Many of the soldiers receiving care packages through Truckers for Troops are themselves truckers, including many OOIDA members. And many of them intend to return to the road when their tour of duty is over.

This thank-you letter from a care package recipient is an example.

Thank you very much for the care package that I received yesterday the 25th of April 2009 at my current duty location: Camp Ramadi, Anbar Province, Iraq.

On behalf of our team (PRT), many thanks and appreciations for your support. The team was impressed with the OOIDA and the Truckers for Troops Telethon.

The gesture of support was overwhelming and can't be explained through words; I am very proud to be a part of the OOIDA team.

I am scheduled to leave this location … after 2-plus years of service to go back to Texas and be on the road again!

God Bless All,

Issam (Mike) Ghanem

At this time of year, it’s traditional for all of us to say what we’re thankful for.

It almost always includes friends and family, and that’s certainly on my list. My health is another.

Personally, I’m thankful to be doing what I’m doing, to not only have a job, but to have one where I feel every day like I’m helping people.

I’m also thankful for the truckers out there – the ones I’ve met, and the ones I haven’t had an opportunity to meet yet. It’s been an honor to work on behalf of all of you, and I hope to do it for many years to come.

Normally, I’d also talk about what truckers are thankful for, asking as many as I can for their list.

But this year, I wanted to do something different. I wanted to tell the truckers who is thankful for them.

Over the past year or two on this blog, we’ve been running a series of thank-you letters from members of our armed forces overseas who have received care packages paid for by the Truckers For Troops Telethon.

Folks, this is your money. You are the sole reason this can happen. And I want each and every one of you who dug into your wallets in the toughest economy ever to understand just how much you are appreciated.

So here is a series of links to the many thank-you letters we’ve run, so you can read them all. Many are addressed to OOIDA, or to Connie Becraft, one of the folks heavily involved in our efforts.

But in reality, all of them are for you, the truck drivers. So here it is: your Thanksgiving message from our troops.

BIG THANKS!

Another box of goodies

'My team thanks you all for being great Americans'

Touched by a generous gesture

Truckers love letters from kids

A letter from home is always good

'You helped keep our spirits lifted!'

'Patriotic, supportive, thankful and selfless'

Brightening the faces of many soldiers

EVERYTHING was greatly appreciated

A double-shot of thanks

Soldiers paying it forward

'We are not forgotten'

Making a gift 'even more special'

'WOW - A huge thanks'

'The care packages were perfect'

'I am proud to serve'

'Pretty awesome'

'We are not forgotten'

Many soldiers with a single box

'Welcome by everyone here'

'We really needed everything you sent'

'There are still people in this country who stand for principles'

Don't take for granted the time you have with your friends and family

Sharing the caring ...

'It's nice to know that you are thinking of us over here'

A member says thanks on the troops' behalf

Another note from a grateful soldier

A soldier sends appreciate for care packages

A Letter from our Troops

Care packages also catered to women in uniform

Care packages are like Christmas all year long

Family and friends led OOIDA to soldiers who received packages

From every package, many soldiers find a piece of home

Thinking of others before themselves

Letter from a soldier: Tonya Harrington

Thanks came from family and friends as well ...

A letter from SFC Jerry Andrew

A letter from Cpl. Dennis J. DeForest Jr.

A thank you letter from Sgt. Andrew Phelps

What is the best environment to keep truckers awake, alert and focused on the road?

Right now, everyone is concerned about driver distractions. But instead of addressing the whole issue, they’re cherry-picking those issues that are popular right now with the public.

Texting heads the list – a sensible thing to ban behind the wheel. And some folks have extended that to cell phone calls – any cell phone call.

Apparently, no one is really concerned about people shaving, putting on their makeup, turning completely around to deal with the kids, and so on. But we’re all really worried that you might be making a cell phone call.

But we’ve heard the U.S. Secretary of Transportation say he wants to go all the way. No drinks, no hamburgers, no doing the hair or shaving. No talking to the person in the next seat. No changing radio channels. No CB conversations. No nothing?

But is that really the best way to keep you alert and focused? A completely silent space – no interaction of any kind with anything or anybody.

A while back, we learned about something similar. Many truckers who are suspected to have apnea tell us about a test they’ve been administered, where they sit in a dark, silent room.

Apparently, the testers want to see if the truckers get drowsy, yawn, or if they’re able to stay alert while in the quiet dark.

Well, I don’t know about you, but in the silent dark, of course I’ll go to sleep – apnea or no apnea. But in a car, much less a semi, there are things happening that keep me awake and alert.

In fact, I wonder where these testers have found completely silent trucks. I’ve never heard of such a beast. Personally, I think some of that noise is what keeps folks more alert.

I’m pretty sure texting while driving is bad. And I do think they have a point with hand-held cell phones. But we need to keep this to what’s sensible, and not create a situation that actually conflicts with our goal of making the roads safer.

Here’s the latest in our series of thank you letters from U.S. Armed Forces overseas who have received care packages through Truckers for Troops.

The US LOG CELL here at Camp Echo, AD Diwaniya, Iraq, has received your kind package of goodies.

We want you to know that all items were put to good use and provided comfort to my soldiers. It was very kind of you. You are great Americans.

Thank you so much for your thoughts and kindness.

Best Regards,

Maj. Daniel E. Evasco

All of you out there on the road have a lot of time on your hands. I don’t mean that as an insult, but as a simple fact and one that I appreciate. If there’s one thing I’ve learned in my time at OOIDA, it’s that while the miles are rolling away beneath the wheels of your truck, the wheels in your mind are spinning just as fast.

Take this phone call I got recently from an OOIDA member named Kris. He didn’t leave his last name or where he was from, but Kris had some interesting thoughts he wanted to share with me on a scientific experiment he had done recently. He wasn’t sure if the results merited a ROSE or a RAZZBERRY, but either way he wanted me to know about it.

I’m glad he called.

Kris, it seems, purchased a 20-ounce coffee at a major truck stop to wake himself up one morning. Later that day, he went into a Pilot and bought another 20-ounce cup. When he saw the two cups together, he noticed something – the cup from Pilot was larger than the cup from the first truck stop, even though they were both supposed to be 20 ounces. Sensing something was amiss, Kris poured the coffee from the Pilot cup into the other cup and, sure enough, there was about an inch of coffee still left in the Pilot cup when he was done.

Not satisfied with stopping there, Kris next tried a cup at another big truck stop and got the same result – the Pilot cup was bigger.

Kris said he wasn’t sure if someone was trying to cheat us, or if someone was trying to give us more. It could go either way on this one. Or it could be that someone at the Pilot put the wrong size cups where the 20-ounce cups usually go. We may never know for sure, Kris, but I do know where I’m buying my coffee from now on.

Keep those wheels rolling and maybe I’ll see you at the coffee counter.

The California Air Resources Board has to be one of the most powerful, if not the most powerful, state agencies in the nation.

Truckers often feel like they’re a favorite target of the board and its constant stream of new rules, regulations and restrictions.

But some folks have called into question the basis of those rules – the need to control air pollution in the state. We hear people all the time saying that truckers should challenge the air board on whether we should have those rules at all.

Unfortunately, I think that battle is at best a dead end. The data on California’s air is pretty well known and widely available.

The fact is, many parts of the state are, by their nature, more likely to face air pollution.

The Los Angeles basin is a particular problem. Being up against the coast with incoming ocean breezes and the mountains just inland means huge amounts of air pollution are trapped there, instead of being quickly dispersed to the surrounding atmosphere.

The fact that the state, and especially that region, erupts in wildfires every year or so and that it’s the biggest car culture with some of the longest commutes in our nation doesn’t help.

That being said, it’s still pretty clear to anyone observing that CARB is a little out of hand.

Unfortunately, the likelihood is that you and I can’t do much to stop them.

Their power is not only recognized by California law, but also recognized in federal law. After all, CARB came into being before the federal EPA.

Truckers aren’t CARB’s only target. In fact, as someone who watches their announcements come across the Internet almost daily, it’s clear that no aspect of living is left untouched by CARB.

They’ve fined folks for selling plywood that didn’t meet CARB standards. They’ve fined folks who sold gasoline-powered drink blenders for tailgating. They’ve had a huge campaign to clamp down on lawn mowers.

So yes, CARB is going pretty far, but the best we can do is try to get them to pass the regulations in such a way that they don’t put truckers out of business.

We’re working on that all the time. We’ve made some progress. And believe me, we will keep it up.

You’re near the end of your day. You’re close to 11 hours behind the wheel, maybe at your 13th hour on the clock.

You planned several truck stops for your rest periods, and even a rest area or two as a backup, in case the truck stops were full when you got there.

Well, guess what? Everything is full. The truck stop you chose, the other truck stops, even the rest areas – assuming the state hasn’t closed them permanently.

All this as states crack down on some of the more informal parking arrangement some truckers use.

Frankly, we can’t offer much advice for how truckers should handle that individual moment, when you have to make a choice as to where and when to park for the night.

However, I can recommend something you can do to help fix it in the long run.

Call your representative in the U.S. House. Call both of your U.S. Senators. Call your representatives and senators in the state legislature. Call your city council as well. And tell all of them this story.

Frankly, these folks don’t understand trucking, and they don’t get this problem.

During interviews with public officials, I’ve often described the hypothetical scenario that started this blog, and then asked what a trucker should do when faced with this. And I can’t tell you how many times someone responded by saying, “Why didn’t they plan better?”

It’s one thing for me to ask people that question. But I’m asking about a hypothetical. You’re telling them about a real situation that really happened to you. And believe me, that has impact.

I hope every trucker out there who has a similar story will make calls as well, and stress that their elected representatives, especially those on the federal level, should support efforts like Jason’s Law.

That bill is designed to provide more safe, secure parking for folks like you. And it’s still gathering co-sponsors.

In the U.S. House of Representatives, Congressman Paul Tonko introduced “Jason’s Law” under the number H.R.2156. In the Senate, Sen. Charles Schumer of New York introduced the same idea under the number S.971.

When you call your members of the U.S. House and Senate, don’t just tell them your story.

Ask them to support those bills. Ask them to become co-sponsors, to show their trucking constituents that they do care about their basic safety.

Please, make that call today.

One of the unintended side benefits to OOIDA’s Truckers for Troops effort is that soldiers across the two war zones – Iraq and Afghanistan – have learned about OOIDA and its mission to help truckers.

And, as we learned from this thank-you letter, many of those who distribute the goodies when they arrive are helping their fellow soldiers learn about this Association.

Received your package from OOIDA this afternoon, and we opened it up at roll call.

The guys and gals were surprised when I read the letter, that complete strangers would do that for us.

I gave them a short rundown on what you folks did for the owner-operators in the trucking industry. Most had no idea that something like this existed.

In the next couple of weeks, we are going to get together for a group picture, and I will be sure I send one to you.

Once again, thanks for the “goodies” and we really appreciated it.

Dave Cass

For some time, we’ve been talking about a plan being worked on by the FMCSA’s Medical Review Board – a plan that’s spurred about as much anger as anything I’ve seen in this business.

Here’s what it comes down to: forcing truckers above a certain body mass index to undergo far more regular checkups, to be subject to stricter medical standards, and to be tested for sleep apnea, perhaps yearly.

It’s not an idea that has a lot of fans, or a lot of basis in science. It’s also started a lot of rumors and inspired a lot of concerns.

One of the most troubling came from a trucker who said his carrier’s safety officer claims that by next year, BMI-based apnea testing will be the law of the land.

We hear rumors like that all the time. And that’s what they are – rumors. However, like most rumors, they have some basis in fact.

So here are the facts.

Nothing has been set in stone. In fact, the FMCSA hasn’t started work on a rule, and nothing has been formally proposed to the FMCSA.

The Medical Review Board is working on some very faulty plans based on faulty science. But they can’t set a regulation in motion. That has to be done by the FMCSA, which has to allow public comment before anything goes into effect.

So, let’s review:

· Nothing is proposed to occur to overweight drivers in the next 3 years;

· No regulation now requires testing for apnea;

· And no regulation requires any different treatment for truckers past a certain body mass index.

We will continue to monitor the situation. We’re expecting a proposal from the Medical Review Board soon. And when we get it, we’ll let you know about it.

Meanwhile, you can rest assured that OOIDA intends to oppose anything that discriminates against truckers who happen to have a certain body mass index. The figure is inaccurate and can’t be used as a valid reason for any diagnosis.

Believe me, we intend to ensure that the folks at FMCSA know that.

One of the great things about the game of Monopoly is the “Free Parking” space. It’s one of only two spaces on the board where nothing would happen to you if you landed on it (the other being “Go,” of course). It was a safe stop before you had to proceed through the gauntlet of hotels set up by your opponent.

The way I always played, any money collected through “Chance” or “Community Chest” cards was tucked under the Free Parking space and whoever landed there first would get that money. It’s not in the official rules, but it was always a nice sort of bonus to have.

It’s too bad life doesn’t have any free parking spaces. In fact, for truck drivers, any parking space – free or otherwise – is getting tough to come by these days.

I was reminded of this while writing some Roses and Razzberries recently. I looked at the script and realized I had written, without realizing it, two Razzies and a Rose in a row about parking issues.

Separately, they were bad enough. Put together, they offered a grim picture – and a glimmer of hope – about the parking situation.

The Razzberries went out to the city of Moreno Valley, California and to the State of Arizona. Moreno has one of those idiotic ordinances that prohibits truckers from parking their rigs on their own property. A trucker was shot and killed there recently – in his own truck, not far from his own home. He was parked at a vacant lot often used by truckers because they don’t have any place else to park.

Except that they do. This man could have parked at his own house and slept in his own bed and been safe and sound. Instead he died alone in a parking lot so a few of his neighbors could protect their property values.

Meanwhile, Arizona has already shut down 13 of its 18 rest areas and is reportedly considering shutting down the rest of them. Yeah, I know, times are tough and budgets have to be cut, but at a time when there’s no place to park and truckers are getting shot to death because of it, this just seems like a really bad idea.

But there is hope. At least in Antelope Valley, CA. There, a bunch of truckers got tired of fighting the town council of Littlerock over a parking ordinance similar to the one in Moreno Valley, so they did the only thing they could do – they got themselves elected to that same town council.

Think that parking ordinance will be around much longer? Not likely. It does my heart good to see things like that. It’s like landing on Free Parking and realizing there’s enough money there to put up hotels on Boardwalk.

One of the little treats that OOIDA included in the Truckers for Troops care packages were OOIDA truckers’ hats. And as you can tell from this letter, they were much appreciated indeed.

Sgt. First Class Clarkson here from 1st Platoon A Co 1-161 Infantry Highlander in Iraq.

I just wanted to thank you from all the guys in my platoon for the awesome package received from your organization.

As you can tell from the attached picture, the hats were a big hit. We appreciate the support more than words can express.

Thank you,

SFC Erik Clarkson

Balad, Iraq

Here’s another thank-you letter from a soldier who received an OOIDA Truckers for Troops care package.

I just wanted to drop you a quick line with a BIG THANKS! I’ve just received your second package to us in Iraq.

This assortment was just as well planned as the last, with MUCH appreciated goods, including Silly String, Garlic hot sauce, razors, muscle rub, an envelope of nail files (excellent!), Lance Crackers, Body wash, Koosh balls (!!!), a case of Boyardee ravioli, and scrub brushes to name a few.

We’ll send a snail-mail card shortly with our signatures, but I just wanted to say how much we appreciate your patriotism and continued support in our Iraqi deployment.

The Owner-Operator Independent Drivers Association is doing a fantastic job of supporting our troops deployed away from home and families in austere conditions.

You’ve put a big smile on many soldiers’ faces today!

Warm regards,

Henry M. Bass

Remember Dr. Johnny Fever?

He was a character on the TV show “WKRP in Cincinnati,” a favorite of mine. He was a great rock ‘n’ roll DJ, but he had, well shall we say, some personality quirks, many involving a bit of truth with huge gobs of paranoia.

One of them was that old Ma Bell (AT&T before they broke it up, for those younger folks who don’t remember way back when) was an all-powerful corporation (yes), and that Bell had these cops who would chase you down if you violated one of Ma Bell’s rules (paranoid). He called them the Phone Cops. And he lived in mortal fear that they would find him.

Well, it turns out he may not have been paranoid. The Phone Cops may become real, if we actually ban cell phone use in trucks and cars.

Right now, the debate is divided. We’ve heard from truckers who think all texting should be stopped, and that cell phone use is fine. We’ve heard from others who are against texting and hand-held cell phone use, but who have no problem with using a cell phone hands-free. And there are plenty of folks outside of trucking who simply want drivers to drive, and to do nothing else.

So we have to decide what we’re going to outlaw, and we have to enforce it.

I think texting is the obvious line in the sand. I think the dangers of hands-free cell phone use are exaggerated.

But some folks say enforcing a texting ban is simply impossible.

Frankly, I don’t agree. I think it’s pretty easy to spot folks who are texting.

For one thing, a lot of them are doing a lousy job of driving. I can’t count the number of four-wheelers I’ve seen weaving around. And then, when I get up next to them, they’re not only texting, they’re holding the cell phone so high that I can see what they’re doing.

So, one trucker asked me recently, what if we simply shut it all down. He pointed out that we could program the GPS units in all of these new phones (they all have one, whether you use it or not) so that if the phone is moving, it won’t work.

That would solve the problem. But it would create another. In too many cases, it would stop people engaging in a legal and safe activity. After all, what’s wrong with a passenger calling or even texting? Nothing.

So if it’s hard to enforce, and we don’t want to just shut the things down, how do we address this?

Well, here are some ideas.

How about teaching new drivers about the dangers of texting or hand-held cell phone use before they ever get a license? In fact, how about teaching new drivers how to drive at all?

How about making people who cause an accident while texting face the same penalties as people who cause an accident while drunk? A couple of spectacular jail sentences and watch those phones go away.

Systems like GPS, or more roadside stops can make a difference. But at what cost?

I really get nervous when big brother gets too much into our lives. Yes, I want road safety. Yes, I want to save lives. But I also want this to remain a free country, a country where for the most part, government stays out of the lives of the individual.

Texting while driving is irresponsible, but cutting off folks who do it right, who text only when they’re not driving? To me, that may be a bit far.

On the other hand, if folks don’t start flying right and stop acting irresponsibly, I think we’ll see more tickets – and maybe even those GPS unit shutting down phones – far more quickly than any of us can imagine.

After all, Dr. Johnny says the Phone Cops are just waiting …

Recently, we reported on several states that have instituted a new, invasive and deeply disconcerting policy.

Texas and Idaho are the latest states to join that dubious list. It involves forcibly drawing blood from people who are accused of DUI. Arizona has been using the practice for some time.

The concerns about this are many and varied. But one of the biggest is the lack of medical training on the part of the officers who are drawing the blood.

One of my co-workers here at the OOIDA is a trucker who also has been a paramedic. And he didn’t sound too keen about this idea.

He pointed out that he received weeks of training. I somehow doubt that these officers have had that.

And someone whose blood is drawn by an untrained or undertrained person can suffer some very serious injuries.

We don’t let anyone else practice medicine without the appropriate licensing. Doctors, nurses, emergency medical technicians, all of them have very specific training they have to go through in order to do their jobs.

Why are police, with far less training than they should have, doing this?

What’s more, what happened to privacy? What happened to people’s rights?

Under the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act, also known as HIPAA, anyone who handles your medical information as part of their job has a responsibility to keep that information private.

Yet here are police officers being given access to and even the right to take the very blood out of your veins, and the first thing they intend to do is to pass the information obtained from that blood on to other people.

You are right about the law on this kind of test. If you refuse a roadside test, or a breathalyzer test, you can lose that license.

So why are they going to this extent? Why do they need this?

That isn’t to say that I don’t take drunken driving seriously. I do. Anyone with half a brain does.

But concern over that problem isn’t the same as accepting that our constitutional and legal rights should be given up any time someone screams the word “safety.”

And, besides, alcohol is not a significant cause of safety problems in trucking. That’s well established.

If the driver refuses a standard test, they are off the road – if the system is working the way it’s supposed to.

If the system isn’t working, I don’t see that this will change the result.

We have too many places in our society today where we’re asked to accept that our rights are no longer our own.

And that needs to change.

Each unit that received a care package provided by OOIDA through Truckers for Troops received an additional package every time the Association shipped out goods as part of OOIDA’s Truckers for Troops effort.

And even though multiple packages arrived at units throughout Iraq and Afghanistan, the enthusiasm for each package didn’t diminish.

And that’s shown by this letter of thanks to the truckers and the Association.

I wanted to drop another note and tell you I received my second box of goodies.

I am quite sure that a trucker would know just as much as a soldier what we like.

After everyone in my office saw the first box, they were all like a bunch of kids at Christmas when they saw I had received a second box from OOIDA.

You guys are the greatest. I just want to say how grateful I am that I have the support of OOIDA.

Again, I appreciate everything that has been done to support and sustain us while we do our job here!

SFC Tracy M. Allen

I’m starting to wonder if the ‘DOT’ in Mo-DOT means ‘Dark Out There.”

I drove to work today in a pre-dawn rainstorm on I-470 east of Kansas City.

Mo-DOT’s signage was good.

The green sign for “Exit: Longview College” lit up like a Christmas tree when my lights hit it.

So did the blue sign saying “Food this exit: Subway, Dairy Queen,” etc.

The only thing I couldn’t see was the three-lane highway itself.

That’s because the zippers were apparently last painted before non-soluble pigments were invented.

So I, and the rest of traffic, drove through the rain and mist guessing where the lanes might be.

I confess, at one point, I used the taillights of a pickup as my beacon—hoping the driver’s eyesight was better than mine.

Is it just me?

Or does the Missouri DOT—which has entertained such exotic projects as building towers on the interstates to monitor passing cell phones—need to get back to basics?

How much does it cost to paint visible lane markers?

And don’t zippers that you can actually see sorta improve highway safety?

The FMCSA’s medical review board is due any time now to issue recommendations for dealing with sleep apnea in the industry.

We’ve heard that the board will try to include some kind of standard for apnea testing that includes the use of body mass index, or BMI. But the test they propose to use in determining BMI is known to be inaccurate.

The problem: A significant percentage of all truckers, despite long records of safe driving, will be forced into expensive – and in many, if not most, cases unnecessary – testing for the illness.

Those who can’t pay will likely have to give it up.

So who will be able to drive?

One trucker – only half in jest – called me a while back and said only former Marines, ex-Navy Seals, retired Army Rangers and the like would be medically qualified to drive a truck.

Well, guess what? I don’t even think all of those folks would qualify.

We have people here in the OOIDA offices, former truckers, who are in top physical form who would be forced to undergo apnea testing under this plan.

Let me go a step further. We have a guy here in the building, a former bodybuilder, who once placed third in the Mr. Missouri contest. And trust me, this guy is still in good shape.

If you use their test, he’s considered well overweight and would be compelled to take an apnea test.

My point being, if they push this through, you will see a massive drop in the number of people who are able to drive a truck. You will see some of the best and brightest truckers on the road taken off, or forced off, by the expense of apnea testing and required equipment for treatment.

That is not a formula for increased safety. That’s a safety disaster in the making.

And who’s pushing this through? Some of the folks involved have a direct, financial stake in companies that profit from apnea testing. And many of the outside groups are vendors of the treatment equipment – again, folks who stand to profit directly if this goes through.

This is classic conflict of interest. This is bankrupt science not backed by any real facts. This is something that should not be allowed to happen. And we’re going to fight it every step of the way.

Many truckers have expressed reasons they think we should now increase the allowable size and weight of truckers on our highways.

And while most of the arguments have to do with safety, or with the lack of additional pay for carrying the larger load, another concern is hanging out there.

A trucker from Wisconsin made the point: A larger load means even more time at the loading dock on both ends of the trip. And it means a bigger fee to the lumper.

It’s a good point, and one I hadn’t heard before. And it’s especially important in light of the fact that the additional lumpers fee will come out of your pocket.

As I said, we’ve seen from the last few increases in truck size that you won’t be paid any more for hauling that larger load.

What’s more, taking longer at the dock will also take money out of your pocket. Every moment you’re there, you’re not on the road adding miles – and therefore money.

Another issue is training. I’ve said before that truckers who haul larger, heavier trucks or longer combination vehicles now have extra training. And they tend to be some of the most experienced drivers on the road.

But what kind of truckers will haul those loads if the overall size and weight are increased? The answer is, everybody – including the newest truckers just out of school.

One OOIDA member, who also serves as a trainer, said he has a hard enough time getting the new folks to drive a regular semi. And he’s worried about what happens when we have those same right-out-of-school drivers pulling 100,000 pounds, or pulling triples.

Once again, I can’t stress enough that the folks supporting larger, heavier trucks should have to address these concerns. And so far, I have yet to see them answer any of them.

I have a confession to make. I recently did something I have never done before. Something I thought I would never do. I still can’t believe I did it. But it happened, and you need to know about it.

What I did was this: I gave a ROSE to a lawyer. I didn’t really want to do it. I didn’t think I’d ever have occasion to, to be honest with you. So when the call came in I was just as surprised then as you probably are reading this right now.

In the almost five years that I have been writing Roses and Razzberries, the only calls I get regarding attorneys are Razzberries for those commercials and billboards – I know you’ve all seen them – where the lawyer talks about how truck drivers are big, stupid meth junkies who drive big, stupid trucks and will run you and your entire family off the road with no provocation whatsoever so you should call me and we’ll sue them blind.

Sadly, lawyers like that are a dime a dozen. So you can imagine my shock when attorney Wes Pittman was nominated for a Rose by OOIDA member Tom Grant. Tom told us that Pittman – who practices out of Panama City, FL – uses his advertising and television appearances (he does a regular segment on a local news show there) to educate drivers about how to drive safely around big trucks.

You can imagine how skeptical I was upon hearing this, and the fact that no such information appeared on either Pittman’s Web site or the site of the local TV station only increased my wariness. So I sent an e-mail to Pittman himself.

He responded with one of the nicest e-mails I’ve ever gotten from an attorney. Here’s just part of what he had to say:

“I have profound respect for the vast majority of long haul truck drivers, especially since for years I have found them to be the safest, most courteous drivers on the highway as I have driven my 45-foot Prevost motor coach behind which I pull a crew cab, extended bed F-250 in which I have my hot air balloon loaded with explosive propane. I know where I’m safest. It is among your drivers.”

Wow. Just wow. He also sent me a copy of the script he wrote for a recent segment on the local news. I think it speaks for itself:

“My years of practicing personal injury law have taught me some things about big trucks. One is that most drivers are afraid to be close to them. It’s always good to be cautious, but if one is driving near a big rig driven by a highly trained professional driver, he’s probably safer than when near SUV’s and pick-ups driven by average drivers.

“Among companies that typically train their drivers well are Schneider and Werner. Rarely will they exceed a speed limit. To the contrary, they’ll slow down at the first sign of risk like a drizzle or road construction. Safety mechanisms that everyone can apply can be learned by watching them. They keep their lights on during the day to make themselves more visible to other drivers. They drive far ahead of their rigs. By that, I mean they aren’t just watching one or two cars ahead. They’re looking down the road a tenth to a quarter of a mile to anticipate hazards developing, a car pulling out, a vehicle stopped on the side of the road, debris that might have to be avoided, or merging traffic.

“On a divided highway, you’ll see them driving in the right hand lane unless passing. And they will signal a lane change and move to the left to give merging traffic an opportunity to safely enter the highway and to give ample space to vehicles on the shoulder. The good drivers stop at rest areas to nap or to stretch. They check windshield wiper blades at frequent intervals, and they always have windshield washer solution in the reservoir to keep clean windshields for safe visibility. These are principles that all of us can apply to improve our driving safety and thereby avoid accidental injuries.

“There are of course bad 18-wheeler drivers just like there are bad drivers in every other kind of transportation. Some companies hire poorly trained drivers or drivers with terrible safety records. They keep hurting people. They have major problems with speed control and ignore laws governing how many hours they can drive. They keep pushing and too often falsify their driving time records to get more miles under their belts. You’ll see these drivers tailgating even though it takes huge space for an 18-wheeler to stop. They’ll follow each other on interstates with barely a cab distance separating them from the trailer in front.

“The rule for a car driver is, ‘Allow one vehicle’s length for every 10 miles an hour of speed between the driver’s car and the car directly in front.’ A more stringent rule applies to big trucks. It requires a larger gap between the truck and whatever is in front of it. The rule is to allow a distance covered in an entire second of travel for every 10 miles an hour of speed plus an additional second if the speed is over 40. So if you see a truck following another vehicle too closely, don’t pull between them unless you want to be folded like an accordion.”

Well said, Mr. Pittman.

While we tend to think of our care packages as going to Iraq, many have also been sent to our troops serving in Afghanistan.

And the level of appreciation is just as great there as it is with other soldiers.

Thank you and your organization for the large package that was mailed to myself and my team.

I greatly appreciate the consideration and sacrifice that everyone involved has made. All items have been dispensed throughout my team and are in use in a variety of ways.

To tell you a little bit about what we do, we are called a Police Mentor Team (PMT). Our mission is to coach, teach, and mentor the Afghan National Police.

Our area of operation is in the Farah Provence out in the far western side of the country. We do everything from weapons training to clerical training. We are doing our best to make the Afghan National Police the best they can be, so that we can complete our mission and leave this country in peace and democracy.

Again I greatly appreciate the package and all of the thought that was put into it. My team thanks you all for being great Americans. Please give yourselves a pat on the back.

All mail and packages really put smiles on our faces and continue to remind us in remote locations that people do care and do remember us over here.

Again thank you so much for everything.

SGT Brian Beckman PMT Farah “Denali 7G”

For more information about Truckers for Troops, click here.