Ok ... As U most know I'm knew at this and really have been studying logs, time strategies and reading all of the diary entries.

WTF is up with the no u-turn you'll be fired issue?

Please be nice as I am learning this in-lieu of the hard way. :wink:

 

the big OTR training companies will likely fire you if you get a ticket for an illegal uturn violation on a 2 lane highway at night or a similar situation, it's a big time safety violation.

 

mostly it's a catch-22.

My company has a 0 u-turn policy- the safety department states that under no curcumstances are you allowed to make a u-turn.

Then the real world hits them in the ass and they start making exceptions:

Take Unilever- Baltimore, Md for example:

In our directions- it clearly reads- you make a left turn on US1- go to top of hill and make u-turn and park along the fence and walk to guard house.

This is the ONLY way into this customer.
When/If you call in and point this conflict of policy out----- you're told to just be careful.

__________________________________________________ ____

Never make a illegal U-turn (where posted) in a commercial vehicle.

Never make a u-turn anywhere there isn't at least 300yards of visibility in both directions. If someone flies up and runs under your trailer-- you're going up the river.

Now, there are usually other safer methods to turn around.
(1) 3 rights then a left or 3lefts then a right
(2) you can turn down a street-- then back across the intersection( believe it or not--this is considered safer than u-turn)
(3) circle a cloverleaf interchange
(4) find a large parking lot and turn around.

 

The U-turn policy at companies usually mean, no uturns in the middle of the road, or no illegal u-turns. There are places that it is perfectly safe and legal to make a u-turn.

Most of the time these type of policies have been implemented because one or more morons at some point or another have attempted to make what amounts to an illegal u-turn in the middle of a street and either get stuck in the ditches along side the road, tear up the truck, signs, or something else, or end up causing a wreck and often times ends up being a fatality.

 

Cool.... Relief I was envisioning a nightmare of right or left turns to avoid a U-turn at all costs. Like southernpride missing his dock entrance and having to travel 14 miles down the road and others I have read.


headborg Quote: mostly it's a catch-22.

My company has a 0 u-turn policy- the safety department states that under no curcumstances are you allowed to make a u-turn.

Then the real world hits them in the ass and they start making exceptions:

The safety issues and obviously the illegal U-turn makes sense.
Thanks All.

 

Not when three rights make a left and vice versa...

 

First of all about my U-Turn... It was in a HUGE intersetion that had more than enough space and a left turn light. Unfortunatley for me it also had a NO u-turn sign that i didnt see. (partially because of snow) BUT i wasnt fired just got a write up. a level 2 write up!

The way i understand the big no-no is uturns in the middle of the road, or other unsafe places.

From now on i'll just keep going untill i find a big parking lot.

 

Good thread.

Southernpride: Thanx for your posts. Hang in there. You're doing good.

I once drove 21 miles on two-lane roads in Illinois before I could turn around; shipper's directions had left and right mixed up. Oh, well--better safe and out-of-route than sorry.

Years ago a friend who drove for Swift showed me one of their company newsletters. It had an article about uturns--and photographs. A Swift driver had pulled a uturn (like the one in the YouTube clip below) and had been hit by a pickup pulling a horse trailer. The photos showed two dead horses in the road. "Sorry" wasn't good enough.

So, speaking of uturns:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sr-YF1pbGuE

Folks, there's LOTS of truck-related clips on YouTube. Search "truck crash," "truck wreck," "truck drivers," "swift driver." (Off-topic, but
there's lots of great music clips too.)

 

Thanks....

I've been following your diary.

 

I've seen other drivers from my company do u-turns, legal and otherwise. So long as nobody says anything, everything goes fine...but if someone reports the driver as making a u-turn, they will terminate him on the spot.

I WON'T take that chance...I've seen others do it, and that's their choice...but not me