Texas fatal- pickup slams trucker parked on shoulder

I agree with those that have posted that taking a break on the shoulder is unacceptable. OTR most of the time you are traveling unfamiliar roads. On freeways you can easily use a truck stop pocket guide to find the next truck stop or rest area. In the middle of the night rest areas are packed, leaving fuel islands at truck stops as the next best solution (as long as there are plenty of open fuel islands) for a 30.

I now use a Rand McNally GPS that can give me a variety of parking spots on my route. For trickier situations I make a stop to look at Google Maps in Satellite or Street View to find places to park, like off ramps with wide areas to pull over or maybe a big lot that is abandoned.

NEVER park on the shoulder as a plan of action. That's a whole level beyond stupid.

 

That's right
And if you can't find a place to park then just keep driving while you are tired. I haul cars, drive a day cab, make lots of money and stay in hotels every night. So glad I don't have to get involved in that fiasco anymore.

 

I see this every day where a truck is pulled over on the shoulder takeing a leak, etc, with all these 4 wheelers texting its just a matter of time untill somebody slams into you. And when you walk back to the rear of the truck and see a whole family wiped out how are you going to live with that? How are you going to process that scene? Take the nearest ramp and get off the interstate.

 

Yes, shoulder of the interstate is a no no. I get that. But I thought someone was referring to the shoulder of the on ramp.

 

Maybe there's something wrong when we blame a truck driver because they pulled over onto the shoulder and stopped instead of blaming the idiot that drove into a parked truck.

Things are so backwards nowadays.

 

Yes, thats true, but we truck drivers are supposed to be the profesional and not park on the shoulder so that these 4 wheelers dont ram into us.

 

Yes, things are screwed up. And while we wish things would be different, we just have to deal with the way things are. Of course, that doesn't mean we shouldn't try to work to change things. But just how are you going to change the fact that the majority of motorists, DON'T KNOW HOW TO DRIVE. Of course, they all think they are "above average drivers."

So it is a matter of CYA, all the time.

 

Use your trucker path apps

Look for a Walmart
A lowes
Home Depot
Use google maps to look at commercial plazas and the areas behind them. Some of the less tech savvy guys don't do this.
States like TN, CT and NY have serious parking problems for trucks. If I'm delivering to one of these states part of my planning involves WHERE to park and a backup plan if that doesn't work out.

 

Its not a matter of placing blame. Its a matter of taking responsibility and processing your own actions in a mature responsible way.

If there is anything you could have done to prevent a scene,.. then you are that much responsible for what ever happens.

Hurst

 

So if I run into a tree, the tree gets part of the blame. Or if I hit a construction worker and get 10 years, he should get 3 years if he lives.

Got it.