Overload of the Day

[stinky64]

Have actually witnessed this phenomenon twice with no adverse weather, both times at Norfolk Southern rail yard in Chicago, both times JB Hunt cabovers parked inside the yellow DO NOT PARK lines on either side of the choo choo where the rail crane wheels drive, giant signs everywhere. Operator station other side of train, operator can't see a thing on that side. You would think they would have cameras on the dumb side? After you hook your trailer you're supposed to move away from tracks to avoid this from happening. Well needless to say that big yellow monster that picks 40,000 lb. trailers didn't even feel those units flipping until it was too late. Oops.

 

[Truck Shop]

How does that even happen?

It's the trucking business--what could------------will.
*
My old company Tate Transportation--The odds of this happening is on par with Power Ball.
*
A Saturday morning one Tate semi was headed west on Hyw 12, another Tate semi was
headed east on 730. Two old ladies headed to Wild Horse Casino at Mission/Pendleton Ore.
were headed south on Hyw 12, there is a stop sign at the intersection of 12/730. No one
will ever know, the old ladies ran the stop sign, the Tate semi headed west made contact
tossing them in front of the Tate semi headed East. Instant fatalities killing both women.
Both Tate drivers probably to this day have never forgot the odds of two trucks from the
same company meeting at that exact moment being involved.
*

 

[skyking1]

you wonder what happened. My friend's mom ran a stop sign and got hit by a work truck on her side. I don't know for sure but the idea of a stroke was kicked around.

 

[Truck Shop]

you wonder what happened. My friend's mom ran a stop sign and got hit by a work truck on her side. I don't know for sure but the idea of a stroke was kicked around.

I think the driver just wasn't that familiar with the intersection, because it curves around to the left
as though it is a straight through.

 

[skyking1]

Not a bad go for the old ladies but a little tough on the truck and tow drivers and LEOS.

 

[terex herder]

And tough for the EMTs that get called to the scene. Not so bad if it's a quick check and announce coroner's job and leave, but gets tougher the more work you have to do.

 

[cfherrman]

Yeah try living that down even if it's not your fault.

 

[colson04]

you wonder what happened. My friend's mom ran a stop sign and got hit by a work truck on her side. I don't know for sure but the idea of a stroke was kicked around.

I was hauling grain in August 2009 in a straight truck, about 50-54,000 pounds Gross. Last load of the contract on a Friday, coming through town right at lunch time. Older gal blew a stop sign and I hit her passenger side, dead center at 35mph. So much energy was transferred that her tire tracks went straight sideways from her original path leaving the point of impact. Right in front of a Dairy Queen, lots of witnesses. I jumped out of the truck to see her unresponsive, pinned in the car. Lots of blood, shattered driver side window. I was terrified, thinking I had just killed a woman. I sat on driver side fuel tank and waited. First to arrive was local police officer followed immediately by the first responders. Cop took my info, did his thing, then sat and calmly talked with me while the responders did their job. Firefighters peeled the car open, extracted her, and sent her off alive. Then the firemen used their porta power to push my bumper off the front wheels, and I drove away to finish my delivery. I got a call from the officer the next day that the lady was going to be just fine. Severely bruised, bad cut on her head, but otherwise ok. I never did find out why she ran that stop sign.

 

[Truck Shop]

And tough for the EMTs that get called to the scene. Not so bad if it's a quick check and announce coroner's job and leave, but gets tougher the more work you have to do.

You are absolutely right, I know the ones I had to deal with towing were tough at times.
Once in awhile I would have to help for extra muscle to get injured out in steep terrain.
I remember one EMT saying-you always jump right in and we appreciate it. You really
have to like your job to be a EMT. They see it all.

I never did find out why she ran that stop sign.

I your case it doesn't matter what matters is it wasn't a fatality. You couldn't have changed
anything, what's good is you know it's wasn't your fault. You were doing you.

 

[DMiller]

Been a Rapid Responder Wrecker, then Vol FF, NEITHER was the TV show BS, Lots of Death and real ugly damage human wise. Can be really hard on the ones do it day in day out, My Own hat been off to them since my Forst wrecker drive.

 

[Willie B]

Been a Rapid Responder Wrecker, then Vol FF, NEITHER was the TV show BS, Lots of Death and real ugly damage human wise. Can be really hard on the ones do it day in day out, My Own hat been off to them since my Forst wrecker drive.

My wife went to school with a guy, then he married her best friend's sister, became a good friend. He struggled with reading, he read slowly, & there was little comprehension. He learned by hearing the words. He spent a few years as an apprentice electrician, didn't do all that well at it. He volunteered as an EMS & found his place in the world. Countless people owe their lives to him. He studied, (I'm not clear how, I guess videos) Got his credentials as an EMT & went full time Rescue Squad.

He was a sick b@$tard, always making jokes about the carnage. Claimed you either make bad jokes, or let it get to you, go crazy.

He divorced his wife, moved to another town. Wrecked an ambulance on a non emergency transport call. Nobody ever knew the cause. Just hit a tree on the roadside.

 

[digger doug]

Have actually witnessed this phenomenon twice with no adverse weather, both times at Norfolk Southern rail yard in Chicago, both times JB Hunt cabovers parked inside the yellow DO NOT PARK lines on either side of the choo choo where the rail crane wheels drive, giant signs everywhere. Operator station other side of train, operator can't see a thing on that side. You would think they would have cameras on the dumb side? After you hook your trailer you're supposed to move away from tracks to avoid this from happening. Well needless to say that big yellow monster that picks 40,000 lb. trailers didn't even feel those units flipping until it was too late. Oops.

The locomotive not being able to see on the other side ?
NS older loco's ran "long hood forward", and yes the visibility is bad.

 

[stinky64]

The locomotive not being able to see on the other side ?
NS older loco's ran "long hood forward", and yes the visibility is bad.

Not the locomotive, the big friggin' crane that straddles both sides of the train and picks cans/trailers from said train.

 

[skyking1]

Yes those yellow stripes and signs are not there for decoration. Most times you get your ass chewed off short and bloody and never do that again.
Try reasoning with a crane counterweight.

 

[skyking1]

My "first responder" experience was something. I was 20 and had seen a few things being a farm boy, but nothing like this.
I was following an old fellow in a 4 door Ford Fairmont.
You can see in this screen capture, the road used to go straight with no tee intersection. A huge boulder had rolled off the cliff onto that road, and they pushed it off into a big triangular gravel area where the new road goes to the new bridge now. It was maybe 8x6x6. ( Painted Rocks @gleed for @Truck Shop )


The sun was in our eyes, and for no apparent reason he just angled off onto that gravel and tagged that boulder perfectly head on at 35 MPH. I slid in there in my Falcon and got started. The doors were all locked, and the impact had veed the car roof right between the doors as the back end tried to fold over the front. The rock moved about 4 inches from the impact.
I eventually got the jack out of my car and busted out the passenger rear and got in there, and over the seat next to him. The seat latches had failed forward, so I put my legs to work and slid it back and cleared his airway from the shattered dentures. He was still breathing when the fire crew and EMT's rolled up.
I called and yeah, he did not make it.

 

[Old Doug]

Someone took my ideal and improved on it I have chained a budd wheel to my flat bed to move king pin trailers around the lot.

 

[Truck Shop]

My "first responder" experience was something.

I had just got done sanding some cabinet doors this morning and the dispatch called with a tow.
It blew a radiator just near the state line and in a bad spot on a turn between two signal lights.
I was close enough to the one intersection to flip around so I could pick it from the rear. One
of our other trucks came to rehook to the trailer. I had all the lights going and its a 4 lane
arterial--do you think people would move over- hell no. I was wearing my safety vest PPE easy
to see. I started to crank the gear down and here came a A$$hole with chain link fence sections
hanging way out, not a flag on his load, no one in the hammer lane, he wouldn't move over.
had to duck under the trailer, he probably missed the side of the trailer by two feet. Jack Wagons,
People just drive with head in A$$. Had I not been looking I wouldn't be setting here typing this.
*
Anywho I hooked up and ran to La Grande with it. Nice drive other than that. Left at 12 back at
6.

 

[Camshawn]

Drivers Have no idea. We had a manhole on the edge of the traffic lane with lane closure and flag people and drivers would still drive right on our edge of the driving lane…and most would speed up past the flaggers. Scary to climb out then trying to get to your feet with all the safety gear on.

 

[skyking1]

that run to LaGrande is nice on a day like today.
When I worked on I-5 in Centralia and Chehalis, we had two drunk drivers come through the closure.
One lady pulled up to a flagger with the caution paddle out and just stopped in freeway traffic. The guys started yelling at her to go, and she punched it and hit a barrel. That thing shot clear off the road! If you were in the way of that you'd get knocked down at a minimum.
We did it all at night for the most part. When we were jackhammering out the bridge joints, I would watch the traffic for the guy with his head down and working.

 

[DMiller]

Jackwagons, Nimrods and flat out Idiots. About half behind a wheel do not deserve to be.