Overloaded Concrete Truck just missed me

[jwfuhrman]

I'm VERY biased against any truck driver. When the dip**** side swipes a farm tractor with a chisel plow, that is 100% off the road, not in the driving lane at all, and his excuse is "I never even saw you", it was VERY difficult to not kill the guy where he stood. Luckily the State Trooper hauled him off before I could.....

That was one of the wildest roller coaster rides I've ever been on tho....

 

[BogWalker]

I doubt most would even understand the point. I love how concerned everyone is about kids, yet drive like fools/maniacs around a school bus.

Bus I ride was rear ended at a stop once. Low speed, nobody hurt, but still people maintain distance!

 

[ArmedProgrammer]

I'm waiting for the thread that starts out something like:

So there I was, driving down the road in my truck. Had just drank a 64 oz "Bloomberg Special" from the Circle K. Had to whiz like a Russian racehorse....

 

[stephen87]

Remember 1 thing, a fully loaded concrete truck weighs 100,000 lbs +. Don't cut in front of them when your in the left lane and need to make a right turn. You shouldn't do it at all, but big trucks can easily kill you and your family. Give them plenty of room, they DO NOT stop fast, and it's not worth your life for the extra seconds you save by getting around him. Not saying anybody did this or saying your wrong OP, just making a statement.

I can say though, I've had this happen to me, only I was driving the truck. I was going the speed limit, I always obey the posted speeds. A light changed on me on 37 in martinsville, I hit the brakes quick, they lock up, and my rather long flat bed goes into a skid, the only choice at this point is to get off the brakes and on the horn! Scared the hell out of me, luckily, everybody was looking and let me get through, rather politely I might add.

How about those asshats that drive way too freaking fast? I came to a stop at a stoplight on E Washington one day. Admittedly, I was doing about 5 over. I stopped fine, never had to mash the brakes or anything. I stopped about 2 seconds AFTER it turned red, no big deal. Next thing I know, a semi comes flying up in the left lane doing at least 55-60, slams on the brakes, locks it up, slides THROUGH the intersection almost hitting 3-4 cars. The speed limit is 40 where we were. He came through the intersection about 20 seconds after it turned red. He had plenty of time to stop but most likely was not paying attention. For me, that was lesson learned. If I see a semi coming to a light, I wait for them to be close to stopping before I go. Honk at me all you want, my life isn't worth it.

I believe I've told the one about the semi driver that tried to run me off the road 3 times on here before. All because I got between him and another semi, where there was at least 5 semi lengths.

It's not always us car drivers that drive like idiots. I'm just saying.

 

[HighStrung]

Having spent my fair share of time driving a mixer truck, people do need to give them more room than they do. Not justifying anything related to the OP's senario, just in general. Mixer trucks aren't a sports car, their top heavy with a constantly shifting load and can (depending on the consistancy of the load) be difficult to even drive in a straight line, especially the older wore out trucks. Lights that turn yellow/red at the wrong time especially when a heavy truck is at speed creates one heck of a dangerous situation. I don't work for the company mentioned, but we operate around 350-400 trucks in this state. Many of our drivers are some of the best around, some are not. I do know that most of our guys take extra precautions toward being as safe as possible, but I can't speak for the mom-and-pop outfits. Glad you and everyone were unharmed

 

[longbow]

I called a customer who operates about 75 front discharge mixers. Told him the story and asked if his trucks will do the same thing.

His answer was no. He keeps good tires, and maintains the brakes so they can stop at normal distances with normal loads. He randomly will order his trucks to a local scale to make sure they are not overloaded. He will and has in the past fired batch plant operators or dispatch workers that will overload a truck.

He knows an overloaded truck will not stop even with good brakes. The short term profits from overloading a ready mix truck are lost several times over from wear and tear on the equipment and the liability.

He gave me some names to call on Monday to talk about this company.

The truck that ran the redlight was most likely overloaded and had crappy brakes and worn tires. The older ready mix trucks also have one or two less axles than the new trucks and this also is a problem with stopping.

 

[HighStrung]

I called a customer who operates about 75 front discharge mixers. Told him the story and asked if his trucks will do the same thing.

His answer was no. He keeps good tires, and maintains the brakes so they can stop at normal distances with normal loads. He randomly will order his trucks to a local scale to make sure they are not overloaded. He will and has in the past fired batch plant operators or dispatch workers that will overload a truck.

He knows an overloaded truck will not stop even with good brakes. The short term profits from overloading a ready mix truck are lost several times over from wear and tear on the equipment and the liability.

He gave me some names to call on Monday to talk about this company.

The truck that ran the redlight was most likely overloaded and had crappy brakes and worn tires. The older ready mix trucks also have one or two less axles than the new trucks and this also is a problem with stopping.

I agree with everything stated here. Our company will do the same if found that someone is overloading the trucks. We run all front discharge mixers and most are 5 axle (two of which are the drop down tag axles) but it makes a world of difference in their handling ability vs the older 3 or even 4 axle trucks. Though our trucks are certified to carry 10 yds (drum will actually hold 11.5) we only load them to 9.5yds.

 

[ruger1968]

Back in Feb 2005 I used to a drive a redi mix truck as it happened to me as well but i on I465 and I70 but i rolled the truck that i driving it scared the HELL out of me as well.the truck fishtailed and I tried to correct it but over correct and landed on my side with drivers door up and the truck driver that saw it stopped and came over and told me to get get the truck was leaking something I told him that it was oil and it was not going to catch fire so the fire dept showed up and took me to hospital the only thing that I had a small piece of glass in the web of my hand and piece of glass in my fore head

 

[Clif45]

Years ago I saw a concrete truck do a panic stop for a red light in Valparaiso at RT 30 and 2 and a bunch of concrete came out on the road. Light changed and the driver kept going.

Ha, I think I may know that guy...

 

[armedindy]

On the way back from visiting family, we were almost hit by a large bale of hay that came off a truck going the opposite way on the highway...scary stuff...glad youre ok

 

[Frosty]

I know some of these truck drivers are real dip****s, lets just say this, dip**** or not, give them a little room, it makes the truckers life easier and makes yours safer. Guys drive to fast, and don't pay attention, but I have cars whip 10' in front of me rolling up to a red light, which takes away my safety factor, now I'm looking for an escape so I don't kill them! If I do, it's my fault to, even though they do something stupid I would have to live with it. I don't make any excuses for the unsafe drivers, I'm just telling you guys that may not know, because I didn't even think about it until I started driving a truck!

 

[longbow]

The truck.....

 

[stephen87]

You found him? Tell us what happens, and don't wait until 9pm on Monday. lol

 

[RedneckReject]

You found him? Tell us what happens, and don't wait until 9pm on Monday. lol

He won't....he'll wait til 9:30

 

[stephen87]

Touche.

 

[longbow]

I've had a nice talk with Trooper Friendly and he will make sure they get inspected. He told me this company has been under the radar and has not yet been inspected.

He made no promise, but that will change in the near future.

 

[Brandon]

I've had a nice talk with Trooper Friendly and he will make sure they get inspected. He told me this company has been under the radar and has not yet been inspected.

He made no promise, but that will change in the near future.

If the inspections are anything like school bus inspections don't expect much. It's almost a joke and won't catch anything unless it is totally obvious.

I've been writing my brakes up since Christmas, my seat (air ride) since the begging of the school year, one of the student heaters since before Christmas... none of which have been addressed... somehow passed inspections. Ok, my seat wouldn't of failed my bus...

 

[Frosty]

I would think Your brakes would sure put it out of service... I thought the schools had to have the buses inspected by DOT on a quarterly basises? So was it a DOT inspection or just done by the schools tech's? I've got a rust hole in the frame of my truck about the size of a softball that I can't get fixed, granted it at the very end of the frame under the bed, but I still don't know how it could pass like that?