Motor carrier stuff is incredibly complex with a bizarre patchwork of regulatory domains and a network of shitty operators, who employ shitty drivers who work t

Motor carrier stuff is incredibly complex with a bizarre patchwork of regulatory domains and a network of shitty operators, who employ shitty drivers who work the loopholes. The most egregious examples are the Chinatown busses, which routinely operate with material safety flaws. To understand safety data, you have to study the cohorts of carriers that comply with regulations. The Feds and state authorities working with them statistically approach compliance inspection, but the smaller, dirtier carriers tend to be fly by night. If you see a crazy trucker speeding at night in the middle of nowhere, Pennsylvania, you’re probably seeing one of those trucks, schlepping stuff between distribution centers outside of federal enforcement scope. The skilled drivers are right - it’s bullshit. But you need to infantalize the 30 year Walmart driver who has 20 million miles and no accidents, because there’s a 22 year old driving a truck that’s overweight with bad brakes trying to meet a schedule he can’t keep.