Hold truckers, others responsible

Re “Unsafe trucks stream out of L.A.’s ports,” Jan. 21

There is nothing wrong with wanting to be your own boss. However, when you start to affect or even hurt other people with your actions, then it’s time to give it up. Nobody held a gun to the heads of these independent truckers and said, “You’re going to be a truck driver whether you like it or not.”

A trucker who knowingly drives with shoddy equipment puts a lot of other lives in danger. When this same person causes an accident, how many people are delayed on our freeways? When this trucker knowingly damages the road surface because of dangerous overloading, the repairs come out of my tax dollar.

I’d rather see my taxes go toward more California Highway Patrol officers doing inspections and getting these menaces off the road.

Lutz Moeckel

Garden Grove

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This story failed to mention that the Alameda railway corridor was constructed with many billions of taxpayer dollars and pain caused by eminent domain to reduce truck traffic on freeways and improve commuter safety. With zero incentive to force trucking companies to use the railway, our taxpayer dollars have been wasted once again. That is the real story here.

Joe Colin Jr.

Long Beach

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Are these truckers insured? Do the insurance companies inspect the trucks? Why hasn’t the CHP set up inspection stations near the ports that can’t be evaded? These rogue truckers kill and injure innocent victims. The shipping companies should be held responsible for negligently selecting unsafe truckers because they are the ones profiting from underpaid truckers and undermaintained vehicles.

Why should the shippers be able to hide behind the charade of truckers as “independent contractors?” These rattletrap trucks are sweatshops on wheels, and we are all at risk.

Dan Schechter and Felice Sussman

Los Alamitos

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Although the truckers bear the primary burden of maintaining their trucks, the merchants who contract with the truckers for delivery share part of the blame. They should be held liable for accidents along with the truck owners.

Additionally, consumers need to understand that the continual quest for ever-cheaper goods can result in a huge price in terms of human life.

Carol May

Los Angeles