Finally Getting Serious

That and a good lawyer. Will allow you your day in court.

 

No they arent always cut and dry. I have had many idiots cut in front of me and try and drive under my truck.

 

I have spent the better part of the last 16 years driving on highways that most truckers cry about when they have to be on them. In that time I have been cut off. I have had cars sideswipe each other while both were trying to merge into my lane right in front of me. I have had several minivans lose control and flip right in front of me. Hell I even had a flatbed flip in front of me once. You know after all of that I still have not rear ended anyone. Know why? Because I DO NOT follow to close and I pay attention and anticipate what is going on in front of me. There is not reason for a trucker to be running up into the back of someone.

 

Yeah - I also know of 1 case. Not more.

It was my sister, in her 4-wheeler. She was in the right lane, and a car suddenly jerked from the left lane across her to a parking lot entrance on the right. She saw it coming, hit the brakes, and still hit the car. He got the ticket, not her. Thanks to the guy with the badge and gun.

These can't be more than a few percent of rear-end collisions - all the rest are the fault of the following vehicle. But that's the word - FOLLOWING. If a car suddenly enters your lane immediately in front of you, whether getting on or off the road or just being crazy, you're not following them, but you still rear-end them.

I just take issue with this "no questions asked" and "rules are rules" stuff. It's a made-up fantasy world, not reality.

 

I'm not a new driver - I have over half a million accident-free miles, with only one citation in 15 years. In my 4-wheeler and school bus, of course - I'm new to 18-wheelers. I got that way by learning to anticipate what others may do and responding in caution before they have a chance to be that stupid.

As I said, I'm glad that Swift is taking some real action and being serious with their new policy. It may help weed out the drivers who are careless or in a hurry or whatever, and they deserve to be gone. But it may once in awhile throw out the baby with the bathwater, all in the name of an otherwise good rule.

BTW, this is a discussion my mentor and I have had these past few days. My ideas on this are largely shaped by his. With almost 2 million safe miles (in an 18-wheeler - who knows how many more in his 4-wheeler) I tend to trust him.

It's a good rule that will do much more good than harm. But I hate to see those cases where a good driver gets railroaded without cause.

 

We as drivers can only do just so much. We can be re-active and pro-active, and we can only control the space in front of us. During merging, we can really not control what is going to happen, just anticipate. I have at one rear ender in my career, and was cleared, and that was only because when it happened, I was already on my brakes, and there was a state trooper right there when it happened. I remember years ago there was something going on in some cities where truckers where being set up, in a squeeze play and a insurance scam. it happens. Again, we can only be as re-active and pro-active as we can. According to the 4-wheelers, we are trash, and according to DOT, we are the ones that are supposed to know what we are doing, professional.

 

several mini-vans flip in front of you? lol sure.

 

We had a driver terminated today for over speeds. Their not playing around with that anymore. 20 points on your risk analysis. Per incident!!! Basically you get 2 your looking for a new job.
From what the drivers tell me the fagatron 200 doesn't beep when you overspeed like the old qualcomm.
IDK I never used one much or did the ELOGs ...

I know it was the guys fault but I felt bad for a guy to loose his job right before Xmas.