In my 42 years as a professional driver, I’ve driven over 3 million miles without an accident, which is something most of the motoring public can’t say.

I’m proud of those miles and how safe I’ve been. While delivering my freight is important, doing it safely is the most important thing to me.

And I’m not alone. There are millions of truckers who are just as dedicated to safety as I am. And that’s why we were happy to see Congress do something to help safety by suspending two small parts of the hours-of-service rule.

Sen. Susan Collins talked to drivers just like me, and heard the same story I’ve told and I’ve heard: These restrictions discouraged us from taking longer off-duty periods when we were able to, and it pushed us to start our driving time during the morning commute, which I feel is not as safe for me or for other drivers.

So thank you to Sen. Collins for listening to people who know best about truck safety – those of us behind the wheel.

Denis Litalien

Biddeford