Stay away from Covenant

How "dangerous" is it for YOU to hit an emergency worker working an emergency situation, while you're driving a Big truck?
If you could do that, and DID it, and it didn't bother you for the rest of your life, you have a harder heart than me ---
and I'm a baaadd man ------->
I suspect that if you were to take someone out that way, your Big truck truck drivin' days would be numbered, if not ended.

I think, we don't know WHAT we'd do until the situation presents itself.

Perhaps you should consider backin' 'er down to a safer speed when emergency workers are present? Maybe THEN you COULD stop before taking the life of an "idiot firefighter".

I'm sure we've all seen the signs reading
Give 'em a brake.
Well, they didn't misspell the word "brake".

HEED the NEED.

 

Did you misread my post? I said that I always slow down but emergency workers need to also watch for traffic if they are stepping out into traffic lanes.

I did not say hitting a emergency worker would not bother me.
Big truck driving days numbered or being over I don't think so.
If I slow down and do everthing right and still hit and kill someone that stepped out in front of me it would not be my fault.
I was just saying that I will not cause an accident with another vehicle just to avoid something that steps out in my traffic lane.

There are times durring driving that it was impossible to get over.
I buzzed by a cop were it is against the law to not get over in the left lane did he come after me nope he heard the jakes on high and seen that I was slowing down trying to get over but had no opening.
He was in between hills and could not be seen untill you were right on top of him.

 

Going back to the event...

We don't know from here whether or not Covenant properly maintained that truck. If records show that they did, odds are they'll be excluded from any finding of wrong doing - even if something broke.

Of course, if they HAVE been skimping on maintenance...

Right or wrong, it's standard legal practice to shotgun everybody involved - it's the theory that "everybody is guilty of something".

We also don't know if Greyhound had the opportunity to move over - or if he slowed down (unless I missed something - possible). "Slow down for emergency vehicles" etc does NOT mean 'slow to a crawl'. It means slow to a speed whereby somebody at the scene can get out of the way. It's not so YOU can maneuver, it's so THEY can - though slowing down should assist in maybe finding a hole in the next lane into which you can wedge yourself.

What interests me is, there's no mention of the fire department or city being sued. They should be, as well - they obviously haven't been training their personnel proper scene safety.

From what I can see... on the face of it, there is one person primarily at fault, and that's the firefighter. Secondary goes to his department, THEN Greyhound and Covenant come into the picture.

 

I knew about the team driving after the training period but never would I have thought they'd do the same thing during a student's 35 days of initial training. My husband has experienced this first hand (and is worse off for it). So now I'm wondering, is this the kind of training condoned by the company? I asked my husband if he told his trainer manager that he and his trainer are just team driving with him being in the seat by himself for entire shifts. His response was that they HAD to know it was going on due to the number of miles they were getting each day.

Is there ANYONE out there that was trained by Covenant who DID NOT team drive during their initial five weeks of training? That's the main thing I want to find out.

 

I almost took out some highway patrol men out in the east I hink it iwas on the pa turnpike when I was training.
I was driving people started to slow down and get over into the left lane I slowed down but by the time I seen what everyone was slowing down and changing lanes for I was 1/4 mile from them.

The funny thing is there was not a patrol car sitting there with lights flashing by the guy's they were standing in the middle of the lanes on the turnpike motioning for people to get over I had to brake hard to keep from hitting them about another 1/4 mile from them was the first patrol car with lights flashing I was like WTF.
My trainer popped out of the sleeper to see why I was slowing down he told me to watch out that is when I hit the brakes hard brecause the truck in front of me just got over so we could see them in the middle of the road.
I had to pry my butt off of the seat that day. I thought I was going to have to buy new underwear.

 

Here is the article on the death. It happened at 4:20 am in the morning. There were warning lights on the truck. We have had the move over law for several years. It was because a fire fighter had been struck and killed.

link http://www.daryltdixonlaw.com/libra...refighter-struck-by-bus-and-killed-on-i57.cfm
Southern Illinois Firefighter Struck By Bus And Killed On I-57

Greyhound says it will fully cooperate with an Illinois State Police investigation into why one of its buses struck and killed a southern Illinois firefighter along Interstate 57. Authorities say the Sesser firefighter died at the scene at about 4:20 this morning. His name hasn't been released. State police say the victim and other firefighters had finished putting out a tractor-trailer fire about three miles north of Benton when the Greyhound hit him. State Police Trooper David Sneed says the bus driver will face several citations. He says some bus passengers reported that the driver appeared sleepy before the crash. A Greyhound spokeswoman says the bus was headed to Chicago from Memphis and was carrying 51 passengers and the driver. No one on the bus was hurt.

 

I start driving school Monday (9/15). I have studied as much as I can. I have had to leave my job as Pressroom Superintendent after 29 years with a major metropolitan newspaper. I have chosen truck driving as my second career, part II of my life. It is plain to see that the number one rule is the same on the road as it is in the pressroom. Safety is #1. Always anticipate the unexpected. I have done so in the pressroom and have all 10 digits on both hands, however several of my coworkers cannot say the same. I will start with a clean CDL. It is my objective to keep it that way, and I am about to find out how difficult that job will be. I am driven to succeed.

I will not work for a company who ignores PM. Thanks to all who have given me a "heads up" on Covenant. I will research further along these lines.

Florida Floyd->>>

 

I don't think so.

Did you misread my comment in reply?
"Perhaps you should consider backin' 'er down to a SAFER speed when emergency workers are present?"
*Notice I posed it as a question?

Did I say you did?
Actually, I brought it up first.
"IF you could do that, and it didn't bother you ....................".

IF you WERE doing EVERYthing right --- you wouldn't hit ANYone, or anything.
Keeping in mind that the D.O.T. considers ALL 'accidents' to be PREVENTABLE, and Big truck truck drivers are hung out to dry for what seem to be silly reasons, I think there's dreamin' and reality.
IF ANYone takes out ANYone wearin' a badge, the outcome won't be pretty. They'll want to make an 'example' of that driver. And even IF one was found innocent of the charges, it's a hassle I'm sure most would prefer to avoid. Innocent or guilty, it'll appear on one's driving record. I'm thinkin' that would greatly inhibit one's chances of scoring one of those great drivin' jobs.

Even IF it's the better choice?
Some"thing"? Or someONE?
Huge difference.
Denting fenders or taking a life?
Hmmmmmmmmm
Hard decision?
Not for me.

So you say.
I'll take your word for it.

Perhaps speeding up to merge over would have been better?

Ya reckon he was just an "idiot cop" --- like that "idiot firefighter"?

Does Greyhound think they have a choice?

Are you reading that, MG?
Doing what's "right" can be defined in several ways.
You say --- They say --- and the jury decides.

And other motorists traveling in the vicinity of a Big truck involved in a crash COULD say the same thing about the Big truck truck driver.
Are they correct?
Are they incorrect?
Ask the jury.
And we ALL know how popular Big truck truck drivers are with the general motoring public, --- also known as our "peers". It only takes 12 to tango.
Bailif --- remand the defendant.

Maybe not physically, but I'm thinkin' there will be a few who claim mental problems. And they might be telling the truth.

Eighty-thousand pounds vs the weight of an emergency worker.
Who wins if EITHER makes a mistake?
Safety is NO accident.
Give me a break and give THEM a brake. THEY are lifeSAVERS.
Don't take chances with their's.

BINGO!
Absolutely!

Right ON!
Sounds impossible, ..... but it's not.
Learn how to 'read' traffic, and be prepared for the unexpected.
And as much as some of us hate the CB radio, it IS a useful tool that CAN promote safety.

I'm glad to know your "digits" are intact.
When you become a seasoned driver of Big trucks, those digits will come in handy when shifting gears. You see, you don't want to use your fist, just your fingers, to slip 'er into gear.

I already like your attitude, Floyd of Florida.
YeS I do.

Good luck and best of success to you, sir.

 

Is it my imagination, or do you seem to have an inordinate number of near misses with uniforms?
Hmmmmmm
Then again, maybe they're just "idiots"?

 

For the east coast... check out Roehl... very well rated among drivers on this site, and they are east coast regional only. I may even move east just to work for them if nothing pans out here. May also go with Crete for a year and then take it from there... but prefer a union or small company job if I can get that.