That’s exactly what it is. Talk to truckers and they’ll tell you that the regulations are insane and drives folks away from the job.
I had a CDL for a once a year volunteer bus driving job. A few years ago, I went for my DOT physical and was given four questions to answer such as: If you lie down in the afternoon, do you fall asleep?
Well, yea, the 4-5 times a year I lie down in the afternoon, the point is to take a nap. so YES.
Suddenly, I’m at severe risk for sleep apnea, so I dutifully trot over to a sleep specialist at Johns Hopkins Hospital, arguably the best hospital in the nation. The doctor was department chief, so arguably the best sleep specialist in the country. AFTER DROPPED $3-400 for a sleep study, I was told my case is so minor, no treatment was needed, yet, because DOT was involved, I needed a CPAP machine and further studies. Since it made no sense to drop $1000 or more a year for a volunteer job, I gave up my CDL. Can you sense the ongoing bitterness?
I wrote my stupid waste of skin congressrat. He sent me a letter thanking him for writing because he liked hearing from constituents. My response was not nearly so nice.