Experience VS Fate

Experience is important but not everything some deal with these situations better than others. Experience is a deciding factor for the majority of situations but their are some that its more luck than anything.

 

I'm not a trucker yet . but i think , experience driver may hear or been in many more situations than new driver so when somethings bad happen they can react more quickly and save it from getting worse . sometime experience react even before they have to think . just my experience from other jobs . btw Happy New Year to all Truckers and their Family .

 

Experience and Stupidity.

I-80 in WY, 2am. Cruising along minding my p's and q's. Whoa! Looks like fire on both sides of the road? First instinct, hit 4 ways and SLOW DOWN. Well here comes Billy Big Rigger and friends! Debris in the road, both lanes, pickup and trailer overturned in the median, body laying motionless amongest it all. While this is going on, I'm on the radio giving a heads up and looking for a safe place to pull over...

Back to Billy Big Rigger and friends. Here they come, 70 plus, PASS ME ON THE RIGHT as I am slowly making my way to the shoulder. I never made it to the shoulder, I saw them coming and as they were going for the shoulder TO PASS ME!!!!

I never was able to stop. I called 911 and commenced to cussing up such a storm that I didn't even think was possible on the CB.

Clear night, FIRE ON BOTH SIDES OF THE ROAD! And what do these idiots, or at least the one leading the pack do? Charge right through the #### accident scene and almost made a bad situation worse.

Thank GOD I checked my mirrors before trying for the shoulder, with my four ways on and fire on both sides of me. Common sense would have normally told me to forget the mirrors, look at what the hell I was in the middle of!

But no! One of the multitudes of the idiots out here behind the wheel of a big truck proved me wrong again. That old habit of checking the mirrors worked again. And after my radio rant? I was told "Why don't I learn how to drive?"

So you tell me, experience or stupidity?

And yes, a couple of real truck drivers behind the steering wheel holders did stop.

Mike

 

Those are the same idiots who roll up and ride 4' foot off someone's bumper because "they need to get the hell outta my way!"

And then give you the "why you calling me out?" or "Drive your own truck" if you dare to say something on the radio. I won't belittle a driver for a mistake, but if you demonstrate that you are so eaten up by the dumb### that it's a wonder you can feed yourself; I will take great pleasure in publicly expressing to all just how far that disease has progressed!

Happy New Year!

 

It just keeps getting worse out here, not that it was ever perfect. But, the one nice thing with this slow down, is that there are fewer trucks out here, but still enough idiots to go around.

Mike

 

Stats do show that, the reasoning is that for the first few years a person drives they are still learning, scared and all the rest. After 4-5 years stats (again) show that the driver is becoming more relaxed and complaciant. Thus the accidents during this period. This is just what I've read, so please dont shoot the messenger LOL

 

I have always heard that, but here lately all you read about is all the new guys who have tore up stuff and had a half a dozen wrecks and blamed the company for firing them.... Good thing they became drivers and not doctors. Then what? Well, the first 15 patients died because I was learning. Wasn't my fault now they want to fire me... that is so wrong...

 

As a driver of less than 1 year, heres my 2 cents. Yes, experience trumps luck 99.9% of the time. I drive Detroit MI. to Cincinnati OH and back 5 days a week. Doesnt sound like much I know. A closer look...heavy going down, light coming back... freezing in MI then thawing all the way down...then rainy and freezing a little more all the way up. Now lets throw in the "SALT/PLOW" shortage in these two states and a brand new driver seems like a recipe for disaster. So far in 2 months of snow weve had uglier roads than ever. First bad snow/ice storm I pulled over for fuel and to give my butt cheeks a chance to unclench, and an older guy comes over and sees me shakin my head and says hes been follwing me for a hundred or so miles and he would rather not see me kill myself this evening and If I want to follow him Im welcome to. I said hell yea! He said follow a 2 lengths and do what I do when I do it. Man that guy knew his stuff. Once, he sped up to about 40 over a bridge and so I did. He tapped his breaks, I did too sideways the trailer went alittle. SAw it coming and made a nice correction and kept on going. pulled into next ruck stop and he asked if Ihad fun catching my trailer and said nooo. And he gave me the best advice ever you can hit anything you want at 25 and live to do the job tomorrow but hit something at 65 and its probably going to hurt more. I drive hourly and in the slow lane. And thanks to that guy Ill probably live long enough to get the experiance to help some young supertrucker live through his first winter.

 

That was real nice of that other driver.........

 

I think, sir, that you shall see that day. Safety is a lot about attitude, and it sounds as if you'll be fine! Besides, safety is easy: Shiny side up!

Good day!