Came close today

layoutshooter · Jun 14, 2010

Just about wrecked big time this evening. I was in my lane slowing down to move over for an exit. Another truck came down the ramp and was moving much faster and went by on my right, in his lane, only sort of went by. He kept on coming and his trailer clipped my passenger side mirrors. I took my foot off the accellerator, no brakes and just kept it straight as I could. There was a car on my left, I had no were to go.

No damage to the mirrors or my truck, the other guy kept going. I don't even know if he knew he hit me. I was not able to get his play. It was a Ryder rental with a 53' trailer. Got to Bordentown, and changed underware. That was just WAY too Close.

Ragman · Jun 14, 2010

layoutshooter said:
Just about wrecked big time this evening. I was in my lane slowing down to move over for an exit. Another truck came down the ramp and was moving much faster and went by on my right, in his lane, only sort of went by. He kept on coming and his trailer clipped my passenger side mirrors. I took my foot off the accellerator, no brakes and just kept it straight as I could. There was a car on my left, I had no were to go.

No damage to the mirrors or my truck, the other guy kept going. I don't even know if he knew he hit me. I was not able to get his play. It was a Ryder rental with a 53' trailer. Got to Bordentown, and changed underware. That was just WAY too Close.

Glad you're ok.

layoutshooter · Jun 14, 2010

Ragman said:
Glad you're ok.

Thanks, it was a scary one.

TeamCaffee · Jun 14, 2010

Hey Layout glad you guys are fine if a little rattled!

layoutshooter · Jun 14, 2010

TeamCaffee said:
Hey Layout glad you guys are fine if a little rattled!

Rattled describes how it sounded alright!!

Got lucky!

chefdennis · Jun 14, 2010

Glad you both are ok as well as the truck. The longer each of us are out here, the better the chances something bad can happen....Relax for now, you deserve it...

layoutshooter · Jun 14, 2010

chefdennis said:
Glad you both are ok as well as the truck. The longer each of us are out here, the better the chances something bad can happen....Relax for now, you deserve it...

Yeah, hope to calm down a bit then get some sleep. Have to be up early tomorrow. Thanks. One good thing, I learned I can hold it steady when the ole brain keeps saying to bail out!!

Jefferson3000 · Jun 14, 2010

Good to know that you're well and kept your cool.

jugbutt · Jun 14, 2010

yea man glad you ok! The Big Man was with you that is for sure.

Be safe dude!

wimpy007 · Jun 14, 2010

Good job Layout, get a good nights sleep and remember to keep your cool. Sure don't want to loose another ASA member.

copdsux · Jun 15, 2010

Sometimes, I think, that our experiences tell our brains to shut up!

guido4475 · Jun 15, 2010

I had aclose call today as well, from a ptl semi.Called his company and read them the riot act.If no one complains, how does the problem get corrected?

danthewolf00 · Jun 15, 2010

layout if you could have gotten the trailer plate you could have called rdyer and reported them that way.

i know if i was leaseing a trailer to someone i would want to know about stupid drivers...

ATeam · Jun 15, 2010

Expediter wannabees, listen close to reports like these and consider what they mean for you.

If you enter this business, it will not be long before stories like this are being told, if not by you, by people you personally know. When you get into expediting, you get into dangerous work.

The camping trip is great but danger is always present. As an expediter, you are never more than the very next instant away from an accident or incident that can end your life or degrade its quality for the rest of your days.

With very little thought, I can come up with a list of personal acquaintances who have suffered negative events including: permanent disability from a horrific accident, being robbed at knife point at a truck stop, suffering a detached retina after slipping and falling on the ice at a truck wash, separating a shoulder after falling out of a truck the driver had safely entered and exited a thousand times, and sustaining serious truck damage in a hurricane.

These folks are living the same life on the road and doing the same work that Diane and I do. We think it is a wonderful life but also know it could come to an abrupt or painful end in the very next instant.

You might be tempted to brush this off and say that danger lurks at home too. While that is not wrong, it remains the case that truck driving is one of the most dangerous professions. If you leave home to take it up, you expose yourself to that danger.

OntarioVanMan · Jun 15, 2010

2 nights ago thru Ill...on 70 a tractor I was going to pass came over on me and I had to back off as LOS did....this guys was out of it...he was from shoulder to shoulder...there wasn't a moment to pass him...after 20 minutes of this crap...I've never reported anyone till now...called 911 his plate was obscured but I got the name and trailer number...when he almost swiped a concrete barrier on the left no less he finally pulled into the Ind. Welcome Center...

AMonger · Jun 15, 2010

I'll tell you, the guys that really get me steamed are the ones who don't seem to know that if you're in a lane that's ending, you have to yield. I come across so many that think that the lane that isn't yielding has to yield to them.

OntarioVanMan · Jun 15, 2010

AMonger said:
I'll tell you, the guys that really get me steamed are the ones who don't seem to know that if you're in a lane that's ending, you have to yield. I come across so many that think that the lane that isn't yielding has to yield to them.

no kidding...if you don't let them in they make out like you are the bad guy..and flip you off...

greg334 · Jun 15, 2010

Layout,
Glad you held your course.

I have had that happen a few times, I don't let it get to me and don't think about how close it is. I lost a couple mirrors coming off the GWB because these container trucks pass me on the right and try not to hit the walls.

The other day traveling on I40, a car decided to stop in front of me while we were doing 65. There was a lot of room to stop without hitting her but I worried about the people behind me.

Up in Connecticut, I had someone decide to pass me on an entrance lane, and then almost hit me when he ran out of road. By the way that seems to be a popular thing with Canadian drivers up in Detroit.

Traveling though West Virginia a couple weeks ago, a FedEx CC E unit tried to pass me going up a hill on I77, I slowed a bit but wasn't going to slow down to 55 so he could pass me. He attempted it again and again because of the steepness of the hill he could not make it while doing 55. When he did pass me, he cut over with less than a car length and then slowed down, tapping his brakes in anger. After a half mile of playing games, he took off, had to be doing 75.

OntarioVanMan · Jun 15, 2010

greg334 said:
Layout,
Glad you held your course.

I have had that happen a few times, I don't let it get to me and don't think about how close it is. I lost a couple mirrors coming off the GWB because these container trucks pass me on the right and try not to hit the walls.

The other day traveling on I40, a car decided to stop in front of me while we were doing 65. There was a lot of room to stop without hitting her but I worried about the people behind me.

Up in Connecticut, I had someone decide to pass me on an entrance lane, and then almost hit me when he ran out of road. By the way that seems to be a popular thing with Canadian drivers up in Detroit.

Traveling though West Virginia a couple weeks ago, a FedEx CC E unit tried to pass me going up a hill on I77, I slowed a bit but wasn't going to slow down to 55 so he could pass me. He attempted it again and again because of the steepness of the hill he could not make it while doing 55. When he did pass me, he cut over with less than a car length and then slowed down, tapping his brakes in anger. After a half mile of playing games, he took off, had to be doing 75.

Hey Greg..you are witness to a great art of experienced commuters....happens in Chicago as well...they'll take the off ramp.and zoom up and cut back left at the very end...then cut right over to the on ramp and zoom up again...over and over again....