Prime driver gets 3 years for fatal - turning left in front of teen driver

What? Like 34,000 pds?

 

I can't find it. Says GVW up to 60K lbs in their brochure. Figure 44K load, 10K trailer. So yea 34K ish.

 

When Narcotics are in system, your brain is already altered. One of the first things to go is your eyes, which is a reason a particular eye exam is given to those suspected of having narcotics, drugs or alcohol in the system. The eyes quit tracking smoothly at that point. That is one.

The other is a slow down in respiratory breathing which slows everything else. You are not as up, bright and ready to deal with a fast moving situation. Or any situation at all once you drift off to sleep off the narcotics.

What gets me is that taking Narcotics while holding a medical and a CDL doing over the road work. That simply is unacceptable to me. How does he do it? Especially when you consider that most Narcotics dispensed require a electronic script submitted to the State and are filled/tracked weekly as they are in my state. You cannot get Narcotics lawfully without the State knowing you are seeing and obtaining them from a doctor.

Any other way of obtaining Narcotics is going to be a illegal kind. Pain pills sell for 30 to 50 on the street each depending on who you get it from. Which is why when you fill 120, 160 or even 240 in a pharmacy, you can be a target for robbery. Or even the entire pharmacy itself is going to be hit by those seeking narcotics.

Ive run for McKesson and they do nothing but controlled medicines for hospitals and other supplies and sometimes there is a million plus dollars of Narcotics aboard that trailer with it's own qualcomm signal and data link to many bosses whose job is to be sure you make your destination without stopping with a very good reason while loaded in these unmarked rigs. It was very good work, very good money but hated the feeling of being prey. Im not prey.

For my part, when I got carted to the ER a few times after getting hit or hurt Ive always told the doc no narcotics. They are more than happy to oblidge because I will be back in that cab rolling as soon they cut me loose no matter the pain. Actually the pain is useful in keeping awake in the long hours.

That made me pretty hard and tolerant to pain. Anyone popping narcotics to drive these nice comfortable large cars on all that plush, air ride and so forth should not be on the road period.

Having said all that.... Let me take you back to before 1994.

Bad concrete roads, no air ride. Seats bolted to the floor, and so on. Cab overs mostly.

Before 1994, it was no problem taking a 6 pack of beer or a bottle of spirits to sip on and ease the pain of the bad roads that accumulate as you do your 300 miles for the day in those good old trucks. No one gave a ####. I mean no one. Just don't kill anyone that's all.

Fast forward to 1994. We lost hundreds of thousands of good drivers. Perhaps millions. Doctors started charging 60 dollars an hour detention time waiting on you and your dry kidneys to produce enough for a drug test on demand. And so on. Follow me?

 

Wow, talk about a "flash in the pan..." SMH

 

Just another one to add to the laundry lists of sad, middle aged guys working behind the fast-food counters. That then end up on the freeway on-ramp holding up a sign.