FedEx and a bus crash in Cali

Your totally wrong about skid marks from the tires because of ABS braking system.
A hard brake sends the message to lock up all wheels trailer first.
I know that for fact from my "head on crash" just a week ago with a 4 wheeler in Ohio.
They were able to measure the skid from the trailer tandem.
(shoe string effect of stopping)
This isn't Nascar driver it's a tractor trailer combination of doubles.
Unless you have the endorsement on your CDL for doubles, and triples, there's no need for me to explain to you the characteristics of operating them here in this thread.
The 4 wheeler, your of the opinion was in the way of this truck coming at them ?
What I saw was the damage to the drivers side of the car, and they were traveling northbound.
She did a great job not to have a head on crash with FedEx.
That brings me to ask you, and everyone who reads this thread,
Do you "brake to stop and stay the course" or "steer to avoid and see what happens"...?
"Stay the course" your in your lane till you come to a stop is the only choice driver.
"Steer to avoid" is not an option for CDL drivers.
Your trained to drive, and operate this equipment to be in control of it at All Times, Under All Conditions.....Period
Running off the road to avoid brings, others into the danger of the situation, which we've seen that injurers and kills other people for being in the wrong place at the wrong time.
There is the human factor by instinct to "steer to avoid".
It's a choice, but with that choice, are you focused on what your in control of to make "split decisions" for the situation ?
Your not attempting some multitask event that's a distraction to you being in control of your equipment and the road conditions that surround you ?
Now y'all know what I'm talking about here it's not a big secret.
Have you got a "Bluetooth", is your truck radio equipped to talk on the phone through your speakers ?
You've got your eyes on the road, either ahead of you, or doing a mirror check right or left ?
You know all that you did, in training type stuff? It's important, and you know it is.
Yet we've all see drivers trying to text, talking holding their cell, read the qualcom, putting GPS information in, eating food while driving.
I'm "captain of my ship"....There's no dispatcher, operations manager, bad road condition, payment of revenue, that going to stress me about a load to jeopardize my safety or that of the motoring public, while I'm on duty..Period
"If it's going to be late, then make another appointment".
I'd rather be late, then not get there at all from an accident that,
"caused my death" or the death of somebody else.
Steer to avoid, no way, thought never crossed my mind to, it all happened too quickly.
Initial reaction..Slam on the brakes I did, pushed the car about 50 feet before everything came to a stop, after impact.
Total gross weight, 76,500 lbs.
Would you steer to avoid with that much weight, on a loaded tanker without making the situation worst then it already is ?
Would you attempt a "quick turn" on the steering wheel to avoid because you had some form of distraction going on as I've just mentioned ?
It's up to us as drivers in the trucking industry, to take responsibility and discipline ourselves to keep from being distracted while operating a commercial truck.
If you do multitask while driving, I'm of the opinion, it's just a matter of time before something catches up with you.
"not pointing out anyone who should read this, I'm just talk'n bout what I'm talk'n about here"
The pictures are on my face book page, can't seem to link or download here.
Lorie J Reed
God Bless, Drive Safe..!

 

Remember the truck that went off the I-84 to I-5 interchange in Portland a few months ago? That truck was struck by a small sedan that suddenly changed lanes into the steers, with enough force to redirect the truck toward the barrier. The truck went over and dropped 60' to the ground, upside down. It was a miracle both drivers survived because of the way it landed. The occupants of the car were not hurt.

Maximum truck speed throughout California is 55 mph. This also applies to any vehicle towing a trailer. I believe buses are exempt from this limit and can run the maximum allowed speed limit.

 

Only if it's a 2 axle bus. Some parts of the California highways are marked "3 axles or more 55" while other parts are marked something like "All vehicles towing trailers 55".

 

I believe tour buses are exempt from any speed limit, I am governed at 70 and I always get my doors blown off by a bus, heck the other day in Illinois I was going 70 and a school bus passed me with a load of kids on

 

Exactly, accidents like this are the reason I will stop if I feel the least bit "noddy" or feeling white line fever. I always picture a bus full of school kids vs that freight getting there a couple hours later. Hopefully, at the least it's a wake up call for everyone out there.

 

I tendered no opinion driver and if there were skid marks from your wreck or this one then the ABS system failed. That is the whole point of ABS...a rolling wheel stops faster than a skidding one. An engineering fact...... a hard brake event would produce a quick rubber mark and then release......

My reference to Nascar was only for illustration of a yaw mark....most people don't know what they are and what they tell you.

I hold and have held a full CDL for over 30 years with a PTX endorsement and while never triples, I've operated plenty of doubles.

Would I maintain my lane if destruction occurred in front of me ? Absolutely in a tanker for if I shift the load by jerking the wheel, it's assured that I will roll. And yes for both you and Lepton, things can happen that could shoot the truck off in another direction as it did in Portland.

The NTSB will discover this fact if it applies here....... I have not their knowledge or resources ...... all I can say is they will produce the results with unbiased zeal.

 

ABS can still leave skip marks on the road when pulling an lite load or empty when the driver hard brakes, the tandems start bouncing from the ABS sytem and that's as bad as a skid.

Even if he was doing 55 or 60, his speed may not be the determining factor for the crash.

Even if a car cut him off or it was a fire, the Fed Ex driver lost control (for what ever reason) and it will be determined upon NTSB's final report.

 

At "impending lockup"... maybe, depending, and I'm pretty sure there are degrees of impending lockup. At lower speeds locking up the brakes is going to provide more friction. At higher speeds melted rubber can pool under a locked tire and reduce friction.

Depending on degree of "hardness". Some recent credible study... ...suggested many 4-wheelers position their seat where they can't engage the ABS without "reaching".

 

Sometimes it's just best to go to the source:

22406. No person may drive any of the following vehicles on a highway
at a speed in excess of 55 miles per hour:

(a) A motortruck or truck tractor having three or more axles or any motortruck or truck tractor drawing any other vehicle.
(b) A passenger vehicle or bus drawing any other vehicle.
(c) A schoolbus transporting any school pupil.
(d) A farm labor vehicle when transporting passengers.
(e) A vehicle transporting explosives.
(f) A trailer bus, as defined in Section 636.
https://www.dmv.ca.gov/pubs/vctop/d11/vc22406.htm

636. A "trailer bus" is a trailer or semitrailer designed, used, or maintained for the transportation of more than 15 persons, including the driver, and includes a connected towing motor vehicle that is a motor truck, truck tractor, or bus.
https://www.dmv.ca.gov/pubs/vctop/d01/vc636.htm

 

I believe if you will read the article that you will find the car that was side swiped was going the same direction as the bus & was in front of the bus, the FedEx side swiped the car, them hit the bus head on.

And that the driver of the side swiped car said that fire was coming from under the cab of thet FedEx truck before it hit them.

So it may have well been a mechanical problem.