Rookies training Rookies

NO. Not a trainer (my head isn't big enough nor do I care to risk my life for 10 cents more per mile... seems like a dumb proposition but hey to each their own), just screwing with all the rookie trainers for kicks. Elk can screw up a truck and often do screw up a truck... I honestly think your chances of injury or death are greater hitting the elk than stopping the truck abruptly (chances are in places with Elk there isn't very much traffic, obviously if its a choice between injuring another driver or Elk, I'm gonna go Elk). I guess if you're a company driver (like myself) you have no reason to care that much about the truck (I still do cause I respect the people I work for). The DMV agrees with my solution, even for a big truck. I said TO PULL THE RED KNOB and asked why wouldn't I pull the yellow knob, so REREAD post. FURTHERMORE, NEVER DID I SAY SWERVING WAS A GOOD IDEA IN MY ORIGINAL POST... I SAID "STEER" TOWARD THE SHOULDER TO GET AROUND, NOT PANIC AND JERK THE WHEEL LIKE A ####### (sorry for caps... I just figure it helps people who can't read- in fact I haven't even used the word "swerve" yet up until I just did). You a trainer?

I'll spell it out for you... just cause you wanna play too... If you engage your tractor parking brakes while the trailer is still moving at a high rate of speed you will likely jack-knife in that split second it takes to supply air to the trailer- but if you engage your trailer emergency brake (precisely why its called an emergency brake and THE KNOB IS SHAPED LIKE A FRIGGIN STOP SIGN it will bring you to a more gradual yet still fairly abrupt stop in a straight line... granted your trailer brakes are probably toast but that's a much lighter repair and most importantly you didn't collide with anything).

 

There are some good points here but I think you may be missing some other things.

6-9 months experience isn't going to get you 4 season 48 state running. Attitude will only get you so far.

Again, I'm not saying someone with 6-9 months experience can't or shouldn't train, I'm saying you're fooling yourself if you think after 6-9 months you have enough practical experience to actually train a student acceptably.

 

It depends on how much change in direction you have to swerve to miss a large animal/object. Usually it's a split second reaction. Most of the time it works sometimes it doesn't. IMHO braking hard and keep the truck straight is the best maneuver. Driving in the woods and back roads it's a daily occurrence. I've probably hit 10 Deer and a few other critters over the years. About 90% of the time they just run into the side of a truck or jump right out in front. It's over before you know it happened.

 

Elk are bigger than deer and generally stick around a bit longer... thankfully they aren't quite as dumb, but yes "stop the truck" goes back to my original post.

 

The DMV made some pretty wild assumptions in that article.....I'm wondering just how experienced the author was at driving period....Look....I'm no know it all expert on anything....(well maybe deer hunting LOL)....But , I do have a long , and accident free record. In my opinion , it's not too smart to swerve / steer for the shoulder / hit the ditch to miss ANYTHING....barring a car-load of kids / a school bus. The best way is to try and maintain control of your truck and trailer. Slamming on the brakes , most times will put you into a skid , albeit a straight one , but still out of control.

Making the decision to "hit the ditch in a truck is more than likely gonna get you hurt , or killed....slowing down , or even hitting an elk/moose/cow , or anything as big will tear the unit up quite a bit , But , the odds of loosing control are very slim....That DMV article quoted was about what they think you should do while driving a passenger car...not a semi.....

 

[quote scoots] I'll spell it out for you... just cause you wanna play too... If you engage your tractor parking brakes while the trailer is still moving at a high rate of speed you will likely jack-knife in that split second it takes to supply air to the trailer- but if you engage your trailer emergency brake (precisely why its called an emergency brake and THE KNOB IS SHAPED LIKE A FRIGGIN STOP SIGN it will bring you to a more gradual yet still fairly abrupt stop in a straight line... granted your trailer brakes are probably toast but that's a much lighter repair and most importantly you didn't collide with anything).

 

Maintain your lane.

Apply brakes using the foot pedal.


You need to have this implanted in your mind,

may not be enough time for thinking about it.......

 

Yikes... OK... so here's the order of stuff to do... obviously if step one works no need to move onto step two, etc.
1. Apply your service brakes. (self explanatory- no really why the ##' do I have to include this?)
2. Find a way to avoid the Elk (I suggested steering, not swerving onto the shouldder, some of you might prefer oncoming traffic, who knows).
3. Apply your trailer service brakes with trolley valve.
4. Apply your emergency brakes.
5. If all else fails, take a ditch... cause that's where you're going anyways if you hit the elk. These things are bigger than a car and have very sharp antlers that can skewer you along with a high center of gravity so if you hit it, its coming up not down. Obviosly if said ditch is the side of a mountain or steep drop off take your chances with the elk... plenty of places where ditches are fairly shallow.

Why do I feel like a lawyer writing warning labels for bicycle helmets?

DISCLAIMER: If elk jumps if front of truck, the elk falls out of the sky, or you just didn't notice a 2-ton animal chilling in the middle of the road, etc. whatever the case is... and the only other option is to jerk the steering wheel like a latchkey kid on meth... hit the Elk.

Happy now?

 

No....why should I be happy , or sad.....I know what I would do..my mind is and has been conditioned by over 3 million miles of experience...in such an instance.....instinct takes over....just like blowing a steering tire....if you can , the very 1st thing you do is try and accelerate to help maintain control....experience teaches you these things , and as a professional you are obligated , not only for your own safety , but for others as well....maintaining control is job 1 while driving....anything...a car / truck / boat / airplane....loose control....ie hit the ditch....someones gonna be hurt...that's a lesson you seemed to have forgotten sir.....or one you haven't learned yet....read post number 117 made by 123456 a driver with over 30 years experience...he "get's it"

 

Elk aren't two tons. Maybe half a ton, tops. Moose get get up to a ton. Either critter isn't a match for a semi. Hit the sucker and stay in the lane. If you have time to make a maneuver without losing control, then take the maneuver.

Can't say I agree at all with applying the emergency brakes at all.

Steering into a ditch, shallow or not, is definitely out of the question.

By the way, Scoots, how did you manage to bring that load down Parleys at 80 mph on those 45 mph turns? That's downright legendary stuff there.