Inconsiderate drivers and tractor operators, bad mix...

[John0829]

There needs to be some consideration on all parts. I support the guy on the tractor trying to make a living, not so much the urban folks who own a few acres and a scut thinking they are part of the "rural community" BUT still they live out amongst us. They need to SLOW DOWN, definitely, and learn to share the road and the guy on the tractor, instead of traveling along with a string of traffic a mile long behind needs to be courteous and pull to the side when possible to allow built up traffic to pass. A few minutes extra travel time on either of them is not the end of the world. And before anyone decides to jump on my case about x,y or z must be done "right now" I have put my time in with long hours in the seat of a tractor to get crops in, 16-18+ hour days on construction sites and later public utilities up to my back side in rain or snow so your phone, TV or internet worked when you were home with your feet put up.

There is not a need for more regulation, just more common (good) sense, like not moving the oversize machines after dark or leaving 5 minutes early instead of 10 minutes late. As was stated earlier it has gotten to the point where it is all about "ME" not about what we can do to help and support each other to get through the day.

 

[Diggin It]

^^ Trunk cable along the road has been cut twice in the last three weeks by the same road crew. It was flagged before they cut it the first time. They knew where it was when they cut it the second time.

 

[ovrszd]

^^ Trunk cable along the road has been cut twice in the last three weeks by the same road crew. It was flagged before they cut it the first time. They knew where it was when they cut it the second time.

Not knowing the laws in Uncton I can't address this.

In Missouri, if it's marked accurately and you cut it, you pay for the repair. If you didn't register a request thru DigRite or One Call, you pay for the repair. If it's communication cable you can be charged for the lost revenue. I know of one case that was $750,000 claim.

 

[John0829]

Several years ago we spent a great deal of time replacing telephone pedestals behind a mowing crew. I swear it was a competition to see who could hit the most of them.

 

[ovrszd]

Several years ago we spent a great deal of time replacing telephone pedestals behind a mowing crew. I swear it was a competition to see who could hit the most of them.

I don't remember ever destroying a phone ped. I've knocked down two Power Poles though. Both times absolutely my fault. Both times the Power Company excused me from liability. I attribute that to the great working relationship I keep with the Utility Companies.

In one instance I was cutting a road bank and elevating a roadbed. I had been working under that Power Line for 5 or 6 hours. Had worked around the particular pole many, many times. Was backing along the bank to get another blade full of material. Noticed the Power Lines were directly overhead one second before I hit the pole going 10mph in reverse. The lines landed on top of the grader. Totally freaked me out. Slammed on the brakes and stopped Top of the cab is plastic. Three lines. I called the local lineman and told him the story. He said the power may still be on just sit tight and definitely not get out. A minute later he called me and said he had called the neighbor down the road and she said her power was out. Had thrown the breaker upstream. Said it was safe for me to back out from under the lines. In two hours they had it repaired. We all got a good laugh out of it.

 

[MossRoad]

I don't remember ever destroying a phone ped. I've knocked down two Power Poles though. Both times absolutely my fault. Both times the Power Company excused me from liability. I attribute that to the great working relationship I keep with the Utility Companies.

In one instance I was cutting a road bank and elevating a roadbed. I had been working under that Power Line for 5 or 6 hours. Had worked around the particular pole many, many times. Was backing along the bank to get another blade full of material. Noticed the Power Lines were directly overhead one second before I hit the pole going 10mph in reverse. The lines landed on top of the grader. Totally freaked me out. Slammed on the brakes and stopped Top of the cab is plastic. Three lines. I called the local lineman and told him the story. He said the power may still be on just sit tight and definitely not get out. A minute later he called me and said he had called the neighbor down the road and she said her power was out. Had thrown the breaker upstream. Said it was safe for me to back out from under the lines. In two hours they had it repaired. We all got a good laugh out of it.

Ha ha ha! The old "power lines on the cab" gag! :laughing: Gets em every time!

Call before your dig is great! :thumbsup: As mentioned, it's your get out of jail free card.

A friend of mine called them, they marked his entire yard. He then started digging fence post holes. Cut his neighbor's phone line 5' inside of his own back yard and close to 10' from the mark. SO, he moved over to the other side of the yard and proceeded to cut the other neighbor's phone line. :laughing:

 

[MossRoad]

Indiana has a slowpoke law for farm equipment. If they are holding up 3 cars or more, they have to pull over at the first safe place possible and let traffic pass. Some don't abide by the law, but most do.

 

[LouNY]

Not knowing your history Lou, have you traveled in European or Asian countries much? Tractors on the hiway is very common. Sometimes it's the means of transportation, nothing to do with tractor tasks. Cabless tractors will have a mirror clamped to the vertical exhaust. Seating platforms fastened across the rear fenders. Very common to have hiway speeds in the high 30s or low 40s.

The more developed nations have comprehensive laws in place to control this use just as they do for cars/trucks. The Auto drivers tend to accept the tractors on the road better than we do. We only consider them a distraction.

Europe no, Southeast Asia yep.
I have followed some of the European tractor regulations as at times various bureaucracies in different states have attempted to shove some similar regulation down our throats.
Anyone who believes that it would be just a minor inconvenience and a minimal expense to keep fully functional lighting on a multitude of farm equipment has absolutely no idea of what would be involved. Much of the equipment in use today especially on the smaller farms and even many of the larger ones is well over 20 years old.
Many of the older tractors do not and have never had anything beyond a flashing lamp mounted on the left fender,
no directionals, 4 way flashers, or even headlamps.
At this time in this state the only thing required in daylight hours is a SMV sign.

I certainly don't consider nations to be more developed because they have more regulations and controls on people.

And as a footnote drivers better accept me on the road with 20-30,000 pounds of tractor, pulling a chopper of a few thousand pounds and a self unloading wagon,
which when empty going to the field is only a couple of thousand pounds but when I'm headed home with my last load of the day another 5-7 tons of silage.
Because I may max out at 15-18 mph and slow down on hills because I've only got 220-250 hp to work with. And I do take up most of our secondary roads.

Oh also those tractors with that high speed are not pulling a heavy load up any kind of grade.

 

[RandyT]

Some of these drivers need to get behind Mike Mitchell and his farming crew/family when they are moving. 6 seed drills pulled by quadtrac tractors with a transport width of 27 feet, and then come harvest time with the 6-7 ideal class 9 combines coming down the road with the 50 foot honeybee air flex draper heads still attached.

 

[ovrszd]

Europe no, Southeast Asia yep.
I have followed some of the European tractor regulations as at times various bureaucracies in different states have attempted to shove some similar regulation down our throats.
Anyone who believes that it would be just a minor inconvenience and a minimal expense to keep fully functional lighting on a multitude of farm equipment has absolutely no idea of what would be involved. Much of the equipment in use today especially on the smaller farms and even many of the larger ones is well over 20 years old.
Many of the older tractors do not and have never had anything beyond a flashing lamp mounted on the left fender,
no directionals, 4 way flashers, or even headlamps.
At this time in this state the only thing required in daylight hours is a SMV sign.

I certainly don't consider nations to be more developed because they have more regulations and controls on people.

And as a footnote drivers better accept me on the road with 20-30,000 pounds of tractor, pulling a chopper of a few thousand pounds and a self unloading wagon,
which when empty going to the field is only a couple of thousand pounds but when I'm headed home with my last load of the day another 5-7 tons of silage.
Because I may max out at 15-18 mph and slow down on hills because I've only got 220-250 hp to work with. And I do take up most of our secondary roads.

Oh also those tractors with that high speed are not pulling a heavy load up any kind of grade.

No argument from me.

Just pointing out that regulations are required where usage is more frequent.

PTSG has an excellent thread on TBN about snow removal involving tractors with plows on public roads. We simply have more "space" to deal with tractors on our public roads here. Not so much in a LOT of countries.