Driver found dead behind wheel, co driver in bunk

Yours was a classic.
They start in the arm and go to numbing. The dull ache in the shoulder is the radiating pain from the heart area.

I was called to the main building once because a co worker felt odd.

I looked at him and ask some questions as to how it felt to walk and if there was chest pain. No pain. He was pale as a ghost and had redness on the face. He was just plain tired.

Went to the phone dialed 911 and had ems started for a heart attack.

I knew the medics on the rig when they showed and gave them the vitals I had, with the history. Load and go. Went to the hospital about half hour later, knew the doctor and he told me I was responsible for saving him.

 

That is just plain eerie. That was me right there.

 

What is sad about it, is that the boss, owner of the company tried to stop everything and get him back to work. Seems to him it was just an upset stomach and there was work to do.

As a paramedic, I have seen many varieties of it. Some are just gradual and not alerting till too late.

 

Some people just don't want to retire. I have a 70 year old step-grandfather who is still out there in his 1982 International cabover. The man's got plenty of cash saved up, but he wouldn't be anywhere else.

About ten years ago, I did a stint with Zumstien, out of Lewisburg, Ohio. The old man who owned the outfit, which at the time had a couple hundred trucks, still drove, he let the kids he sent to college run the business. He was in his early 70's at the time, though he didn't look it. If you didn't know him, he looked like just another driver. More than one driver got fired for badmouthing the company to what he thought was just another driver. He was a character...don't know if he is still around.

 

Please dont misunderstand me!
Driving a truck at 70 or older, assuming you can pass a physical, because YOU WANT TO is lot different than driving at 70 b/c YOU HAVE TO!
I dont care how old the driver is as long as he is cleared by a doctor that is willing to share in the liability if the drivers' health suddenly fails and a tragedy ensues.
A driver who decides at 65 to "chase his dreams" of being a truck driver is going to be alot better than a driver at 65 "living a nightmare" cuz he CANT AFFORD TO RETIRE!
That's what I should have typed, I guess.

 

I imagine this whole discussion will be mute once the new regulations come into effect.

It's easy to see an imposed age limit in the near future, as in other critical and demanding jobs.

 

Care to share information on the "new regulations" you mention. If your talking about csa 2010 there are no new regulations simply the same ones being scored and shared differently.

 

Until you have driven for Falcon or been part of a team you have no idea what the conditions were in the cab. The cabs are tight for one person let alone two people that can not get a long. Shame on Falcon for not immediately seperating the two individuals. Typical standard operating procedure for them. Falcon should be held, in some way, legally responsible for this tragic avoidable incident. You can not sweep things under the rug and hope that they go away!!!!!!

 

You see thats why I don't want to do teams with my luck I would end up with a crazy.