cooking in the truck

Appreciate your response, Kmac, but are you suggesting that the vast majority of OTR truck drivers do not have a beer at the end of the day? That only a very few disreputable scallywags pop a Bud or 2 at the end of a long hard slog?

 

I believe that the majority of OTR drivers do not have a beer or 2 at the end of the day . I believe that the majority of adults do not have a couple of beers at the end of the day .

I think that if you have to have a couple of beers because it is the end of your day that you might need to do something besides drive a truck over the road.

I do not think there is anything wrong with a beer after a hard day at home but you are not at home in your truck no matter what you tell yourself and all it takes is one split second to change your life for ever whether it is your fault or not . That's why they call it a profession not just a job .

 

OK, point taken. However, I would be interested to know if yours and KMac's views are the consensus views. It's pretty clear to me now that I would not even be able to PU a 6-pack on my way home. Fuggettaboutit.

OTOH, having a beer with or without a meal at a TS during my break seems pretty harmless. Downright American, even.

 

If it seems pretty harmless this is probably not the profession for you. I am going to assume you do not have your CDL yet, are you aware the legal limit for DUI in a commercial vehicle is .04? Half of what you are used to now, also if you have any alcohol in your system and you get tested by the DOT they can shut you down for 24 hours. That means you are not moving, you are not making any money and your load is probably going to be late so you are looking at a service failure. All for a downright American beer.

Do you know what the laws are for each state? In most if not all you are not allowed to have an open container in a vehicle. A truck is a vehicle. People get charged with DUI when they are not even driving but because they are drunk and in a vehicle. It doesn't matter that they are not moving, it doesn't matter that the keys are not in the ignition, it doesn't matter that they are not in the drivers seat.

Finally, something to really think about, You are proposing driving and 80,000 vehicle that is around 72' long down a highway with alcohol in your system, if you realize that on a normal dry sunny day under perfect conditions it takes about 900 feet to bring that vehicle to a complete stop, how much more distance are you going to need if your reaction time is just slowed by say 1/2 second?

Human reaction time takes a about 1 1/2 seconds under the best of circumstances, that's 3/4 of a second for your brain to realize the need to stop and another 3/4 of a second to move the foot to the brake, at 60 mph, that vehicle has moved 135' in that time, then you have to consider brake lag. These are Air brakes, you do not just push the pedal and the brakes go to work, there is a delay as the air charges the brake chambers and the slack adjusters to take up the slack and actually apply the brakes. This is another 1/2 second so in that two seconds from when your brain realized the need to stop and the brakes actually beginning to work, you have traveled around 180'. This is of course under ideal conditions.

So if your reaction time is delayed even 1/2 second you have increased the distance before any breaking reaction even begins to around 225 feet. Remember you have not even begun to slow down yet, your brakes are just now engaging.

Once again, if having a beer at the end of the day is that important to you, I would highly suggest another line of work.

 

Wow, that's quite a sermon there, Preacher. And once again, as you said, I would be having a beer at the end of the day! I'm not DWI!

You said:
People get charged with DUI when they are not even driving but because they are drunk and in a vehicle. It doesn't matter that they are not moving, it doesn't matter that the keys are not in the ignition, it doesn't matter that they are not in the drivers seat.

Does it matter where the vehicle is located? This is serious question relative to the law in this case.

In any case, KMac, your points are well taken and I appreciate your input.
Thanks. Others may benefit from this though it's probably in the wrong thread!

 

In my experience, if you have access to operate the vehicle you can be charged with DUI.

 

Considering the proclivity of cops to target truckers for enforcement with just possession of alcohol, let alone consumption, you'd be well advised to leave drinking to hometime.

 

"In (your) experience"? This actually happened to you, Big Hat?

 

No to the stove. Just nuke it.

 

how do yall clean the pots and pans?