Dragging Ass

It was bound to happen...

Saturday evening I was delivering the last of my cars in Chattanooga. Everything just seemed to fall into place for me that day, and I do mean everything. I left the dealership and headed south on I-75. After a few miles, a car flashed his lights at me, but then quickly changed lanes behind me and exited the freeway. Not thinking much about it because a lot of motorists flash their lights for different reasons, I continued onward. Being empty, I was able to climb the hills pretty quickly and was passing the slower heavy trucks with ease. About 5 miles later, another car eases up my left side flashing his high beams. He catches up to me and is blowing the horn too. He then merges into the lane in front of me and engages the four way flashers as he begins to slow. Of course, by now, I realize something is amiss. He slows me to about 40mph and we ease off onto the shoulder. There was a guard rail immediately to my right and with very little room for comfort, I was hoping he would pull forward to the end of the guardrail. He didn't. He jumps out of his car and runs back to my truck. He is an older Korean man who does not speak a word of English, but his gestures were frantic. He is standing in the right lane ( due to the guard rail, I am sitting on the white line) trying to communicate with me when I noticed the truck blazing a trail directly at him. I throw open the door and grab him by the shirt and pull him to the truck just as the truck roars by within inches of us...

This absolutely pissed me off beyond all means of reason. There were no other vehicles to the left of this truck. I had my four ways on, so I was not invisible. That idiot should have at least made an attempt to give my truck some room. There was no reason for him to be that close. There was no other vehicles anywhere near him at all. He could have easily moved left!!! And to add fuel to the fire, the CB comes to life with "fuck, there are people standing in the road" I am sure the flashing car-hauler on the shoulder gave no indication that there might be human life form close by. I would never have taken that chance, standing in the road like that, but the man was doing a good deed and getting squished was probably not even on his mind. The look on his face when I grabbed him...

Oh sure, it was nice for someone to finally speak up and alert the crowd, but where was all the chatter for the last 15 miles when I was dragging my ramp down the highway throwing sparks, I am sure.

Why did it take 2 motorists in cars to alert me to the fact that I was dragging a ramp. I passed over a dozen trucks and not a single word. It was not until after the fact, that someone mentioned the car-hauler who was throwing sparks. By this time, I had been parked for a minute or two, so obviously that comment came from someone I had previously passed.

I am very grateful that this gentlemen took it upon himself to get my attention. He had no idea who he was getting involved with. But it almost cost him his life. I am not sure how I would have reacted, had he been killed and thankfully I don't have to deal with that nightmare. But, I am just about fed up with the new school of truckers. In my opinion, the industry is full of £&@¥^#€ morons!!!! Don't get me wrong, there are some great people in trucks, but they are fewer and further between.

Organized Crime...

Try living in a daycab for weeks at a time...

Okay, so I do get the luxury on staying in a motel every night, which helps tremendously, since I am away from home for extended periods of time. No more of the 4 day work weeks for me!! But trying to cram your life into the floor space of the passenger side of a vehicle, and it can be trying to say the least.

At first glance, DISARRAY!!

But there is a method to my madness. Along the bottom, I have containers holding tools, gloves, truck supplies and underwear... These containers keep the heat from coming through the floorboard and ruining any food items and toiletries that I have precariously placed in another location. Boots and rain gear are crammed into the footwell area under the dash. There is one bag for clean clothes and another for the dirty garments. Laptop rests on top, along with a few edible staples in the green bag to ensure that I do not starve. Not seen in this photo is the shower bag and beverages that occupy the area surrounding the shifter...
In the next photo, you will notice my handy dandy plastic gun rack, which I purchased to hold my height stick.

This rack also holds ball caps, purses, food items, more rain gear, jumper cables.. The list gets pretty long. Other items are tucked into just about every nook and cranny. Truthfully, while driving down the road, I have on more than one occasion, glanced over and felt a little uneasy. While everything seems to fit into it's place, I would be confident in saying that IF the truck ever rolled over, I AM GOING TO GET HURT!!  (by my own personal belongings)

Oh well, at least it fits! Although,  I am still trying to figure out how to remove even more clutter...

Enough With The Idiots Already

As a rule, I typically expect automobile drivers to make erratic and dangerous decisions while traveling the Interstates. I credit them for not being as skilled when it comes to traversing miles from home, as most people drive in a significantly smaller radius of asphalt. By this, I just mean I try to always expect the unexpected and not get disgruntled when it happens right in front of me. I anticipate!!

As a rule, I expect truck drivers to be more skilled, more conscientious and more considerate of their surroundings. They are suppose to be Trained Professionals..."suppose" being the operative word!

Earlier this month, I witnessed the aftermath of an accident which involved 2 Big Trucks. The particular circumstances of this incident actually enrage me to the point of wanting to kick, scream, and slap all the idiots that are driving 18 Wheelers. And believe me, there are plenty of those to go around.

The first driver was parked on the shoulder of the road for whatever reason and decided it was time to merge back into traffic. The second driver was moseying down the right lane minding his own business when the first driver pulled into the right lane directly in front of him. Whether or not the second driver had room to merge to the left and allow the first driver access to the right lane is really of no consequence. Some people would argue that, but the rule of thumb is to merge into the flow of traffic, safely. Not to slow the rate of travel to match that of motorists on the ramp. That is why the YIELD sign is on the ramp and not on the shoulder of the Interstate!!

So, the first driver pulls out into traffic and the second driver either has too little reaction time or cannot move over safely and ends up in the ditch. The impact indicated the first driver was no where near up to road speed as the last 10 feet of his trailer were obliterated by the collision with the governed tractor trailer who rear-ended him. I sincerely hope the second driver survived the collision. As I passed the accident, I noticed the first driver sitting in his cab. His blank expression said it all!!

I myself have had to dodge 3 Big Trucks who decided to reenter the flow of traffic at less then 20 miles per hour. The first time it was a JB Hunt. He pulled off the shoulder in a low gear directly in front of a pack of 10 tractor trailers motivating at 65plus mph. I was lucky that everyone was paying attention that day. As the truck in front of me made a left lane change, I saw the offending truck and dived into a 70 ft hole to my left, missing the corner of his trailer by mere inches. The second time was an owner operator pulling a flatbed. He also entered the travel lanes on the low side of his transmission and once again I dodged a bullet because a fourwheeler hit the left shoulder to allow me room in the left lane. I proceeded to get verbal with the driver and he felt the need to berate and belittle me for the next 20 miles. He seemed a little defensive to me and felt he could only exonerate himself by calling me a stupid bitch. The third incident involved a KNIGHT truck. This time, a car was pushed into the median as another truck began sliding into the left lane while trying to brake hard to avoid impact. I ended up jumping to the right shoulder to avoid a collision. Afterwards, the Knight driver hid behind his curtain as traffic passed him, obviously not wanting to acknowledge his bad judgement.

I am sick and tired of having to overcompensate for the lack of training and common sense that some of these drivers possess. In a perfect world, this would not be the case. I already allow for the cars to make mistakes, as I said, I expect it. But to continually have to watch for fellow truckdrivers is really testing my patience. But this is an old rant for me.... And one I am sure to repeat.

Cranial Excavation...

or more simply, Removing Your Head From Your Arse !!

I am soooooo pissed off. I do not intend to let this post become a long drawn out diatribe bashing new truck drivers. In fact, it is not always the newer drivers who pull stupid stunts. I do have a low opinion of how the new comers are being trained and while some of that could be blamed on poor educational courses, the fact of the matter is... It boils down to common sense.

Today, I was cruising up I-65 when I noticed a company truck sitting on the shoulder of the road about a half mile ahead. The driver in front of me also noticed, and as any courteous professional would do, we both signaled to merge into the left lane to give the stranded driver as much room as possible. With the high flow of traffic, we were having quite a time getting over to the left.

I noticed the blinker begin to light up on the "disabled" truck and thought...surely, he is going to wait. But NOOOOOOO!! The bastard pulled straight out into the right lane of the interstate at about 10mph. Here is what happened next..

It scared a fourwheeler who then drove into the grassy median, luckily without having an accident. The truck in front of me was trying to get left quickly, but with the one car already in the grass, several others hit the brakes leaving him no room as he was already merging. He tried to pull back to the right to avoid hitting innocent motorists and started to slide. After quick thinking on his part, he regained traction and was able to merge left. As for me, I have some very flat spots on my tires due to coming to a rather quick stop and ended up driving on the shoulder for a little bit to avoid the slow truck in the right lane...

Meanwhile, this freaking idiot is oblivious to the near mayhem he almost created. Who I am kidding, it was mayhem!! I am just thankful everybody was able to react in a way that not one person was injured or one vehicle damaged.

And for the record... I had some very unpleasant things to say to this steering wheel holder and all of Indiana had the pleasure of hearing it. Would you be surprised that the driver never acknowledged what he had done. He even went so far as to hide his face when I passed him.

This is the second time I have had my life flash before my eyes because of some stupid freaking truck driver.. Oh, and the worst part... The shoulder he was parked on was between the ramps for an exit!! He could have easily pulled off the exit and parked on that shoulder, therefore allowing himself room to build momentum for reentry.

I just don't understand why some people are so disconnected. You are driving 80,000lbs of mobile destruction.. and yet your only concern is your missed exit, how late you are, where the next McDonalds is or checking out the babes in the cars beside you.

Your lack of common sense infuriates me!!

For Safety's Sake

It's Monday night and I am on my way home already. I got lucky this week with a 2 stop New England route. By tomorrow evening, I will have already accumulated 2300 miles. But with long days behind the wheel, comes the potential for too much time to think.

Today found me in an unusually quiet and pensive mood. After watching the industry changes that have taken place over the past 13 years, I feel as though my livelihood is crumbling into chaotic ruins.

There are still many wonderful men and women out on these highways that represent the Concrete Cowboys and Highway Heroes of yesteryear, but more common these days are the folks looking for an easy buck. They bitch and complain about everything. From traffic delays to waiting on loads. And the most common thread that binds these newcomers is the singlemindedness of their actions. They are so intent on themselves, that they forget to take time to look around, to be courteous, to be cautious!!

One common complaint you will hear out on the road, concerns the slower company drivers clustered into the center lane, impeding the flow of traffic. This is one of my big pet peeves. Slower traffic keep right!! By hovering in the middle, they have now caused a rolling road block. The faster trucks are forced to either violate lane restrictions, or pass on the right where merging traffic becomes an issue. Once you are able to get around them, you will most often notice them staring straight ahead. I suppose if they don't acknowledge you, they feel less remorse for such actions.

I seem to be way off on a tangent here, but just bear with me.

They blow through truck stop parking lots and/or fuel islands at ridiculous speeds. They won't accommodate any other motorist, with their "me first" attitude. No concern for safety! Or maybe, just maybe, it is a lack of training?

Now back to the original intent of my post. I think I have solved the safety issues concerning the trucking industry, or at least one of them... How about, instead of the restrictions and regulations that are being heaped upon drivers, in the name of safety, we should make demands that Training Companies actually train the new drivers. Instead of weeks, let's put the potential drivers through months or years of training. Instead of the promise of "free"
training (if you work for the company for a stated amount of time, you owe nothing), let's put a hefty price tag on a long term education. Other certifications take many class credits or years to complete. Why not trucking? Let's actually require the skills to be demonstrated and challenged when taking a skills test. Let's stop making the truck so user friendly that any bozo can drive it. Automatic transmissions?? Please...if you take away all the challenges there once were, you are left with bumbling idiots steering their trailers over other trucks, cars, equipment, poles...blah blah blah!!

I can't tell you how many women I have heard recently admit that they can not back up their trailer. What the hell are you doing in a truck, sister? I do not believe women should be given any advantages based on gender!! It was a man's worlds at one time, but many women have succeeded by jumping in with both feet and learning the skills to be successful. No bitching, no crying...just doing!!

So, it is just my opinion, but if you make it harder to become a truck driver, you will be left with only those who truly have the desire to become a competent operator. And if one works harder to succeed, I believe there is more potential for that person to be cautious, courteous and willing to help a fellow driver. If the highways were full of those types of drivers, these ridiculous restrictions and regulations would not be so necessary!!

Think about it!

You have 2 such incompetent baffoons to thank for this post.

Okay, bitch session over

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