Describe to a noob your worst "close call" and how you avoided it.

My 17 year old nephew,who had been driving trucks for 2 years(I know-but he wouldn`t go to school!)with his dad or another uncle,was driving(W-900&48`reefer with produce)on 4 lane highway.We were running 50mph or so behind a gas tanker.He started to pass the tanker and I reminded him(not so gently) that our exit was only 2 miles away.As we got beside the tanker,there had been recent construction in the median and lots of rain.Nephew dropped off the shoulder and was "sucked" into the median.We were approaching an overpass at another 4 lane highway,the truck now listing at 30 degrees or more,starting to jackknife.I knew we would end upside down in the middle of Rt.29,or come back into the road and broadside a loaded gas tanker,either way I knew this was it-we were gone.God sat the truck back into our lane without even a bobble or a weave PERFECTLY!!It was 30 mminutes before I could speak.No amount of skill could have saved us that day-I`m glad God did.
The next day Nephew had to wash the truck to get the 3'' of mud from inside the frame rails and what was packed elsewhere. on the truck.My return back the next week and I saw ruts in the median about a foot deep.
Fifteen years and I still remember it like yesterday.

 

This was a close call on scrapper (Cat MB 830) I know it's not a truck but scrappers are actually harder to keep between the ditches because you always have to have the rpms high or you lose steering. They also have articulated steering, so backing one, is like trying to back a set of short tongued doubles.
I had just finshed repairing some hydraulic lines from the "christmas tree" to the "pan" and I had to road test the rig before turning it back to the operator (I was a "Heavy Junker" in the Army).
So I took the rig and brought along a private who wanted to learn how to run the rig. Everything was fine going down the tank trail until we hit a wet spot and the pan slid right into the ditch. Next thing I know the tractor was on 3 wheels instead of its normal 6.
The private was sh******* his pants since there was roughly 3' between him and the ground, so I dropped the tranny down 3 gears, floored it and pulled hard left dragging the "pan" back up scrapping the side of the tank trail.
The rig finally slammed down hard back on the other 3 wheels and besides my pride the only things damaged, were a newly graded section of road, the pizzed grader operator waving and cussing at me, and yeah, the private had to be brought back to the barracks to change his wet pants.

 

this a.m. I-380 southbound about mm35.

very slick, snowing to beat all heck...

and as I pulled back in after passing... the headlights went out...

no nothing... flipped from low to high, high to low, checked the switch toggling it up and down... ZERO...

crap I really didn't plan on getting killed on christmas eve by driving off the road in a (f) riggin snow storm... (pulled on the four-ways)

got on the c.b., "how bout that grain hauler just got passed by the tanker?"

he answered... but what he said I haven't a clue... lol

"this is the tank, I just lost all my lights can you hit your brights and straddle the center for me so I can see where I'm going.?"

He did and followed me on down the hill and to the next exit.

was afraid to stop on the road, might get rear ended and there was no shoulder because the plows hadn't been out yet.

probably no big deal, but it put the pucker to me and I can still taste the upholstry in the back of my throat.

checked the breakers at the truckstop and they were ALL cooking hot, defroster was pumping hot air into the dash. waited ten minutes and they popped back on. left the cover off for airflow and been fine since.

stupid mack's

 

sometimes He drives, huh?

 

I had a recent one, this year three days before thanksgiving. I was rolling westbound on I 68 thru Maryland. As I passed Cumberland it started to snow. Wonderful i get to drive Garret County in a snow fall. Anybody who's been thru Garret County on 68 knows what I'm talking about. It isn't that the roads are bad, just 50 miles of 5-8% percent grades, curves and a Highway Dept that does NOT know the meaning of clean dry roads.
Anyway heading down one of the grades I had 40,000 in the box and was breaking traction at times. I was going about 35-45 mph. Another driver let me know he was coming round and did it very well and was cool about it. Not some jerkweed billy big rigger. He got 3 truck lengths ahead of me when two four wheelers spun out in front of him. He had no choice but to get on the brakes. He started to go into a jackknife. The trailer started to come round on his blindside which would've put the two fourwheelers over the cliff. I saw all this get closer. I tried to gently slow down but started going myself so I got off the binders and pushed in the clutch to free up the wheels.
Looking in my mirror I saw the hill behind had 5 or more big trucks coming down and a whole slew of cars. This was going to be ugly. When I was 1-1 1/2 truck lengths away he pulled it out of the slide. Noone got hurt or wrecked.
There was nothing I could've done except aim for the middle and hope nobody smacked into me, if he had continued sliding.
I never did get his name but we got a cup of coffee at the rest area on the WV, MD border and talked a bit.
That driver was a professional,19 years and over 2,000,000 miles accident free.
He said he just rode it out, but I think that alot of guardian angels were at work that night.
I don't know if he is a member on this forum but if so "hey Mast, nice save nice save". That was all i could say on the cb when he strightened her out, that night.
thanks again for being there God.
There are no atheists in the seat of an 18 wheeler on a dark and stormy night.

 

Coming off a bush road and onto the snowy highway, I was doing about 45mph when I blew a brake line to one of the tractor brake pots and it dynamited all 4 brakes on a corner and sent the truck going sideways.

I was able to keep it on the road and came to a stop and after pulling the seat cloth out of my rear I proceded to spend an hour and a half under the truck at -50 to fix the airline and I was on my way again.

 

I-40 in Arizona. Eastbound, almost to the New Mexico state line.

It's night time. No traffic behind me for about a mile. I'm in the right lane, coming up on a truck ahead of me about 1/2 mile ahead. I can see I am catching up to him pretty quickly so, knowing I won't be holding up any traffic, I go ahead and switch to the left lane to give the truck plenty of time to see me.
I'm rolling at 62 (top speed for our company trucks) and by my best estimates the rig ahead is going 35-40. I get closer and can see that there is a truck ahead of him. I back off the pedal, jakes on, to see if the rear truck is going to come out and pass him. He stays behind the leading truck so I roll on, now at about 55.
Just as I get up on him, the rear truck *jerks* into the left lane just ahead of me. I slam on the brakes and steer left, towards the median. My trailer starts sliding off to the right so I grab the trailer brakes on the dash, get off the floor brakes and hit the fuel. I jerk back straight with the trailer....the back corner of my trailer missing his by maybe a foot.
By now I am in the median, bouncing like mad, and I shut it down as quickly as is safe (thank God for wide, flat medians!!), wait until I can breathe again and give birth to my seat cushion.

The other driver never stopped. He just kept right on going. Hope he sh**s square....large, sharp edged ones....

RT

 

Nice save there RT....

 

Was rolling out to LA from Houston one night at about 2AM...maybe 10 minutes west of Sonora, Tx...when the dinner I had at 8 came back to haunt me. It hit me so hard I thought I was going to make a mess in my pants. With no exit in sight, I hit the narrow shoulder and jumped out the passanger door with a roll of paper towls. Squated against the side step and let it fly. While doing so a dang possum appears out of nowhere, runs off between my legs, and scares even more crap out of me...now I have crap flying down my leg, falling over my pants (which are at my ankles), and I am looking at a pair of headlights pulled in behind me with blue lights flashing. I quickly jump back into my truck, do a quick strip, wipe, and clean jeans as the DPS officer is knocking on my drivers door. I start to laugh at the entire situation while trying to come up with a good lie to tell him just WHY I am on his highway shoulder. After 10 minutes, he lets me go. I told him the truck started to overheat and I just checked the water. I get rolling, trying to find the next exit so I can get rid of the crappy jeans and nasty smelling paper towls.

Now I all but crack up whenever I drive by that spot, or see a possum on the road.

Hyper