Fog question

Xactly, if there's a collision due to speed, it's going to be from behind me!

 

[QUOTE="semi" retired;4403930]Years ago, I remember, just about every semi had those fog lights that hung below the bumper, and they had those vanes inside that would direct the light down in front of the truck. I forget the name of them,( old-timers?) but were very popular.[/QUOTE]

In time, I might be able to use several phrases-descriptions to find those. But generally speaking, fog lights that I have had on any of my trucks, only light up about 5 to 10 feet in front of me (at least, that is what it appears like to me). Hardly any reason to even have them. They do a better job of lighting up the shoulder areas. The old timers, some that could afford them, would have airplane landing lights.

in the diagram below, see how little forward lighting a fog light provides? This is why I think they pretty much are useless. But this is just MY opinion.

 

Ok, I am now finding LED fog lights. If I am not mistaken, fog lights were only supposed to light up the road, as the fog doesn't go all the way down to the road? I dunno, like I said, many times, I'd find them useless for fog driving, but handy to light up an area I was pulling into at night, so I could see off to the right and left.

 

True, but unless you're down that low, you're looking thru a thicker segment of air at an angle forward where plenty of fog exists...

I've personally found fog light, that come on trucks standard, are better not used in fog as the reflection from them is just not helpful and actually reduced night vision(when at night)...jmho

 

Yes, the height advantage we have over car drivers helps us see further down the road (in normal conditions). The height advantage a car driver has, they can see a bit better driving through the fog, since they are lower. But given they themselves do not know how to use many things properly, they don't take advantage, of thier advantage.

 

[QUOTE="semi" retired;4402656]I thought the same thing. What is this world coming to? 1st, I don't mean any disrespect, but changing a headlight bulb has to be 1 of easiest things to do on a truck. Generally, you open the hood, behind the headlight, you'll see a plug with wires going to the bulb, take the plug off, there should be a ring you unscrew, and the bulb will come out. When you put the new bulb in, don't touch the bulb, use a clean rag or new vinyl glove, as the oil from your fingers will cause the bulb to get hot and burn out again. There should be a small notch in the base of the bulb, so it fits in the holder right, replace the ring, and plug the wire back on.[/QUOTE]

It's amazing how many Youtube videos are available to teach you the basic skills you need, from changing a bulb to changing a fuel filter. Just get on Youtube and search for something like, "changing headlight Cascadia" and you'll find dozens of videos.

In addition to knowing how to change a light bulb every driver should know how to adjust their lights. If your lights are aimed too low or too high it will make driving in the fog, or in any condition at night, more difficult. I just recovered a truck with about 35K miles on it that another driver left at a truck stop. When I started driving it at night I quickly realized the low beams were so low they were aimed about 35 feet in front of the truck! The high beams didn't quite come up to the level of a properly aimed low beam. How in the world did that driver manage to put in 35,000 miles with lights that limited him to either putting along at about 30 mph or overdriving his sight?

Learn how to change your light bulbs and how to aim them properly.

Overall every company driver should take at least some minimal interest in how to fix stuff on their truck. As Wolfinc said earlier, you can either wait 4 hours on the side of the road for your company to send someone out to fix a problem, or you can do it yourself in about 5 minutes.

Take some interest in your truck. Use Youtube, do Google searches, do searches on this forum. READ THE MANUAL! If you DON'T have a manual then download the pdf version off the internet. READ IT! Your truck is your income stream and you had better take care of it or it won't take care of you.

 

Fog really has to be respected, ESPECIALLY in the winter as FREEZING fog can be very hazardous...

Never travel faster than you can see and stop safely, better to let someone run up on you, YOU will be safer and that's all that matters to your family...

Turn on your hazards, they can be seen before your running lights...However, I remember fog so bad I had to turn them off as the reflection upfront was more of a safety hazard for me...I'll do what I can for people, but when it comes to ME[and my family] or them, it's me, they can have my prayers...Unless of course it's my fault, then I'm going over the cliff to avoid them...

EXPECT cars to do the dumbest thing you can imagine them doing, 99.999% of the time, they won't do it, but better to be prepared and not need to respond than to need a response when you're unprepared!....

Leave as much space as you think you need to follow and not need to touch your brakes everytime the person in front of you does, if you have one of "those" people in front of you...

 

[QUOTE="semi" retired;4403930]Years ago, I remember, just about every semi had those fog lights that hung below the bumper, and they had those vanes inside that would direct the light down in front of the truck. I forget the name of them,( old-timers?) but were very popular.[/QUOTE]

I hit patchy fog the other day and was wondering that myself.

Seems like to me all these safety features cars are getting now, we've had for a long time. (Or at least had access to.)

Fog beams are definitely something I'd want if I ever purchased my own rig.

 

Just a thought. If you can't do the minimum posted speed limit? Ya might start thinking about getting off the interstate. Your a hazard. Plus you're not making time you're wasting hours. Never seen much sense in driving 15,20,30 mph for a long haul. Just to get to parking. Its your decision to make. If you're working for a place that doesn't support that then its time to move on. However that does not mean you pull over for every little weather event.The key is to watch the weather. A small band OK give it go if its covering multiple states might be better to wait it out. Especially during sever winter storms. The trick is to do it so infrequently that when you do they believe you. Same thing about being sick. Which falls back on your work ethic, trust between you and your dispatcher. Thats the danger of being a new driver. Most training companies don't believe you because they figure you're just scared, easily bullied into it, lazy, or whatever. Its a lot harder to argue or be bully a seasoned driver. If its too bad for me to drive. Its too bad. Don't care what anyone thinks of it. Screw you I might be fired but guess what? I'm going to be alive to collect the unemployment with a fully functional healthy body.