Thread: CA: Dangerous Trucks

Wow, this is unbelievable. I'll have to try even harder to keep from being squeezed in by these big rigs on the freeway.


http://www.presstelegram.com/ci_8038901 ... ss_emailed

Suicide on the 710
That truck next to you may not have brakes.
Article Launched: 01/21/2008 09:17:20 PM PST


If the story of "Miguel," an independent trucker, doesn't persuade you to avoid the 710 Freeway, you're either very brave or believe you lead a charmed life.

As described by a reporter for the L.A. Times, Miguel is one of 16,000 truckers who transport goods to and from the ports. His rig has 3 million miles on it, the rig's tires are bald and, thanks to radioed warnings from other truckers, he will go miles out of his way to avoid CHP checks that would probably put him out of business.

Miguel makes about $8.90 an hour, if you factor in his expenses for his 24-year-old rig. He tries to keep expenses down by having his bald tires re-treaded by "tire men," who use electric knives to re-groove tires. Miguel isn't alarmed when a tire man tells him that one of his rig's tires has a huge bulge, which could cause a blowout at freeway speeds. A whole cottage industry of off-the-books repair shops is available outside shipping terminals, and it's clear none of them have the Auto Club seal of approval.

That bulging tire, along with brakes so bad that Miguel uses his trailer's brakes to stop the rig (which is illegal and very dangerous), explain why about one-third of the 2,000 accidents that occur annually on the 710 are directly related to trucks and the debris they leave on the freeway.

Still feel you lead a charmed life?

The "tire men" who re-tread rigs' tires sometimes make a mistake, and cut into the tire's belts, which makes the huge tires even more prone to shredding, blowout and who knows what else. Engine overhauls go for $1,800 (real repair shops charge about $4,000). Some truckers disguise obvious flaws in engines and external parts by smearing grease over them. And truckers with obvious problems, such as Miguel's bulging tire, simply wait until the CHP inspectors leave before resuming their trips.
Then there's the pollution from these under-maintained diesel engines. And did we mention that Miguel's truck is dangerously overloaded?

The ports of Long Beach and L.A. are spending $1.6 billion to get these trucks off the road. Officials haven't decided how deep the subsidies will be for truckers with old rigs. One plan that makes sense is to lease the trucks in a way that would ensure a steady flow of income so that older trucks are always being taken off the road.

Truckers like Miguel know they are rolling the dice every time they haul a load. Problem is, it's the other drivers - like you and me - who come up craps when Miguel's bulging tire bursts.

The ports of Long Beach and L.A. are spending $1.6 billion to get these trucks off the road. Officials haven't decided how deep the subsidies will be for truckers with old rigs. One plan that makes sense is to lease the trucks in a way that would ensure a steady flow of income so that older trucks are always being taken off the road.

SUBSIDIES---OUTRAGIOUS. YANK THEIR LICENSE PLATES AND GET THEM OFF THE ROADS.

"We have had a Bush-Clinton crime spree in America that has lasted 27 years and we know it is all about oil, money and power." ~ Keith Olbermann