The merry-go-round ride of the Hours of Service (HOS) debate seems to have again chimed up the “Carousel Polka” and forced the horses to be polished up. As we all climb aboard for the ride, where it will eventually stop will once again fall into the hands of the “expert” powers that be and the new Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration boss, Anne Ferro.
My intention here is not to dive into the debate and provide you with an ideal solution that will solve all of the HOS queries and questions. That I cannot provide. However, our monthly columnist Mike Howe (“Driving Thru DC,” Page 54) has done a great job of analyzing the latest review of HOS. It is certainly worth 10 minutes or so out of your day to read his thoughts.
So how does one continue to adjust and re-adjust to such an important part of his or her livelihood? The tweaking and fine-tuning of the HOS regulations has been ongoing for as long as I can remember and probably a lot longer than that. There is no direct impact on my life due to HOS, however, my concern is for the several million CDL holders across the country who are directly affected.
Living your life in limbo and being unsure of what your future will hold as it is out of your hands is a tough deal to comprehend. Although there are a lot of regulations and laws that are out of our hands that we must abide by, the HOS just keeps me scratching my head. But what of the rest in our lives that we don’t step up and move forward with?
Waiting for somebody to make a decision that will affect you personally can drive a person batty. I recently tried to organize a trip for a group of friends and while I waited for confirmation – “Yes, we are coming … I think … no, wait …” – prices went up, people got frustrated, plans were changed and the whole thing turned out to be a mess.
Through this experience and the analysis of what it taught me, I concluded that I’ve also been guilty of leaving people in limbo and it just isn’t right. The little decisions I procrastinate, ignore or otherwise disregard as unimportant may not be the same in the eyes of those they will directly affect. It can be as simple as returning a message. Please read Claire B. Lang’s column this month (Page 65); it may drive you to return every message immediately.
The HOS debate will certainly affect more people than my planned trip or returning a phone call. However, it’s the small things that count as they quickly add up. I again throw out the challenge for you to make that phone call, sign that contract, make the decision or whatever it is you’ve left hanging out there. While it may not be as important to you, please show a little respect, as somebody’s life may be in limbo.
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