Sharing the road with semi trucks
10-07-2010, 06:40 PM
#31
Power Poster
Join Date: Jun 2009
Location: Perth, Western Australia
Posts: 10,357
Great reminder....I have always had a "soft spot" for truck drivers....have been helped more than once when travelling and got into difficulty. One in particular saved me and my car when the alternator went during a stormy night on a freeway. I was stuck, with no lights, no way of getting out, vehicles travelling at speed all around me. A knight in shining truck pulled in behind me, set up hazard lights and pushed me off the road into a safe place. Checked I was ok...made sure I had phone contact with my husband and stayed 'til he got there.
10-07-2010, 06:48 PM
#32
Senior Member
Join Date: Mar 2010
Posts: 342
There were and I beleive still are Trucking Companies out there who do go around to scholls and actually let students ride in the truck,around the area so they can see what is like to have to handle and negotiate the traffic around them. Semis especially, take a lot of concentration and work, that's just constantly staying aware of what is not only going on around you but the traffic ahead of you. You are constantly planning how you will take your next turn, how to negotiate raffic, watching for people to suddenly cut you off, and avoiding accidents. It is a very mind exhausting, mental processing job , along with keeping control of the truck should an emergency arrive . If a truck experiences mechanical problems on the road they have to safely get it off the road. Lose you air which trucks have air brakes, can be a major problem. You have to know the skills to keep that truck brakes from locking up and causing possibly a major fatal acident. It is not a glamorous job, and anyone who states it is a Know a Dr. for you!!
10-07-2010, 07:00 PM
#33
Senior Member
Join Date: Mar 2010
Posts: 342
Originally Posted by Born2Sew
Not being from Arkansas, I hope I get the facts right. Arkansas was one of the states he drove to regularly. He frequently went up by Boston Mtn and the 9 mile hill I think is what it's called. If not, someone will correct me and set me straight. I know it's the one with the sign at the bottom with the warning about how many folks have been killed on it.
Anyway, I had a dream one night that his truck went off the side of that mountain. Since many of my dreams are spot on, I was worried sick until he called. I told him I was sweating bullets waiting to hear from him and explained my dream. He told me about meeting someone driving a Jaguar passing everything on the road. They were headed straight for him and there was no place for him to go to get out of the way, but off the side of the mountain. Needless to say, he decided he wasn't going to go out that way. Nice people the Jaguar was passing made sure he was able to get back into the right lane.
It always scared me on those little narrow roads in Arkansas. When you cross a bridge and look out the window and all you can see is water and no side of the bridge, I about had a heart attack. I couldn't be a trucker at all, have the utmost respect for them...
God bless everyone of them!
Anyway, I had a dream one night that his truck went off the side of that mountain. Since many of my dreams are spot on, I was worried sick until he called. I told him I was sweating bullets waiting to hear from him and explained my dream. He told me about meeting someone driving a Jaguar passing everything on the road. They were headed straight for him and there was no place for him to go to get out of the way, but off the side of the mountain. Needless to say, he decided he wasn't going to go out that way. Nice people the Jaguar was passing made sure he was able to get back into the right lane.
It always scared me on those little narrow roads in Arkansas. When you cross a bridge and look out the window and all you can see is water and no side of the bridge, I about had a heart attack. I couldn't be a trucker at all, have the utmost respect for them...
God bless everyone of them!
10-07-2010, 08:23 PM
#34
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Thread Starter
Join Date: May 2008
Location: MN
Posts: 24,392
This applies to all drivers, but trucks more so -
Along with having to pay attention to what is in front of, behind, to the left of, and to the right of - the driver has to pay attention to what is under him (road conditions, potholes, water, etc.) and what is over him - overpasses, wires, etc.
Chicago has several bridges that are LOW - more than one driver has peeled back the top of a trailer - probably only once!
Along with having to pay attention to what is in front of, behind, to the left of, and to the right of - the driver has to pay attention to what is under him (road conditions, potholes, water, etc.) and what is over him - overpasses, wires, etc.
Chicago has several bridges that are LOW - more than one driver has peeled back the top of a trailer - probably only once!
10-07-2010, 08:56 PM
#35
Super Member
Join Date: Jul 2010
Location: Central Willamette Valley, Oregon, USA
Posts: 7,695
Originally Posted by bearisgray
I rode with DH for about a year in his "big truck" -
After that, I realized that there are some things that "four-wheelers" should know.
1) If you can't see the driver's mirrors, he/she can't see you.
2) If you are right beside the unit (tractor and trailer), the driver can't see you. (Even if you can see the mirrors) You are below where the driver can see you.
3) Don't tailgate. A tire can blow and end up in your face. Or the driver might need to make a sudden stop. And you might end up under the back of the trailer - and you might end up decapitated.
4) Most truck drivers do not want to be involved in accidents. It's extremely inconvenient to have one.
5) They need to make wide swings when they turn corners so the trailer goes where it's supposed to.
6) Don't try to sneak by on the right side of a truck when it's trying to make a right hand turn. It's near the middle lane so that when it turns the trailer won't be on the sidewalk.
7) If a truck cuts you off (pulls into the left-hand passing lane) when climbing a hill, it's because he/she is reasonably sure that he can overtake the other trucks in front of him/her. It is easier for a car to maintain or recover speed than it is for a truck to recover. You might think the driver is #1, but that's why.
8) Do not park in front of a run-away spot. There are very few places that a run-away truck can get off the road. And they are hard to spot.
9) Avoid being where a driver is unsure of your intentions. If he/she needs to pass or take evasive action, don't need to worry about someone being in the left-hand lane right on one's tail.
10) If necessary, some of the rigs can travel quite fast. It's more economical to run them at a steady speed in certain RPM ranges. (Depends on the tractor, engine, transmission, etc. etc.)
11) Some loads have to stop for railroad crossings, etc.
12) Strong side winds can whip an empty trailer around.
13) If/When possible, don't crowd a truck.
After that, I realized that there are some things that "four-wheelers" should know.
1) If you can't see the driver's mirrors, he/she can't see you.
2) If you are right beside the unit (tractor and trailer), the driver can't see you. (Even if you can see the mirrors) You are below where the driver can see you.
3) Don't tailgate. A tire can blow and end up in your face. Or the driver might need to make a sudden stop. And you might end up under the back of the trailer - and you might end up decapitated.
4) Most truck drivers do not want to be involved in accidents. It's extremely inconvenient to have one.
5) They need to make wide swings when they turn corners so the trailer goes where it's supposed to.
6) Don't try to sneak by on the right side of a truck when it's trying to make a right hand turn. It's near the middle lane so that when it turns the trailer won't be on the sidewalk.
7) If a truck cuts you off (pulls into the left-hand passing lane) when climbing a hill, it's because he/she is reasonably sure that he can overtake the other trucks in front of him/her. It is easier for a car to maintain or recover speed than it is for a truck to recover. You might think the driver is #1, but that's why.
8) Do not park in front of a run-away spot. There are very few places that a run-away truck can get off the road. And they are hard to spot.
9) Avoid being where a driver is unsure of your intentions. If he/she needs to pass or take evasive action, don't need to worry about someone being in the left-hand lane right on one's tail.
10) If necessary, some of the rigs can travel quite fast. It's more economical to run them at a steady speed in certain RPM ranges. (Depends on the tractor, engine, transmission, etc. etc.)
11) Some loads have to stop for railroad crossings, etc.
12) Strong side winds can whip an empty trailer around.
13) If/When possible, don't crowd a truck.
10-07-2010, 09:01 PM
#36
Senior Member
Join Date: Mar 2010
Posts: 342
Okay got to tall this one. Going thru Tenn.with a load going fromCa. to Hunt Point Market, New York. ON I 40 there are always doing road construction. There the traffic suddenly came to a screeching halt! Some one wasn't paying attention way ahead of us an accident happened and immediatley everything shut down! We were all doing a steady 50 mph. till then The car ahead of us stopped, and we could see the guywatching us in the mirror. We were already slowing down cause we saw the suden reactions way ahead of him. A Semi seats you Higher of course then a car or pick=up! We were almost stopped when the car ahead hits the gas and slams into a car ahead!!When the police arrived and asked him why he did it, he said he thought we were going to hit him! Well we were like back of him 15 feet!! He was an off duty police officer and here he is telling them he doesn't deserve the ticket, he was trying to avoid an accident! Even the cops laughed!! And they gave him a sobriety test! He was just under the legal limit!!!! But even hadn't he not been drinking he would have still got the ticket!! He did get a butt chewing out from the Commander they called out to the scene and whatever came of any possible job reprimand I don't knowHowever he was told it was a poor excuse to try to blame us when it was his actions that caused the damage. The cops shook their head and smiled at us and wished us a safe trip and on our way we left! The woman he rearended fortunately was not hurt but she had major damage to the back end. She also smiled and waved as we drove away!!
10-08-2010, 01:41 AM
#37
Junior Member
Join Date: Jul 2009
Location: SE Qld. Australia
Posts: 271
Originally Posted by JJs
and 'of course' truckers never speed, would never dream to tailgate (and give you heart attacks), run "4-wheelers" off the road and laugh about it (heard on CB years ago and then came upon the car that had been run off, or two trucks running together would never squeeze a car, nope wouldn't happen....
The highway links Brisbane with Darwin (about 4000km) and the Road Trains which travel the highway every day know where the towns etc are that they have to drop their speed for. Seems they only have 2 speeds - flat to the floor, and dead stop. Two weeks ago I sat behind one who kept to the speed limit for the 35km into town. First time in 8 years I have seen one do it.
10-08-2010, 02:43 AM
#40
Super Member
Join Date: Jan 2010
Location: West central Illinois
Posts: 2,919
Originally Posted by bearisgray
This applies to all drivers, but trucks more so -
Along with having to pay attention to what is in front of, behind, to the left of, and to the right of - the driver has to pay attention to what is under him (road conditions, potholes, water, etc.) and what is over him - overpasses, wires, etc.
Chicago has several bridges that are LOW - more than one driver has peeled back the top of a trailer - probably only once!
Along with having to pay attention to what is in front of, behind, to the left of, and to the right of - the driver has to pay attention to what is under him (road conditions, potholes, water, etc.) and what is over him - overpasses, wires, etc.
Chicago has several bridges that are LOW - more than one driver has peeled back the top of a trailer - probably only once!
It isn't funny, ok maybe alittle, I used to work for a very large trucking company. And there are all types of drivers. One who was a complete,,,, umm,,, let's say confident smarty pants, was in Chicago and peeled the top right off a trailer. LMAO couldn't of happened to a more deserving person.
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