Warning Triangle Reflectors - Please Read

Discussion in 'Questions From New Drivers' started by Kansas, Oct 24, 2010.

  1. Kansas

    Kansas Road Train Member

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    Here recently I have noticed a disturbing trend regarding warning triangles. It seems the newer drivers are not being taught the correct way to place triangles in a road side break down.

    What I am referring to is the placement of these triangles, including spacing and distance.

    Proper distance starting at back of truck on a one way or divided highway; 10' 100' and 200'. Things happen fast and I have seen lazy drivers place all 3 within 30' of back of truck. That's not giving adequate time for approaching traffic to move left.

    What really concerns me even more (I have seen this more than a few times) some drivers are actually directing traffic into the back of their trailer by starting the first triangle (closest to truck) to the right rear of their trailer, and then centering 2nd triangle, and finally placing last triangle on the solid white line. This is DIRECTING traffic TOWARDS your trailer, when you should be direction traffic away! Not Good!!!

    I was taught to start 10' from drivers side rear of trailer and place 1st triangle 10' off that corner. 2nd triangle centers 100' back, and 3rd triangle to the very right of shoulder 300'. Hence giving the illusion that on coming traffic needs to move left. When I googled this to double check myself I found that the State of Kansas shows centering all 3 triangle as shown in link below. Hopefully one of the local LEO guys can confirm correct placement.

    http://www.ksrevenue.org/pdf/cdlsec2.pdf PAGE 13

    When I went through truck driving school years ago, we spent half a day learning to place triangles. It was deemed very important, and we were all required to pass a written as well as physical placement test of these triangles. If your school doesn't include this in their curriculum please ask they add it. 2am in a driving rainstorm is not the time to learn...
     
    Everett, Emulsified, davetiow and 4 others Thank this.
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  3. Emulsified

    Emulsified Road Train Member

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    came around a blind corner on the 80 in PA today. I was in the outside lane, another truck was passing me on the inside lane.
    We came upon THREE big rigs lined up in a row on the shoulder with one having his hood open. Drivers standing IN THE LANE of traffic.
    No triangles, no flares, no nothing.
    #### near circumcised one of those idiots, I came so close.
    Then one of them had the balls to get on the radio and tell us to SLOW DOWN!!
    (I was doing 63 in a 65)
    USE THE TRIANGLES PEOPLE!!!
    Especially on blind curves like that!
     
  4. Rerun8963

    Rerun8963 Road Train Member

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    in my school they ARE TAUGHT to place them the RIGHT WAY......but some schools may not. they may only mention to put them out at the distances required. but in any event, i personally have seen experienced drivers put them out maybe all of 10 feet in total, for all 3....!!! i have even seen a driver put them out straight across the ICC bumper about 5 feet away....!!!

    a person can be taught/trained, but what they do after they leave school, it's out of anyone's hands.

    i have to wonder as well, are some of those drivers even speaking english...??? do you even know the numbers of "english as a second language" students schools get...????
     
  5. Flying Finn

    Flying Finn Heavy Load Member

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    If I remember correctly we were tested in school on triangle/flare setup. Good thing too, I had to setup triangles in darn near rush hour traffic in Spokane just past a corner. Blew out a trailer tire running a Hazmat load of something that spontaneously can go BOOM. The State Trooper was a great guy and shut down traffic so I could get out and take my sweet time to an exit I could safely take.
     
  6. Everett

    Everett Crusty Shorts, What???

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    :biggrin_2556: This is both Iowa ,both handbooks ,the cdl and driver handbooks, tell right there how too place triangle's, but up too each person as how too do it, i think this should fall upon the trainer too, i usda too train, and i would have a folder as too what we would do that day, sorry you wouldnt want me for a trainer, i was very old school, and only one i know does this way, as i been trained by lots differnt trainers there way for a differnt companys, so i took all that and made my own traing tools,when we was waiting for a load we would practice backing, or mayby have a blow out , now we get the triangles out and i explain too him how too place em , on all kinds of roads curves hills ect jut like it says in book, then go have lunch for a hour two then serptine backing in a old parking lot around the light poles ,then at end day i would ask him how too do it , but that the way train drivers myself , instead of yelling at em or sleeping in bunk as some did too me, :biggrin_25524: Everett.
     
  7. GasHauler

    GasHauler Master FMCSA Interpreter

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    All the emergency responders need to be knowable too. You can look at the guard rails on I-5 in LA by the Firestone plant and still see places where it's burnt. A CHP officer lit a flare when there was a gasoline tanker on it's side with a spill. He was very successful in lighting up the sky.

    I believe companies should have safety bulletins that they could produce once a month to keep their drivers sharp. But why should they care when they can just replace the driver and save money. Even using a new driver with 6 months experience as a driver trainer should tell everyone right away what kind of attitude the company has towards safety.
     
  8. Rollover the Original

    Rollover the Original Road Train Member

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    This is not actually anything "new!" I've been grabbing the mic of the CB for the last 32 years of driving and asking the truck on the shoulder if he didn't understand the PICTURE of how to put out the triangles!

    I've seen them lined up behind the trailer, in a triangle behind the trailer , 2 on the ground and 1 on the doors and even 3 set on the tail of a flat bed, 1 behind one on the side and in the front and believe it or not there was a United Van lines POS that I saw several times on the side and that was his way to set out his triangles!
    How hard is it to walk your lazy arse 210' behind the truck?? 100' isn't that hard to figure out either! A "pace" is about 3', 33 paces will be 99' or almost 100' 3 paces will be 9 ' usually but it's close to 10. If you're worried that a DOT will stop and measure your spacing them carry a 100' tape measure in the truck. Now FMCSA392.22 says 4 paces and 44 paces and that's a good measure as it's a little further to walk and exceeds the minimum distance for the proper placement. Even for a "silly" flat tire this is a rule you can live with!

    There are only 2 ways to set out your warning devices! One is on a 4 lane divided road and the other is on a non divided road. How freaking hard is this to remember?

    A story from Atlanta about a Builders Transport that was hit from behind and then sued by the family of the driver! I saw this accident as I was heading home one night on my bike. It was a nasty sight to see. I've NEVER seen a car that far into the rear of a truck!

    The construction company had just finished the final widening of I-85 north of I-285. The stripping was not finished and the lanes were on the left of the road. They only had 3 lanes and an exit in temporary stripping and the right side line was almost 30' from the guard rail just before the Jimmy Carter Exit. A BTI flatbed was pulled off the road next to the guard rail. He had his triangles out the proper distance and had his warning flashes on as witnessed by a State Patrol Officer that had stopped to check on the driver a few minutes before a drunk drove into the rear of the trailer at over 80 miles an hour putting the back seat of his car into the ICC bumper. Needless to say they pretty much gathered the driver up in garbage bags.

    BTI was sued by the drunks family. The toxicology report on his blood tests showed he was over .08 and the testimony of the bartenders tell they actually cut him off at the bar.

    The testimony of the State Patrol officer and the evidence of crushed triangles on the road surface proved that the driver had followed all requirements of §392.22 Emergency signals; stopped commercial motor vehicles.

    Because the driver had followed the FMCSA and his log book was good BFI got out of paying the family of a drunk driver any money, Several million! AND the driver was also on the suit and could have lost a lot himself. Because this driver took the time to walk a measly 210' he saved his company several million dollars and himself a large loss from a greedy family of a drunk driver!

    Remember, you ARE a target out there! The target is the companies money in a law suit! No matter if you are a company, L/P or O/O you ARE in on the law suit because YOU are responsible for the PROPER placement of those warning devices! Be stupid and lazy and you deserve what ever happens to you! Either the ticket the police should be writing you up for or that law suit because someone took advantage of a moron and sued them in a court of law and won because of a lazy or stupid move!

    Yes, I'm rough, but in this case sugar coating something just won't work and I'll bet a dime to a donut that some who read this will get upset and still prop the triangles against the ICC bumper are the same ones who tell women this

    l---------------------------------------l

    is 6"!
    They have no clue!

    Being LAZY is no excuse. Being STUPID can cost you heavily! If you're so stupid, and lazy to walk your arse 210' behind the truck on an interstate following a simple diagram or to walk about 500' in front on a non divided road get out of the truck and go back to flipping burgers as you're exactly what I mentioned! LAZY and STUPID! Some of these "rules" we have to follow are for more of a reason that to "mess with you!"​
     
    Last edited: Oct 25, 2010
    flood, davetiow, Kansas and 2 others Thank this.
  9. GasHauler

    GasHauler Master FMCSA Interpreter

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    PICTURE, that's funny!!!
     
  10. 123456

    123456 Road Train Member

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    And it seems that 99% per cent of drivers have no idea ................................


    WHEN they should put out their triangles !!!!
     
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