Damn Semi Drivers

[Shoeboy]

Well, last October I got forced off the highway by a semi truck coming at me head on. I just got off the phone with a buddy a few minutes ago, at 4 this afternoon, he was was stopped at an intersection, and when stopped he made a lane change at an empty intersection, so he was about 3/4 on the way in the lane next to him and just the right rear quarter of his car sitting in the other lane. A semi truck came up and stopped about 50 feet behind him in the lane he was 3/4 of the way in. The light turned green, and well 2008 Peterbuilt has a lot better acceleration then a 2007 Corolla, the semi (what was hauling nothing at the time) hit him in the middle of the drivers door and continued forward down the front fender pushing that in about a foot, ripping open his brand new Perelli tire, and ripping the front bumper off the hooks. It also broke the front head light, and moved the hood, and ripped the mirror off. My buddy got a $180 ticket for an improper lane change, and no charges for the driver of the semi as of yet, despite the fact the the semi driver and Ian made eye contact when they were both stopped, and the fact that the semi driver was laughing when Ian was calling the police. My buddy is going to try to push for the other driver to get an "undo care and attention" ticket, and it looks like how the situation is, its going to go threw the truckers insurance. My buddy is hoping his cars a write off. He was so over protective about his cars, If I closed the door with my fingers on the paint he would be pissed at me, that kind of overprotective. God, everybody be careful out there, Semi drivers seem to be getting worse lately, and not giving a shit, and I'm not meaning offence to anyone here who is a truck driver, I'm not meaning all of them, it seems the good ones are getting better, and the bad ones are getting a lot worse, just like any other driver out on the roads now.

 

[kunar]

i know around here that if you could have avoided the accident (even if it wasnt your fault) you will still be ticketed.

 

[reginald fairfield]

Good thing you said not all are bad, cause they ain't... my dad supported us while we grew up truck driving, and he never, EVER CAUSED an accident. It was always some dumb beaner in a 80's clunker who ran into him... Stupidasses don't know how to drive... But he is old school, a good driver. Many(not all) of these new drivers are just lowlife druggies who gab on their cell phone and cause accidents. personally, my method is just to stay the hell out of their way most the time. That is the safest way. Don't drive next to them for 10 minutes or anything, that pisses the good drivers off and gets you run over by the bad ones...

 

[Will]

Nobody gets tickets for accidents that I know of. My mom sure as hell deserves tickets but she wipes out other cars by the rows and acres, destroys the flora and fauna of entire townships and never gets so much as a failure to yield.

When you drive a truck, and I have, you are so high up there that you can easily get an attitude problem thinking you are powerful and such. I drove my brothers little Toyota Hybrid thingy and even soccer moms in Grand Caravans were bullying me. It's just atitude. They are nice people when they aren't driving. Most truck drivers are more afraid of hitting someone and are extremely mellow and careful. It's just a few.

 

[mudcrazy]

Truck drivers

You know you will be amazed at how many dumb asses are out there that cut the big trucks off. Not saying your buddy was one of them don't get me wrong here, but, i had a school bus out of all things pull out in front of me forsing me to lock up my rig and in a snow storm its not the nicest feeling. For one day i would love it if a news crew got into the truck with me to witness the shit that us truck drivers actually have to deal with and maybe, you, and alot of others would really see what we have to put up with. Sorry for saying this but. Its just not fair to the truckers in most parts. BTW it does really sound like that guy that hit your buddy is a dick, and i hope you don't judge all the drivers like that. I know you don't but, it takes one bad truck driver to do this thing and then the eyes are all on us.

 

[mjonesjr]

98% of the time the truck driver gets a ticket.......your friend was wrong and did an illegal act, or he wouldnt have got the ticket.....

And are you sure that the truck driver saw your friend?

 

[mudcrazy]

Not all truck drivers are that bad. It takes one bad apple like that one to ruin it for the rest of us truck drivers. Just once I would love for a news crew to jump into my truck and take a ride for a day just to see the shit that we actually have to deal with. Just last week I had a school bus on a highway pull out in front of me like I wasn't there, let me tell you there was alot of F-ing rubber flying off of my truck just cause of that one asshole. He only had to make a turn 50 feet to the right and go down another road. I'm glad there wasn't any kids on there because i'm sure they would be crapping there pants, as same as me.

 

[dogboy]

Was the truck a Container hauler (shipping containers)? If so, that is why.... They are the bad drivers. 99% of the other truck drivers are good drivers.

Try driving 100-150,000+ miles in a year and not getting in a wreck maybe once every 3 -5 years.. Half the people on the road can't do that while driving a CAR, and only driving 10-15,000 miles a year.. You can't tell me truck drivers are bad driveres... But, yes, there are a select few that are bad drivers.

 

[Shoeboy]

Ya I know some are nice people, but this guy was laughing at my friend after he drove into the side of him, after they made eye contact, when stopped. The semi driver stopped for the red AFTER my buddy was already stopped and SITTING at the light, the semi driver knew damn well where he was, and he knew damn well what he was doing. I'm lucky that driver didn't kill Ian, I know when people are at fault and I know when people aren't. This was a complete bull shit ignorance of the semi driver. This guy is one of the lowest of the lows. He could clearly see my buddy was there (hence the eye contact), and he still hit him, my buddy was stopped at a RED LIGHT.

 

[Jspafford]

I can't believe some of the stuff I hear on the CB anymore. When I was a little boy my dad used to have a CB and it was all nice guys talking. Now it sounds like an episode of Jerry Springer anytime I have it on.

 

[mudcrazy]

It really does sound like the truck driver was a dick and I'm glad your friend is ok cause with that weight it wouldn't take much to do the damage. I just hope you guys don't gudge the rest of us drivers like that for the crap he did.

 

[97BlackBetty]

I have made a couple of 600+ mile drives in snowstorms this winter. I have the up most rescpect for semis anytime I am on the road, especially in poor driving conditions and reduced visibility. I get really upset when I see these big rigs on a ditch or worse and a little car 150 feet ahead. You just know that Mr. Not Giving a Shit! was chatting on his cell phone and lost control after changing lanes directly ahead of the rig. It really sucks to know that some of these drivers have all if not most of their money wrapped up into these rigs and it is their way of life. Just isnt fair to them.

And yet some you really wish would flop it in a ditch when they cut you off in the moddle of flat country Illinois with not another car in sight!
Justin

 

[Hahnsb2]

98% of the time the truck driver gets a ticket.......your friend was wrong and did an illegal act, or he wouldnt have got the ticket.....

And are you sure that the truck driver saw your friend?

Agreed. I think the truck was closer than your buddy says he was and the driver didn't see him. My father drove truck for FedEx (Semis and doubles not the sissy delivery trucks), he was stopped in traffic and about 60 feet ahead was where and onramp merged into the freeway he was on. A car decided to cut in front of my dad 60 feet before the solid white lines ended, he was still sideways in front of my dad and was in a major blind spot and when traffic started to move my dad took off and plowed right into the side of a brand new corolla, ODOT showed up and told the driver of the car even if my dad had seen him and hit him on purpose it still would have been his fault because he made an illegal lane change.

 

[Will]

Well I don't understand the exact placement of vehicles but I rarely have eye contact with a semi driver. And the second thing is, even if the guy is a complete ass--who wants to be inconvienienced by a wreck? Even the worst asshole in the world probably wants to get home to his beer and TV or to his asshole convention or something. I'm have trouble seeing a truck driver that would intentionally expose himself to the police by ramming a car. it makes no sense to me. So maybe your friend was being a bit dramatic and hysterical or maybe the driver is fucking insane.

 

[Shoeboy]

I've been seeing some of the truckers in Calgary do extremly stupid shit, and I was on the highway when I got forced off the road (either that or become a Ranger on the grill of a big rig), because the bastard was coming head on toward me, traveling east in the westbound lanes. He didn't even stop, he didn't even call a damn ambulance for me, thats just being a damn coward. That was October, then this guy today was laughing at my buddy after he just hit him.

Sorry, I've had a bad day, and I've had the flu for the last week, and i'm sick and miserable right now