by Jeremy Lee
Let me ask you a question.
If you were in the market to purchase a $100K+ car…forget that, you’re in the market to purchase a new car period, would you let the dealer outfit it with seats from a 1974 Volkswagen Rabbit?
“A driver with a high-quality seat in good condition is a safe and happy driver.”
For those who don’t know, the seats in the old Volkswagens consisted of a layer of meshed, hard plastic strands that resembled thick fishing line overlaying a field of springs that may or may not come poking through at any given moment. The answer, of course, is no. While it was acceptable for an econobox in 1974, it is not now. This is especially true when you are considering the purchase of a vehicle that costs more than $100K.
While most people won’t ever venture to that side of the car lot, except to dream and drool, truck drivers do. Trucks have cost more than $100k for quite a while, but the base model seat was the equivalent of that in an econobox. Expecting someone to sit in any seat for up to 14 hours per day is a lot to ask, let alone one that they cannot easily get away from at a moment’s notice by taking a stroll around the office, or getting a cup of coffee. But that is what had been accepted as the norm for truckers for decades.
Now things have changed. Not only are the base model seats getting better, but many companies lease their trucks and have as part of their maintenance agreement the ability to request the replacement of various seat components before they become a physical or mental hazard. Which is great news for everyone who shares the highways with trucks that make much of their lives possible. A driver who is not fighting a nagging back pain, or numbness in their legs and feet, is much more able and likely to spot hazards ahead, beside, and behind them. Thus, preventing innumerable fatal traffic accidents every year.
A driver with a high-quality seat in good condition is a safe and happy driver. Don’t believe me? Go ahead, drive your car 120,000 miles over the course of the next year. Then get back to me. I think you may just change your mind.
North Shore is proud of our well-maintained fleet of trucks. We recognize the importance of safety AND comfort on the road.