HOW WE FAIL OUR TRUCKERS

BIG-RIG DRIVERS ARE FEELING MISTREATED, WHICH IS BAD NEWS FOR THE REST OF US

- Derek Burnett

Sometimes when he's rolling through open country in his company's 18-wheeler, Mike Murphy, 52, looks out across a scenic landscape and thinks about how lucky he is to be a truck driver. Those are the good days. But a bad day can be a nightmare.

Start driving at 6 a.m. to get a load to a client's dock by 11 a.m., as agreed. Roll in right on time, only to find two trucks ahead of you, and the dock man saying it'll be a few hours before you can unload. Murphy gets paid by the mile, so such idle time costs him money. But 25 years in the industry have taught him to bite his tongue.

"Well, can I use your bathroom?"

"Nope. Drivers use the port-a-potty."

And good luck finding a port-a-potty that's not an abomination. So much for the morning. Pick up another load, get moving again.

Evening comes, and he's required by law to limit his shift to 14 hours, which means it's time to start looking for a parking spot. The miles and minutes roll by with no success. He might pull into as many as three truck stops-all full, and him exhausted and just wanting to be home. Often enough, the search for a parking place goes on until he's right up against his 14 hours and the road is beginning to look blurry. Such times, he'll call his wife, Alicia, back home in Waddington, New York.

"Hey," he'll say. "Talk to me for an hour. I'm looking for a parking space."