Say What?

Question: What’s your opinion of the hours-of-service rule?

Ron “Snuffy” Smith, 53, Massillon, OH

Professional driving experience: 29 years

“My feeling is I don’t need somebody telling me when I’m tired. My body does that. I don’t need the government telling when to go to bed, when to get up and whether or not I’ve had enough sleep. Your body will tell you what you need to know, if you listen to it. The problem is, you have people out here who aren’t listening to their bodies.”

Ron Stevens, 38, Philadelphia, PA

Professional driving experience: 13 years

“I’m concerned about a lot of these regulations and what’s being done about them. HOS is just another example. No one seems to know what to do about it. They’re not looking at the real problem. Instead, they’re just trying to come up with a political solution. What’s the problem? All drivers have to drive tired because they are being pressured into working more hours. Parking is another big issue. There’s no place to park when you are tired. It’s all tied together.”

William Condron, 60, Rochester Mills, PA

Professional driving experience: 6 years

“I liked the old hours of service just fine. The thing is, I drive team, so it doesn’t affect me like it would others.”

Linda Beckman, 49, Phoenix, AZ

Professional driving experience: 10 years

“When the new hours-of-service rules started, I didn’t think I would like them. Now that we’ve driven with the new rules for a while, I find I do like them. I like that extra two hours off. If nothing else, it certainly seems less confusing.”

David Beckman, 44, Phoenix, AZ

Professional driving experience: 18 years

“The old hours-of-service rule hadn’t changed since the 1940s, and we had it working for us. Then they went and changed it. We’ve got it working for us again. We’re supposed to be more rested, and we’re supposed to be getting more miles. It just depends on how you play with the rules. Now I understand they want to change it again. I’ll deal with it when it comes.”