RV destroyed by 18 wheeler

[saddlesore]

Originally Posted by ElvistheKing

So presumably this is just mandated by your employer stuff, not legally required (and tested, sealed, etc., although there were still ways around it)

You do realize that the tach-o-graphs have not been used for over 35 years don't you?
Now with the advent of wireless satellite communications ... All events and pertinent (location, speed,lane usage,sudden stops, log books & hours on duty,and real time video monitoring) can be on a continuous feed to the employers... AND may be readily accessed & monitored by The Government, also can be reviewed by law enforcement officers at will.
The Constitutional protections and guarantees of privacy are some what forfeited when you have a class A CDL .
The days of gypo/outlaw trucking are long gone..

[Nasdaqsam]

Folks there are good and bad drivers everywhere and driving everything we see the commercial trucker issues due to the sheer number of them on the road.

What amazes me is a few years back we met a guy with a million dollar bus (This was in 1996 so back when a million meant something). He had the bus with the most gorgeous paint scheme I have ever seen. The coach was gold with Black panthers on the side, he had a brand new Jeep grand Cherokee painted the same and a golf cart exactly the same. VERY IMPRESSIVE. I stopped and talked to this guy for a bit. He was a butcher out of NYC 80 years old, sold his business for big money, bought the rig, the jeep and golf cart and had it all painted. Hooked up and went Rving. Folks, this guy got his first drivers license at 80 years old he had NEVER driven a car in his entire life, never needed to. And down the road he rolls with a 44' bus towing a jeep and a gold cart on a custom built flat bed. How safe is this?

[TRebel]

Good point Nasdaqsam. I have seen fools in trucks, cars, on motorcycles, and, yes, even in RV's.
Whether it is ignorance or attitude, there are those among us on the roads that create dangerous situations.

I am sure that most here have been driving RV's or pulling fifth-wheels & travel trailers for a few years and covered several miles.
However, sometimes I wonder why a truck driver has to have a special license with specific qualifications on his license (hazardous material, air brake,...) and the average Joe can, with his regular operators license, can hook up to a 40' fifth-wheel or climb in a 42' MH with air brakes and head out across the country with no training or experience.

I am not advocating that truckers shouldn't have a CDL and be required to have a DOT physical... I think they should, to protect the public. Grossing up to 90,000 lbs and pulling up to three trailers at a time is pretty serious stuff.
And, I am not saying that we (RV'ers) should be required to maintain a special license, just one of those things that make me wonder.

[Skip426]

[QUOTE=TRebel;3707188]Good point Nasdaqsam. I have seen fools in trucks, cars, on motorcycles, and, yes, even in RV's.
Whether it is ignorance or attitude, there are those among us on the roads that create dangerous situations.

I'd add cyclists , pedestrians, skateboarders...... any fool on the road is a hazard to everyone.

[YooperVer]

Originally Posted by saddlesore

...
Now with the advent of wireless satellite communications ... All events and pertinent (location, speed,lane usage,sudden stops, log books & hours on duty,and real time video monitoring) can be on a continuous feed to the employers... AND may be readily accessed & monitored by The Government, also can be reviewed by law enforcement officers at will.
The Constitutional protections and guarantees of privacy are some what forfeited when you have a class A CDL .
The days of gypo/outlaw trucking are long gone..

This is far from what is actually happening. Capability to monitor these things? Yes, but actually done? No.
If this level of monitoring was done by police the widespread occurrence of trucks going over the speed limit would not exist. The cases of tailgating would cease. Bad and aggressive truckers would be taken off of the road in no time.
Fact is for the safety of all on the roads, this type of monitoring and traffic law enforcement should be in place. Would be great for driving public. And driving a truck on public highways is not something done with a guarantee of privacy for heavens sake.

[Boomertx]

How about monitoring everyone driving anything where the actual GVCW is over 26000 pounds? After all the physics doesn't care if its a truck or a 40000 pound motorhome and toad . . . either way a CRASH, and for God's sake can we quit calling them "accidents", will be ugly. Of course, I'm a safe driver, its everyone else who's crazy.

In 2015 road deaths were 38300, large trucks involved in 3852 . . . you are 10 times more likely to die in a wreck not involving a truck. In such crashes, over 70% the "critical reason" for the crash was seen to have been with the other vehicle(s) rather than the truck.

We have met the enemy and he is US! My point is, we all need to be more careful. My observation is that "we" have become sloppy and lazy. Hey JMHO, worth exactly what you paid for it

[ElvistheKing]

Originally Posted by TRebel

And, I am not saying that we (RV'ers) should be required to maintain a special license, just one of those things that make me wonder.

Why not just make them have a CDL, it's how Europe works.
Everyone can go to a standard truck school no more trying to find a specific "RV" school, do the standard truck test at any test centre with any tester, on a standard truck no need to find someone to drive with you with your RV, just use the trucks schools vehicle, have to past the standard medical, cheaper to administer no more "I had to teach the DMV about the (to them) weird license I needed'.

[twinboat]

You can't teach an old dog new tricks.

Getting a CDL type license isn't going to change many people's well learned driving habits.

If that was the case, we wouldn't be having this discussion. CDL trained drivers ( Truck ) wouldn't tailgate, cut back in way to soon, speed, and bully small cars out of their way.

If anyone hasn't seen or experienced any of this, you haven't traveled very far.

I invite you to come drive, around North East PA, and the Metro CT, NY and NJ area.

Sure there are many bad car drivers too, but they are much easier to avoid.

[beaverfever]

Originally Posted by YooperVer

This is far from what is actually happening. Capability to monitor these things? Yes, but actually done? No.
If this level of monitoring was done by police the widespread occurrence of trucks going over the speed limit would not exist. The cases of tailgating would cease. Bad and aggressive truckers would be taken off of the road in no time.
Fact is for the safety of all on the roads, this type of monitoring and traffic law enforcement should be in place. Would be great for driving public. And driving a truck on public highways is not something done with a guarantee of privacy for heavens sake.

do you realize most everything you wear,eat,drink and live in was delivered by a truck? now imagine the added cost to all your favorite items. may we should stay home till we have this perfect world

[saddlesore]

Originally Posted by YooperVer

This is far from what is actually happening. Capability to monitor these things? Yes, but actually done? No.
.

Actually YES.. The Trucking companies do in fact monitor the drivers via electronic logbooks, and yes they are putting "real time" video monitoring devices in the cabs of the trucks.. and yes if you as a driver and are in an inspection or scale house they CAN access the data. also they Can ask for your personal cell phone to be inspected...
The trucking Company I retired from have all of these devices ... and The Shipper and/or the Consignee may be given access to monitor their loads.
This is one of the many loads I hauled... and Yes we were "live Monitored"

[hohenwald48]

Originally Posted by beaverfever

do you realize most everything you wear,eat,drink and live in was delivered by a truck? now imagine the added cost to all your favorite items. may we should stay home till we have this perfect world

Everybody knows trucks are necessary. It's just not necessary for them to drive so aggressively or for them to drive at such a high rate of speed and endanger others on the public roadways.

[leadman]

When diesel fuel was expensive around 2009 we went back to Michigan towing a small trailer. The trucks were mostly being driven around 60 mph and it was not a stressful trip for the most part.
Our recent trips have been very stressful with the trip back to Michigan last year in our class A not fun at all. The truck were being driven very fast, some trucks only had 3' to 10' between them! One "convoy" of about 5 trucks were lined up like this in a high wind with the trailers leaning towards our MH as they passed us.
Last year there was a truck that ran over a DPS officer while the driver was watching porn on his cell phone. The cab had live video recording but he hid his phone.
It is not, as said just truck drivers as I see cars, probably on cruise control, come very close to the vehicle in front before the driver hits the brakes that it is scary. Also some drivers don't seem to understand that it is best to drive in the right lane if going slower that other vehicles on the road. In some places it is mandatory. Most of the right lanes are rougher around here but I still stay over if going slower.
My dad drove trucks for over 50 years and I held a class A for about 17 years but seldom drove a truck.
The original crash picture is sad as the folks in it where probably out looking for a place to enjoy life.

[the trainguy]

54 posts and no one has corroborated where or when this actually happened other than the OP's 2 pics.
I did do a search and came up empty although there are several news stories about a horrific three separate accident event that happened in I95 in North Carolina a couple of years ago.

Bob

[tderonne]

You missed the facebook link in post #27. Few folks talk about being there, even a post from the family of the lady in the View.