Newbie question about pulling over on the shoulder

I agree with that. I should have waited but I didn't. Oh well. Lesson learned. Don't pull off on the shoulder unless it's a life or death thing.

I knew it won't a tire blowing out. It sounded like something hitting the underside of the cab. Upon my pretrip this morning, I did a really good lookover of everything and found a stick lodged between the frame rail and bottom of the cab. It was about as big around as quarter or fifty cent piece. I looked at everything that it could have damaged but didn't find any damage or issues. So, I been taking it a little easier today than I usually do and so far everything seems to be in good order. As for it being the best case scenario, I agree. It could have been a whole lot more dangerous than it was.

 

Arm chaired quarterbacking is really easy, on should have, could have, would have. You may have done the correct thing for the situation, only you can answer that.

Just keep your self safe first, second come the truck and the load.

 

Previous experience dictates being cautious. I had a very unpleasant experience driving my 2004 Grand Prix one time after I just had the tires changed the day before. One of the new front tires blew out and almost threw me in the ditch. If anyone agrees with on this, a tire blowing out or any other major driveline or brake issues could have more catastrophic consequences in a big truck.

 

Been there with the stick I pulled out of a job site one that was a fresh site and pulled out on to the pavement and heard that distinct wood scraping asphalt noise backed back into job site lifted the hood and untangled about a 4ft baby tree from the driver's side front axle, it's funny how they can just up and in places ain't it. As far as a truck being more dangerous, that also can very, now a big truck has a potential to be alot more devistating, but generally speaking as far as getting thrown off the road, you have alot more tires to keep you on the road as long as you react with out over reacting, if that makes since to you. Where the most common dangers in truck tires blowing is, the surrounding area, which can be worst be cause it would be some innocent on looker. Just look up myth busters truck tire episode.

 

I was somewhere in south AZ and I saw a truck that I guess tried to pull off and drove into sand. Lol

Soft grounds areas that rain a lot are no good. Lots of green foilage probably means rich dirt to grow in. Id keep it on pavement. Dirt that appears solid and has tire marks, might be OK. If its wet dirt, one time I got out and walked it first because wasnt sure. Ended up being fine. One time had to drive in a field of grass and weeds to get backed down an alley. Was nervous about it. But it was mostly dead grass and I walked it, land was hard. So I was fine.

Not saying I'm an expert. Just havent gotten stuck yet. (Knock on wood).

 

One guy i drove with tried to drive on some green grass in Ohio, it had been raining all day, got stuck. Only one set of drives in the grass but it wasnt moving. He had to get towed out.

Another guy I was with like 8 months after drove into a parking lot to straighten out to back into another lot across the street . He hung his drives in a dip in the road by the water gutter paths. He stopped right on the dip and had no momentum to drive out. If he didn't stop he probably would have been fine. It wasnt a large dip but he hung his drives. Chains did nothing he wasnt moving. There was loose gravel there. Trailer was blocking the road. Small road but it was blocked for a few hours. Lol

 

Not meaning to hijack the thread, but I have found much of the time a driver gets in trouble because of a series of bad decisions. I have had to learn this time and time again during my career. A bad situation most times start when either the weather is bad or you are not on your game. In my case, a good example was in Pa many years ago. I missed a turn and promptly got lost in an urban area outside Philly. After about 10 minutes I had enough and pulled into the middle of the road and shut it down. I called the cops told them I was lost and had a real fear of a low bridge. They got me back to I-95 and I got out of there. I have sit and heard driver after driver say the same thing. One decision leads to another and before long there are no options left and you are in a bad jam. Like I said (redacted) happens, what separates a good driver from a steering wheel holder is how they manage a bad situation. Don't be like that USA Truck driver in that now-famous video.

 

Honestly I think you made the right call. Yeah it was unfortunate you got stuck but what if it would've been a real serious issue?? A blown component of the front axle and you could've lost control of the truck! I seen what a broken tie rod can do to a truck on the highway at 65 mph. The driver did not survive

 

I had a steering output shaft on a Coronado break for no apparent reason, resulting in a roll over back in December 2013. Sucks then you move on.

 

A broken tie rod means you have no control of your steering, he did not suffer lost of control, nor did he have any new vibrations, I agree the whole thing is a learning experience, next off ramp would have been a better choice. However we do all learn from each other here. I know what a loss of steering is like been thru it, and hopefully no one here will have to experience that.