Truckers deserve respect

Posted by Sweetpickle on April 18, 2008 at 8:35 p.m. (Suggest removal)

And if they have to kill a few people to get their job done, tough.

Posted by clyde on April 18, 2008 at 11:48 p.m. (Suggest removal)

Sweetie, try acting on your irrational vitriol and just stop buying anything that has been on a truck. Please.

Posted by clyde on April 18, 2008 at 11:50 p.m. (Suggest removal)

To Lori, you and your husband have my deepest respect for continuing in a thankless and difficult profession. Kudos and I have your back door.

Posted by clyde on April 18, 2008 at 11:51 p.m. (Suggest removal)

Sorry... Dad.

Posted by p_myers661 on April 19, 2008 at 1:19 a.m. (Suggest removal)

Sweetpickle

The number of fatalities per mile are over a thousand to one. That means that for every fatal accident a truck will travel at least a thousand miles (last figure I heard was about 2200 miles) for every mile a car drives. The trucker is restricted in the hours he can drive, the places he can drive and the type of cargo he can haul. He also must pay upwards of fifty dollars every five years for a license and be retested on some portions as well as pay for a background check and for bi-annual physicals.

My husband has severe neuropathy in his feet and suffers from a badly damaged shoulder (that's why he's a disabled vet..a bullet in the shoulder makes a mess of the joint eventually). He has medication that does not make him drowsy and is approved for a truck driver to take while driving. He still waits until he gets home. Only on Sundays is his pain gone for more than a few moments. His reason is the fact that even though the DOT approves of his medications, it might change the rule and he wants to be safe. Go ahead and hate trucks. But do try to live without them. Spring is a good time to do that. You can eat the vegetables in your garden and you won't need electricity, heat or cooling. Might be a good idea to check the public nudity laws though. Good bet all your clothes made several trips by truck.

Posted by dblgood on April 19, 2008 at 9:10 a.m. (Suggest removal)

Mrs Myers.

That's all pretty nice, but also irrelevant. Not every accident involves a fatality, but an accident involving a truck and a passenger vehicle increases the likelihood that someone is going to get hurt, and it's usually not the trucker. Non fatal truck involved accidents occur much more often that your miles driven statement would imply.

I do understand the vital role that the trucking industry has in the delivery of goods and services. But that doesn't excuse the bad driving behavior we hear about or experience on the roads every day. If your husband is a safe, courteous and responsible driver, we thank him and appreciate what he does. But he is in the minority, and his record does not compensate for the others out there who drive like the road belongs to them.

Your letter tries to make the case that the delivery of goods trumps all other considerations, including the convenience and safety of non-truck drivers on the road. I strongly disagree. The size and weight of the truck places non-truck vehicles at a huge disadvantage if an accident occurs, so I say that truck drivers bear the added responsibility to ensure that performing their job does not add risk to others. The trucking industry needs to stop hiding behind the "I'm doing it all for you" defense and work to improve the safe performance of all its' drivers.

Posted by jgd on April 19, 2008 at 9:33 a.m. (Suggest removal)

dblgood,

Have you ever driven or ridden in one of those big rigs? You should try it sometime and see exactly what those drivers have to deal with on the roads everyday. I think you will get a better understanding of how those "non-truck drivers", endanger themselves and the people around them on a constant bases, just so they don't have to be behind a truck. Next time you are out on the road, look around and observe how many times you see a car pass a truck, pull in front of them and immediately hit the brake,(watch for the brake lights). How many times have you done that same thing?

Posted by dblgood on April 19, 2008 at 10:30 a.m. (Suggest removal)

JGD. Actually, I've never ridden in truck, but that doesn't exclude me from making generalized observations about truck driver behavior. Sure, I've been cut off by stupid non-truck drivers and I've probably cut off other drivers too. But you know what, I've only felt my life was at risk twice while driving, and both times were because of being cut off by a trucker. I ask you, how many time have you done the same thing?

As I stated in my earlier post, there are many safe and courteous drivers out there. There are also many bad ones. You see them too. You ever wonder what the non-trucker public thinks when a truck passes them at 85 or faster on the down side of the hill after chugging up at 35? Does it ever occur to you that other drivers think it's rude and unprofessional for a trucker to swing into the passing lane traveling 40 MPH to pass another truck traveling 39? Are truck drivers really so certain of their driving skills that they are immune from the effects of weather and other hazardous conditions?

My post was not about how many rude and potentially dangerous driving acts are committed against truckers, but the myopic view that most truckers have about where the problem lies

Posted by T1anda on April 19, 2008 at 11:33 a.m. (Suggest removal)

Just think there are/will be untrained (to U.S. standards) Mexican drivers running big rigs from Mexico,into Canada..thanks to Bushie!! Pretty soon we will start reading and hearing about wholesale slaughter on American roads and you can bet the Mexican drivers will be the immediate cause!!! When we drive on a highway we stay as far away from big rigs as we can!!! Especially after we heard about the Mexican rigs YIKES!!!

American truckers, we thank you and definately need you!!!

Posted by jgd on April 19, 2008 at 11:56 a.m. (Suggest removal)

dblgood,

You write about the trucker's myopic view of where the problem lies and then continue with the statement regarding the many rude and dangerous driving acts committed against truckers. Seems a little contradictory to me. I personally have never seen a trucker going 85 on the down side of a hill, and when they see what happens if they have to make a turn, that would be the last time they did it.

As for being cut off my a trucker, I am wondering if was the usual actions taken place by non-truck drivers. As soon as the truck's directional light comes on, those non-truck drivers will accelerate to block the lane, because they don't want to be behind a truck. I have seen that on numerous occasions, I have even seen non-trucks do it to other non-trucks. Would you consider that just as rude?

The point is there are some truck drivers, (usually local drivers)that are rude and unprofessional, but their numbers are dwarfed by the number of dangerous, and rude non-truck drivers. I would much rather drive in traffic with trucks than with a bunch of non-truck drivers, talking on their cell phone, reading their newspapers or putting on their makeup, just to list a few of the driving habits of non-truck drivers.

Posted by peterpi on April 19, 2008 at 12:30 p.m. (Suggest removal)

"As for being cut off my a trucker, I am wondering if was the usual actions taken place by non-truck drivers. As soon as the truck's directional light comes on, those non-truck drivers will accelerate to block the lane, because they don't want to be behind a truck. I have seen that on numerous occasions, I have even seen non-trucks do it to other non-trucks. Would you consider that just as rude?" - jgd

What a great point! It's not done just to trucks, either. I ride RTD (can't afford a car), and I'd own a Rolls Royce if I had a dollar for every time a driver cut in front of an RTD bus rather than be patient and wait. I've seen drivers cross 3 lanes of traffic at high speed just to beat a bus to a turn lane. Buses are large and therefore take longer to stop. Blame Sir Isaac Newton. If one of those drivers cut a little too close and the bus driver had to take emergency action, and caused an accident, car drivers would blame lousy RTD drivers. Car drivers are never at fault, of course.
Too many car drivers either don't know or don't care about the laws of physics. Then they find themselves in an upside down SUV in the median on I-70 during winter wondering why they can't stop as fast as they acclerate. Or they wonder why trucks and buses can't stop as fast as their two-seater sportsters.

Posted by dblgood on April 19, 2008 at 2:13 p.m. (Suggest removal)

Well there you go jgd. This post was started as "truckers deserve respect". Now you know why you will never get it.

Posted by jgd on April 19, 2008 at 3:13 p.m. (Suggest removal)

The truckers deserve respect just for the sheer idea of putting up with people like you on the road. Too important to actually wait in a line, too preoccupied to watch what is happening on the road, too inconsiderate to allow the trucks to change lanes when necessary and too stupid to realize they don't want to me out on the road, but our economy demands to be there. They have to be out there unlike you and all of your skiing buddies.

Posted by dblgood on April 19, 2008 at 5:05 p.m. (Suggest removal)

Sounds like the trucker mindset to a T.

Posted by leftside on April 19, 2008 at 5:14 p.m. (Suggest removal)

Truckers deserve respect my a**. While I don't doubt that there a good trucker drivers out there I guarantee their few and far between. They tear up the road, cut people off and drive those rigs as if their driving a sports car. If I was the power to be I'd only let them on the roads from 11PM to 6AM, slow them to 65 mph and what couldn't get delivered during that time and at that speed would have to go by train.

Posted by jgd on April 19, 2008 at 5:56 p.m. (Suggest removal)

Leftside,

I will be nominating you for the Union President. The truckers would love it if they could only drive from 11pm to 6am. That way they wouldn't have to put up the with miserable drivers such as yourself. No! I have never seen how you drive a vehicle but with your attitude I have little doubt the type of driver you are.

Posted by dblgood on April 19, 2008 at 8:19 p.m. (Suggest removal)

Well jgd. Something we can agree on. I too would like to see you off the road during regular hours.

So far, you've sounded like a drunk in denial. It's everyones' fault but yours. Hope I never find myself around you on the road.

Posted by leftside on April 19, 2008 at 8:31 p.m. (Suggest removal)

jgd, no you haven't seen me drive but not having accurate information has never stopped you before, I don't know why you'd worry about it now.

Posted by jgd on April 19, 2008 at 10:27 p.m. (Suggest removal)

dblgood,

Only one problem with your assumption, I don't drive a big rig, and never have. I do however drive a few more miles than the average person and have observed the rudeness and discourtesy shown truck drivers. Not being in a big hurry due to the fact I leave myself plenty of time to travel where I am going, I can afford to sit behind one of those big rigs for a few extra minutes and will pass them when the situation presents itself. You should try it some time, you will find the vast majority of truck drivers are very courteous and safe drivers.

If you drive like the other inconsiderate non-truck drivers out on the roads you are correct in hoping you never find yourself around me.

leftside,

Your selfish attitude is a very good indicator of the type of driver you would be.

Posted by leftside on April 20, 2008 at 7:50 a.m. (Suggest removal)

jgd, your a regular altar boy but your still acting on assumption, which is typical jgd.

Posted by jgd on April 20, 2008 at 8:24 a.m. (Suggest removal)

Leftside,

Your selfish attitude is not an assumption, you stated it very clearly in one of your previous postings (Truckers deserve respect my a**). My driving habits are not ones of a "Alter boy" they are called safe driving habits, something foreign to many of the Denver drivers.

Posted by kathyM on April 20, 2008 at 10:04 a.m. (Suggest removal)

The problem is that our interstates weren't built for high truck traffic. Many of the interstates were built when railroads were carrying the bulk of commerce. Later, the railroads were regulated into the ground and trucking was deregulated, resulting in a huge influx of trucks on the roads. But the interstates weren't systematically widened/enlarged to accommodate.

Now it takes so darned long for truckers to fight the traffic, the volume of railroad cartage is picking up. Now that's a trend I'd like to see continue. Maybe then we'll get back to a little more sanity on the interstates.

And just to be obnoxious--Denver drivers are grandmas compared to Detroit drivers :) .

Posted by mtnsrfer on April 20, 2008 at 1:23 p.m. (Suggest removal)

Back to the original post, another reason they leave trucks running is because of the cold. Many months of the year, if they turned off their trucks at night, they would not start in the morning. There aren't block heaters at the truck pulloffs.

As far as you guys going back and forth, there is some truth to all of your statements. Truckers do a great service to our nations needs. There are also many rude truckers that act like they own the road. Ten years ago, I was driving my two wheel drive pick-up across Wy. on I-80. There was about eight inches of slush on the road. As I tried to pass one truck, slowly and safely, he sped up. His buddy who had been behind me, changed lanes and was right on my arse. I eventualy was doing 80 mles per, with these two hotrods on my bumper.When I crossed a bridge, I hit the ice. My truck went from 12 o clock to 9:30, and as a competent driver, I was able to go back to 12 without fishtailing. The two hotrods backed off, but I wasn't going to slow down and be stuck with those two misserable cusses for any more of their rightious lives.

Posted by leftside on April 20, 2008 at 1:25 p.m. (Suggest removal)

Your right jgd. It's your "opinion" of my driving habits that is wrong.

"My driving habits are not ones of a "Alter boy" they are called safe driving habits,"

Then jgd, by all means, go teach those safe driving habits to the truckers. The rest of us folks would appreciate it.

Posted by jgd on April 20, 2008 at 2:10 p.m. (Suggest removal)

Leftside,

And I am sure if the rest of folks would learned and use safe driving habits, the truckers would appreciate that.