PA Turnpike-AGAIN!!!

That 2nd truck - UPS 53'er ...that tractor was just plain destroyed

 

Well, it is a very very solid post. You wont get any argument from me. We took church groups to St Michaels for lunch which takes most of the day then go back late in the afternoon to Baltimore. (Seafood) the driver has to wedge himself somewhere (Baggage box below) and get a nice rest. Otherwise he would be too tired to get all 40 of us back to Baltimore.

Being up time or awake, waiting on anything for hours ready at a moment's notice is something NEVER addressed in this industry. If you fell asleep or otherwise properly reacted by seeking rest etc you were teased very badly. Maybe you left the industry from that hazing. Real truckers (Drivers) were supposed to be of iron, stay up all day drive all night unload tomorrow sleep next week. and here we are.

When a 747 comes in at the end of thier HOS, that crew is out of the plane straight to a hotel and they SLEEP there cozy until their HOS crew rest is over. Sometimes the airline does not have a spare pilot crew to replace them and delay everyone's departure on that plane for hours until that crew got legally rested.

Can you imagine delaying a departure of a big rig from a distribution property 10 hours or more so you can get rested first? That does not happen. Same with buses. Since you already lost 2 days at the distribution enduring their unloading BS and are out of hours... whats another 10 hours hey?

I watched greyhound drivers stumble up to dispatch loaded for battle, a gallon of good coffee, piles of go time food in a bag and so on. Its three in the evening, leaving at 5 and it's not going to stop until Knoxville 5 am next morning with two exceptions.

Hes already tired.

I should have flown the airline instead. It only takes a hour and change more or less. At today's fares its might as well be.

We do not allow staying awake for anyone anymore outside of emergency situations. If we are tired, we go sleep until thats over. Seems all we do is catch on the sleep we did not have the first 30 or 40 years of our life.

And yes I was one of those who constantly fell asleep on hour long bus rides home from school and they would find me at the City Garage in the back snug and rested far from home. We had some seriously huge buses in those days and they were awesome z generators.

 

Does sounds like possible black ice condition. Also, given it was on a curve, vehicles behind might not have seen what was up ahead.

Regardless, my rule is, only drive as fast as you can stop, if something were stopped on the road ahead. Slippery road, low visibility, blind curves, all play a part. Otherwise you can end up in a deadly pile-up. AND it's typically your fault, courts find. Rear-end collisions almost always are the fault of the following driver.

 

It's possible.

As windy as it was it should have blown dry the pavement more or less. But historical weather from the area at that time show that it may have been a factor. If it was icy then no one would be moving at that spot already. Its pretty intense traffic at times.

We used to run the pike in all conditions and ice is just not present because they have their own crews to go out there and clear it up.

Looking at a NYC departure for the Midwest with god only knows how many hours across PA points towards sleepy time fall into the barrier.

Latrobe, PA Weather History | Weather Underground

 

Jesus Christ! AGAIN?!?

 

It's all four of their faults.

If the bus had time to leave the highway, go up an embankment, overturn and roll back into the highway, then common sense says following traffic should be able to see that ruckus and make adjustments in order to avoid a further catastrophe.

But NOPE.

HAMMER DOWN.

 

You would think so but we all know that too few take following distance seriously. Even with light traffic it's not uncommon to see trucks bunched up.

Initial reports said that weather was not a factor in the crash. Turnpike officials said there trucks going through the area at least every hour putting down salt and aggregate. Winds were gusty at the time, however, and there may have been light sleet in the area.
PA Turnpike reopens after 5 people killed, about 60 hospitalized following crash

 

Just wondering how FedEx managed to come out from under his trailer?

 

I call that herdthink. Its really dangerous to be around a herd or in one.

Every driver has been pressured to get going, keep going, #### the bodies etc. And here we are all smashed up. No common sense. Something I tell you is being lost in this industry, has been for decades.