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Originally Posted by YoungZ.W.
Do you guys feel that trucking is as dangerous as people make it out to be? Also, what is your biggest fear while driving? Although not a driver yet mine would be being out of some state route out in the boonies at night and there is a low tree branch or low bridge that will go right through the window.
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Not if you don't consider dangerous to be leaving a loaded gun on a table in front of a room full of 5 year olds, with snakes covering the floor!!
As for YOUR fear.... if you stay on a designated Truck Route, the trees are "supposed" to be cut back to allow for everything but your CB antennae to clear. :lol: If the bridge is that low, you are probably on the wrong road! They are posted, and you are responsible for reading the signs.
Probably the most dangerous aspect of driving a big rig is the tendency to become comfortable at doing it! Have you ever seen a train derailment? The weight of these things dictates that in an accident, the momentum will continue the carnage well beyond what you might have expected. Couple that with the fact you are sitting astride 2-300 gallons of fuel, and you can see that your chances for survival are slim.
I don't mean to scare you, but the truth is that yes.... it IS dangerous! But, if you drive defensively, maintain a constant awareness of your surroundings, and REMEMBER what you are doing, you may never have to find yourself in that "derailment" type of situation.
My biggest fears? Blowing a steer tire doing 75 in the passing lane with only one hand on the wheel. Having a sleepy truckdriver cross the median and hit me head on when I don't have enough time to put my seatbelt on. Finding myself on my side, with the cab on fire, and I can't push my overweight partner out the door above my head in time to keep from burning to death. And the fact that, if I die, my parents will find my stash of Playboy magazines!
Be careful out there, rookie.
BTW, snapped red (emergency) airlines means your tandems lock up almost immediately, usually causing either a swing out form of "jacknife" or other loss of control leading to the derailment scenario mentioned above.
Is trucking dangerous???
ops: :?:
