Where are you most likely to hit stuff

Some things are left better unsaid.You scratch your trk or trailer,you see nothing as long as no other vehicles involved.Even then some would keep quiet if you pay them.If you turn in a scratch to the safety dept they'll make a huge deal out of it.It doesn't take much in this industry to tarnish your record.Hitting a fence would qualify as one of the objects that gets hit the most.Hiting other trucks with the back of the trl because the driver didn't swing wide enough.Ive read a lot over the last few yrs drivers hitting low bridges.

 

Some drivers will go out of their way to hit stuff....but I can understand how one can confuse grass for asphalt on a clear sunny day...sucks when a rock pops out of the ground...this is a straight back mind you....seen it a few times.

 

I'm not going to tell you to report anything or don't report it. Just remember, when your boss messes up your pay check, they ain't going to report it so quickly to you too either. Use your best judgement.

 

""Where are you most likely to hit stuff""
when moving..!!.. much harder to hit stuff when your parked
sorry I just had too

seriously it happens when you THINK your clear instead of LOOKING to be sure if you are. like a 90 back at the truck stop..... keep looking at your trailer (don't hit anyone) and forget to check the front as you swing around

 

I guess that would depend on the "ding". If it's the truck, you might want to report it so you don't get blamed.. If it's the trailer, and there isn't a huge dent or a gaping hole in it, it's not necessarily a big deal. If there's a huge stripe or a hole in it that wasn't there when you parked it, you might want to report that as well. But that depends on your company. Some companies may blame you either way.

 

Ah, yes. The infamous acronym - GOAL.

Get Out And Look

Most accidents / bumps / hits / tags / etc. that I've seen have been when backing. Either people forget about the front of their tractor because they're concentrating on the trailer so much or they overdrive the rear of the trailer by turning the steering wheel too much one way. A lot of this will get better with experience, but those are two big things to watch out for.

I know several others have said to look if you aren't sure and that is very true and good advice. Don't be embarrassed if you aren't sure about what's behind you and you need to hop out and look. It's better that you run around the trailer and take a look at where you are and what else is around you instead of trying to be a Super Trucker and slam your trailer into another trailer or another object around you.

 

Missing your address and having to find a spot to turn around.
Do not get impatient,look for a Wal-Mart,home depot etc.
Do not try unknown streets.
Its worth it to drive 20 miles,if needed.

 

And don't forget about tail swing, especially when you have your tandems slid way up ... running close up alongside a wall or other structure or object, then making a hard u-turn ...

http://www.livetrucking.com/tractor...il&utm_term=0_1bffac7135-f1aa8b1038-132605037

 

And turning into a tight spot such as a parking spot ... you have to also keep an eye on the front of your trailer ON THE OPPOSITE side of the way your turning. the corner of the trailer will extend out a good ways beyond the width of the tractor drive tandems, at the critical part of the turn.

Example, making what might amount to a "U-turn" around and back in between two parked trucks is a good way to get into trouble this way.