trucks in ditches

It's depends on the situation, say for instance a car comes across median and you swerve a little to miss them and wreck your truck it isn't such an issue and you may have saved a life . There are often times when some of those vehicles weren't doing anything wrong, just some other fool passed them up and while doing so or right after messes up causing a chain reaction. Slow trucks see this often, sadly the offending vehicles that cause the problem are usually more truck drivers than cars lately due the the poor choice of people behind the wheel, drive a Swift truck for a week and you will catch the meaning of this.

I've had a trailer or two over the years start to come around, I was going very slow or even standing still due to wind and sitting on ice. Still able to control it by staying away from others and going slow.

 

It's all relative. Right now I've been waiting a day for I-10 to open in Louisiana, no snow but the raised causeway east of here on I-10 is still coated with ice from the freezing rain yesterday.

I've driven safely in a AWD car in a foot of snow and I've driven on the verge of loosing control in 1/2" of snow. The difference is the moisture content of the snow and the temperature of the surface when it falls. Having grown up in Seattle there were times that 1/2" of snow could render a road undriveable, with high moisture content in the snow falling on very cold streets and sticking and creating a slippery surface. Other times driving in Utah with really dry snow I could blow right through it in an AWD car.

Add to all of this the fact that the Atlanta metro area has a total of 11 sanding trucks and most of the South has limited budgets for snow removal or treatment and not enough sand or chemicals, then it can become a mess in a hurry. They can't budget for a lot of snow removal capacity because they don't get that many big storms, but then when the storms hit it becomes a problem. A Catch 22...

 

There's no reason to go into a ditch. If you go in the ditch, you get the DRIVING TOO FAST FOR ROAD CONDITIONS award.

Between Chattanooga and Meridian, I saw one truck in the ditch (right south of Tuscaloosa). Saw a bunch spin out and get stranded on the off ramps.

Alright gang, this is stupidity at its finest. Trucks were hitting the exit ramps and stopping at the stop signs. As soon as they stop, they're stuck. Other trucks would come up behind them have to stop, and you guessed it, they're stuck too. If you see a ramp full, why are you going to try to take that ramp?

The exit ramps of the TA east of Meridian,Ms were clogged yesterday. There was a backup on the eastbound side from the 169-154 when I went by. You couldn't get to the Pilot at the 152 because the ramp was blocked. Drivers were on the radio crying about needing fuel. The ramps are blocked, but trucks still try to pile in because they're low on fuel. I don't get that.

No you don't. Your dispatcher can open your fuel card so you can get fuel at a mom and pop joint. Instead of rolling into a disaster area hoping for fuel, top your tanks off BEFORE you get there.

It beats the alternative. Cheaper too.

 

Moron D Trucker, hillarous lol but i hate to be that "well actually guy" but it's usually not cheaper due to the discounts larger fleets get if they're fueling with the Pilots, Love's, and T/A's of the world

 

Cheaper than calling a service truck or a wrecker.

 

true indeed

 

In trucking there are lots of strange things that happen. New drivers need to understand the idea of Preventable Accidents. This is not the same thing as an accident being your fault or not. If you end up in a ditch there is always something you could have done to avoid that. I was knocked into a ditch by one of those Orange Trucks. He got a ticket, I lost my job. I was in his blind spot. He passed me on I 70 just outside of Denver and pulled into my lane. It was in white out conditions. The company said that I should not have been driving in a snow storm. If you have driven in Colorado, you can go from a sunny day to a blizzard in no time.

I also got fired by Transport America for putting a two inch scratch on the vinyl strip underneath the bottom step on the drivers side. That one is on my DAC and has keep me from getting a very good union job.

Both of the above accidents were preventable according to safety committees. When you see pictures of trucks in the ditch, rolled over, or involved in anything where a tow truck is called (other then break down), there is a good chance that the driver has lost his job and that his family will struggle to put food on the table.

The companies we work for are made up of people who have different jobs. Your dispatcher's job is to get you to as many places to pick up and deliver freight as possible. They do not care about safety as they are not paid for getting you someplace safe. The safety department has to protect its CSA rating so they are wanting to fire anyone who gets a ticket or is involve in an accident or "incident".

The entire company is your very best friend until something, no matter how small, goes wrong. Then you are all alone. Unless, you have a union. Then maybe.

Never, ever, ever, drive when you feel that the conditions you find yourself in will put you or your freight or the General Public in danger.

 

I had 3 fleet managers at USX, never had a single issue with any of them for shutting myself down in bad weather. I always felt good about it the next day passing all the cars and trucks in the ditch. Regulations state that your company can not do a #### thing to you if you decide to shut down for bad weather. Some might try to starve ya on miles but that's better than being in a wreck. Can always change jobs.

 

I am currently on my way back down the Alaska Highway running through Canada on my way to Othello WA. A 6 hour drive in good dry weather was a 7.5 hour drive today. Slush and compacted snow, running empty I lost traction a couple times today but slow and steady I got to the truck stop and now I am wondering in wireless connections in Canada are all as ###### as the one here.

 

.Yep the compay has made sitting out a storm all you can do with the stupid everything is preventable unless parked in a parking space policy.
With bonuses being handed out for driver production. It is no wonder that safety is on the back burner of dispatchers looking out for numero uno.
Not only that, but if you are known for being a go to driver in challanging weather...While flattering it just puts you at more risk to get thrown under the bus if something happens. Because most of these outfits have very short memories and a ready supply of drivers to write in over your whited out name.