Share Pics of People Hauling or Towing Something Wrong

[bcp]

No driver error as far as I know but the highway guys should have shut the bridge down to trucks during our high wind conditions. Driver got out the driver's side, the first step on the passenger side was a doozy. Some engineer did a good job designing that guard rail.

Bruce

 

[nikerret]

Granted that might be but it is not a license to drive recklessly.
I do know that in the case of snow removal it is by the load c/w stamped tickets.

Not excusing or justifying stupid behavior. Just sharing that it is a method of payment calculation.

 

[California]

Locally at least, I have learned to respect long haul drivers.

But not so with short haul as much ... seen dump truck drivers acting like those Civic jockies that weave in/out at will

The worst on I-80 east of San Francisco are two-axle box trucks. They can drive in any lane like a car. If it says Enterprise, Hertz, or some national rental company, look out. That's likely a new inexperienced employee in a short term rental, in a hurry.

But even worse than the rental-logo box trucks - watch for a standard cube box on a narrower Isuzu chassis. With a frantically careless driver taking all sorts of chances to make time. If you see one loading in the Chinatown business district in Sacramento, then it makes sense. He's loading women's clothing made in small sweatshops by immigrant grandmothers, for delivery to Macy's etc in San Francisco. (an ultralight load). The door logo on the truck and Asian madman driver, confirm the theory. Guy learned to drive overseas and he's never going to just flow along with traffic here like a professional driver.

That said, my scariest experience was an empty long flatbed semitrailer that instantly forced me into the occupied lane to my right when he suddenly crossed two lanes to make the the next exit. I had been well ahead of his rear axle and the choice was hope the guy on my right could give way (he did) or get run over by the semi's rear tires. A real yahoo trucker.

 

[Thomas]

That's LOT of huffing and puffing.

 

[Jstpssng]

The worst I've seen tend to be vendors servicing conveneience stores. They drive big box trucks with "Fritos" or "Budweiser" on the side, and usually only need a generic Class C passenger car license. Yet they drive like they own the road, and are big enough so that they can take it from most of us.

 

[civilian]

Bruce

I wonder if the semi was empty, ie no load to help weigh it down. Jon

 

[California]

Off topic but it may amuse some: between home and ranch, we drive 50 miles on I-80 east of SF. There is ALWAYS one or more tankers labelled 'Food Grade' carrying bulk wine from Lodi (cheap valley wine) to Napa. Where expensive famous-brand wines are labelled 'Vinted and Bottled in Napa County'. They need only 50% local content to claim Napa Valley [world class] terroir. ...

 

[dodge man]

I drove across I70 one night in Kansas with high winds about 3 years ago. I saw 3 semis tipped over. I was east bound and the wind was out of the north so they were all off the road on the right side. I would have hated to be west bound and had the fear of one tipping over on you while passing.

 

[duramaxsky]

I wonder if the semi was empty, ie no load to help weigh it down. Jon

The wind was blowing from the right. It didn't blow him over. But that's a very narrow old bridge. A gust may have blown him to the left and died down as he pulled back right. Then he hit the rail.

 

[Diggin It]

I have extremely limited experience on mountain roads or long grades and none at all in anything other than a passenger vehicle.

* I was westbound on I-70 west of Denver and extremely low on fuel. Unfamiliar with the area, I had missed the last exit with gas and found myself facing several miles before the next. Luckily, as it turned out, that section was all downhill, through the Eisenhower Tunnel and with no significant traffic that might have led to stopping and waiting. I almost coasted off the next ramp (probably Silverthorne) and into the gas station.

* I was westbound on I-40 in a full sized Dodge van that was completely empty when I got into very high winds in NM. Not a pleasant ride either.

* I was eastbound on I-94 east of Benton Harbor and came into high winds. I was in a little car, but the semi in front of me went over to nearly 45 degrees before passing some trees that blocked the wind, allowing it to right itself and continue on.

* I was westbound on I-96 in Detroit when a stake truck blew a tire, started to go over and dumped much of a load of metal castings (something like unfinished U joints) all over the road.