LOGANSPORT, Ind. — The trucker who was driving when Monon SW1 No. 50 struck a bridge says a misrouting and a pilot car that failed to call him when its over height pole contacted the bridge led to the incident last week that sheared off the cab...
http://trn.trains.com/news/news-wire/2018/12/19-trucker-with-monon-50-on-board-says-pilot-car-took-a-wrong-turn-copy
Brian Schmidt, Editor, Classic Trains magazine
After all the finger pointing is done - the Pilot Car company's insurance should be on the hook for the repairs.
Never too old to have a happy childhood!
Don't you think the trucker's insurance will be on the hook? After all the pilot car didn't drive it into the bridge, the trucker did. They put brakes on those things for when you have any doubts.
rrnut282Don't you think the trucker's insurance will be on the hook? After all the pilot car didn't drive it into the bridge, the trucker did. They put brakes on those things for when you have any doubts.
We will never know who writes the checks.
rrnut282 Don't you think the trucker's insurance will be on the hook? After all the pilot car didn't drive it into the bridge, the trucker did. They put brakes on those things for when you have any doubts.
Why do you think truckers hire piot cars in the first place?
So, long story short, we had a Mo-non in the custody of two mo-rons.
Flintlock76 So, long story short, we had a Mo-non in the custody of two mo-rons.
May your flanges always stay BETWEEN the rails
Sorry, no offense meant and certainly nothing personal.
The thing is, in the thirty years I've been on the road due to my job I've seen some big-rig drivers who were hard-core professionals and some of the best drivers I've ever seen, the majority I should add, and others who didn't seem to have the intelligence of the cargo they were hauling. There's all types out there.
Let me see, thirty years, 785,000 miles more-or-less, not quite a million miles but close enough.
Flintlock76 Sorry, no offense meant and certainly nothing personal. The thing is, in the thirty years I've been on the road due to my job I've seen some big-rig drivers who were hard-core professionals and some of the best drivers I've ever seen, the majority I should add, and others who didn't seem to have the intelligence of the cargo they were hauling. There's all types out there. Let me see, thirty years, 785,000 miles more-or-less, not quite a million miles but close enough.
Flint I've got a driver here due to retire from OTR driving in March. He's pulling the knobs so to speak after 44 years and 5.2 million miles. He's pulled everything that was ever loaded into our trailers and for the last 10 year's has been one of our trainers. I asked him what he thought of the current generation replacements. To call his language colorful would be putting it mildly. He could make a chief petty officer take notes. I'm going to miss him. He reminds me of both my father and my father in law.
In this case someone at the Indiana DOT screwed the pooch badly. Why where this happened the route was required to have both a police escort and a trial run by the pilot car and drivers to see the route for overheight movements. The DOT denied those requirements.
Shadow the Cats owner I asked him what he thought of the current generation replacements. To call his language colorful would be putting it mildly.
What did the old timers think of him when he was young and starting out? I'm sure their language was equally as colorful.
It's been fun. But it isn't much fun anymore. Signing off for now.
The opinions expressed here represent my own and not those of my employer, any other railroad, company, or person.t fun any
They more than likely thought of him as an apprentice someone that was willing to listen to the older generation to absorb their knowledge. Nowadays the new drivers think the guys that have been doing this for decades are idiots and don't know anything. They're coming out of a school that taught them everything they'll ever need to know and blow off suggestions from the older drivers.
Shadow the Cats ownerThey more than likely thought of him as an apprentice someone that was willing to listen to the older generation to absorb their knowledge.
Hah. You're joking, right?
From talking to both my boss and from talking to several older drivers plus my husband just as short at 25 years ago when he started driving new drivers came into this industry all the time without going to a driving school. Those that came in that way most of them were trained by either family members that were drivers or close family friends that were drivers. They were not just force fed enough to pass the test to get the license. They would spend months with these drivers learning how to drive in all weather conditions all over the USA over the Western Mountains how adjust loads secure loads and the biggest one how to respect each other.
We just fired 2 drivers in orientation last week. Why neither one knew how to slide a trailer tandem. These were not inexperienced drivers they were drivers with 2 years verified experience from a good larger than us carrier. They had done nothing but run dedicated for that carrier same weight and destination then the carrier lost the contract. They never learned from their trainers how to slide a freaking tandem. My boss told them to head home he wasn't going to waste his time having to train people like that. See on that contract the loads were prescaled and tandems adjusted for the drivers when they picked them up already. They flat out told the CEO of this company they always assumed the trailers came with the tandems in the right place.
Shadow the Cats owner We just fired 2 drivers in orientation last week. Why neither one knew how to slide a trailer tandem.
We just fired 2 drivers in orientation last week. Why neither one knew how to slide a trailer tandem.
Pilot car company's insurance will pay. The mistake was purely on the pilot car driver. They plotted and arranged the approved route, then directed the truck down a road that was not on the approved route. They apparently failed to properly brief the transport driver. Had the transport driver been properly briefed, they would have noticed the deviation and stopped.
Shadow TCO, that is very similar to how I learned, basically an apprenticeship.
Back before there was a CDL, I got my Chauffeur's license about a month after my 21st Birthday (you had to be 21, then) and was driving Large Straight Moving Vans, after you got your Chauffeur's License, you would have an experienced driver give you a road test, in the class vehicle you were marking up to, after a succesful test you were issued a "Certificate of Road Test" and could drive that class of vehicle.
A Family Friend was driving for a Foodservice company, and suggested that I apply, I did, and when they needed another driver, they Hired me and trained me in Tractor/Trailer, when I satisfied them that I was Competent, they gave me a CORT, and put me to work. I got paid a decent wage, the whole time they were training me, and I didn't have to PAY to go to a school, and from what I have seen, I got MUCH better training from the company, than many/most of the school trained drivers that I have seen.
And Yes Zug, there was a Time, new drivers were interested in LEARNING, and a lot of Old Timers Enjoyed TEACHING them. There are still some of Both these days, but Sadly not near enough.
These days I wouldn't advise a young person to get into Transportation, NOT because, I am concerned that I will be replaced by a "Self Driving Truck", IMO, that is a LOT farther down the road than the Techno Nerds want you to believe, I have 12-15 years left, I am not worried about losing my job to a truck that drives itself, but like the RR, the industry has changed, and very little for the better.
Doug
30+ years, 3,000,000+ Miles Moving Americas freight
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