Thanks George.

What I can't understand, is how a driver or even a small trucking company, can stay in business at all, with such a record.

Just imagine what would happen to a Union Pacific locomotive engineer with even one violation, let alone five over a two year period. Just ask Viola why it isn't operating Metrolunk anymore, or why the NWP got shut down by the CPUC and the Feds in the first place (It was continuing multiple safety violations).

Or consider that trucking outfit's incident rate extrapolated to an outfit the size of UP; literally hundreds of disastrous train wrecks a year would be the result. Furthermore, keep in mind that the record with the NHP is only that which they caught 'em at. Assuming the AP has not embellished the companies record, it is appalling that an NTSB should downplay the record. An NTSB spokesman was quoted to say that they don't know if that record is unusual for a trucking outfit, or is customary for the industry.

Let us hope that as described, their safety record is NOT customary at all - but way out of line with the trucking industry as a whole. Also let us hope the NTSB isn't getting stupid - dumbed down like so much else involving public service; but instead was only trying to appear neutral until it's own official findings compel the obvious.


OPB