Ask a trucker.

[Missourian]

Ever had a question or a gripe about truck drivers or trucks?

Ask it here, I'll do my best.


A few quick facts:

A fully loaded truck weights 80,000 pounds or 40 tons.
That's roughly the same as 36 Honda Civics.


The average tractor trailer is 70 to 80 feet long.


A semi needs 40% more space to stop than an automobile.
The total area of brake surface on a tractor-trailer is less than the surface area of a standard trash can lid.
A semi's brake system is pneumatic (air operated) not hydraulic (using brake fluid)
A truck has 10 brakes not 18.


A tractor with no trailer is referred to as a bobtail.
A bobtail has the longer stopping distance than a tractor trailer.
It is built to carry 30,000 pounds on the two rear axles (called tandem axles).
Without that weight, those axles easily lose traction on wet or icy surfaces, or in emergency braking situations.


By law, a truck driver may drive 11 hours per day.
By law, a truck driver may drive 80 hours per week.
Most drivers drive the maximum allowed by law.


In 56% of all car/semi-truck accidents, the automobile is cited as the cause.
This is perhaps the most under reported truck statistic.






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[Missourian]

[ame]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vtq0dmMfp6Q&feature=player_embedded[/ame]​

 

[Missourian]

[ame]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=slXafLDmbfo&feature=player_embedded[/ame]​

 

[Sallow]

11 hours a day?

When did that change?

Use to be 8 hours when I was driving. And you had to keep logs to show them at the weigh stations.

But that was many moons ago. Back in the days of "Lot Lizards".

 

[Samson]

Is there anything truckers can do to reduce the amount of backwash?

I know there's mudflaps, but then there seem to be MUDFLAPS.

 

[Zoom-boing]

I always give the big rigs a lot of leeway. I don't care if they are in the right or wrong, that damn thing will squash me like a bug so I pass them or drop back . . . I just keep my distance. Once when I was driving down the shore I ended up on a three or four lane highway, heavy traffic and had big trucks on my right, left and in front. I got outta that in a hurry. My mom passed a big rig and as she was pulling back into the right lane a tire blew on the truck. Talk about a close call.

 

[007]

And what's the leading cause of tractor, trailer crashes where it's the operator error? Falling asleep at the wheel.

What's the second leading reason for trailer trailer crashes where it's operator error? Roll over / to fast through a corner.

Just ask "me." My co-driver fell asleep at the wheel while driving just outside of Midland, Texas. Fish tailed it back and forth down the highway until the trailer finally went over, cracking the whip as it is as it pulled the tractor over. He got a tad messed up. Popped his left ear drum, lost the sight in his left eye, cracked his jaw and ground off half his face when the window burst and the semi skidded down the gravel in the ditch along the interstate. I thought I was dead, and that was the end of my trucking career. Fuck that. It's a horrible, lonely, thankless job with God awful long hours sitting without being able to move behind the wheel. I hated it.

Those red streaks down the drivers door... yup... his blood.

 

[Missourian]

11 hours a day?

When did that change?

Use to be 8 hours when I was driving. And you had to keep logs to show them at the weigh stations.

But that was many moons ago. Back in the days of "Lot Lizards".

I think it was 2006.

It is now 11 hours on duty then a required 10 hour off duty break.

Also there is a 14 hour rule...14 hours from the time you first go on duty after a 10 hour break, you are required to go off duty, regardless of how many hours you have driven.

So if you start your day at 6 am, you must park by 8 pm.

 

[California Girl]

Why do y'all drive like shit?

 

[Sallow]

11 hours a day?

When did that change?

Use to be 8 hours when I was driving. And you had to keep logs to show them at the weigh stations.

But that was many moons ago. Back in the days of "Lot Lizards".

I think it was 2006.

It is now 11 hours on duty then a required 10 hour off duty break.

Also there is a 14 hour rule...14 hours from the time you first go on duty after a 10 hour break, you are required to go off duty, regardless of how many hours you have driven.

So if you start your day at 6 am, you must park by 8 pm.

Ah.

Do they still do logging the same way? Honor system?

I use to go to the "Iron Skillet" for rest stops. From what I remember it was an awesome place..showers..stick to your ribs food..just about everything a trucker could want.

Miss the long trips. Especially at sunset. Never seen anything so pretty as a sunsetting over the road.

 

[glew]

Is there anything truckers can do to reduce the amount of backwash?

I know there's mudflaps, but then there seem to be MUDFLAPS.

Don't ride his ass in a rain storm genius.

 

[glew]

Why do y'all drive like shit?

Hahahahaha!! My dad is a truck driver and I always ask him that question

 

[Sallow]

And what's the leading cause of tractor, trailer crashes where it's the operator error? Falling asleep at the wheel.

What's the second leading reason for trailer trailer crashes where it's operator error? Roll over / to fast through a corner.

Just ask "me." My co-driver fell asleep at the wheel while driving just outside of Midland, Texas. Fish tailed it back and forth down the highway until the trailer finally went over, cracking the whip as it is as it pulled the tractor over. He got a tad messed up. Popped his left ear drum, lost the sight in his left eye, cracked his jaw and ground off half his face when the window burst and the semi skidded down the gravel in the ditch along the interstate. I thought I was dead, and that was the end of my trucking career. Fuck that. It's a horrible, lonely, thankless job with God awful long hours sitting without being able to move behind the wheel. I hated it.

Those red streaks down the drivers door... yup... his blood.

Ugh.

My accident came when a woman leaving a Duncan Doughuts parking lot got hit by a van sending her like a rocket into my stepvan. I avoided the head on but she clipped my tailgate sending the truck flying into the air and we landed on our side. My helper was eating pasta at the time. So when we climbed out..it looked like we had blood and body bits all over us. But we didn't get hurt...badly..just banged up a bit.

 

[Ringel05]

Why do y'all drive like shit?

I don't know about England but I find most truck drivers here to be safer and more courteous than the majority of others on the road.

 

[strollingbones]

how many roid operations have you had?

 

[RadiomanATL]

Is "diesel dick" real or a myth?

 

[Samson]

Is there anything truckers can do to reduce the amount of backwash?

I know there's mudflaps, but then there seem to be MUDFLAPS.

Don't ride his ass in a rain storm genius.

Do you even have a license to drive?

I was actually hoping for an adult to answer: I'm convinced that some trucks leave less backwash when passing than others, but wondered if this was my imagination or if there are different ways to reduce backwash.

 

[Mr. H.]

It's cool when I flash my lights to let the trucker know it's ok to get back in the right-hand lane. Then he (she) blinks the truck's tail lights to say "thanks".

 

[Sallow]

Is there anything truckers can do to reduce the amount of backwash?

I know there's mudflaps, but then there seem to be MUDFLAPS.

Don't ride his ass in a rain storm genius.

Do you even have a license to drive?

I was actually hoping for an adult to answer: I'm convinced that some trucks leave less backwash when passing than others, but wondered if this was my imagination or if there are different ways to reduce backwash.

That's about the right answer.

I also absolutely hate the "Tandem" trucks. That to me is nuts.

 

[Sallow]

It's cool when I flash my lights to let the trucker know it's ok to get back in the right-hand lane. Then he (she) blinks the truck's tail lights to say "thanks".

Oh man..use to LOVE that. It use to be such a judgement call sometimes.