Anyone noticing more frequent "bad" truck wrecks, lately?

Cell phones, GPS,cameras,satellite radio, big sound systems, are all extra devices drivers seem to need to fool while rolling down the road. Somebody is going to see a wreck up close..( I won't even mention to fast for conditions ) just my opinion...

 

I know traffic and drivers are getting worse, won't argue with that but I think a certain amount comes from the media. There is a real spotlight on truck crashes right now and with the speed and ease that news spreads with I think we're just being informed of things that we wouldn't have known about years ago. It would be interesting to see the actual statistics to see if it's actually happening more frequently.

 

Hi TruckDuo, good heavens, I'm half nuts now just from driving myself around. Training someone who doesn't know what a clutch does, ( among many other things) would do me in altogether. I'm reminded of when I was selling my '85 359, a nice younger man came to look at it, we went for a ride, he asked, if he could try it. He said, don't worry, I know what I'm doing. Reluctantly, I said ok. He didn't get 20 ft. and couldn't shift the 13 speed. ( or any syncroless trans, for that matter, I'd bet) He said to me, I like the truck, but the transmission is shot. I said, I'll take it from here.

 

@"semi" retired have no fear. You'd be training drivers with a CDL. They just won't be the best shifters.

So all you experienced guys.....how many of you will man up and take on the responsibility of training the new drivers so our industry will have better qualified drivers ?

 

The real problem is the 4 wheelers. Today they have 20 crumple zones and 17 air bags in the vehicle protecting them from their mistakes. 20 years ago if you got in a fender bender your neck would hurt for life.

 

I just heard that the millennial generation has surpassed the baby boomers generation as the largest percentage of the country's population. That would mean the two largest population groups are the elderly and also those born after 1985.
The very experienced baby boomers should be pretty capable drivers. While the millennials have been brought into the world of driving both 4 wheelers and big rigs with plenty to distract them.
Learning to to drive a truck back in 1996 wasn't all that difficult for myself. Although by 1999 I had scared the hell out of myself enough and began to learn about driving a truck safely, safely being the key word. And everyday I hope to still learn more. Bottom line is that as professionals we are paid to act professionally. Many big truck wrecks are avoidable if we as drivers would just be patient.

 

Truth be known, I think today's truck drivers are way better off than years ago. Today's drivers at least, are shown what to do, whether they grasp it, is a different story. Years ago, we drove by the seat of our pants, learned as we went, sometimes, with rough results. You can't have that kind of "trial and error" learning , like years ago. Being retired from truck driving, I still watch drivers when I'm driving, and I can say, 99% are doing a great job. Sadly, it's that 1% that gets plastered all over media, so we see it more. ( like snowmobile and motorcycle crashes) Actually, I believe, large truck crashes are down, from like 10-15 years ago. I know, tell that to someone who lost a loved one due to a truck crash. Still, for miles traveled, truck drivers are still the best there is, and I will always defend that.

 

Forget the article think i posted it on here a while back but anyway stats show more bad accidents since 2009

 

Oilfield guys get blamed for everything else lately so we could blame it on them being on the road. Or maybe fedex, any correlation in the growth of their fleet and the number of accidents?