So... I got in a 'el stupido' situation today.

Discussion in 'Experienced Truckers' Advice' started by IROCUBabe, Nov 19, 2009.

  1. IROCUBabe

    IROCUBabe Road Train Member

    2,563
    1,024
    Apr 9, 2008
    Dallas, TX
    0
    And I thought I'd share so you can all laugh at me. I got myself into a situation I was unable to get out without my husband coming up and helping. So very ashamed. :biggrin_25524:

    We had a load going to Memphis, we swapped out in GA somewhere. Hubby said he'd write directions down for me after we finished our Wendy's. So lalala, going down the road, finish food, he wanders in bed, at the time we both forgot about directions. I vaguely remembered him mentioning that I had to get on some road in Birmingham, so I figured I'd just GPS it.

    GPSed the route, using Delorme Street Atlas 2010, never used it before, usually use MS Streets and Trips but it was being a little #####y about recognizing the gps and I didn't feel like arguing with it.

    So the GPS tells me go up I-65 and get off at 271 and take a CR to 78.

    o.0 is my face when it told me to get off on a county road. But I exited figured if the road looked like a truck shouldn't be on it I'd just get back on and grab the map. Road looked fine 4 lanes 2 in either direction divided, so I got off. Quickly changed to 2 lanes, narrow, going up rather steepish hills for a backroad. But I am already committed so I continue. Looks simple enough, except I hit a turn that wasn't directed, I -have- to turn the road ends. Left right left right ####...

    Can't turn around, there is no way. There is a church with a huge parking lot but it has the lot blocked off with big no truck signs. Hmm... guess I am not the only truck to screw up here eh? (Coincidentally I'd think a church of all places would be kind enough to let someone do something as simple as turn around in a huge EMPTY lot... so much for goodwill eh?)

    So I gauge my options, I chose right. Wrong choice. This road is way more twisty and curvy, sharp sharp curves and #### is that trees hitting my roof?! It says, turn left, I stopped and looked at this turn for a while...

    How to make it..
    How to make it...

    I wish I'd taken a picture, but basically there is 10' of road, give or take, to the left there is 1' of grass and a pole as well as a fence at the corner. To the right about 3' of grass and a stop sign.

    I figure I can swing right as far as possible, then turn left, then back up, and make the turn. Ah... no. Try backing up some more... still too close to pole. Now backing up is a pita too, ####...

    Long story short, I didn't break anything, and hubby was able to get us backed back into the little road with my assistance outside, and we turned right found a place to turn around and went to 78.

    Moral: NEVER EVER FOLLOW GPS WITHOUT CHECKING THE ROUTE ON THE MAP.

    This incident was entirely my fault, not the gps. I put too much faith in a stupid machine, granted this is the first predicament it has ever landed me in, the fact remains that it was my laziness that ended me stuck on some back road with no signal on either the QC or my phone... I didn't break nothing, and no one was hurt or ever in danger of being hurt but still, not a smart move. I am never using that delorme #### again. It seems to like scenic routes...
     
    GuysLady Thanks this.
  2. Truckers Report Jobs

    Trucking Jobs in 30 seconds

    Every month 400 people find a job with the help of TruckersReport.

  3. blackw900

    blackw900 The Grandfather of Flatbed

    5,817
    7,675
    Jul 12, 2009
    A.W.O.L
    0
    GPS? Never had it, Never will...
    Pretty much a useless toy that causes more problems than it solves.

    As you just found out!
     
  4. Sad_Panda

    Sad_Panda Road Train Member

    1,056
    310
    Dec 2, 2006
    0

    :biggrin_25513:

    I swear, what is it with you old goats?
     
  5. rwings

    rwings <strong>"Jet Force"</strong>

    166
    55
    Sep 7, 2006
    Portales, NM
    0
    If the church had a dirt parking lot I would have used it to turn around. They don't paved the parking lots thick enough to support a truck. Most churches in my area have dirt lots and I have used them to turn around in the past.
     
  6. Dukesdad

    Dukesdad Light Load Member

    137
    380
    Aug 3, 2008
    toronto ontario
    0
    I could never understand the church thing either.
    Got misdirected (never lost) in Michigan in a snowstorm, and the only way out was to turn around in an empty church parking lot.
    Figured God would understand.:biggrin_25525:
     
  7. blackw900

    blackw900 The Grandfather of Flatbed

    5,817
    7,675
    Jul 12, 2009
    A.W.O.L
    0



    Well, Let's see...I have an atlas and mapquest and a phone (to call the customer and get directions to their location) I have never gotten on some farm trail and gotten into a situation like that and yet I see posts here all the time about some poor schmuk following their GPS off of a cliff or under a low overpass or to the wrong place.


    So...Maybe us "old goats" are onto something here!
     
  8. IROCUBabe

    IROCUBabe Road Train Member

    2,563
    1,024
    Apr 9, 2008
    Dallas, TX
    0
    Well to be fair, the GPS has saved my ### so many times its not funny. But usually I use MS Streets which I can check the routing on and change. I am not amused with the Street Atlas program at all, its cumbersome, hard to use, and the only good feature is the accurate speed based ETA.

    I prefer streets and trips mostly because I can just turn the GPS off and use it like a map, I cannot explain how gosh darn useful it is to have a map of pretty much every road in the us, its not 100&#37; but its like 98% of all roads and its -so- useful when the directions to shipper/consignee make no #### sense.
     
  9. IROCUBabe

    IROCUBabe Road Train Member

    2,563
    1,024
    Apr 9, 2008
    Dallas, TX
    0
    I was never in any danger of falling off a cliff, driving into a river, crossing a bridge that wasn't there. I was actively watching for low underpasses, and know better then to attempt one, and was also on the look out for any 'no truck' or weight limits that would bar my passage. None of that happened, just this turn, that looked doable, but I guess not. :biggrin_2557:

    While the road was 'interesting' and not one I'd have ever taken without the #### gps, it was only the turn that screwed me. Once we went right and found a lot to turn around in we were fine. But wow man, that turn was killer. And there was no way around it. I wasn't the first truck to do it though, there were plenty of signs other trucks tried and weren't lucky enough -not- to damage anything.
     
  10. notarps4me

    notarps4me Road Train Member

    10,311
    5,253
    Jan 1, 2007
    NASA HQ
    0
    You seen some church lots tho? I have seen a few that the asphalt was all tore up. They don't pave them expecting 80000 lbs to be making flips.
     
  11. MidSouth

    MidSouth Light Load Member

    57
    21
    Aug 31, 2009
    Okolona,MS
    0
    Yep can't really blame the church for the no truck signs. It takes a lot of asphalt to support 80'000 lbs especially in a tight turn. And as for the gps it is tool and like any tool if used wrong it will hurt you. A person still has to use the computer on top of your shoulders.
     
  • Truckers Report Jobs

    Trucking Jobs in 30 seconds

    Every month 400 people find a job with the help of TruckersReport.