10-4 Magazine - For Today's Trucker

THIS ISSUE KANT WATE
One Last Time: This is Not a Urinal

Lately there has been a lot of press coverage regarding roadside litter - more specifically, jugs full of urine tossed out of cars and trucks along our highways and interstates. Simply put, there is no good reason for anyone (truckers and motorists alike) to be engaging in this disgusting activity. We have heard all of the excuses - not enough truck parking, not enough restrooms accessible to big rigs, looming deadlines, pressure from dispatchers to keep trucks moving, etc. The list goes on and on. Some of those points are valid, but they are still no excuse for someone to be a lazy slob and give the general public yet another reason to bash truckers and the entire industry. Hoping to break truckers (and others) of this dirty habit, many states are adopting new laws that give stiff fines (some as high as $1,000) to offenders caught tossing “bombs” out of their vehicle. These bottles and jugs pose a serious health risk for highway workers, especially those operating lawn mowers on the shoulder of the highway. When hit, these bottles explode and send urine everywhere, often on the equipment operator. Not a pretty picture is it? We’ve also heard stories of trainers actually teaching new recruits to pee in jugs to save time and keep rolling. If that happens to you, we suggest switching companies or asking for another trainer. Many drivers, out of necessity, carry a jug or bottle and use it as needed. But instead of throwing it out on the roadside, how about dumping it down the toilet at your next stop? Even putting it in a trash can is better than littering. There is also a product called Kant Wait that is currently being sold in some truck stops which provides users a small polymer bag containing an enzyme that immediately converts human urine into a semi-solid gel leaving it suspended, sanitary and safely disposed of in ordinary trash collection systems. The company is also setting up collection sites at truck stops for disposing of used bags. Visit www.kantwate.com for more details. Bottom line: there are options. Yes, more (clean) places to stop would greatly help the problem, but for now, just use common sense. And when all else fails, find a quiet corner of wilderness off the road, out of sight, and pee behind a tree. Even that would be a little better than tossing nasty bottles on the road for all to see.