Taking a turn in 3rd gear

When I was young and had too much testosterone in my veins I drove a 28' curtain van 2 axle straight truck doing local city work. I was turning left across a 4 lane with a middle turn lane in heavy traffic. There was a big puddle in the gutter and it made all my tires wet so I could see the tire tracks left on the road as I pulled out....

I started out in a higher gear so I could get moving through the gap in traffic. Hammered hard through the straight part and had to coast into the turn so I wouldn't take it too fast. It felt fine but when I looked in the mirror I could see the tracks on the road from the wet tires. The track on the back left side disappeared for a good 8-10'!

It's better to be in a lower gear and power through a turn than to go fast and coast through it. I think you did the right thing.

 

Look on the flip side. What would you do if you were driving a car coming into that turn and some moron comes flying around that corner and smokes you?

 

Some trainers get on a power trip and love throwing their weight around. Most have never been in any kind of management position before, and the only people they've ever managed in their entire lives were their own kids. My trainer had an attitude from the moment we met. He started barking instructions at me like a drill instructor. Before we left I stuck out my hand to shake his, and said that I was sorry it didn't work out, and best of luck to him. He seemed dumbfounded and asked what was wrong. I told him that I didn't want to get fired and arrested for kicking his butt. We talked it out and it worked fine together for the next 4 weeks.

 

Some turns I take in 6th gear, but it is totally dependent on the situation.......plus I have taken that same turn many times. The guy is too inflexible....you cant say 4th gear is the only gear to take a corner. There may be times you get down to 2nd gear if there is a pole or a tight fit on a turn.

Get far away from that guy.....far far away.

 

YOU.

I FIGHT FOR YOUR DEFENSE.

YOUR TRAINER IS A IDIOT. Uptight as the word comes to mind, HE should be TOSSED OFF for additional training how to LOOSEN UP. What TIGHTWAD. Ordering you about.

So you took her in third. GREAT. I don't care if you took her in second even. The MAIN thing is you recognised several threats to safety and slowed even more. All I ask of trainees is that they stay in gear until the turn is complete then they can add power and go back to cruise speed.

I'll have that trainer fired. I'll take his spot instead. What I DON'T WANT is YOU to get damaged. Or ruined as a trainee scared to do every little thing on your own. I need you to maintain the pair of balls you have and follow your deicisons in whatever you do with that big truck in that drivers seat.

If there is a problem, I'll #### sure bark and bite you. But overall... I recognize that you are well on your way to being a GOOD driver. I might even a good radio program like Unshackled while you go about your working day driving as you please making decisions now hat's best for your truck.

Don't worry. I'll have my eye on you. But it's NOT a threat, or scary thing at all. If you are a evolving GOOD captain on that wheel and of the ship, I'll find myself with very little to do. (I'll find something for sure.) but you probably are on your way to my recommendation to be solo not too long into your future from me.

What your trainer did hurt you very much. YOU go to the Officer in Charge of Trainers, tell him what for exactly as it happened (Even better if you had google earth of that intersection, ramp etc in questions) and tell him nicely and FIRMLY that your trainer did wrong.

Document everything so you have it all.

 

When it comes to driving commercial vehicles slower is always better turning, backing and not just that its all about your comfort level not matter what gear your trainer was telling you to turn in your the driver so if you felt more comfortable turning in 3rd then 4rth their shouldn't have been an issue. That trainer has authority issues telling you to do something just because he said so not having anything to do with how well your driving you made a good choice getting off of his truck.

 

High flatbed loads are like that too, and the way the flats are constructed there's a lot more room between the tops of the tire and the floor of the flat. Doing a U turn can flip over a flat with a high center of gravity, like the 40,000 1.5 and 2 inch conduit pipe stacked 13'4.

During a U turn 5th wheel can pivot too much to quickly and over it takes you. Same with a pretty steep angle pulling into jobsite and whatnot. A van on the other hand will rub and pinch on the drives before it gets to point of no return. Not all the time, if you goon it there's still a good chance of laying it over.

OP give his b.s. right back. You've won already, if he's that picky he obviously hates his life. If this was the oilfield he'd be ran off in a heartbeat.

 

Not much to add, just take the turn in whatever safe speed/gear is appropriate.