Tandem placement and turning radius

Yeah but you never told me that the tandems are the point of sharpest curvature (or apex) of my track around the curve. If that had occurred to me or if you told me that, I would have understood it instantly.

 

The photograph of the above drawing shows my interpretation of what you mean when you say that the center of the axle group will always be the apex of my track around the curve. The green line is the path that the tandems take around the curve around the guard shack. The red line is the path that the rear of the trailer takes around the curve around the guard shack. At any one moment in time, the green line is always closer to the guard shack than the red line. Therefore, the tandems go closer to the guard shack than the rear of the trailer. So once the tandems clear the obstacle (the guard shack), I am going to make it past the guard shack.

 

Well, I never really made a point of thinking about it during my career. I am thinking about it now though. Now I will know this knowledge forever. In the past, I kind of operated on a need to know basis. If I didn't need to know something to safely deliver a load on time, I didn't bother with it. I have always had an excellent safety record and an excellent service record. So it is possible to have an excellent safety record and an excellent service record without knowing this.

 

I probably know some aspects of trucking that you don't know.

The company I used to work for rejected 75% of their drivers who applied to be trainers. With me, I was approved to be a trainer the first time I applied. I was approved to be a trainer based on my safety record and my service record and the fact that I rarely get a log violation.

 

I just did not really think about it previously. I learned trucking things on a need to know basis.

I've drove over a million miles without ever having a wreck. My only accident has been a backing accident. I must be doing something right.