A reported said that truckers in many states have taken advantage of the temporary measures put into effect by the DOT, and that individual drivers are also expediting procedures in states that are not in an officially declared state of emergency by taking on larger loads and running routes more often to deliver relief and supplies to drought stricken areas.”Waiving or thinning the sometimes thick regulations in hard hit areas is helping these states to receive necessary supplies more quickly. Based on daily reports drivers are sharing in our forums, truckers in these areas are stepping up to do their part,” stated Samuel Barradas. “The limited hours of service in a state are waived during a state of emergency, so more drivers can come into that state to deliver supplies and relief – no application and less time is needed. This is making an impact in these state’s abilities to get beyond the extreme conditions and start on the road to recovery.”The measures taken by the White House and some individual states in July and August are ultimately putting more drivers on the road, assisting in the needed relief efforts with increased loads of livestock, grain and other supplies. According to the reports being shared on Barradas’ site, drivers are experiencing relaxed or completely-waived measures of time, weight and otherwise standardized paperwork.
“There are media reports of a driver shortage in 2012, and we can definitely confirm a slower start to this year in terms of new drivers getting out on the road. However, the past few months has seen a sharp increase in the number of practice CDL tests being taken every day. When taken in combination with the current forum reports of extended opportunities in drought stricken areas, it suggests that more drivers are seizing this opportunity as a way to help, and as a means to get ahead professionally. The need for more drivers, in combination with the federal restrictions making it a little easier on individuals hit hardest by these drought conditions, is bringing more people to our site to learn how they can get involved. They are sharing stories of hazardous roads brought on by the extreme heat and drought conditions, because our forum has thousands of active members discussing what is really happening out there on the nation’s roads, every day. Through these shared experiences, we are seeing clearly where drivers are truly making an impact in the hardest hit areas. As a result, we are also seeing an increased and sustained interest in professional truck driving careers, which promises great things for 2013.”
