There are times when being cautious can lead to disaster

Possibly. I wasn't expecting to have to deal with the culvert, given the broad shoulder on the opposite side and being able to get the trailer tandems completely off the pavement before initiating the button hooking.

Once I saw the culvert came in play the best choice was gunning it while get my driver's side steer up the hill on the opposite side of the shallow ditch. That kept the line of the trailer wheels on track to cross at an angle, with about 15 mph to get the tandems across the gap quickly to limit the sideways tilt and bring it upright.

It's a maneuver that I have to execute often and not just on these narrow country roads. Even brand new facilities in town make ridiculously narrow entrances. With my own spread axle trailer I can often keep one axle at a time on pavement. That three axle step didn't have the luxury of a spread, all the axles we're bunched together, so that increased the challenge.

 

Perhaps my OP left the wrong impression. While the customer was impressed with the amount of momentary trailer tilt, I wasn't. It was well within the bounds of control. However, if I had elected to drop gears and be dainty about that culvert, it could have been a different story.

This kind of aggressive throttle to complete a turn isn't unusual out in the Oklahoma oil fields. It's a necessity. Many a turn simply doesn't have enough room to get any more advantage by blocking an intersection while jockeying your tractor. Often I get completely off-road to the left side before making a right turn. The trailer wheels are already in as ideal position as possible. Even still you can be at risk of dropping the right side trailer tires into a culvert, ditch, or other obstacle.

In the OP situation it can't be stressed enough that taking time to get another few inches of trailer position while blocking the intersection is a BAD IDEA. That narrow two lane "highway" has plenty of truck traffic: bull haulers, hay humpers, and oilfield traffic. Could YOU bring a smooth bore ISO tank hauling 25 tons of acid at max gross weight with less than 50% volume in the tank to a complete stop in less than 250 yards going downhill at 65+ mph? I didn't want to force anyone into that scenario.

Again, this is a routine maneuver for me and for many of us out here. For the customer following in the pickup truck it may have given him a moment of excitement, but the situation was well in hand and the safest overall strategy. I had well over an hour to sort through the possibilities after the first run. It was the obvious and best course of action.

 

Aw shucks, that'll buff right out.

That got me curious. I would say that road isn't recommended, especially with a spread axle flatbed.

I understand you jest with your post. It did look like he attempted to speed up, but I don't think ANYTHING would have saved that situation, other than doing one of two right things:

1. Don't take that road. You can see from the map it's a hideous option for a big truck. I didn't "drive" the road on Street View to see if it's one of the typical roads that tell you "TRUCKS NOT ALLOWED!!!" well AFTER you have turned onto the road and are committed, or whether the driver could have executed a turn by backing into a bazillionaire's driveway. If he felt committed after taking the turn, then the correct course of action is:

2. STOP. Put on your 4-ways. Deploy your reflective triangles CORRECTLY (it does seem that about 95% of "professional" drivers don't do this right...and that opens you up to a ticket), THEN call the police and ask for help.

I've done option two more than just a few times. I have always been thanked for calling. Keeping everyone safe around you on the road sometimes requires getting help.