Hard Right???

There should be no 'jerking' the wheel one way or the other. You are just asking for trouble. Best thing to do is try your best to brake and guide the truck the safest direction.

I have a fellow driver, that was going north on a state highway. In front of him was a 4 wheeler. Another one behind him.
Approaching a curve, a vehicle going south at a high rate of speed, come around the curve, crossing the yellow line. The vehicle in front of him barely veered to the right in time. Our driver went as far to the right as possible, without going over the side.
The other vehicle hit his truck. Left headlight, to left headlight. Peeled off the left side of the other vehicle. Took the driver side wheel and tire apart, jerking the truck into a 'left' slide.
When all was said and done, the other vehicle was totalled and the driver was dead.
Our truck was repaired, and the driver took off one day to let his nerves settle down.

If he had 'jerked' the wheel, it is possible he would've taken the truck over the side. Or, rolled the truck. But, he still wouldn't have been able to avoid the collision with the other vehicle.

A month ago, one of our youngest drivers 'swerved' to miss a deer. Rolled the truck. The powers that be will not accept that excuse. Best to stay straight, take out the deer. They don't mind paying for damage done by hitting a deer.
But since he 'swerved' to miss that deer, he totalled a truck and trailer.
He is no longer with us. Good thing he wasn't injured.

 

I will not move out of my lane. If I go off to avoid hitting the car and loose control they are going to say it was my fault, and the people that I swerved to avoid are not going to stop and help out at all. I will stay put in my lane and pray that no one gets hurt.

 

I personally ain't gonna swerve for nutton. I always stop when contact has been made. Depends on wut I hits iffen i get a writting stik or bar-b-que stuff and build a fire.

 

I should have stuck these in the first post. This was July 2007. A county pick-up decided that backing out in front of me sounded like a good idea. Nobody was hurt.


Check out how straight the skid marks are!!

 

I had a 4 wheeler pulled out in front of me one day you would be suprised how fast they got out of my lane when the air horn went off.
get out the way you dummy before you turn into a pop can

 

I have a theory. Your drivers license should expire on your 65th birthday. From then on, EVERY SINGLE YEAR, you MUST take your DOLs written exam and driving exam to keep your license. I know this sounds harsh but I see accidents every day where old folks are either seriously injured or seriously injure someone else. If they drive like ####, get them the #### off the road.

 

They do that to CDL drivers in Canada . Several drivers with many years of safe driving lost their CDL due to a minor error on a pre-trip .

 

On monday night during the big storm in chicago, I had a person walk out in front of me on 90-94 getting on to I-290 if I would have not swerved to miss this person they would have been splatered down the road.so dont say that you would not swerve for anything. it is just human instinct to do so. I have driven many years and there have been many times I have had to do things like this.

 

Swerving to avoid an animal or car can result in a crash. Who will be there to describe what happened in the event you died? The media loves to harp on "tired truckers" on a regular basis so if there is no contact damage from another vehicle or animal the authorities will assume the driver must have fallen asleep at the wheel.

If the driver survives the accident and claims a car ran him off the road then it will be his word against a phantom car that never stopped and chances are will be with out a job at the end of the day.

An old instructor explained this to my class in trucking school. He said this is your life guys. There is no animal worth dieing over. If a car swerves into your lane be sure you get a piece of it and do your best to keep the rig on the road in YOUR LANE to PROVE their was another vehicle involved.

Words of wisdom from a trucker with over 50 years driving under his belt. I have listened to him and NEVER leave the road, jerk the wheel, or swerve sharply to avoid things in my lane.