Rolled my truck

I just don't get it. The roads have snow, ice, black ice, or all three. Folks are out there driving like it's a summer day and the gods are smiling on them all.

And "professional" drivers should have parked by that time. But there are the ones that feel they've got to be the heroes.
"Gotta get that load there; dispatcher said so."
"I've got bills to pay; need the money. Gotta run."
"Don't worry; everything will be just fine." CRASH!

The Superman mentality will come back to bite your rearend sooner or later!

We had been assigned a time sensitive, high dollar load going cross country. But the interstate highway was getting slick as the temps had dropped that fast. I was driving our rig and was half on the emergency lane and half on the gravel shoulder as we headed over to get the load. I knew conditions were getting bad because my drives were spinning in various places and I could see the tach revv up.

Phooey on this nonsense! My wife was up front and our driver manager was staying right there on the Qualcomm with us. We told him that if we go any further than necessary, there's no telling what will happen. I'm aiming us for the next truck stop up the road and parking for the night. It'll be better in the morning. To blazes with the load; safety takes priority on this one. And that's just what we did.

The next morning, we headed in and got our load. But it wasn't a pretty sight as we traveled down the road. Trucks, cars, you name it. On the shoulders, in the ditch, wherever. The roadside was littered with vehicles who just couldn't stop.

We remember the Blizzard of '93 as we had JUST started team driving. It paralyzed the Southeast for 3 days. Trucks were parking anywhere they could get a spot. That seemed incredibly odd to us, but we kept rolling. I didn't understand what turning radius meant back then like I do know. Before the evening was over, 2 big tow trucks had to pull the back end of my trailer out of a ditch and they came close to losing me. Believe me, if trucking was going to be THAT rough, maybe it's just time to bail out before the going gets tough and I lose it all.

The next morning, we headed a few miles up the road to the nearest truck stop and parked for 2 days. the roads were shut down and nobody was going anywhere. The truck stop lost power and there was no food...except for what we had. The company asked if we had enough fuel to last us for a while, which we did. "Let us know when you get moving again."

We ate like a king and queen on beefy mushroom soup and hot dogs while others lamented. One wanted a "poke chop sandwich" as we listened to the CB radio. Drivers were scarfing up whatever they could get in the fuel island store; before it was done and over, the shelves were completely cleaned out.

And with my last OTR company, I had made a drop and was trying to get up the road to make my pickup. Those road conditions were awful. The snow flakes were huge and wet. And the exit where I needed to get off was closed. Come to find out; the road where our customer was located had accidents on it and nobody was going anywhere. I headed up into Kentucky and pulled it over. We parked for 3 days and let the snow and ice melt away.

I say all that to say this. There's not really a good reason to keep going when common sense tells you to PULL IT OVER AND PARK THAT RIG. The freight isn't worth it; the rig isn't worth it; the money isn't worth it. All of those can be replaced, but one thing can't: YOU!

I learned awfully quick that it's okay to park, call the company and simply say, "It may be legal to drive, but it's not safe anymore. I'm parking this rig. Please call the customer and let them know that I'll be rolling as soon as I can to deliver this load. But my life is not worth it."

I know what it's like to shut down. When those wheels aren't moving, there's no money coming in. But if you're dead, there's no money for those who are counting on you to help provide for them.

Be safe out there, and use your head! Know when to say when...

 

Words to live by.I bet you've never had a rollover either have you because common since takes over?There's been more times then I can count I have drive in unsafe conditions.But I drive as far as the next trk stop then call it a day.Just not worth getting that load delivered when you know darn well you need to park it.What good is the load to the customer if you have a rollover..Or even land in the ditch and have to wait hrs for the wrecker,you're still going to be late delivering.I don't give a rats ### what my dispatcher or his boss says,if I feel its just too unsafe to keep driving im going to park it and not continue till the plows are out and ill call the weather.

 

pattyj, I've never had a rollover. I don't want to have a rollover!

Have I had an accident? Yepper, sure have. They're not fun.

Have I driven in unsafe conditions? Yes ma'am, I have. It doesn't mean that I like them either. But when it comes to those unsafe conditions, there's one thing I do: slow down. Stop if need be. I deal with rain down south here. Just slow down and let the other idiots take their chances and hydroplane off the roadway. I've seen that happen and it's scary.

Snow? I just slow down and watch where I'm going. But there have been a few times when the conditions dictated that I need to pull it over. Now that I'm running local, it's not so much of an issue.

Ice? That's a delicate issue here for me. Time to pull it over and wait.

Fog. I HATE fog! The four ways go on and I definitely slow down. We deal with that here in our region and it can be deadly if it gets thicker.

My wife and I had a business trip in June and we stopped for gas. No sooner had I gotten back in the car after fueling then she told me that a storm warning had just taken effect. The advisory told people to take cover. We were continuing west to get to our stopping place for the night.

Take cover? Forget that! I'm putting this car in the wind and we going to outrun it. We had wind and it didn't take long before there was rain. Of course I backed down some, but when we got free of the rain, I was on the gas pedal. I'm not sticking around to see that tornado. About an hour later, clear skies greeted us.

The point is knowing what to do when the situation arises. And yes, I've outrun a few storms in a big rig too!

 

Good point, it took a minute to think what you said through. But your right, if you absolutely have control and can think clear enough while things are going south --and you know the truck will stay upright by steering into it --why not !
But i am pretty sure in most cases gut reaction will make you try to pull it back on the road.

 

[QUOTE="Hang - Man";3770806]Good point, it took a minute to think what you said through. But your right, if you absolutely have control and can think clear enough while things are going south --and you know the truck will stay upright by steering into it --why not !
But i am pretty sure in most cases gut reaction will make you try to pull it back on the road.[/QUOTE]
The big thing that gets hammered into the head of drivers new to the patch is how to hit the ditch properly. Doing the work I do ( infield crude transfer) it is a case of when ,not if , you are going in the ditch. For us it's an entirely different type of driving conditions compared to highway driving. The big thing when hauling crude is "Do not roll the truck!" People are going in the ditches everyday but the amount of rollovers is low. I'm new to the patch and have been told repeatedly by the experienced drivers what to do when I go in the ditch, and I did exactly as they said. I think the mindset of highway driving and oil patch driving is different. We know we are going to have screw ups, it's just a case of choosing the lesser of evils when it does happen!

 

8000,00 of something you don't need. Been there, done that.

 

I see how steering down into the ditch as to not upset the high center of gravity will keep up upright, but why would you stay on the accelerator? I would think u would be in coast mode until u had her moving straight, then ease on the brakes?

 

I am a gentle person. Like to see the country. Maybe someday I can make a living at it. After 34 years, I don't make much, but I make enough. Raised a family. I did enough.

 

A rig is at it's most stable when accelerating. Same as blowing out a steer tire, first thing you do is accelerate. I don't mean "gun it down into the ditch" just that by staying on the fuel and driving it is going to keep the rig as stable as possible. By coasting or braking you are changing the dynamic forces affecting the trucks stability.

 

Also when you go into a snow filled ditch trust me you will stop plenty quick enough without your brakes!