Safety Vest, do you wear one?

At time that's all there is, I'm not parking 1/2 mile away to unload a car. I do have amber warning lights on the front of the truck so at least some of the traffic is warned I'm there. I just try to get inside the trailer as quick as possible and keep watching traffic. As far as I'm concerned, we should be categorized as a "Service Vehicle", just like tow trucks, state trucks and such and vehicles are required to move over or slow down when passing us.

If I passed some of these driver's kids with my semi at the speed they pass by me, they'd have a fit.

Oh, and on a side note, in NC, the fine for not moving over is $450 plus, + court costs and 5 points on your license.

 

Safety vest. Only when PPE signs say to do so.


In my short short career. First it was orange, now flour sent green. I see green and orange vest nowadays blends in like the landscape, I'm sure others feel the same way, it's not eye popping like it was first introduced.


I should introduce hot pink with rainbow dinosaurs for the 2015 Vest season .


PS: if a motorcyclist uses a eye popping green vest. can see s/he. I think the greatest uses for vest is on a motorcycle.
I ride with full leather, hard to see. appreciate those silent bikers with a vest

 

ColoradoGreen, I do pad wrap and know what you mean about those schools. I do a lot of construction job sites as well and it is a pain. As for any other time,you **** straight I am wearing my vest on the shoulder. There are way to many distractions in vehicles today. Trust me you WILL see me in mine!

Just a FYI for those who prefer better than company issue I got mine from safetyvest,com for bout $15 each. I got one for use with winter coat and one for without coat. They both are HI-Vis Yellow and have large orange stripes with reflective in the center of the stripe,mesh with zipper. I don't know bout everybody else but I HATE the velcro ones(the catch on everything).

 

I wear my vest any time I'm out of the truck and not in the yard. Hauling asphalt locally is much different than OTR but the same principle applies. Maybe by the grace of god the idiot who didn't see the line of dump trucks, flashing lights, cones etc will see me in my bright reflective vest. It is company policy but I'd rather not take any chances

I will leave you with a story from a few years back. I was a volunteer fireman (still am) driving our rescue to a simple single car MVA on RT 15 in CT. We get there and shut down the affected lane and as per usual i get out and start the generator. Some jackwagon decided that he was more important than everybody else and cut in between the fire truck and the remaining lane of traffic. Yours truly was standing there starting the generator. His mirror took my vest off my chest about .02 second before he t-boned another vehicle. My helmet may or may not have ended up in his back seat. That made for a very interesting day, and report to the chief.

Yes sir my helmet was through his back window, why... well.... he deserved it after trying to kill me.

Anyways keep in mind that people on the road are terminally stupid in many cases and most likely won't see you wearing the vest, but IMO that .01% chance that they pull their head out of their backside long enough to recognize your existence might allow you to see your wife and kids again.