So what happened? You figure it out. I did only too late.

I ran over a stop sign once! Only it was already on the ground because about 50 other drivers had run it over before me. Next time I came back, the corner was asphalted up and the stop sign was about 10 feet further back. These are the people who are designing our roads, folks.

 

This was within the first week of my driving career back in 95, I was pulling a 53' and the place I was going to required the tandems to the rear. Thinking I'd save time, I slid the tandems back before I headed out to the shipper.

Well, that second right hand turn was a doosey, getting those tandems close to that fire hydrant, awfully close.... <ping!>.... knocked the hydrant over. Thank fully this was in a northern city where the water valves are below ground and no water came out. And only a scratch on the rim.

That's my story and I'm stickin' to it.

 

So what do you think happened. The trailer loaded and offset, crookity lean factor, or what?

Didn't pay attention to where the trailer was following?

Your true opinion after the fact.

 

No excuses.

 

There is a gizmo/bushing type thingies on the rear tandems. Wish I could remember what it was called. I had one fall out once. Very rare. I was lucky because I was backing into a spot at night but noticed the rear of the trailer was acting funny. It was not responding normally to steering wheel inputs. It was weaving around like a drunken sailor...This might be what got the OP in trouble. I could definitely see this event occurring.

 

Few things; First, it appears the tandems were back further than you regularly run them. So, you off-tracked much further.

Second, when you slide tandems, because they have to be able to slide, there is some wiggle room in them. If you don't set all four pins, you can possibly get a tandem that is slightly off-center and will cause you to off-track. This may have been what put you into the post. And helped contribute to the off-tracking of the sign.

Either way. This was entirely your responsibility. You had a bad day. More than likely, you're going to be in hot water over it. Whether you will still have a job depends on how forgiving your company is and what your record was prior to this 'bad day'.

Either way. Doing things because you've always done them and it worked doesn't mean you can let your guard down.

 

They wouldn't let you clean your truck out??

 

Sorry wooly.....see u on the road real soon im sure...

 

QFMFT.

I used to think it was due to a street "engineer" who didn't know his exhaust port from a hole in the ground; but nowadays I think it's 'cuz they're too cheap to add a little more concrete/asphalt to make the corner easier to navigate by bigger vehicles.