This could have been really bad

[rank]

I've been pulling the RGN around for the last 3 weeks, moving yellow paint from NJ to Toronto. Today I'm pulling a grapple bucket, a back hoe and a dozer. The dozer is OD and the blade is hanging over the side of the trailer 14 inches. A while ago I just got fed up with being cut off and al the other antics that go on and I finally decided I needed to protect myself if something bad ever happened so now I run a dash camera. Here's what happened today.

Here's the link to the dash cam video. There was a car behind the Fortel truck. I got on the brakes until the back of his trailer cleared my nose then swerved to the left as much as I could. I'm not sure if that was the few inches the trooper needed or not. I still get chills watching it. All I could think about afterward was....what if I hit him and he had kids......
Dozer blade vs trooper near miss - YouTube

I was pretty ticked off. So I did a google search on Fortel trucking. Seems they're run by a new canadian that goes by the name of Singh something.
Fortel Express « Brampton, ON « Trucking Companies

They've had authority revoked and reopened under a different dot number.
http://li-public.fmcsa.dot.gov/LIVIEW/pkg_carrquery.prc_authorityhistory?pv_apcant_id=56 4078&pv_legal_name=6667619^CANADA^INC&pv_pref_dock et=MC647222&pv_usdot_no=1773278&pv_vpath=LIVIEW

This is what CSA 2010 has to say about the old DOT number
Carrier Overview

And the new DOT number ain't much better
Carrier Overview

[barf]

He was moving over for the cop, oops, wrong direction though. With driving like that it's no wonder they had their authority revoked.

I run a dash cam as well, it records 2 minute videos and when it fills the memory card it overwrites the oldest video. I only paid about $50 on e-bay. The only thing I've caught on mine was a Werner truck taking a corner in a Pilot like he was bobtailing; except he had a trailer behind him. The side of his trailer hit the back corner of another trailer. I couldn't believe there was no damage, but I gave the other truck a copy of the video anyways.

[allan5oh]

I don't fully see why it's his fault, was there talk on the CB radio about this? About the same time you can see the cop in the video he gets past your bumper. He was just as surprised as you were. I actually blame the trooper mostly for this, real dumb place to pull someone over. I had almost the exact same situation happen to me but on the toll road north of Philly. The shoulders are real narrow there. The trooper was basically right on the line. He didn't even look, swung his door wide open and was getting out. This was just after a right hand curve where I had maybe 4-5 seconds to move over (much like this video). Luckily the four wheelers actually saw my turn signal and braked hard, otherwise I would've hit the *****. I blasted my air horn at him too.

Another time a Wisconsin trooper pulled someone over immediately after a bridge. Her car was too far left on the shoulder. As soon as I went over the bridge, I had maybe 3-4 seconds to move over and there was at least a row of 6 cars beside me. I had no chance. Luckily I was able to squeeze the cars over and proceeded to blast my air horn. You should've seen that stupid cow move fast! What a dumb broad.

In situations where they must pull over at a bad spot like that they should remain in their vehicles until a spotter trooper is further back giving traffic more of a warning.

[allan5oh]

I do see where he crept over the middle line. Now I see why you're pissed. The trooper is probably an idiot too.

One final edit:

It has been proven with multiple studies that when there's flashing lights on the shoulder, drivers tend to creep towards the lights. It's because they kind of stare at the lights, and wherever you're looking that's where you'll creep. Not trying to justify this in any way. Have you ever passed a drunk? They stare in their side mirror as you start passing them, and they tend to creep over right at the same time.

[rank]

I do see where he crept over the middle line. Now I see why you're pissed.

Yep. He was a foot over into my lane plus probably a foot between he and I plus I had 14 inches hanging over the side...that doesn't leave much room for troopers that park on the white line. I have no idea why they park on the line like that.

Actually Allan, now that I watch the video again, I think he may have been pissed because the truck pulled out in front of him. I think he was getting set to pass on the right until he saw the cop. Plus, he knew I was oversize and should have been giving me room.

Nothing on the CB either.

[Freedhardwoods]

Something else you might think about when running oversize that I learned a long time ago. Keep a lot more distance between you the vehicle ahead of you. It is even stated in the permits from a lot of states.

The guy in front of you slowed down as he pulled in front of Fortel which made Fortel slow down which put you in a real bind.

[rank]

Yeah I guess I was a little close especially near the end. But this is the northeast LOL

[BanditsCousin]

I run a dash cam and cams on my mirrors.

[mike3fan]

Look I am guilty as anybody of following too closely, but IMO you were way too close at all times in that video for the load you were carrying. And probably any load as far as that goes. Never should have allowed yourself to get put in that position. Don't mean to sound preachy but you are the one in control of your vehicle and this was a totally avoidable incident if only you had left much more distance between the two of you.

[Graintrain]

I had a county sheriff car,after a traffic stop, make a j turn from the right hand shoulder of a state 2 lane highway, directly across my lane and speeding away in the other. No lights, sirens, nothing. I called into his HQ reporting this, and after going to town and unloading, I was heading north again for another round, and guess who I saw running a speed trap. I stopped ahead of him and we had a conversation. I actually got a very sincere apology. The way he was talking, I think it scared him straight.

[rank]

Look I am guilty as anybody of following too closely, but IMO you were way too close at all times in that video for the load you were carrying. And probably any load as far as that goes. Never should have allowed yourself to get put in that position. Don't mean to sound preachy but you are the one in control of your vehicle and this was a totally avoidable incident if only you had left much more distance between the two of you.

Point taken about being too close.

Not really sure if that would have changed anything though. If a vehicle decides to pull along side and take my lane in that situation, there is pretty much going to be a problem regardless of following distance don't you think? At the speed I was driving...approx 55 mph there was almost a constant stream of traffic passing on my left. Slowing my speed to increase following distance every time a truck or car fills that gap will only serve to make more traffic on my left and an even larger speed differential making it almost impossible to change lanes. Besides, this is NY.........any gap gets immediately filled. Proper following distance is nice to talk about.....but it's a fantasy.

What put me in the bind was that truck coming into my lane.

[mgfg]

Yep. He was a foot over into my lane plus probably a foot between he and I plus I had 14 inches hanging over the side...that doesn't leave much room for troopers that park on the white line. I have no idea why they park on the line like that.

Actually Allan, now that I watch the video again, I think he may have been pissed because the truck pulled out in front of him. I think he was getting set to pass on the right until he saw the cop. Plus, he knew I was oversize and should have been giving me room.

Nothing on the CB either.

Brampton based carriers are what's referred to as "New Canadian" carriers and your chances of getting one of them on the two way to speak english would be next to impossible. Next time try Hindi, you'll have a better chance!

[mike3fan]

Point taken about being too close.

Not really sure if that would have changed anything though. If a vehicle decides to pull along side and take my lane in that situation, there is pretty much going to be a problem regardless of following distance don't you think? At the speed I was driving...approx 55 mph there was almost a constant stream of traffic passing on my left. Slowing my speed to increase following distance every time a truck or car fills that gap will only serve to make more traffic on my left and an even larger speed differential making it almost impossible to change lanes. Besides, this is NY.........any gap gets immediately filled. Proper following distance is nice to talk about.....but it's a fantasy.

What put me in the bind was that truck coming into my lane.

Hey I know all too well, following too closely to a 4 wheeler is one thing you can see ahead of them, with the truck I think the problem was you had limited time to realize there was a problem. JMO from watching the video, I could be wrong and you saw what was gonna happen 10-15 secs earlier.