Oversize haulers...give them a break.

I try to communicate to the OS guy, I'm coming around whatever. But my experience in the US is usually met with silence. Once in a great while, a VERY great while, will the pilot car answer, and even more rarely the driver.
But yes, I do give the right of way to an OS whether they want to talk to me or not.

 

That would be nice if the ALL did that. Most OS/OD drivers are respectful of everyone else, but I've seen a few who will run a 2 lane 20-25 MPH below the speedlimit, with traffic backed up for miles. They come to a widespot, a chance to pull over and let traffic pass, they ignore it, and go on their merry ways, like they are the only ones with a job to do. Then they get ticked when someone tries to pass.

 

I use to run oversized loads are the time and currently I haul heavy... Doesn't matter if I am in the "big" truck or in my pickup truck I give them room when I pass (or being passed)..... I give all trucks the respect that is suppose to be given even if they are the normal run of the mill 18 wheeler grossing no more then 80ton...

When I was doing overside loads if I was passing another oversized load I would radio the other guy and let him know.. I would only do it if it was safe to do so... If we are travelling in opposite directions and come to narrow spot on road I usually gave the other truck the right of way... I was never in a rush with these type of loads anyhow.. Too much to risk !!!

Now that I haul heavy loads... I show the same respect to other guys hauling heavy loads.... Day in and day out I see 18 wheel trucks and 4 wheelers not give me (or other heavy haulers) enough room after passing.. Even worst is when they pass me just as I am just rounding the top of a hill and my speed is just picking up on the downhill.. I get passed and the person does it within 10 feet of my front bumper... Crazy stuff you'd think when they seen the 30 tires they maybe just maybe would think this guy is hauling some heavy stuff....

So I think both OD and Heavy loads both deserve a little more respect... I am not saying that not all drivers are doing an equally important job.. Just that we OD/Heavy guys a lot more to worry about...

Unrelated to but still important... I remember when I first started out I use to think that the only real truckers has a tractor-trailer combination and that straight truck drivers were the "low" guys on the totem pole... Now I think were all just as important to the industry.... Also cement trucks, dump trucks etc are grossing out just as much as most tractor-trailers (80,000 lbs)... I use to do the odd straight truck work at one of the companies I was at... I felt that I didn't get respected enough when I was in that truck but then when I was back in the "big" truck that wasn't the case....

So what am I saying?? RESPECT anyone with a commercial licence.. Transport, Straight Truck, School Bus, Dump Truck, Cement Truck, Charter Bus etc..... We all have a job to do and need to do it in a safe manner.....

 

As a tri-axle driver I'll say thanks for that post, I get it sometimes if im on the big roads I80, I79, I70 and trailers will cut me off and what not. I haul HEAVY all the time, just yesterday I hauled in 96k in a triaxle, and Its no stranger for me to be in the 90,000lb range, our other driver just pulled 103k two days ago. I'm heavy and I have one less axle than you trailer guys, which means less tires, less brakes, etc.

 

I try to give them room and also try to communicate with the truck/pilot car, to let them know I'm coming around. Sometimes if I'm following an OS without a pilot car and can see he has to move over, I'll get in the other lane to block traffic so no one tries to squeeze through in an unsafe manner.

FYI, when I first started driving, I hauled machinery for a JD dealer, so I had many an OS load.

 

Yeah for sure.... I haul a 5 axle trailer or 3 axle trailer.... We gross out at 129.000 lbs... With the 5 axle trailer we can actually haul more weight but the company is only registered for 58,500kg which is the 129,000 lbs...

But like I said I do give credit to you smaller trucks..... especially the ones hauling heavy.. I couldn't believe it when a buddy of mine said they gross over 80,000 on a 4 axle cement truck (2 steers and 2 drives) which them huge tires (not sure the size)..... Crazy!!

 

Our trucks do 92,000 lbs. on 5 axles (with over weight permit).

 

When I hauling OVERSIZED load's, most of the other trucker's are pretty courteous, It's the stinking 4 wheeler's that are the problem.

 

Good post, I loved when hauling the big cooling tower box frames on a flat the car drivers would sometimes drive under the load and disregard the signs and lights.

18 foot wide by 45 long was most frames on a 48 foot spread axle, never ceased to maize me. Was cussed out on the radio a few times by other truckers when I had no where to get over and even had one pull behind me on a chain stop check, he nearly had a coronary cussing me out.

Over all the cages were my major concern and 99.9% of all truck drivers were good, just once in a blue moon one would go postal on the radio. Everyone has a bad day I suppose.