Coping with trucks on the road

Subtitle: Can't we all just get along?

I have been a truck driver as my main occupation since 1990.
It amazes me now that as a trucker, I have a different viewpoint about car
drivers than I once did.
As well as a lot of respect for those that do drive trucks, of any size.

A recent thread I read shows me that many car drivers today feel that
truckers are always in the wrong no matter what.
Fact: When an accident involves a truck and a car, nearly 80% of all such
incidences are at the fault of the car.
Why? Mostly it has to do with the training a trucker gets BEFORE he drives.
Unlike a car driver who may spend a few days learning the basics, a trucker
spends 3 weeks or more in a school.

A car driver simply goes to his local DMV office, takes a short simple
written test, then a short driving skills test.
Most of the time the officer passes the applicant.
What does a trucker have to do?
Ok so he got out of that 3 week school. Now he has to pass a rather lengthy
written test to show he knows what trucking is all about. Then takes a
skills test. One is not handed the CDL. The person MUST pass both tests at a
prescribed score or higher. No exceptions.
His license is now entered into a federal database. Along with his picture,
and now fingerprint.
If he tries to obtain another license from another state because his current
one was revoked or suspended, he will get found out and he will lose his
"right" to drive.

Some of you have stated that you are and sick and tired of trucks speeding
past you, cutting you off, causing accidents and what not.
How about you taking a ride in a truck for a day?
You'll soon see that your fellow car drivers are as much to blame for
precisely the same things.
How many times have you been right up behind a truck travelling at highway
speeds?
Why?
When you see those brake lights come on, there is but one thing you can do.
Kiss your ass goodbye.
You will not have time to react, swerve, or anything else to prevent you
from hitting that truck.
When you are behind a truck like that and you see him wiggle his truck, he
is not about to fall asleep, or however you perceive it. He is sending you a
message. "Back off"!

major complaints to trucking companies are improper lane changing, cutting
off, and speed.
Well if I had a camera mounted on my truck and could show you how many times
cars have done the precise same thing, would you be so apt to make that
complaint? Specially if YOU were caught in the act?
While you're speeding down the highway 20mph over the speed limit, you're on
the phone bitching about the trucker who is 5 mph over the limit.
Does that make your actions any less legal or proper?
Do you understand that a history of speeding tickets can cause that trucker
to have the need of a new career?
Trucking companies and insurance companies, will not hire a driver with such
a history.

Someone said that when a trucker fails a drug screen test, he just goes to
work for the company next door.
Wrong.
A trucker can not drive until that drug test is clean. Period.
Legally, the company he now works for can not allow him to drive.
So he can not simply go next door and get another job. Because that company
is going to test him. It is required by federal law.

Perhaps we should have similar laws for car drivers. Fail a drug test, no
license.

When you're behind the wheel and you see a truck on the road, think of what
it's like to be in his seat.
Would you like to be called into the office and explain why it is you should
keep your job because you cut off some car?
In my 10 years of driving a truck, I have never been involved with an
accident involving another vehicle.
I've had a few mishaps, but nothing that cost me a job.
One such minor incident involved myself in a rollover. That one was due to
mechanical failure and I was cleared not only by my company, but by the
state DOT office as well. As the computer in the truck apparently backed up
my claim.
I've been ditched a couple of times due to snow. But so far, no other
vehicles involved.

Sure, go ahead and bitch about those really asshole truckers. They deserve
it.
But please don't be complaining that every truck driver is an asshole.
Because for every truck, there are 20 cars or more.

Safe driving, please.

In article >, richard wrote:

> A recent thread I read shows me that many car drivers today feel that
> truckers are always in the wrong no matter what.

Strawman.

> Fact: When an accident involves a truck and a car, nearly 80% of all such
> incidences are at the fault of the car.

Fact: the experiences shared didn't involve contact between the vehicles.
When a semi truck driver has decided to ride the bumper of my car there
wasn't actually any contact, but his message was very clear. When a
driver of a semi truck went into an acceleration lane for an on-ramp,
passed me and continued on the shoulder and then shoved his way back into
the lane up ahead the lack of contact wasn't due to good driving on his
part but the fear of being hit by his vehicle of others.

The statistic regarding when contact occurs is meaningless in the
discussion of the degradation of quality of the driving experience caused by
truckers.

> Why? Mostly it has to do with the training a trucker gets BEFORE he drives.
> Unlike a car driver who may spend a few days learning the basics, a trucker
> spends 3 weeks or more in a school.

Which is why we know that the intimidation and outright rude behavior
exhibited by far too many truckers is often on purpose and intentional and
not a product of mere idiotcy.

"Brent P" > wrote in message
. ..
> In article >, richard wrote:
>
>> A recent thread I read shows me that many car drivers today feel that
>> truckers are always in the wrong no matter what.
>
> Strawman.
>
>> Fact: When an accident involves a truck and a car, nearly 80% of all such
>> incidences are at the fault of the car.
>
> Fact: the experiences shared didn't involve contact between the vehicles.
> When a semi truck driver has decided to ride the bumper of my car there
> wasn't actually any contact, but his message was very clear. When a
> driver of a semi truck went into an acceleration lane for an on-ramp,
> passed me and continued on the shoulder and then shoved his way back into
> the lane up ahead the lack of contact wasn't due to good driving on his
> part but the fear of being hit by his vehicle of others.
>

That is precisely the type of trucker we want to take off the road
permanently.
When you see that **** happen, get his company name and at least a truck or
trailer number.
Report it immediately to the cops.

> The statistic regarding when contact occurs is meaningless in the
> discussion of the degradation of quality of the driving experience caused
> by
> truckers.
>
>> Why? Mostly it has to do with the training a trucker gets BEFORE he
>> drives.
>> Unlike a car driver who may spend a few days learning the basics, a
>> trucker
>> spends 3 weeks or more in a school.
>
> Which is why we know that the intimidation and outright rude behavior
> exhibited by far too many truckers is often on purpose and intentional and
> not a product of mere idiotcy.

Unfortunately very true. Many of those drivers are local drivers. They are
always in a hurry and don't give a damn.
Over the road drivers who do care, like myself, plan ahead. As we have an
appointment to keep, hopefully within legal limits, we can do so without the
need to play Rambo. Even then, I know of many who like to show off and get
it there as quick as they can.

Here I am driving my truck to my destination. I'm coming up on an
intersection of 2 major interstates just as rush hour begins. I see four
cars on the inbound ramp. The first 3 cars are doing their job as they
should. Allowing me to go by. #4 is late for work, impatient, and sees me
not. As I am almost beside her, she suddenly swerves in front of me causing
me to slam the brakes on. The sound of my brakes wakes her up. Now who would
be at fault had I hit her? Not me. She failed to observe the traiffic as
required by law. But regardless of fault, I would be required to take a drug
screen test, become scrutinized by the DOT for determining whether or not I
was legal to be there, and a whole slew of other things after the incident.
What happens to you the car driver? Not a damn thing.

In article >, richard wrote:

> That is precisely the type of trucker we want to take off the road
> permanently.

You have a good number to go after.

> When you see that **** happen, get his company name and at least a truck or
> trailer number. Report it immediately to the cops.

I'm usually more focused on survival. And I doubt the cops around here will
care given past experiences.

>> Which is why we know that the intimidation and outright rude behavior
>> exhibited by far too many truckers is often on purpose and intentional and
>> not a product of mere idiotcy.

> Unfortunately very true. Many of those drivers are local drivers. They are
> always in a hurry and don't give a damn.
> Over the road drivers who do care, like myself, plan ahead. As we have an
> appointment to keep, hopefully within legal limits, we can do so without the
> need to play Rambo. Even then, I know of many who like to show off and get
> it there as quick as they can.

I don't keep track of who's probably local and who probably isn't, but I
would guess IME it's been 50/50. However, it doesn't matter. I have to
treat every truck as if it is driven by such a driver until proven
otherwise.

What really gets annoying, and this is likely _all_ locals is that on my
commute in the two lane road portion is they drive 15 under slowing my
progress when I need to get to work, but in the afternoon when they are
on their way back, they ride my bumper as I go the posted speed limit.

> Here I am driving my truck to my destination. I'm coming up on an
> intersection of 2 major interstates just as rush hour begins. I see four
> cars on the inbound ramp. The first 3 cars are doing their job as they
> should. Allowing me to go by. #4 is late for work, impatient, and sees me
> not. As I am almost beside her, she suddenly swerves in front of me causing
> me to slam the brakes on. The sound of my brakes wakes her up. Now who would
> be at fault had I hit her? Not me. She failed to observe the traiffic as
> required by law.

Hmmm... interesting. Seems when every time I relate a story about being
cut off by some moron/MFFY/whatever driver some trucker chimes in telling
me it was my fault and that I'm a poor driver.

Brent P wrote:
> In article >, richard wrote:
>
>> That is precisely the type of trucker we want to take off the road
>> permanently.
>
> You have a good number to go after.

I bet there's a larger number of car drivers! :-)

>> When you see that **** happen, get his company name and at least a truck or
>> trailer number. Report it immediately to the cops.
>
> I'm usually more focused on survival. And I doubt the cops around here will
> care given past experiences.

I like to assume the following when I'm driving... every single driver
I'm sharing the road with is out to kill me, that includes drivers of
*all* vehicle types. They're going to get me when I least expect it.
It could be today, tomorrow, next week or in a few decades, but someone
is going to try to kill me sometime on the road. If all drivers drove
with this attitude, and paid attention to surviving rather than blabbing
on their phone, wanking, etc, the worldwide road toll would drop overnight.

>>> Which is why we know that the intimidation and outright rude behavior
>>> exhibited by far too many truckers is often on purpose and intentional and
>>> not a product of mere idiotcy.
>
>> Unfortunately very true. Many of those drivers are local drivers. They are
>> always in a hurry and don't give a damn.
>> Over the road drivers who do care, like myself, plan ahead. As we have an
>> appointment to keep, hopefully within legal limits, we can do so without the
>> need to play Rambo. Even then, I know of many who like to show off and get
>> it there as quick as they can.
>
> I don't keep track of who's probably local and who probably isn't, but I
> would guess IME it's been 50/50. However, it doesn't matter. I have to
> treat every truck as if it is driven by such a driver until proven
> otherwise.

You should treat every driver of every vehicle class as:
a: They got their licence out of a corn flakes box
b: They're sly murderers who will get you when you least expect it.

> What really gets annoying, and this is likely _all_ locals is that on my
> commute in the two lane road portion is they drive 15 under slowing my
> progress when I need to get to work, but in the afternoon when they are
> on their way back, they ride my bumper as I go the posted speed limit.

This is why all vehicles should be fitted with CB radio's. When you're
stuck at 15 under the limit, you could ask why, you may be told a very
valid reason, or you may wake the person up who's causing the delay
resulting in them speeding up or pulling over.

Ditto with tailgaters, ask them why they're riding your rear end and I
bet you the most common response will be "sorry mate I didn't notice".
If they say "i'm in a screaming hurry" you reply "righto, back off a bit
and I'll let you know when it's safe to pass".

Ahh well, in a perfect world I guess :-)

>> Here I am driving my truck to my destination. I'm coming up on an
>> intersection of 2 major interstates just as rush hour begins. I see four
>> cars on the inbound ramp. The first 3 cars are doing their job as they
>> should. Allowing me to go by. #4 is late for work, impatient, and sees me
>> not. As I am almost beside her, she suddenly swerves in front of me causing
>> me to slam the brakes on. The sound of my brakes wakes her up. Now who would
>> be at fault had I hit her? Not me. She failed to observe the traiffic as
>> required by law.
>
> Hmmm... interesting. Seems when every time I relate a story about being
> cut off by some moron/MFFY/whatever driver some trucker chimes in telling
> me it was my fault and that I'm a poor driver.
>
>


--

SL.


Take back the web. www.Getfirefox.com

http://www.firefoxflicks.com/flick/?id=20272

Take back your Inbox. www.Getthunderbird.com

On Wed, 4 Oct 2006 12:07:48 -0600, "richard" > wrote:

>Subtitle: Can't we all just get along?

Not so far.

>I have been a truck driver as my main occupation since 1990.
>It amazes me now that as a trucker, I have a different viewpoint about car
>drivers than I once did.
>As well as a lot of respect for those that do drive trucks, of any size.
>
>A recent thread I read shows me that many car drivers today feel that
>truckers are always in the wrong no matter what.

No, its just that trucks are basically incompatible with car traffic. Trucks
can't accelerate, decelerate, swerve, etc. well enough to avoid accidents that
otherwise wouldn't occur if the truck was instead a car.

90% of this long haul stuff should be going on rails. Build more rails.

>Fact: When an accident involves a truck and a car, nearly 80% of all such
>incidences are at the fault of the car.

Yep - but if the truck was a car, the problem wouldn't have been a problem.

>Why? Mostly it has to do with the training a trucker gets BEFORE he drives.
>Unlike a car driver who may spend a few days learning the basics, a trucker
>spends 3 weeks or more in a school.

>A car driver simply goes to his local DMV office, takes a short simple
>written test, then a short driving skills test.
>Most of the time the officer passes the applicant.
>What does a trucker have to do?
>Ok so he got out of that 3 week school. Now he has to pass a rather lengthy
>written test to show he knows what trucking is all about. Then takes a
>skills test. One is not handed the CDL. The person MUST pass both tests at a
>prescribed score or higher. No exceptions.
>His license is now entered into a federal database. Along with his picture,
>and now fingerprint.
>If he tries to obtain another license from another state because his current
>one was revoked or suspended, he will get found out and he will lose his
>"right" to drive.

>Some of you have stated that you are and sick and tired of trucks speeding
>past you, cutting you off, causing accidents and what not.
>How about you taking a ride in a truck for a day?
>You'll soon see that your fellow car drivers are as much to blame for
>precisely the same things.
>How many times have you been right up behind a truck travelling at highway
>speeds?

So what? U stop, the car gets smashed. U tell the cop how it happened, while
the idiot tailgater goes to the hospital or worse.

If U are tailgating a car, and it stops, the car still gets smashed.

>Why?
>When you see those brake lights come on, there is but one thing you can do.
>Kiss your ass goodbye.
>You will not have time to react, swerve, or anything else to prevent you
>from hitting that truck.
>When you are behind a truck like that and you see him wiggle his truck, he
>is not about to fall asleep, or however you perceive it. He is sending you a
>message. "Back off"!

I never get that close, but its nice to know the signal. Would never have
guessed.

>major complaints to trucking companies are improper lane changing, cutting
>off, and speed.
>Well if I had a camera mounted on my truck and could show you how many times
>cars have done the precise same thing, would you be so apt to make that
>complaint? Specially if YOU were caught in the act?
>While you're speeding down the highway 20mph over the speed limit, you're on
>the phone bitching about the trucker who is 5 mph over the limit.

Trucks I encounter are _way_ over 5 mph over the limit. The truck speed may be
10 mph below the car speed, I'm +7 of the car speed, and still getting my doors
blown off. If its I-81 in Virginia, I'm +10, and the trucks are doing maybe 85
- 90 downhill. Scary as hell.

>Does that make your actions any less legal or proper?
>Do you understand that a history of speeding tickets can cause that trucker
>to have the need of a new career?

We can hope.

>Trucking companies and insurance companies, will not hire a driver with such
>a history.

Yet they're all over the place, just the same.

>Someone said that when a trucker fails a drug screen test, he just goes to
>work for the company next door.
>Wrong.
>A trucker can not drive until that drug test is clean. Period.
>Legally, the company he now works for can not allow him to drive.
>So he can not simply go next door and get another job. Because that company
>is going to test him. It is required by federal law.
>
>Perhaps we should have similar laws for car drivers. Fail a drug test, no
>license.

>When you're behind the wheel and you see a truck on the road, think of what
>it's like to be in his seat.
>Would you like to be called into the office and explain why it is you should
>keep your job because you cut off some car?
>In my 10 years of driving a truck, I have never been involved with an
>accident involving another vehicle.

>I've had a few mishaps, but nothing that cost me a job.
>One such minor incident involved myself in a rollover. That one was due to
>mechanical failure and I was cleared not only by my company, but by the
>state DOT office as well. As the computer in the truck apparently backed up
>my claim.
>I've been ditched a couple of times due to snow. But so far, no other
>vehicles involved.

Not bad. Why can't the other truckers do that?

>Sure, go ahead and bitch about those really asshole truckers. They deserve
>it.
>But please don't be complaining that every truck driver is an asshole.
>Because for every truck, there are 20 cars or more.

The size of the damn truck is 50% of the problem. They're just too big,
period. There's _no_ way to mix cars and trucks safely, no matter what you do.
Trucker's can't see around their own bulk and so run people off the road by
changing lanes - I've been run off twice in 2 consecutive years, plus witnessed
another car get squished up against a Jersey barrier. The truckers that come
on the newsgroup, when you hit them with that, respond mostly that the car just
shouldn't have been there, and that they _can't_ see all around the truck.
Well, that's an unsafe vehicle in my opinion. Fix it - don't make a bunch of
excuses that its too expensive, or too anything else, just fix it. Use TV
cameras if that's what it takes, but fix the damn visibility problems and quit
running me and others off the road.

>Safe driving, please.

Not possible when big trucks are involved.

Dave Head

In article >, Sir Lex wrote:
> Brent P wrote:
>> In article >, richard wrote:
>>
>>> That is precisely the type of trucker we want to take off the road
>>> permanently.
>>
>> You have a good number to go after.
>
> I bet there's a larger number of car drivers! :-)

But proportional. And I expect those truckers are no better in their
passenger vehicles.
>> What really gets annoying, and this is likely _all_ locals is that on my
>> commute in the two lane road portion is they drive 15 under slowing my
>> progress when I need to get to work, but in the afternoon when they are
>> on their way back, they ride my bumper as I go the posted speed limit.

> This is why all vehicles should be fitted with CB radio's. When you're
> stuck at 15 under the limit, you could ask why, you may be told a very
> valid reason, or you may wake the person up who's causing the delay
> resulting in them speeding up or pulling over.

There is no valid reason for this to happen the same way practically
every day. If I can get past the trucks in the brief 4 lane section they
quickly fall away and I never see anything worthy of going 15 under in
any vehicle. If there was some underlying road condition it would apply
in the other direction as well.

Brent P wrote:
> If I can get past the trucks in the brief 4 lane section they
> quickly fall away and I never see anything worthy of going 15 under in
> any vehicle. If there was some underlying road condition it would apply
> in the other direction as well.

Even if that condition is a significant grade? (though I know the
likelihood of that where you live is next to nil).

In article >, Arif Khokar wrote:
> Brent P wrote:
>> If I can get past the trucks in the brief 4 lane section they
>> quickly fall away and I never see anything worthy of going 15 under in
>> any vehicle. If there was some underlying road condition it would apply
>> in the other direction as well.

> Even if that condition is a significant grade? (though I know the
> likelihood of that where you live is next to nil).

There are some hills on the road, but nothing you wouldn't call 'flat'.

There is nothing of significance as far as grades go.

Brent P wrote: <brevity snip>
> >> What really gets annoying, and this is likely _all_ locals is that on my
> >> commute in the two lane road portion is they drive 15 under slowing my
> >> progress when I need to get to work, but in the afternoon when they are
> >> on their way back, they ride my bumper as I go the posted speed limit.
>
> There is no valid reason for this to happen the same way practically
> every day.

<spit take> Trucks are heavy and slower when loaded and lighter and
faster when empty.

Your powers of observation are h i l a r i o u s.
-----

- gpsman