Big truck != own the road

[Kiwi]

Ive had my bumper picked up by a truck.

I had the green to turn light and a truck coming straight through a red light just didnt stop, there were two lanes and MORE than enough time and room for him to move, and he did but not fast enough and not far enough over. I had the back corner of my car picked up and carried about 20 metres down the road until he slowed and my bumper unhooked. He scraped the paint back to clean metal...

he didnt even stop the fucker, when my mother called his company (I was only 17 at the time) they pretended it had never happened until my mother threatened to lay a complaint with the police. All of a sudden they offered to pay for any damage to the car...

so obviously the driver had reported the accident to the office and I guess they were going to try and get away with it... bastards!

[Hitokiri Akins]

I'll admit that there are MANY asshole truckers on the road, but then, there are many more asshole regular drivers making our lives miserable, trucker and regular drivers alike. It's just that the bad truckers tend to get more bad publicity than the bad regular driver, because their vehicle is bigger. In all actuality, most truckers are better drivers than you or me by far.

It's just that I hate seeing people bitch about truckers in the same way I hate seeing people bitch about tech support; the few bad eggs make the rest of us look bad.

[bean]

In all actuality, most truckers are better drivers than you or me by far.

This. I've run into more than my share of asshole drivers, but the majority of them are good drivers.

I actually credit one of them with somewhat saving my life a few years ago. The car I was driving had a blowout in the middle of a highway, I overcorrected, and spun across several lanes of traffic, right into the side of his truck. Totaled my Civic (the drivers door was pushed in about 6 inches and pushed the seat into the shifter, also shattered most of the glass on the car including the sunroof) and tore up the passenger side of his truck pretty bad - punctured fuel tank, ripped off the running boards, and shattered the right front fender (fiberglass). He said he swerved across 2 or 3 lanes when he saw me lose it to avoid hitting me head on or t-boning me. It takes a damn good driver to haul a fully loaded 18 wheeler across several lanes to avoid hitting an out of control subcompact car, and still manage to pull over within walking distance.

He was understandably pissed off, but both of us were thankful I walked away from the wreck with just whiplash and some cuts/bruises from the seat belts and broken glass. Bad whiplash, but I managed to drive what was left of the car home once I put the spare tire on. And wound up selling it to someone who needed an engine (it still ran like it was brand new, even with 206k miles on it, though the power steering pump and a/c compressor got crushed in the accident).

[mikoyan29]

I'll admit that there are MANY asshole truckers on the road, but then, there are many more asshole regular drivers making our lives miserable, trucker and regular drivers alike. It's just that the bad truckers tend to get more bad publicity than the bad regular driver, because their vehicle is bigger. In all actuality, most truckers are better drivers than you or me by far.

I'll remember that the next time it's dark, raining cats and dogs and all I can see in my rearview mirror is Kenworth. And then when I get over, he passes me like I was on the side of the road stopped. I thought they were supposed to go 60?

Yes they get bad publicity because if they cause an accident, they are likely to kill the person in the car.

[protege]

Around here, truckers do get a bad rap. Unfortunate, since the *vast majority* do not drive like idiots. They're careful, courteous drivers. These guys, I have *no* problem with. But, every now and then, you get a dipshit behind the wheel. Someone, who tries to use his truck to "compensate" for something, and probably *shouldn't* be driving one...

Like the guy in the oxygen truck I got stuck behind yesterday. Why exactly, are you in the left (passing) lane, plodding along at 40mph? The speed limit is 55, dammit, so get the hell out of the way, and let us pass. In fact, once the road opened up...everyone flipped him off, myself included

Or, the idiot in Hazelwood before that. Trucks usually use Second Avenue to get around the congestion on the South Side. Because Second isn't *quite* wide enough for 4 lanes (yet, it's always two lanes of cars going inbound), they tend to straddle both "lanes." Not this guy. Instead of taking his time, he would actually slide his rig back and forth across *both* lanes if someone tried to pass

Those are the types of people that nobody wants to be on the road with.

[Andara Bledin]

I had a friend that had a run-in with an 18-wheeler.

The asshole left her upside down against the center divider after he changed lanes into her and never stopped. I don't think he even knows he crashed into her.

^-.-^

[Rapscallion]

Sounds like what happened to Primer.

Rapscallion

[sms001]

It's just that I hate seeing people bitch about truckers in the same way I hate seeing people bitch about tech support; the few bad eggs make the rest of us look bad.

The customer is not always right. Most of the time, the customer is a clueless moron. If this offends you, you are this moron.

I enjoyed the contrast between exception and generalization.

Seriously, I think the unspoken presumption here at CS is that we're here to vent about what are hopefully the minorities in any given area.

When I was in retail, if the bulk of the customers had been sucky, I would have quit. Food service, same. Tech support, ditto. Even the non-customer topics run this way. Most of the management I've dealt with in my life have been people just like me; work hard, up through the ranks, etc. Off topic things like roommates, neighbors, etc., much the same.

So even if we are trashing 'truckers' or 'tech support' or even (as in your quote) 'customers' it isn't ALL or even MOST that are bad.... they're just the ones who get talked about.

[DGoddessChardonnay]

From the Flip Side of the Situation . . .

This incident happened to my dad several years ago. He had just started back out on a truck route (after 7 years in the terminal working dispatch - he requested the change) and was heading back to the terminal after making his deliveries for the day.

He was at the stoplight near the local hospital, which is also the same road that the Big Yellow E terminal is located (a couple of miles north from hospital and just a few blocks south of the Litter Box) when Dad suddenly felt a slight bump while sitting in the left hand turn lane and attempting to turn.

That "bump" he felt turned out to be - upon getting out of his truck to check what was the matter - was a Cadillac that had basically sideswiped the trailer and was basically hugging the truck. Little old man behind the wheel, looking stunned and confused.

Daddy simply called 911 to have the police sent out, then made a call back to the terminal to report the accident. Then he got back in the cab and waited for the cops. He refused to move the truck - he wanted the police to see EXACTLY where it was positioned at the time of the collision (it was also a work-related policy involving accidents while on the job, from my understanding) while the man in the Cadillac moved his vehicle over to the side.

Cops showed up, took statements and saw the damage to the vehicles. Turned out the reason why the guy hit Daddy's truck: he thought he was in the turning lane. So when the light changed, the Cadillac started to turn and hit the truck (that was in the process of turning.) But the Cadillac apparently was in the lane going straight, so obviously the guy was not paying attention to his surroundings.

Luckily Daddy didnt' get into any trouble over the accident, but I do hope that guy's license was taken from him. He sounded too confused to even be behind the wheel.

[RecoveringKinkoid]

I'll remember that the next time it's dark, raining cats and dogs and all I can see in my rearview mirror is Kenworth.

.

Exactly. And 9 out of 10 times, I'm behind someone and couldn't go faster even if I wanted to, so there's no explanation other than "intimidation for the hell of it".

I love the billboards I see around here that warn us that it takes the length of a foot ball field to stop an 18 wheeler. As if other drivers have any control over how closely they are being tailgated by one.

And as for the comment about truckers going 20 mph through a work zone, they are supposed to be going 20 mph through a work zone. That they are side by side should be neither here nor there, if they are going 20 and other cars are going 20, then nobody is going to be passing anyways.

And if other cars are not going 20 and trying to pass in a work zone, that is a huge no-no.

[Dips]

Don't ever forget the blind spots on an 18-wheeler.

If you've been following one for a while and you've been close enough that you can't see their mirrors, they don't know you're there...

And they won't suddenly be magically aware of your presence when you go to pass them, especially if you pass on the right which is basically nothing but a massive blind spot. Only pass on the right if you must, and make sure to check the right hand mirror for the driver's face. Stay there for a few seconds so he has a chance to see you, then pass.

That massive right side blind spot is also why it's never EVER a good idea to merge or change lanes in front of a truck from the right side, unless you are more than two truck lengths ahead of him where he can see you; the driver can't react to you if he doesn't even know you're there. Drop speed and merge behind the truck; you can safely pass him later.

In countries with left hand driving, reverse this advice.

[RootedPhoenix]

A lot of what I'm hearing about in this thread is just bad driving.

I have a sneaking suspicion that these truckers who are idiots in their trucks go home, get in their SUVS, vans, Pintos, Saturns (or whatever else it is) and proceed to drive the exact same way.

[mikoyan29]

That massive right side blind spot is also why it's never EVER a good idea to merge or change lanes in front of a truck from the right side, unless you are more than two truck lengths ahead of him where he can see you; the driver can't react to you if he doesn't even know you're there. Drop speed and merge behind the truck; you can safely pass him later.

I wasn't talking about a truck that I passed...I was talking about a truck that was a ways behind me....It's dark, raining...hard rain...I'm driving about 60~65...Next thing I know...I see Kenworth in my rear view mirror....I was about to take down his company's number...but he was driving a truck without one...

[Dips]

My advice was for the general "you" not "you" meaning you specifically. I had to scroll back to read your post again since I don't recall it.

Anyway, it looks like you handled that situation very well. Moving to the side and letting him pass you was the safest option. It is too bad that you were unable to get enough information to report him.

It's also worth noting that trucks do not generally have to obey a lower speed limit in the US. They are allowed to go the same speed as everyone else.

[mikoyan29]

My advice was for the general "you" not "you" meaning you specifically. I had to scroll back to read your post again since I don't recall it.

Anyway, it looks like you handled that situation very well. Moving to the side and letting him pass you was the safest option. It is too bad that you were unable to get enough information to report him.

It's also worth noting that trucks do not generally have to obey a lower speed limit in the US. They are allowed to go the same speed as everyone else.

Depends on where you are. Here in Michigan for instance, cars can go 70 and trucks are supposed to go 60. 95% of the trucks are going 60 but it's the 5% that tend to get noticed by me since I'm not keen on the front of end of the truck having a Neon hood ornament.