Missouri Lawmaker attempting to make state even worse!

A Missouri state lawmaker, Paul LeVota, Dumocrat from Independence introduced a bill in that would limit the amount of hours drivers can spend behind the wheel in the state.
Trucks would be limited to 9 hours of driving time within the state of Missouri, which in most cases wouldn't effect the standard OTR driver, as most of us are either passing through the state or if we deliver are not driving the whole time. But it is still a law that would in effect over-ride the federal regulations allowing us to drive 11 hours. (Law requires drivers to obey which ever law is the more stringent.)
This same lawmaker is also pushing for split speed limits in the state for trucks. Requiring trucks to run 10 mph slower then all other traffic. This is a state that people already think they are race car drivers in? The limits would drop trucks traveling on Interstate highways currently marked at 70mph to run 60mph thus causing more passing problems and clogging up traffic more then it is already congested. On state highways that are marked at 65 trucks would be dropped to 55 and 60 mph posted 2 lane roads dropped to 50mph. This would cause all kinds of problems there as cars would be struggling to get around at all times dramatically increasing the chances of accidents.
On top of this LeVota is wanting to slow trucks down to 45 in the major cities such as Kansas City and St. Louis. Cities that are already plagued with traffic problems. Slowing trucks down would only serve to increase these problems since the trucks would have 2 lanes completely plugged up.
The bill also slows trucks down an additional 10mph in construction zones which isn't really a bad thing. I think to many trucks drive to fast through construction zones already and those guys are just out there trying to make a living. Slowing down the trucks in these zones would slow cars down as well creating a little safer place for the workers.
These laws would make MO. almost as bad as Calif. This is strictly about money! This dumocrat is looking for a way to generate more revenue to help pay for the states struggling finances since it is over burdened with social programs. As all states that need money the first place they want to turn is the trucking industry. After all whom better to get money from then the companies that have millions of dollars to buy all these trucks.
Forget the fact that a lot of the trucks out there are owned by glorified company drivers (owner/ops leasing equipment or running for so much per mile based on what a dispatcher tells them to do) and Owner Operators who with high fuel costs are already having a tough time making ends meet. All they see is the Weenie Wagons, Swifts and JB's.
We need to step up and make a voice heard that this would be a bad idea. Nothing good can come of this! If MO. gets a law like this passed what is to stop other states from jumping on the band wagon. There is already a bill out in front of the CVSA and FMCSA that wants to force all trucks manufactured after 1990 to be equipped with governors limiting top end to 68mph.
Okay perhaps Cletus does need a little control on him to keep his whoop whoop drive down to a safe level, but it isn't the job of the state or feds to control that. The company he is working for should... As far as the glorified Owner/Op Cletus.. no problem , sucking all the fuel will eventually take care of him financially so the bank will take him off the road.
Which isn't a bad thing since eventually I will want to trade in for another truck and his repo might be just what I am looking for.

Category Posted: General