So, this won't be a long post, but certainly one dear to my frozen, truck driving heart.
This past week in Iowa there was quite a bit of snow. Some, including the National Weather Service, would call it a blizzard. I would call it "Look at all the idiots drive" snow.
A foot or so of snow combined with 40 MPH winds make for white knuckle driving at best and deadly driving at worst.
After the storm, Interstate 80 looked like a demolition derby. Semis and cars were everywhere. In Ditches, in the median, in the woods in all sorts of positions. On their sides, tops and some were even still upright.
One type of vehicle I noticed a lot were four wheel drive SUV's and trucks. Why is that? 4 wheel drive is supposed to give you better traction right. I think they may also give a lot of drivers a false sense of security. Just because you have 4WD does not mean you are impervious to accidents.
So remember these tips when driving in snow and ice REGARDLESS of vehicle type.
1) SLOW DOWN!- That about says it. I don't have anything else to add. Don't go out if you don't have too. If you do have to go out, slow down and leave plenty of space between you and the other fella. The "stay home" part may be inconvenient, but it a much better option than the "End up in the hospital" option.
Be safe Ya'll
Sunday, December 13, 2009
Sunday, November 22, 2009
Not much new, but plenty to say
I haven't posted on here lately. Lots of driving and heavy eyelids have made it kinda hard to do. Well, that and I have to keep up with my farm, my apartment, my fish tanks, my cafe, and my amusement park on Facebook. Being a restaurant owning, fish tank cleaning, amusement park running farmer takes a lot of work. All of that while being stranded on an island really takes it out of you.
But I wanted to update this with something that really irritated me this last week. I know it wasn't one of you, but maybe we can all learn something together here,
Earlier this week I was assigned a load picking up in Iowa and delivering to Laredo Texas. 1100 miles give or take. A nice little trip that takes a couple of days.
What made this load special was the cargo. I was given the privilege of hauling flammable resin. 26,000 pounds of a highly flammable chemical, packaged carefully in 55 gallon drums, bound to pallets and nailed and strapped into my trailer.
You have seen HazMat loads before. They are marked on all 4 sides of the trailer or tanker with placards that let Emergency responders know what kind of chemical is on the truck so they know what procedures to take in the case of an emergency.
As a HazMat driver, I also need to know what to do. I need to know how far downwind to keep people in the case of an inhalation hazard, or what to use to out out a fire in case one breaks out. Some of these chemicals are even more explosive when they come in contact with water, so knowing whether or not I can use water in kinda important.
Hazmat loads are also not permitted to travel certain roads. For instance, Fort Worth and San Antonio Texas do not allow hazardous materials to go through town, so you have to go around. As the driver, I am required to know all if this.
I am also not allowed to leave the vehicle for any extended period of time. I can go potty. I can grab a bite to eat. I can not watch a movie in a truck stop, or even eat a meal inside for that matter. If someone backs into the trailer and it starts to leak, the hazmat driver needs to be on hand to handle things until first responders can get there.
So I have told you all of this for a reason. There is a lot of responsibility in driving a HazMat load across the country. In addition to the careful manner I usually handle my truck, I also have the added responsibility of making sure this dangerous load gets where it is supposed to be without blowing up.
As I stated before, Hazmat loads are marked with placards on all four sides of the trailer. On this particular trip, my placards were bright red and read "Flammable" in big letters. When I see these loads I typically give the driver a little more room and try to get distance between us if I have to pass.
However, I can not tell you how many times I had drivers cut me off, or tailgate me, or ride next to me for extended periods of time. It is bad enough when people do these things to a truck with a normal load. To do it with a truck hauling flammable chemicals is just plain stupid.
So please remember these few suggestions when driving around ANY truck.
Give them plenty of room-We take longer to stop, longer to start, longer to change lanes, and can roll over very easily.
Don't ride beside us-If you are next to a truck, get around them or get back behind them. We may not be able to see you. We may have a tire blow out. If that happens you may end up with a blown tire flying through the air and hitting your windshield. I saw that very thing happen in Chicago and the driver of the car lost control and hit the jersey barrier in the median, causing extensive damage to his car. It could have cost him his life.
Don't tailgate us- If you are less than 100-150 feet behind us, we may not be able to see you. If we can't see you, we can not compensate for you being behind us. Why would you want to follow a truck that close anyways? You can't see around us, so what are you going to do if we have to slam on our brakes? Will you be able to stop in time? Hopefully, but why take that chance?
Most importantly, at least in my opinion, Don't cut us off- We can not stop as quickly as you. If we are fully loaded and running at 60 miles an hour it is going to take us more than a footballs length to come to a stop. You should give trucks about half that distance before you pull in front of us. If you can't do that though, at least make sure you keep your speed up, and don't slow down. Our brakes do not engage the second we hit the peddle like a car does. They take a second before they begin working.
Most truck drivers are courteous and concerned with public safety. Some are not. If you see one of these drivers tailgating another truck or car, or weaving in and out of traffic, get away from them. They are dangerous. Don't try to "Show Him" and cut him off or intentionally slow down in front of him. Stay out of his way and let him go on. You will lose any fight you pick with a truck.
Here is an interesting statistic. 80% of all fatality accidents involving a tractor trailer were caused by a non commercial vehicle. Think about that next time you want to squeeze in between that truck and the car in front of him.
safe driving ya'll
But I wanted to update this with something that really irritated me this last week. I know it wasn't one of you, but maybe we can all learn something together here,
Earlier this week I was assigned a load picking up in Iowa and delivering to Laredo Texas. 1100 miles give or take. A nice little trip that takes a couple of days.
What made this load special was the cargo. I was given the privilege of hauling flammable resin. 26,000 pounds of a highly flammable chemical, packaged carefully in 55 gallon drums, bound to pallets and nailed and strapped into my trailer.
You have seen HazMat loads before. They are marked on all 4 sides of the trailer or tanker with placards that let Emergency responders know what kind of chemical is on the truck so they know what procedures to take in the case of an emergency.
As a HazMat driver, I also need to know what to do. I need to know how far downwind to keep people in the case of an inhalation hazard, or what to use to out out a fire in case one breaks out. Some of these chemicals are even more explosive when they come in contact with water, so knowing whether or not I can use water in kinda important.
Hazmat loads are also not permitted to travel certain roads. For instance, Fort Worth and San Antonio Texas do not allow hazardous materials to go through town, so you have to go around. As the driver, I am required to know all if this.
I am also not allowed to leave the vehicle for any extended period of time. I can go potty. I can grab a bite to eat. I can not watch a movie in a truck stop, or even eat a meal inside for that matter. If someone backs into the trailer and it starts to leak, the hazmat driver needs to be on hand to handle things until first responders can get there.
So I have told you all of this for a reason. There is a lot of responsibility in driving a HazMat load across the country. In addition to the careful manner I usually handle my truck, I also have the added responsibility of making sure this dangerous load gets where it is supposed to be without blowing up.
As I stated before, Hazmat loads are marked with placards on all four sides of the trailer. On this particular trip, my placards were bright red and read "Flammable" in big letters. When I see these loads I typically give the driver a little more room and try to get distance between us if I have to pass.
However, I can not tell you how many times I had drivers cut me off, or tailgate me, or ride next to me for extended periods of time. It is bad enough when people do these things to a truck with a normal load. To do it with a truck hauling flammable chemicals is just plain stupid.
So please remember these few suggestions when driving around ANY truck.
Give them plenty of room-We take longer to stop, longer to start, longer to change lanes, and can roll over very easily.
Don't ride beside us-If you are next to a truck, get around them or get back behind them. We may not be able to see you. We may have a tire blow out. If that happens you may end up with a blown tire flying through the air and hitting your windshield. I saw that very thing happen in Chicago and the driver of the car lost control and hit the jersey barrier in the median, causing extensive damage to his car. It could have cost him his life.
Don't tailgate us- If you are less than 100-150 feet behind us, we may not be able to see you. If we can't see you, we can not compensate for you being behind us. Why would you want to follow a truck that close anyways? You can't see around us, so what are you going to do if we have to slam on our brakes? Will you be able to stop in time? Hopefully, but why take that chance?
Most importantly, at least in my opinion, Don't cut us off- We can not stop as quickly as you. If we are fully loaded and running at 60 miles an hour it is going to take us more than a footballs length to come to a stop. You should give trucks about half that distance before you pull in front of us. If you can't do that though, at least make sure you keep your speed up, and don't slow down. Our brakes do not engage the second we hit the peddle like a car does. They take a second before they begin working.
Most truck drivers are courteous and concerned with public safety. Some are not. If you see one of these drivers tailgating another truck or car, or weaving in and out of traffic, get away from them. They are dangerous. Don't try to "Show Him" and cut him off or intentionally slow down in front of him. Stay out of his way and let him go on. You will lose any fight you pick with a truck.
Here is an interesting statistic. 80% of all fatality accidents involving a tractor trailer were caused by a non commercial vehicle. Think about that next time you want to squeeze in between that truck and the car in front of him.
safe driving ya'll
Saturday, August 29, 2009
Time to hit the brakes, OH WAIT...THEY DON'T WORK
So I haven't updated here for a while. I have been waiting for something to hit me(not literally of course) that some people may not know about trucks.
Well, this week it hit me. Driving around Atlanta (by the way, did you know that trucks are not allowed to drive through Atlanta, causing us to drive 30 miles or so out of route. Hmmmm, great thought. For all of my global warming friends, that should make you mad. That's a lot of trucks burning extra fuel) I realized that most people don't have a clue about how much it actually takes to stop a truck. I know this because if they did they wouldn't keep cutting trucks off in heavy traffic, or ever for that matter.
Let me start out by explaining a couple things first.
1.) Trucks are heavy. They do not stop on a dime. Duh, right? Then how come so many people cut us off. I know that space in between the truck and that car in front of him looks very inviting, but there is probably a reason that space is there. I will get to the reason in just a bit.
2.) Trucks brakes operate differently than cars brakes. This is where I think I can give some insight. Without getting all technically on you let me explain it this way. Most cars, vans, and SUV's have hydraulic brakes. You step on the brake and fluid is forced to the brakes, making them work. Big Rigs, some school buses and motor homes have Air Brake systems. They work basically the same except with air instead of hydraulic fluid. HOWEVER, when a truck driver steps on this brakes, they do not engage right away. It can take up to a full second for them to begin engaging. Not a long time, but at 60 MPH, this comes out to 88 feet, or almost a 3rd of a foot ball field.
3.) Most truck drivers try to manage their space. This means we are constantly checking our mirrors so we can keep up with the ever changing conditions around us.
So when you see a big ole space that your vehicle will fit perfectly into just remember that truck you are pulling in front of will take a little extra time to slow down.
Also, when you cause a truck to slow down, it takes longer to get going again. Then all the cars behind him have to slow down and so on, and so on. Wanna know why traffic always backs up at merge points? It is because everyone thinks if they can get "just one car further ahead" they will get home quicker. Guess what, if everyone merged when they saw the merge signs , including the people already in line, traffic could keep moving and everyone would get home just a little bit earlier. But because of a few selfish people, everyone suffers.
So when you see a tempting space, think twice before you just jump in there. Remember the truck may not be able to slow down in time and you are just taking your life in your hands.
Please be safe out there.
Well, this week it hit me. Driving around Atlanta (by the way, did you know that trucks are not allowed to drive through Atlanta, causing us to drive 30 miles or so out of route. Hmmmm, great thought. For all of my global warming friends, that should make you mad. That's a lot of trucks burning extra fuel) I realized that most people don't have a clue about how much it actually takes to stop a truck. I know this because if they did they wouldn't keep cutting trucks off in heavy traffic, or ever for that matter.
Let me start out by explaining a couple things first.
1.) Trucks are heavy. They do not stop on a dime. Duh, right? Then how come so many people cut us off. I know that space in between the truck and that car in front of him looks very inviting, but there is probably a reason that space is there. I will get to the reason in just a bit.
2.) Trucks brakes operate differently than cars brakes. This is where I think I can give some insight. Without getting all technically on you let me explain it this way. Most cars, vans, and SUV's have hydraulic brakes. You step on the brake and fluid is forced to the brakes, making them work. Big Rigs, some school buses and motor homes have Air Brake systems. They work basically the same except with air instead of hydraulic fluid. HOWEVER, when a truck driver steps on this brakes, they do not engage right away. It can take up to a full second for them to begin engaging. Not a long time, but at 60 MPH, this comes out to 88 feet, or almost a 3rd of a foot ball field.
3.) Most truck drivers try to manage their space. This means we are constantly checking our mirrors so we can keep up with the ever changing conditions around us.
So when you see a big ole space that your vehicle will fit perfectly into just remember that truck you are pulling in front of will take a little extra time to slow down.
Also, when you cause a truck to slow down, it takes longer to get going again. Then all the cars behind him have to slow down and so on, and so on. Wanna know why traffic always backs up at merge points? It is because everyone thinks if they can get "just one car further ahead" they will get home quicker. Guess what, if everyone merged when they saw the merge signs , including the people already in line, traffic could keep moving and everyone would get home just a little bit earlier. But because of a few selfish people, everyone suffers.
So when you see a tempting space, think twice before you just jump in there. Remember the truck may not be able to slow down in time and you are just taking your life in your hands.
Please be safe out there.
Sunday, June 7, 2009
How a shed prepared me for life!
When I was growing up in Kent, Ohio we used to have the remains of what used to be a shed attached to the garage. The "Shed" or as I like to call it "Fort" faced Mr. Diamacone's back yard. Now this was the old guy in every neighborhood that all the kids were afraid of. We just knew that if a ball or Frisbee ever landed in his yard, it was gone forever. One time I got brave when it was dark and crept over the low hedge that separated our yard and got one of the Frisbees that landed over there. I was the neighborhood hero for a day anyways until everyone started making fun of me again because I was a dork, but that's another story!
Anyways, back to the shed. This shed was very small as sheds go. Hardly big enough to stand up in. The roof was mostly gone and the hole where a window used to be was empty. But I tried to fix it up anyways with junk I found in the shed. It was my Fort. I spent many hours playing in that thing, whether it was hot or cold. Even in the rain it offered some sort of protection. It was very small however, and if you were claustrophobic, there is no way you would want to spend any time in there.
Fast Forward 30+ years. I find myself living in pretty much the same size box. Oh the roof doesn't leak and there are windows, but it is still just about the same size, maybe even smaller. However, unlike my "fort", the government has a huge say on how I live in this box.
Some people say government regulation is a good thing, and some regulation is good, but as far as regulating my home when I am on the road I say nay nay!
My home while I am on the road is basically a metal box. It's kinda like living in a very small railroad car. Now I drive primarily days, so when I am trying to sleep at night it is cooler outside and the "Box" is not quite as hot. However, one night I finished my day in Yuma, Arizona. When I went to bed that night it was 105. When I woke up the next morning it was 95. Why is this a problem? Well in this particular case it was not. I ran my truck all night so I could keep the air conditioning running. If I had been in California though, government regulations would have told me to shut my truck off or receive a very hefty fine. After all, we chose this life style so we just have to deal with it, right? Weird thing though......in California, if you have a pet with you, you can idle your truck because you can't be cruel to animals! How messed up is that?
The same thing goes for the cold. A lot of companies have restrictions as well. Those companies expect us to be well rested and ready to put in a long, safe day, but don't expect us to be comfortable while we are getting that rest. I bet the people that make those rules wouldn't go home after a hard days work and turn off their air conditioning or heat would they?
More and more companies, and local and state governments are making regulations that don't make sense to an over the road driver. Idling the truck is just one of them. Recently the company I drive for informed is we can no longer use the Illinois toll system. When I questioned one of the guys at work that was in charge of this idea, he told me to look at a map. He said there were a lot of ways around the tolls that were just as quick. "Just look at it on the map" he said.
I didn't need to look at the map. I ran through Chicago twice a day at the time. Those "other routes" that he was talking about are all commercial areas. Sure, they are 4 lane roads, but they are full of stop lights, shopping centers and traffic. A trip that normally would have taken 5 and a half hours would quickly turn into an 8 hour odyssey. I guess my time as a driver doesn't mean anything, right?
I do not mean to rip on my employer. However, some of these regulations are made without talking to, or taking into consideration the truck driver. I guarantee the people in government who make these absurd idling regulations have never spent a night in a truck. I think before one of these regulations are put into place, the officials should spend a couple weeks in my "fort". No heat, no air conditioning, little air movement and oh yeah, for good measure, lets put a cattle truck next to them that has a full load on it.
Although, they should be used to the smell. They sure do shovel enough of whats inside that cattle truck!
Anyways, back to the shed. This shed was very small as sheds go. Hardly big enough to stand up in. The roof was mostly gone and the hole where a window used to be was empty. But I tried to fix it up anyways with junk I found in the shed. It was my Fort. I spent many hours playing in that thing, whether it was hot or cold. Even in the rain it offered some sort of protection. It was very small however, and if you were claustrophobic, there is no way you would want to spend any time in there.
Fast Forward 30+ years. I find myself living in pretty much the same size box. Oh the roof doesn't leak and there are windows, but it is still just about the same size, maybe even smaller. However, unlike my "fort", the government has a huge say on how I live in this box.
Some people say government regulation is a good thing, and some regulation is good, but as far as regulating my home when I am on the road I say nay nay!
My home while I am on the road is basically a metal box. It's kinda like living in a very small railroad car. Now I drive primarily days, so when I am trying to sleep at night it is cooler outside and the "Box" is not quite as hot. However, one night I finished my day in Yuma, Arizona. When I went to bed that night it was 105. When I woke up the next morning it was 95. Why is this a problem? Well in this particular case it was not. I ran my truck all night so I could keep the air conditioning running. If I had been in California though, government regulations would have told me to shut my truck off or receive a very hefty fine. After all, we chose this life style so we just have to deal with it, right? Weird thing though......in California, if you have a pet with you, you can idle your truck because you can't be cruel to animals! How messed up is that?
The same thing goes for the cold. A lot of companies have restrictions as well. Those companies expect us to be well rested and ready to put in a long, safe day, but don't expect us to be comfortable while we are getting that rest. I bet the people that make those rules wouldn't go home after a hard days work and turn off their air conditioning or heat would they?
More and more companies, and local and state governments are making regulations that don't make sense to an over the road driver. Idling the truck is just one of them. Recently the company I drive for informed is we can no longer use the Illinois toll system. When I questioned one of the guys at work that was in charge of this idea, he told me to look at a map. He said there were a lot of ways around the tolls that were just as quick. "Just look at it on the map" he said.
I didn't need to look at the map. I ran through Chicago twice a day at the time. Those "other routes" that he was talking about are all commercial areas. Sure, they are 4 lane roads, but they are full of stop lights, shopping centers and traffic. A trip that normally would have taken 5 and a half hours would quickly turn into an 8 hour odyssey. I guess my time as a driver doesn't mean anything, right?
I do not mean to rip on my employer. However, some of these regulations are made without talking to, or taking into consideration the truck driver. I guarantee the people in government who make these absurd idling regulations have never spent a night in a truck. I think before one of these regulations are put into place, the officials should spend a couple weeks in my "fort". No heat, no air conditioning, little air movement and oh yeah, for good measure, lets put a cattle truck next to them that has a full load on it.
Although, they should be used to the smell. They sure do shovel enough of whats inside that cattle truck!
Tuesday, June 2, 2009
Wonder Woman and her invisible Jet
Remember the show "Wonder Woman"? I always liked that show. The stories were well written, the acting was top notch, and the special effects were spectacular. OK, that is all a bunch of crapola. Let's face it, Linda Carter running around in a swimsuit........That's what "Wonder Woman" was all about.
Besides the swimsuit though, I always like her invisible jet. Remember that thing? She would jump in it and take off, flying all over the place and no-one could see her. Don't think about the fact that she wasn't invisible. After all, we needed to see the swimsuit, I'm just sayin.
Well last week, something happened that made me think about this invisible jet. NO, I was not looking at Sports Illustrated's Swimsuit edition. I was doing what I do every day. Driving.
Last week I got to take a break from my normal route and head south to Louisiana. Roberts and New Orleans to be exact. Most of the way down there, and most of the way back I had what we truck drivers like to call rain. Sometimes heavy, sometimes light, but always wet and always a nuisance.
I noticed something as I was driving along I-55 that I guess I noticed before but for some reason I felt I needed to share it with you. You see, there were more cars and trucks than I could count that were driving without their lights on. I can not understand this, especially in a busy interstate with lots of cars, buses, trucks and mist coming off of every one of them.
I know some people think that they don't need to turn their headlights on because it is daytime and it doesn't help them see any better, but the point is not to necessarily help you see the road better, it is to help other people see you!
See and be Seen. How many times have you heard that, and yet some people do not grasp the concept. In some states it is the law. In ALL states it is a good idea.
At one point there was a car that was riding beside me that I did not even know about. Now I check my mirrors regularly, so I know this was not a car that crept up on me. She was caught in the spray of my truck, with no lights on and I could not see her. Good thing I didn't need to change lanes.
And it's a good thing Wonder Woman wasn't flying around in her invisible jet or I may have run over that poor lady anyways.
Besides the swimsuit though, I always like her invisible jet. Remember that thing? She would jump in it and take off, flying all over the place and no-one could see her. Don't think about the fact that she wasn't invisible. After all, we needed to see the swimsuit, I'm just sayin.
Well last week, something happened that made me think about this invisible jet. NO, I was not looking at Sports Illustrated's Swimsuit edition. I was doing what I do every day. Driving.
Last week I got to take a break from my normal route and head south to Louisiana. Roberts and New Orleans to be exact. Most of the way down there, and most of the way back I had what we truck drivers like to call rain. Sometimes heavy, sometimes light, but always wet and always a nuisance.
I noticed something as I was driving along I-55 that I guess I noticed before but for some reason I felt I needed to share it with you. You see, there were more cars and trucks than I could count that were driving without their lights on. I can not understand this, especially in a busy interstate with lots of cars, buses, trucks and mist coming off of every one of them.
I know some people think that they don't need to turn their headlights on because it is daytime and it doesn't help them see any better, but the point is not to necessarily help you see the road better, it is to help other people see you!
See and be Seen. How many times have you heard that, and yet some people do not grasp the concept. In some states it is the law. In ALL states it is a good idea.
At one point there was a car that was riding beside me that I did not even know about. Now I check my mirrors regularly, so I know this was not a car that crept up on me. She was caught in the spray of my truck, with no lights on and I could not see her. Good thing I didn't need to change lanes.
And it's a good thing Wonder Woman wasn't flying around in her invisible jet or I may have run over that poor lady anyways.
Sunday, May 17, 2009
When 2 shall become 1
Sometimes I wonder where people learned how to drive. Well, not sometimes, ALL THE TIME!
Today is no different. I only had to drive 100 miles today. Only 100. Not the 500 - 600 I usually drive. Only 100.
528,000 feet.
6,663,000 inches.
Sounds like a lot, but in my line of work, it is a Sunday Drive.
Coincidentally, today is Sunday. A day of rest and worship. A day to spend reflecting on our lives and our blessings. For me, a day to drive 100 MILES!
Do I sound perturbed? Maybe a bit miffed? Well, today I am.
One thing drivers learn to do when they are taking drivers education is the art of merging. You know, when a driver COMING onto an interstate blends in with the traffic that is already ON the interstate?
It is a relatively simple process I thought. When a driver enters the entrance ramp, he looks down onto the interstate as soon as safely possible and either accelerates or decelerates to match the speed of the vehicles on the interstate and MERGE in with the families and freight already on the highway.
But let me tell you what I am seeing more and more. Today, 3 times today, cars coming onto the interstate did not perform the art of merging, rather they waited until the last second to see what was going on and then tried to make a decision.
I watched them come down the ramp, la la la, and then check their mirror at the bottom of the ramp. At that point it is too late to make an informed decision, so something awkward and potentially dangerous will unfold. Often in the blink of an eye.
As a "professional driver", I am paid to not only drive my truck, but to pay attention to all that is going on around me, so I can make a decision at any moment that will protect the motoring public. Today, these 3 vehicles are lucky that I was doing my job.
In all 3 cases, I watched these cars from the time they entered the entrance ramps. If possible, I try to move over so the merge can go smoothly. But there are some times that I can not. For example, if there is a car next to me, or one coming up so fast that moving over may cause an accident. In those situations, I will maintain my speed so the drivers trying to merge can try to get ahead of me, or slow down a little and pull in behind me.
Remember, it is the vehicle on the ramp that has to perform the merge dance, not the people already on the highway.
Well, when I saw these 3 vehicles coming on down the ramp and not paying attention, I backed off the fuel to let them accelerate and get in front of me. Well guess what? In All 3 cases the person driving had no idea I was even on the highway until they were almost at the bottom of the ramp. Now it is their turn to panic. Well, all 3 of them just kept right on coming, expecting me to slow down so they could "come on down".
If you read my first post, you understand that these trucks DO NOT stop on a dime. I could not stop, all I could do is slow down and let them keep coming. Well at the last second, all 3 of them decided they couldn't get in front of me so they slowed down. Now we are both slowing down. Refer to my first post again. These trucks aren't exactly quick on the pedal.
Well, in the end I won because I am bigger. These people ended up stopping on the entrance ramp. How hard is it going to be to merge now?
My point is this I guess. When you are merging, do not wait until the last second to check out the traffic you are merging with, regardless which part of the equation you are. Merger or Mergee. It is the responsibility of the person on the ramp to match speed and merge, not the people you are merging with. Start looking at the top of the ramp, not when you get to the bottom of it.
If you are the one on the highway, pay attention to the person coming down the ramp. Move over if you can safely do so. If not, try to adjust your speed slightly, but remember, you have traffic traveling behind you too and they may not be paying attention either. Don't slow down too much, you may create an even worse situation.
Happy Driving.
Today is no different. I only had to drive 100 miles today. Only 100. Not the 500 - 600 I usually drive. Only 100.
528,000 feet.
6,663,000 inches.
Sounds like a lot, but in my line of work, it is a Sunday Drive.
Coincidentally, today is Sunday. A day of rest and worship. A day to spend reflecting on our lives and our blessings. For me, a day to drive 100 MILES!
Do I sound perturbed? Maybe a bit miffed? Well, today I am.
One thing drivers learn to do when they are taking drivers education is the art of merging. You know, when a driver COMING onto an interstate blends in with the traffic that is already ON the interstate?
It is a relatively simple process I thought. When a driver enters the entrance ramp, he looks down onto the interstate as soon as safely possible and either accelerates or decelerates to match the speed of the vehicles on the interstate and MERGE in with the families and freight already on the highway.
But let me tell you what I am seeing more and more. Today, 3 times today, cars coming onto the interstate did not perform the art of merging, rather they waited until the last second to see what was going on and then tried to make a decision.
I watched them come down the ramp, la la la, and then check their mirror at the bottom of the ramp. At that point it is too late to make an informed decision, so something awkward and potentially dangerous will unfold. Often in the blink of an eye.
As a "professional driver", I am paid to not only drive my truck, but to pay attention to all that is going on around me, so I can make a decision at any moment that will protect the motoring public. Today, these 3 vehicles are lucky that I was doing my job.
In all 3 cases, I watched these cars from the time they entered the entrance ramps. If possible, I try to move over so the merge can go smoothly. But there are some times that I can not. For example, if there is a car next to me, or one coming up so fast that moving over may cause an accident. In those situations, I will maintain my speed so the drivers trying to merge can try to get ahead of me, or slow down a little and pull in behind me.
Remember, it is the vehicle on the ramp that has to perform the merge dance, not the people already on the highway.
Well, when I saw these 3 vehicles coming on down the ramp and not paying attention, I backed off the fuel to let them accelerate and get in front of me. Well guess what? In All 3 cases the person driving had no idea I was even on the highway until they were almost at the bottom of the ramp. Now it is their turn to panic. Well, all 3 of them just kept right on coming, expecting me to slow down so they could "come on down".
If you read my first post, you understand that these trucks DO NOT stop on a dime. I could not stop, all I could do is slow down and let them keep coming. Well at the last second, all 3 of them decided they couldn't get in front of me so they slowed down. Now we are both slowing down. Refer to my first post again. These trucks aren't exactly quick on the pedal.
Well, in the end I won because I am bigger. These people ended up stopping on the entrance ramp. How hard is it going to be to merge now?
My point is this I guess. When you are merging, do not wait until the last second to check out the traffic you are merging with, regardless which part of the equation you are. Merger or Mergee. It is the responsibility of the person on the ramp to match speed and merge, not the people you are merging with. Start looking at the top of the ramp, not when you get to the bottom of it.
If you are the one on the highway, pay attention to the person coming down the ramp. Move over if you can safely do so. If not, try to adjust your speed slightly, but remember, you have traffic traveling behind you too and they may not be paying attention either. Don't slow down too much, you may create an even worse situation.
Happy Driving.
Thursday, May 7, 2009
38,000 pounds of tampons and a change of underwear
I have hauled many different commodities in my short career as a Commodities Relocation Specialist. (that means truck driver). I have hauled cottonseed, diapers, fruit roll ups, dog food, laundry detergent, and fabric.
I have hauled REAL pig skins (A.D.D. moment here. did you know the pork rinds you buy at the store are actually made with pig skins. REAL pig skins! I did not, but now that I do, I will never eat them again) and frozen chicken. I have hauled bottled water and Pepsi.
I have also hauled Hazardous Chemicals and baby powder. I have carried a load of beer from Milwaukee to Georgia, with a quick stop at my house. Well, I didn't really stop at the house, but Joanne sure was trying to talk me into it.=-)
One time I hauled a load of cigarettes out of California with so much security you would have thought I was carrying nuclear secrets or something. These cigarettes did not have the tax stamp on them yet, so the government wasn't taking any chances on losing that revenue. (Another A.D.D moment. Cigarette smoking is so bad for us, so why doesn't the government just make them illegal and stop subsidizing the tobacco farmers? Then they could also stop spending millions of dollars on Stop Smoking PSA's , save even more money on health care because we are told that smoking is one of the leading causes of health care costs rising, after obesity. Think of all the money we could save.....hmmmmm. We probably make more on the cigarette taxes though, so lets play both sides of the issue and get as much revenue as possible and then say it is for the children!) Sorry for the tangent, I just get sick of our government talking out of both sides of their crooked mouths.
I even hauled a load of Tampons from somewhere in Missouri to Green Bay, Wisconsin.
Well, almost to Green Bay. I ran into a little problem along the way.
I spent a lovely May evening somewhere in southern Illinois at a Shell Truck Stop. After doing my pre-trip, I headed up the road on my way to Wisconsin. This route took me past my house, so I decided to stop at home and visit with Joanne and the kids, and the yet to be delivered Jack.
After a lovely lunch at Hardee's, I headed back up the road on my way to deliver all 38,000 pounds of tampons in the trailer.
As I headed up Route 151 in Sun Prairie Wisconsin, I accelerated from 55 to 63 and set my cruise. Just as I did this, a gust of wind pushed against my trailer, trying to gently push me to the right. (these trailers are like big ole sails out there. High winds are especially fun to drive in) As I gently nudged my steering wheel to the left, a funny thing happened. The truck did not respond. There was no pressure against the wheel.
For a second I thought "That's odd" until I realized that what this meant was that I HAD NO STEERING!!!!
That is right boys and girls, my steering had ceased to function. Without getting all technical, the hoochamajiggy came off the thingamajig, literally disconnecting my steering wheel from the wheels. (For you mechanics, I know you understand what I am talking about. Some mechanic said the pitman arm came off the steering box and I was like "Yeah right, you weren't there, how do you know?)
So, 63 mph. 38,000 lbs of tampons. 1 split second to make a decision. What do you do wise guy, what do you do?
First, i think I may have cursed out loud. Just a little bit, but I am sure I used every word I could think of and then I made up a few, just to make sure I had my bases covered.
Did i mention I was on a bridge? Oh yeah, and that there was 4 lanes of traffic. Oh yeah, and that there was an 80 foot drop to my right? (That is where the change of underwear comes in. I really could have used one)
Well, the Lord had his hand on my truck that day, kind of like a child playing with a toy truck. The wind that was annoying me, actually pushed me into the jersey barriers on the right. Why is this good? If my truck had gone to the left, I would have gone across 3 lanes of traffic and a pretty nasty median. By going to the right it allowed me to stay on the road until I was across the bridge. Then I went down an 80 foot embankment and came to stop on the entrance ramp that lead up to the highway I just came off of.
The truck did not roll over thanks to the soft ground and God's will.
It is funny what you think of after a stressful situation like that. After I knew I was OK, and that no one else was involved in my accident, I went to the bunk of my truck and checked out the TV/DVD combo we had purchased not too long before. I heard it hit the floor of the bunk as the truck rolled down the embankment, and I wanted to see if it still worked. After all, what would I do without entertainment? So before I did ANYTHING else, I plugged it back in and turned it on. Guess what? It still worked!
I called my company to let them know what had happened and waited for the police to show up. I called Joanne to let her know. It was then that I realized what had really just happened and how close I came to something really bad occurring. I had almost left this earth without seeing my son. I would have missed watching his little newborn eyes trying to focus on my voice when I spoke to him for the first time out of the womb. I almost missed seeing him born. (OK, i just put that in there so you guys will think that was special for me. It was really kinda gross. lol) I almost missed hearing him say he was daddy's baby.
I almost missed the rest of my life with Joanne and the kids. I almost missed all the fun I have out here on the road. I almost missed the Indians winning the World Series and the Browns winning the Super Bowl! (I am the eternal optimist. I am a Cleveland fan, what can I say?)
I also almost missed out on all the memories I have had since then, and that I will have in the future. Don't take safety for granted. Some things are beyond our control, like that steering breaking. Some things, however, are not beyond our control.
We can drive safely. We can not tailgate. We can do the speed limit. We can pay attention while we are driving. (I saw a woman yesterday reading a report or something she had placed on her steering wheel, talking on the phone, and drinking something with a child in the car. I hope she made it where she was going for the child's sake.)
We can be patient. (I have a hard time with that one). We can be tolerant without being hateful.
(politics included in that statement)
And when we come upon one of those things we can not control, trust God, pray, and sometimes, you gotta just hang on for the ride and hope your TV/DVD combo works afterwards.
Drive safe. I want you to read my next post.
I have hauled REAL pig skins (A.D.D. moment here. did you know the pork rinds you buy at the store are actually made with pig skins. REAL pig skins! I did not, but now that I do, I will never eat them again) and frozen chicken. I have hauled bottled water and Pepsi.
I have also hauled Hazardous Chemicals and baby powder. I have carried a load of beer from Milwaukee to Georgia, with a quick stop at my house. Well, I didn't really stop at the house, but Joanne sure was trying to talk me into it.=-)
One time I hauled a load of cigarettes out of California with so much security you would have thought I was carrying nuclear secrets or something. These cigarettes did not have the tax stamp on them yet, so the government wasn't taking any chances on losing that revenue. (Another A.D.D moment. Cigarette smoking is so bad for us, so why doesn't the government just make them illegal and stop subsidizing the tobacco farmers? Then they could also stop spending millions of dollars on Stop Smoking PSA's , save even more money on health care because we are told that smoking is one of the leading causes of health care costs rising, after obesity. Think of all the money we could save.....hmmmmm. We probably make more on the cigarette taxes though, so lets play both sides of the issue and get as much revenue as possible and then say it is for the children!) Sorry for the tangent, I just get sick of our government talking out of both sides of their crooked mouths.
I even hauled a load of Tampons from somewhere in Missouri to Green Bay, Wisconsin.
Well, almost to Green Bay. I ran into a little problem along the way.
I spent a lovely May evening somewhere in southern Illinois at a Shell Truck Stop. After doing my pre-trip, I headed up the road on my way to Wisconsin. This route took me past my house, so I decided to stop at home and visit with Joanne and the kids, and the yet to be delivered Jack.
After a lovely lunch at Hardee's, I headed back up the road on my way to deliver all 38,000 pounds of tampons in the trailer.
As I headed up Route 151 in Sun Prairie Wisconsin, I accelerated from 55 to 63 and set my cruise. Just as I did this, a gust of wind pushed against my trailer, trying to gently push me to the right. (these trailers are like big ole sails out there. High winds are especially fun to drive in) As I gently nudged my steering wheel to the left, a funny thing happened. The truck did not respond. There was no pressure against the wheel.
For a second I thought "That's odd" until I realized that what this meant was that I HAD NO STEERING!!!!
That is right boys and girls, my steering had ceased to function. Without getting all technical, the hoochamajiggy came off the thingamajig, literally disconnecting my steering wheel from the wheels. (For you mechanics, I know you understand what I am talking about. Some mechanic said the pitman arm came off the steering box and I was like "Yeah right, you weren't there, how do you know?)
So, 63 mph. 38,000 lbs of tampons. 1 split second to make a decision. What do you do wise guy, what do you do?
First, i think I may have cursed out loud. Just a little bit, but I am sure I used every word I could think of and then I made up a few, just to make sure I had my bases covered.
Did i mention I was on a bridge? Oh yeah, and that there was 4 lanes of traffic. Oh yeah, and that there was an 80 foot drop to my right? (That is where the change of underwear comes in. I really could have used one)
Well, the Lord had his hand on my truck that day, kind of like a child playing with a toy truck. The wind that was annoying me, actually pushed me into the jersey barriers on the right. Why is this good? If my truck had gone to the left, I would have gone across 3 lanes of traffic and a pretty nasty median. By going to the right it allowed me to stay on the road until I was across the bridge. Then I went down an 80 foot embankment and came to stop on the entrance ramp that lead up to the highway I just came off of.
The truck did not roll over thanks to the soft ground and God's will.
It is funny what you think of after a stressful situation like that. After I knew I was OK, and that no one else was involved in my accident, I went to the bunk of my truck and checked out the TV/DVD combo we had purchased not too long before. I heard it hit the floor of the bunk as the truck rolled down the embankment, and I wanted to see if it still worked. After all, what would I do without entertainment? So before I did ANYTHING else, I plugged it back in and turned it on. Guess what? It still worked!
I called my company to let them know what had happened and waited for the police to show up. I called Joanne to let her know. It was then that I realized what had really just happened and how close I came to something really bad occurring. I had almost left this earth without seeing my son. I would have missed watching his little newborn eyes trying to focus on my voice when I spoke to him for the first time out of the womb. I almost missed seeing him born. (OK, i just put that in there so you guys will think that was special for me. It was really kinda gross. lol) I almost missed hearing him say he was daddy's baby.
I almost missed the rest of my life with Joanne and the kids. I almost missed all the fun I have out here on the road. I almost missed the Indians winning the World Series and the Browns winning the Super Bowl! (I am the eternal optimist. I am a Cleveland fan, what can I say?)
I also almost missed out on all the memories I have had since then, and that I will have in the future. Don't take safety for granted. Some things are beyond our control, like that steering breaking. Some things, however, are not beyond our control.
We can drive safely. We can not tailgate. We can do the speed limit. We can pay attention while we are driving. (I saw a woman yesterday reading a report or something she had placed on her steering wheel, talking on the phone, and drinking something with a child in the car. I hope she made it where she was going for the child's sake.)
We can be patient. (I have a hard time with that one). We can be tolerant without being hateful.
(politics included in that statement)
And when we come upon one of those things we can not control, trust God, pray, and sometimes, you gotta just hang on for the ride and hope your TV/DVD combo works afterwards.
Drive safe. I want you to read my next post.
Wednesday, April 29, 2009
Turn signals and you
We've all heard the joke. A blond has her boyfriend change a turn signal light bulb because her turn signals stopped working. He changed the bulb and then asked her to go to the back of the car to see if it was working. He hit the signal, asked her if it was working and she said "yes, no, yes, no, yes, no...." Funny when I was fourteen. Now.....not so much.
We all have seen a "seasoned driver" driving down the road, with the left turn signal blinking and blinking and blinking. I am sure they will make a left turn eventually, just maybe not today.
For those of you who have ever visited Chicago, or live there, you know that turn signals do not work there. Drivers in Chicago use ESP (Extra Scary Possibilities) This means that the possibility of the person in front of you making a erratic turn or lane change to the right or left is at any time possible, and if you are not alert, it will scare the bejesus out of you. If you have never experienced this, I highly recommend it. It will give you a new appreciation for life, liberty, and the pursuit of clean underwear. (A little known line in the bill of rights)
Turn signals are a necessary tool for safe driving. So easy to use, and yet so under utilized. I know it is a lot of work to push that little lever up or down. Thank God they return to a neutral position most of the time, or they would NEVER get used.
But don't let them scare you. They can be our friend. You have probably seen a truck driver going down the highway with a line of traffic next to them and their turn signal on like one of those "seasoned drivers" There is a reason for that. Wanna know what it is? Well, I am going to tell you anyways!
Truck drivers not only use them to let you know what they are planning on doing, we use them as a clearing device. Let me explain.
As I have written before, the sight lines of a truck are limited. Even with all the mirrors we have, there are still several blind spots. There are tricks to seeing these vehicles, such as looking for shadows, or reflections of light under our trailers at night. But these blind spots make changing lanes an especially dangerous task. So many drivers use the ten second rule.
First you turn on the turn signal. for the next 3 seconds, we look in our mirrors and "clear" them. All this means is we make sure that there are no vehicles next to us. Then we take 7 seconds to change lanes. At least the considerate drivers do. 18 wheelers have a very high center of gravity, and changing lanes too quickly could cause the trailer to flex and force the truck into a very undesirable position. That is also why we take exit and entrance ramps slower than a car. Rollovers are never good and can put a crimp in an otherwise really good day.
So, while we are making this lane change, we are looking in our mirrors, 90% of the time, glancing forward occasionally to make sure traffic is still moving in front of us. We do this because many times, impatient drivers will try to scoot around us even though we have clearly stated our intentions with the use of that pesky little turn signal. We need to be ready to change lanes back at the drop of a hat AND make sure we do not do it too quickly because of that whole rollover thingy.
So, if you are next to a truck and you see that turn signal on, don't panic and think he is coming over right away (Although some drivers do because they are only worried about themselves). Just accelerate and get out of his way, or if there are too many cars in front of you to accomplish this, slow down and let him over. Remember, he may not see you, and that few seconds you may save by getting in front of him is not worth the risk of being run over.
You may have noticed a theme in some of my posts. Give trucks plenty of space. Most truck drivers try to manage their space safely. Some do not. I do not want to see anybody stuck next to one of those drivers when he decides to change lanes.
And if there are any of "those" drivers reading my little ole blog.......CHECK YOUR MIRRORS AND SLOW YOUR BUTT DOWN. THAT MIGHT BE MY FAMILY OR FRIENDS NEXT TO YOU. I WATCH OUT FOR YOUR FAMILY, PLEASE WATCH OUT FOR MINE! (yes, I was yelling there!)
Drive safe ya'll. See ya out there.
We all have seen a "seasoned driver" driving down the road, with the left turn signal blinking and blinking and blinking. I am sure they will make a left turn eventually, just maybe not today.
For those of you who have ever visited Chicago, or live there, you know that turn signals do not work there. Drivers in Chicago use ESP (Extra Scary Possibilities) This means that the possibility of the person in front of you making a erratic turn or lane change to the right or left is at any time possible, and if you are not alert, it will scare the bejesus out of you. If you have never experienced this, I highly recommend it. It will give you a new appreciation for life, liberty, and the pursuit of clean underwear. (A little known line in the bill of rights)
Turn signals are a necessary tool for safe driving. So easy to use, and yet so under utilized. I know it is a lot of work to push that little lever up or down. Thank God they return to a neutral position most of the time, or they would NEVER get used.
But don't let them scare you. They can be our friend. You have probably seen a truck driver going down the highway with a line of traffic next to them and their turn signal on like one of those "seasoned drivers" There is a reason for that. Wanna know what it is? Well, I am going to tell you anyways!
Truck drivers not only use them to let you know what they are planning on doing, we use them as a clearing device. Let me explain.
As I have written before, the sight lines of a truck are limited. Even with all the mirrors we have, there are still several blind spots. There are tricks to seeing these vehicles, such as looking for shadows, or reflections of light under our trailers at night. But these blind spots make changing lanes an especially dangerous task. So many drivers use the ten second rule.
First you turn on the turn signal. for the next 3 seconds, we look in our mirrors and "clear" them. All this means is we make sure that there are no vehicles next to us. Then we take 7 seconds to change lanes. At least the considerate drivers do. 18 wheelers have a very high center of gravity, and changing lanes too quickly could cause the trailer to flex and force the truck into a very undesirable position. That is also why we take exit and entrance ramps slower than a car. Rollovers are never good and can put a crimp in an otherwise really good day.
So, while we are making this lane change, we are looking in our mirrors, 90% of the time, glancing forward occasionally to make sure traffic is still moving in front of us. We do this because many times, impatient drivers will try to scoot around us even though we have clearly stated our intentions with the use of that pesky little turn signal. We need to be ready to change lanes back at the drop of a hat AND make sure we do not do it too quickly because of that whole rollover thingy.
So, if you are next to a truck and you see that turn signal on, don't panic and think he is coming over right away (Although some drivers do because they are only worried about themselves). Just accelerate and get out of his way, or if there are too many cars in front of you to accomplish this, slow down and let him over. Remember, he may not see you, and that few seconds you may save by getting in front of him is not worth the risk of being run over.
You may have noticed a theme in some of my posts. Give trucks plenty of space. Most truck drivers try to manage their space safely. Some do not. I do not want to see anybody stuck next to one of those drivers when he decides to change lanes.
And if there are any of "those" drivers reading my little ole blog.......CHECK YOUR MIRRORS AND SLOW YOUR BUTT DOWN. THAT MIGHT BE MY FAMILY OR FRIENDS NEXT TO YOU. I WATCH OUT FOR YOUR FAMILY, PLEASE WATCH OUT FOR MINE! (yes, I was yelling there!)
Drive safe ya'll. See ya out there.
Sunday, April 19, 2009
WHAT THE?!.......Did I just see that?
There are 2 ways to "See" things in my way of thinking? You can actually take in a sight with your own eyes and have that image embedded onto your brain OR someone can describe what they have seen and create the image in your mind for you.
The first one is, of course, the easiest to take in. The second one is sort of what I try to do in my own little way with this blog.
So today I am going to tell you some things I have seen. Not all of them from the seat of my truck, but all with my own little near sighted, contact lens wearing, slightly astigmatized , blue eyeballs.
The most beautiful and at the same time disturbing thing I have EVER seen was the birth of my son. For the first time, I actually saw this little dude I had been having conversations with and dreaming of meeting for the last 9 months. As all parents think, but I actually know for a fact, Jack was the most perfect baby ever born! I know, I know, you guys all think your children were the most perfect, but I am here to tell you that YOU ARE WRONG! =-) He had a perfect head, perfect little mouth, perfect hands and feet and a perfect little body. Sure, there was some kinda gunk all over this specimen of perfection, but we will blame that on his mommy, cause I know I didn't put it there!
However, while a beautiful thing, it was also "kinda" gross. I do not need to go into the details here. Joanne was a trooper through the whole ordeal even before MR. Epidural came to help out with the event. As this event was going on, after this event was finished, and even to this day, her beauty comes in at #2. How she does all that she does and still remains upright and breathing amazes me every day.
I have seen a 10 foot snow bank next to me in the Rocky Mountains, even as I was taking off my sweat jacket because it was getting too hot.
I have seen the sunrise over the Atlantic Ocean, and set over the fields of Kansas with a rainbow of colors painting the sky.
I have seen the Northern Lights in Alaska. They were so vivid it almost seemed like someone had taken a can of translucent green spray paint and covered the sky with it. They were so intense, I did not realize for a minute or so what i was actually looking at. They moved and shimmered like they were alive.
While in Alaska, I watched Bald Eagles perched on a light post on Douglas bridge for days on end. They were watching the waters of the inside passage, waiting for the right fish I guess. I saw Cruise ships with thousands of people come to see the beauty I had the privilege of seeing everyday.
I have seen numerous car accidents, truck accidents and one bus accident. Many with fatalities, most with just damaged sheet metal and rising insurance premiums.
In Northern Indiana, I got to see an Amish teenagers buggy! How do I know it was a teenager's? Well, I drive through Amish country every day. At night, since they are all painted black, they have flashing lights on them so people will see them BEFORE they hit them. Some of them have only 2 amber lights on front, and 2 red lights on the back. Others put "running" lights on them to make them a little more visible. The teenagers buggy however, also had NEON lights underneath. I kid you not! If I had a camera with me, I would show you the proof now, but alas, I did not, so you will just have to take my word for it.
But there is one thing I saw with my own little 2 eyes that have made one big change in the way I drive, whether in my car or truck. Hopefully, I can paint this picture so you might make the same decision.
On the Indiana toll road, about the 28 mile marker, traffic came to a stop. It was backed up on both lanes as far as I could see and it did not make me happy. Some idiot had undoubtedly caused an accident and had the road shut down, making me and everyone else on their way to wherever late! I was ticked.
I jumped on my CB trying to find out where the accident was and what had happened so I could let my dispatcher know what was going on and when I might be expected at my destination. My load was HOT, you know. But nobody was talking. Lots of people were asking the same thing, but nobody ahead of us, and nobody coming from the other direction was responding. This was making me even angrier. I was becoming more impatient as the minutes rolled by. We were moving, but at a snails pace, and I am only allowed to be on the clock 14 hours in a day. This was going to ruin my weekend! All because some IDIOT DRIVER WASN'T PAYING ATTENTION!!
Finally, I could see some flashing lights up ahead. There sure were a lot of them. But there were no tow trucks, only ambulance lights and firetruck lights. "A truck must have caught fire" or something like that I thought. "Some dumb driver probably let a seal go without repairing it and caught his truck on fire. Great, Just great!"
Once I got to the scene of the accident though, I realized why everyone was so quiet. There, on the side of the road, was a body covered in a blood soaked, white sheet. A young man leaned against a car parked on the side of the road, obviously distraught. Another car was parked behind that one with the flashers on. State troopers were taking measurements. One officer was talking to a car that was parked about 500 feet in front of the other 2. I made the rest of my journey in deep thought.
Coming back through that area the next day, I found out what had happened on the local radio station. A car had a tire go flat as it travelled down the road. The young man driving the car pulled off the side of the road and called home to ask his father for help. As most fathers would, this man went to help his son.
As the father worked to get the tire off his son's car, his hands slipped off of the tire iron, and he fell back into the roadway. At that very moment, a car crossed the line and hit him, killing him instantly.
How many lives were changed at that second? A father, husband and son would never come home again. A son, would never get to talk to his father about anything. A driver who had no idea his life would change that day, was suddenly responsible for taking the life of a man, whether he was being negligent or not. I am sure he is still haunted to this day.
Why did I feel the need to share this "Feel Good" Story? Simple. When you are driving down the highway, and you see a vehicle, pulled off to the side, please safely move into the other lane. If you can not do that, at least slow down. It is the law in most states, but besides that, I would not want any of you do have to deal with ANY of what those individuals had to deal with on that day and will deal with for the reat of their lives.
The first one is, of course, the easiest to take in. The second one is sort of what I try to do in my own little way with this blog.
So today I am going to tell you some things I have seen. Not all of them from the seat of my truck, but all with my own little near sighted, contact lens wearing, slightly astigmatized , blue eyeballs.
The most beautiful and at the same time disturbing thing I have EVER seen was the birth of my son. For the first time, I actually saw this little dude I had been having conversations with and dreaming of meeting for the last 9 months. As all parents think, but I actually know for a fact, Jack was the most perfect baby ever born! I know, I know, you guys all think your children were the most perfect, but I am here to tell you that YOU ARE WRONG! =-) He had a perfect head, perfect little mouth, perfect hands and feet and a perfect little body. Sure, there was some kinda gunk all over this specimen of perfection, but we will blame that on his mommy, cause I know I didn't put it there!
However, while a beautiful thing, it was also "kinda" gross. I do not need to go into the details here. Joanne was a trooper through the whole ordeal even before MR. Epidural came to help out with the event. As this event was going on, after this event was finished, and even to this day, her beauty comes in at #2. How she does all that she does and still remains upright and breathing amazes me every day.
I have seen a 10 foot snow bank next to me in the Rocky Mountains, even as I was taking off my sweat jacket because it was getting too hot.
I have seen the sunrise over the Atlantic Ocean, and set over the fields of Kansas with a rainbow of colors painting the sky.
I have seen the Northern Lights in Alaska. They were so vivid it almost seemed like someone had taken a can of translucent green spray paint and covered the sky with it. They were so intense, I did not realize for a minute or so what i was actually looking at. They moved and shimmered like they were alive.
While in Alaska, I watched Bald Eagles perched on a light post on Douglas bridge for days on end. They were watching the waters of the inside passage, waiting for the right fish I guess. I saw Cruise ships with thousands of people come to see the beauty I had the privilege of seeing everyday.
I have seen numerous car accidents, truck accidents and one bus accident. Many with fatalities, most with just damaged sheet metal and rising insurance premiums.
In Northern Indiana, I got to see an Amish teenagers buggy! How do I know it was a teenager's? Well, I drive through Amish country every day. At night, since they are all painted black, they have flashing lights on them so people will see them BEFORE they hit them. Some of them have only 2 amber lights on front, and 2 red lights on the back. Others put "running" lights on them to make them a little more visible. The teenagers buggy however, also had NEON lights underneath. I kid you not! If I had a camera with me, I would show you the proof now, but alas, I did not, so you will just have to take my word for it.
But there is one thing I saw with my own little 2 eyes that have made one big change in the way I drive, whether in my car or truck. Hopefully, I can paint this picture so you might make the same decision.
On the Indiana toll road, about the 28 mile marker, traffic came to a stop. It was backed up on both lanes as far as I could see and it did not make me happy. Some idiot had undoubtedly caused an accident and had the road shut down, making me and everyone else on their way to wherever late! I was ticked.
I jumped on my CB trying to find out where the accident was and what had happened so I could let my dispatcher know what was going on and when I might be expected at my destination. My load was HOT, you know. But nobody was talking. Lots of people were asking the same thing, but nobody ahead of us, and nobody coming from the other direction was responding. This was making me even angrier. I was becoming more impatient as the minutes rolled by. We were moving, but at a snails pace, and I am only allowed to be on the clock 14 hours in a day. This was going to ruin my weekend! All because some IDIOT DRIVER WASN'T PAYING ATTENTION!!
Finally, I could see some flashing lights up ahead. There sure were a lot of them. But there were no tow trucks, only ambulance lights and firetruck lights. "A truck must have caught fire" or something like that I thought. "Some dumb driver probably let a seal go without repairing it and caught his truck on fire. Great, Just great!"
Once I got to the scene of the accident though, I realized why everyone was so quiet. There, on the side of the road, was a body covered in a blood soaked, white sheet. A young man leaned against a car parked on the side of the road, obviously distraught. Another car was parked behind that one with the flashers on. State troopers were taking measurements. One officer was talking to a car that was parked about 500 feet in front of the other 2. I made the rest of my journey in deep thought.
Coming back through that area the next day, I found out what had happened on the local radio station. A car had a tire go flat as it travelled down the road. The young man driving the car pulled off the side of the road and called home to ask his father for help. As most fathers would, this man went to help his son.
As the father worked to get the tire off his son's car, his hands slipped off of the tire iron, and he fell back into the roadway. At that very moment, a car crossed the line and hit him, killing him instantly.
How many lives were changed at that second? A father, husband and son would never come home again. A son, would never get to talk to his father about anything. A driver who had no idea his life would change that day, was suddenly responsible for taking the life of a man, whether he was being negligent or not. I am sure he is still haunted to this day.
Why did I feel the need to share this "Feel Good" Story? Simple. When you are driving down the highway, and you see a vehicle, pulled off to the side, please safely move into the other lane. If you can not do that, at least slow down. It is the law in most states, but besides that, I would not want any of you do have to deal with ANY of what those individuals had to deal with on that day and will deal with for the reat of their lives.
Saturday, April 11, 2009
Ten Bolts
Ten Bolts. Hardened steel, approximately 2 inches long 3/4 of an inch wide.
Ten Bolts, running through 4 holes on 2 pieces of steel.
Ten Bolts with a nut on the end, holding the 2 pieces of steel together.
Ten Bolts, day in and day out, doing their job.
Ten Bolts that handle an extreme amount of pressure.
Ten Bolts, that demand my attention every day, several times a day.
Ten bolts that I hope YOU will pay attention to as well.
I check these ten bolts every day. I inspect them closely, looking for cracks or any part of them that might be shiny, for shiny metal means newly exposed metal, and THAT is one thing I NEVER want to see from these ten bolts.
Ten bolts that stand between you, me and a potentially really bad day.
Why do I obsess about these ten bolts? Well, let me tell you why I care so much about these ten little bolts.
Ever seen a truck without a trailer driving down the road? See that big Horseshoe looking plate on the back of it. That is called a 5th Wheel, and that is what holds a trailer onto a truck. This 5th wheel is attached to the frame of the truck using just ten little bolts.
An empty trailer weighs around 17,000 lbs. Fully loaded, it can weight 63,000 lbs. Imagine if that fell off the back of the truck while the truck was traveling down the highway at 65 miles per hour. It happens, I have seen it happen , and it scared the poop out of me.
The first thing that happens is the brakes lock up. When the trailer disconnects from the tractor, it rips the airlines off. This releases the air from the brakes and they immediately lock up. So not only has the trailer decided to go for a ride, but it has done it while screeching to an out-of-control stop.
And guess what. IT does not stay in a straight line. It will slip, slide and bounce every which way! Never good at highway speeds!
Now if this trailer is fully loaded, the momentum that this thing has will carry it quite a way in whatever direction it has decided to travel. Hopefully, straight into a ditch and not into a family on their way to Wally World!
That is why before I start my day, and periodically throughout the day, I check not only these ten bolts but also my tires, my brakes and anything else that I feel may affect my ability to drive safely down the road and protect the motoring public. The list of things I am mandated to check before I start my day is fairly long, but I do it every day to help assure the days safe completion. But even the closest inspection does not mean a disaster will never happen.
Let me tell you what happened to my one evening in Des Moines, Iowa. I hooked up to another trailer after dropping my load in the specified dock. I performed what is called a tug test, where once the trailer and the tractor are connected you put the truck in gear and PULL against the pin that holds the trailer to the tractor. I also visually inspected the connection, and those pesky ten bolts.
After performing a few other tests which I will not bore you with, I began my journey to the gate leading out to the main road. I reached the gate, made my right hand turn, and watched my mirrors in horror as the trailer STILL came off the 5th wheel. The cause was probably the rough parking lot I had to travel through to get to the gate. Who knows? It was secure when I pulled from the dock and it was NOT when I hit the street. Fortunately I was moving slow and saw the trailer coming off before it was all the way off. Tragedy and a long, long day were averted.
So I have said all that to make this point. The next time you are passing a truck, and you decide to take your time, or maybe even just hang out there for a while, think of this.....
Ten Bolts........how comfortable am I with my life in the hands of this truck driver I do not know, and those ten little bolts?
Ten Bolts, running through 4 holes on 2 pieces of steel.
Ten Bolts with a nut on the end, holding the 2 pieces of steel together.
Ten Bolts, day in and day out, doing their job.
Ten Bolts that handle an extreme amount of pressure.
Ten Bolts, that demand my attention every day, several times a day.
Ten bolts that I hope YOU will pay attention to as well.
I check these ten bolts every day. I inspect them closely, looking for cracks or any part of them that might be shiny, for shiny metal means newly exposed metal, and THAT is one thing I NEVER want to see from these ten bolts.
Ten bolts that stand between you, me and a potentially really bad day.
Why do I obsess about these ten bolts? Well, let me tell you why I care so much about these ten little bolts.
Ever seen a truck without a trailer driving down the road? See that big Horseshoe looking plate on the back of it. That is called a 5th Wheel, and that is what holds a trailer onto a truck. This 5th wheel is attached to the frame of the truck using just ten little bolts.
An empty trailer weighs around 17,000 lbs. Fully loaded, it can weight 63,000 lbs. Imagine if that fell off the back of the truck while the truck was traveling down the highway at 65 miles per hour. It happens, I have seen it happen , and it scared the poop out of me.
The first thing that happens is the brakes lock up. When the trailer disconnects from the tractor, it rips the airlines off. This releases the air from the brakes and they immediately lock up. So not only has the trailer decided to go for a ride, but it has done it while screeching to an out-of-control stop.
And guess what. IT does not stay in a straight line. It will slip, slide and bounce every which way! Never good at highway speeds!
Now if this trailer is fully loaded, the momentum that this thing has will carry it quite a way in whatever direction it has decided to travel. Hopefully, straight into a ditch and not into a family on their way to Wally World!
That is why before I start my day, and periodically throughout the day, I check not only these ten bolts but also my tires, my brakes and anything else that I feel may affect my ability to drive safely down the road and protect the motoring public. The list of things I am mandated to check before I start my day is fairly long, but I do it every day to help assure the days safe completion. But even the closest inspection does not mean a disaster will never happen.
Let me tell you what happened to my one evening in Des Moines, Iowa. I hooked up to another trailer after dropping my load in the specified dock. I performed what is called a tug test, where once the trailer and the tractor are connected you put the truck in gear and PULL against the pin that holds the trailer to the tractor. I also visually inspected the connection, and those pesky ten bolts.
After performing a few other tests which I will not bore you with, I began my journey to the gate leading out to the main road. I reached the gate, made my right hand turn, and watched my mirrors in horror as the trailer STILL came off the 5th wheel. The cause was probably the rough parking lot I had to travel through to get to the gate. Who knows? It was secure when I pulled from the dock and it was NOT when I hit the street. Fortunately I was moving slow and saw the trailer coming off before it was all the way off. Tragedy and a long, long day were averted.
So I have said all that to make this point. The next time you are passing a truck, and you decide to take your time, or maybe even just hang out there for a while, think of this.....
Ten Bolts........how comfortable am I with my life in the hands of this truck driver I do not know, and those ten little bolts?
Monday, April 6, 2009
Those Dag Gum Truckers
So....you are driving down the road, stressed out because the kids were rowdy this morning, you spilled coffee on the only shirt you had ironed for work, and you forgot your cell phone at home and had to turn around and get it, making you extremely late for work.
Then you see it.....a big, ole, dirty 18 wheeler lumbering down the road, using the lane you need to get to work on time. He is driving next to another slow moving truck so there is no way around him. "He's doing that on purpose, just playing around up there, probably smoking cigs and talking on the CB to the guy next to him, laughing at me" you say to yourself.
So you tailgate this guy. "That will get him outta my way. He knows I am back here! He can't be that rude" A couple of miles down the road you are still behind this jerk. Now he is just being an A-hole, right?
Maybe, maybe not! As a truck driver with a lot of "4-wheeler" friends and family, I find that a lot of people just don't understand how a truck driver thinks OR the things we need to deal with while we are just "Cruising" down the road.
Things aren't all that peaceful up there in the cab of that truck. Did you know that if you are less than 100 feet or so behind us, WE CAN"T SEE YOU! The old saying if you can't see my mirrors, I can't see you is very true. In fact, sometimes when you can see our mirrors we still can't see you.
"OK" you say, "then why is he just sitting next to that truck. Why doesn't he just hit the gas and go around?"
Well, there are a couple of things going on that may keep this guy from passing.
1. Many companies govern their trucks top speed. The company I drive for sets our maximum at 63. That means that the only time I can go any faster is if I am going downhill.
2. The heavier a truck is, the longer it takes to accelerate. (example-compare me doing a hundred yard dash now, compared to when I was 16. I am heavier AND slower)
3. Most truck drivers look half a mile or so down the road and manage their "Space"accordingly. Most of us try to maintain a safe following distance so we don't have to slam on our brakes just in case someone is tailgating us.
So, if the truck is loaded heavier than the one he is trying to pass, and there is a slight incline, the heavier truck may end up slower than the one he is trying to pass,
OR, the truck has topped out his speed and the truck next to him is set at a similar speed and is too selfish to slow down just a tick,
OR, the driver IS an A-hole and you will be stuck there until traffic clears out.
No matter what the reason is, riding that guys tail is not gonna get you where you are going any faster, and it may end up costing you your life.
Now I am not saying all truck drivers are perfect. There are many of them out there who are rude and unsafe. I see them everyday. However, the majority of us are safe and courteous and not only want to see our families again, but we also want you to see yours.
So I am writing this blog to let you know what is going on up here behind the steering wheel of this truck. I just want all of us to get along on the roads of this great nation of ours. There is room enough, I promise.
So if you ever wondered why that truck turned on his turn signal a half mile before he changes lanes, or why he didn't signal at all, I will try and cover it.
If you have anything you wanted to know, just ask. I will try to answer it to the best of my ability, which ain't all that. I'm just saying......
Then you see it.....a big, ole, dirty 18 wheeler lumbering down the road, using the lane you need to get to work on time. He is driving next to another slow moving truck so there is no way around him. "He's doing that on purpose, just playing around up there, probably smoking cigs and talking on the CB to the guy next to him, laughing at me" you say to yourself.
So you tailgate this guy. "That will get him outta my way. He knows I am back here! He can't be that rude" A couple of miles down the road you are still behind this jerk. Now he is just being an A-hole, right?
Maybe, maybe not! As a truck driver with a lot of "4-wheeler" friends and family, I find that a lot of people just don't understand how a truck driver thinks OR the things we need to deal with while we are just "Cruising" down the road.
Things aren't all that peaceful up there in the cab of that truck. Did you know that if you are less than 100 feet or so behind us, WE CAN"T SEE YOU! The old saying if you can't see my mirrors, I can't see you is very true. In fact, sometimes when you can see our mirrors we still can't see you.
"OK" you say, "then why is he just sitting next to that truck. Why doesn't he just hit the gas and go around?"
Well, there are a couple of things going on that may keep this guy from passing.
1. Many companies govern their trucks top speed. The company I drive for sets our maximum at 63. That means that the only time I can go any faster is if I am going downhill.
2. The heavier a truck is, the longer it takes to accelerate. (example-compare me doing a hundred yard dash now, compared to when I was 16. I am heavier AND slower)
3. Most truck drivers look half a mile or so down the road and manage their "Space"accordingly. Most of us try to maintain a safe following distance so we don't have to slam on our brakes just in case someone is tailgating us.
So, if the truck is loaded heavier than the one he is trying to pass, and there is a slight incline, the heavier truck may end up slower than the one he is trying to pass,
OR, the truck has topped out his speed and the truck next to him is set at a similar speed and is too selfish to slow down just a tick,
OR, the driver IS an A-hole and you will be stuck there until traffic clears out.
No matter what the reason is, riding that guys tail is not gonna get you where you are going any faster, and it may end up costing you your life.
Now I am not saying all truck drivers are perfect. There are many of them out there who are rude and unsafe. I see them everyday. However, the majority of us are safe and courteous and not only want to see our families again, but we also want you to see yours.
So I am writing this blog to let you know what is going on up here behind the steering wheel of this truck. I just want all of us to get along on the roads of this great nation of ours. There is room enough, I promise.
So if you ever wondered why that truck turned on his turn signal a half mile before he changes lanes, or why he didn't signal at all, I will try and cover it.
If you have anything you wanted to know, just ask. I will try to answer it to the best of my ability, which ain't all that. I'm just saying......
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