy side down and the sunny side up.

God bless and be safe.