Bad Week With Trucks

[ispjs]

So far this week a 5-ton box truck nudged the front of our Mini.  Of course I thought the dumba&& was going to take the whole front end off.  The only reason it happened was because he was in a hurry.  In heavy 2-lane traffic he pulled out around me into the oncoming narrow lane and side swiped the front of my car.

Then yesterday after 4 hours of driving in a storm we were almost out of Florida and into Alabama.  The weather was clearing and I had the cruise finally set on 68mph.  A flat bed truck-tractor-semi-trailer came flying around me running between 75 and 80 unloaded.  He must have just dropped off some equipment that had mud and gravel all over it because dirt and rocks were flying off his trailer.  Of course he pulled right back in front of me and I immediately started hearing the "pings" on the front of the coach.  Got on the brakes quickly but it was too late, nice 4" crack on the right side of my windshield.

Got fuel later and inspected the front of coach.  At least he didn't give me any broken lights or paint chips.  Another "professional" driver in a big hurry.  Why not take a few minutes and either blow or sweep that trailer off before jumping on I-10 and seeing how fast your junk equipment can go!

[wayne77590]

Darn Joe, if it wasn't for bad luck you probably wouldn't have any luck at all.

That all sucks, big time.

[TimeTraveler]

Back in February we saw a wreck of two semis in the opposing lanes of the Interstate.

There was a back up of about 15 miles. It was just after sunset and cool crisp air. It was the prettiest light show we've seen in a while.

All the side and top marker lights on semis. In that entire stretch there was only a hand full of cars. Everyone had arrieved home or moteels for the evening.

This is no politics but reality. Ninety percent of the  traffic on the Interstate here is now semis bringing loads from the coast to distribution centers or from there to stores etc.

In the seventies this same stretch of Interstate in the seventies when everyone had jobs, it was infrequent or rare to see a semi and not many cars.

It is dangerous, yes dangerous on our Interstates today as Semi Drivers play by their own rules and the majority of abut 90%  possibly more wrecks in this stretch of the Interstate involves a semi or only semis.

Several years ago below Atlanta in left of merge lane a  Semi came over on us and if I hadn't stood on the brakes it would have taken  off ten feet of the front of the motor home and not only us but perhaps a hundred more lives lost. Same thing happened a few miles later. 

Called GSP they manged to top him. I on't know why they let him go with just a ticket. He ws  on the CB threatening to use his .223 or go home and get his .308 or some such nonsense.

Kids  sat in traffic 7 hours one time and us and everyone else long periods of time possibly as long,. So we avoid thee Interstate here and around other places we know from driving before.

It is not going to get any better until we have monopolies broken up local production like bread bakeries, and everything else instead of importing every thing from China etc.

Be safe and take a valium around our cities. We sometimes have to stop for a while  and let our nerves settle, get a bite to eat after Atlanta etc.

I guess that is why I've put on a few pounds. It's the semi Drivers fault. 

[jleamont]

On 4/11/2018 at 9:03 AM, ISPJS said:

So far this week a 5-ton box truck nudged the front of our Mini.  Of course I thought the dumba&& was going to take the whole front end off.  The only reason it happened was because he was in a hurry.  In heavy 2-lane traffic he pulled out around me into the oncoming narrow lane and side swiped the front of my car.

Then yesterday after 4 hours of driving in a storm we were almost out of Florida and into Alabama.  The weather was clearing and I had the cruise finally set on 68mph.  A flat bed truck-tractor-semi-trailer came flying around me running between 75 and 80 unloaded.  He must have just dropped off some equipment that had mud and gravel all over it because dirt and rocks were flying off his trailer.  Of course he pulled right back in front of me and I immediately started hearing the "pings" on the front of the coach.  Got on the brakes quickly but it was too late, nice 4" crack on the right side of my windshield.

Got fuel later and inspected the front of coach.  At least he didn't give me any broken lights or paint chips.  Another "professional" driver in a big hurry.  Why not take a few minutes and either blow or sweep that trailer off before jumping on I-10 and seeing how fast your junk equipment can go!

UGH . 

"professional" driver . Most of these have retired, the majority of whats running around now are horrible, not professional. I'm in that business on the Fleet Management side, you'd have a real hard time finding a "Professional" in the driver side of this business especially the over the road guys, most have temporary CDL's and are not from this country. This business is nothing like it was 10 years ago . What we are seeing now cannot drive a manual transmission and can only go forward 

[dbenoit]

I was following a truck that was dripping fluid out the back and it got all over the front of my truck.

When I finally got the chance to pass the placard said "Corrosive", of course I lost the paint

on the front on the hood a week later. Didn't get the license #. Stupid me.

[TimeTraveler]

We just happened to encounter  semi leaving Chattanooga several times, that had two black plastic pipes running down, right in front ,of the trailer bumper or whatever the affair is called. It was not dripping it was running out. One time or two encountered it many miles into Georgia still running strong. The fluid was a dark brown, and every vehicle behind it  got some on it. It nearly ruined the pain on our car.

Had to wash it and clean and buff it. It4 stunk a bit too.

Called GSP  more than once along with THP. That was a several years ago. Don't know long they did this before being caught.

I imagine some big fines loss of vehicle and perhaps some jail time.

Unfortunate enough to  get behind  a  tanker that had an open hatch on top. Gray blue fluid sloshed out and onto every thing.
I manged to get along side and tell him. He didn't care. Turned out he was hauling residue from latex pain manufacture to a place at the ft of Lookout Mtn Tn where they filter it though sand and inject into the ground into one of the largest aquifers in the Country.

The Plant is still there. Don't know what they do today.

 

[manholt]

Quote

Non professional OTR's!

Here in Texas it seems to be a mixed bag, same in NM and AZ.  NAFTA is the biggest culprit and a Joe indicated, the temporary CDL holders, but all in all, I can't really complain.  The ones who are bad, overshadow those that are responsible, courteous drivers!

Joe S. UGH !!!

[TimeTraveler]

Santa Fe and west is where we saw most of the Mexican Drivers and Trucks. At that time Mexican Trucks did not have to meet our emissions standards and some other regs. We were a bit nervous around some of those rigs. They are showing up all across the Country, now. I have wondered if or how many might have been involved in the numerous truck wrecks around this area.

[jleamont]

Mexico specs were non emissions engines as recent as 2014. You could still spec a truck for a Mexico domicile with a cab model and powertrain that was no longer available in the states for 8+ years. It was always like stepping back in time with those orders.

[elkhartjim]

I'm always amazed when we go to Big Bend, if the wind is blowing from the nw or ne the skies are totally clear of pollution but if the wind is from the west or south the pollution is terrible...Blowing straight out of Mexico. 😝

[TimeTraveler]

The Greet Big Empty, the Big Bend. I would love to be 20 again with a couple of horses and supplies or ... and explore it.

Great Grand Pa said People, in not just Arkansas  in the 1850s into the early twentieth century would just pick up and say going to Texas, and  they did, just to see what was there. 1928 was the last big Native American uprising, I think.

They lived off abundant game and staples they took with them or bought some where.

Lots of game until the early 1900s when Texas and US Govt an Ranchers poisoned  most, if not all the bears, wolves, jaguars, Cougars,  shot all the Buffalo and Elk and other animals. Mostly east Texas. Might still be a few stray jaguars and wolves, cougars, in the Big Bend, along with the deer etc they feed on, come up from Mexico. Wife's Uncle had photo of a Jaguar, in Az when he was mining turquoise in the 1960s. That's a good bit away from Texas but that great Big Empty invites speculation, and begs for exploration. 

I do believe I was born a century or two or three late.

[hermanmullins]

Would be good to return to the Topic. "Bad Week With Trucks".

Herman

[manholt]

TT.

As Jim S. can tell you, today it's BBNP and BB State Park, other than that, it's mostly privately owned Ranches.  There is nothing empty about it.  Lots of daily traffic in and out. Buffalo, Elk and Bear could not survive there!  The Grey Wolves, Coyotes and Cougars are still there in numbers.  So are the Camels, but mostly on the East side of BBNP.  The Robertson Family of "Duck Dynasty" fame, has a 289,000 acre Ranch and Game Preserve, between Hwy. 90 and BBNP on the NE side.

Jaguars (Black Panther) you'll find in "The big Thicket" of SE Texas!

On Hwy. 90 and I-10, in both directions, you'll have NAFTA OTR's, Driven mostly by Mexican Nationals....that's the agreement GW Bush signed with Mexico and that's the reason (in Texas), why we have a lot of Big Rig Violations!

Herman, you posted while I was typing!  I'm on subject/off subject, as you where often reminded by Brett, up till 3 months ago!   

[elkhartjim]

Looks like the thread ran its course. Sorry Joe we got away from the specific topic and started talking more generically about trucks.

Carl, Black Bears are making a strong comeback in BBNP. They are coming in from Mexico along with other illegals. Way off topic but good information.