Myth_Buster
 

You say that you know a little about a lot of things. And that you work for FMCSA. With your credentials...
Please address these questions, if you would

In CA, on I-15, while in a traffic back up from an accident on the northbound side, I saw one happen on the southbound side. A pick-up passed a big truck and didn't wait for his back bumper to clear the front bumper of the big truck before he swung to the right. The bumpers hooked and the pick-up swung over so that it looked like the big truck "T-BONED" him. 4-wheelers are constantly trying to do this. I've seen it happen many times, at different speeds and in different states. Considering that more than one study indicates that as much as 74% of all car-truck accidents are caused by the cars, not the trucks, many of these accidents could be eliminated by letting the general motoring public know that 1/8 of a mile in front of a big truck is a suicide zone. But from all I've seen, this is not being done......
WHY?...

There's been talk about governing trucks to 65 mph because of the fuel savings and safety. Many times, I've heard that 55 is the safest speed for trucks. And, states like OH, IL, CA, MI, and OR seem to subscribe to that theory. If that is true, then take another look at the accident above. It happened on I-15 in CA. On the southbound, downhill slope coming down from Cajun Pass. The speed limit there is 25 mph for trucks. So, if the speed of trucks going down that slope is reduced that far, then the speed of the truck was not a factor in the accident. Yet, as I understand it, the truck driver was cited for not maintaining control of his vehicle, instead of the 4-wheeler being cited for inattentive driving.
WHY?....

In January of '98, I was going westbound on I-76 in CO. A little before Brighton, there was some ice under an overpass. Before I even got to the overpass, I began to brake. On the other side, there was a 4-wheeler on the shoulder, and facing directly across the hiway. As I approached the overpass, the car started out from the shoulder. I was in the left lane because I was passing a pick-up, and because I didn't know what the car was going to do, I stood on the brakes. As I got under the overpass, I saw 2 more vehicles in the snow in the median, and there were people in them. The car that came off the shoulder went across the right lane that the pick-up was in, and into the left lane in front of me. Impact came a couple of hundred feet after the overpass at about 45 mph. The back seat of the car was completely gone and I knocked it 175 feet down the hiway. My choices were slim to none. I either take out the pick-up on my right that did nothing wrong, the 2 in the median that could not move, or the one that came out into the road in front of me. After emergency crews removed her from the car, she came to and was lucid. One of the first things she asked the officers on the scene was: "WHY COULDN'T THAT BIG TRUCK STOP FOR ME? IT HAS TWO BRAKES, JAKE BRAKE AND AIR BRAKES."

In the years since, I've talked to a number of 4-wheelers, and the attitude is always the same. They give me ALL THE RESPECT. I'm much bigger than they are. But, I also keep getting told that I can stop faster than they can. I've watched them. When they're alongside me, they're nearly in the grass in the median, but when their rear bumper just clears my front bumper, there they are in front of me. Their belief that I can stop faster than they can is a VERY FALSE SECURITY BLANKET. Yet, no one seems to be telling the general public about the real differences in stopping ability between cars and trucks, so they keep on coming over directly in front of us thinking they are perfectly safe. No one is telling them...
WHY?.....

The USDOT has a "NO-ZONE POSTER". I've seen it in many of the places where truck drivers congregate. But, the only place I've seen it where the motoring public can see it is on a billboard in WY. That's a very long way from Chicago or LA. Even farther from North Jersey, let along MI. As flawed as it is, (it does not list the area in front of a truck as a SUICIDE ZONE and does not tell the public that the safest place to be around a truck is either 200 to 300 feet behind, or a quarter mile in front) it's a start. A good thing to do with it is to form a "partnership" of sorts with private industry. Chrysler, Ford, and GM all employ large numbers of people in their plants. These same companies also want their employees back on the job in the morning, not out because of an accident with a truck. Have one posted at the exit from the employees parking lots so that they are reminded of it as they leave work. Yet, if you check with these companies, they don't even know what a "NO-ZONE POSTER" is.
WHY?.....

P.A.T.T and C.R.A.S.H and other special interest groups are going into courts and demanding things like less driving time and more sleep. EDRs... All in the "interest of safety". But looking at the statistics, 74% of the accidents are caused by the cars, not the trucks.

Not all that long ago, people were suing Ford and Firestone because of the number of SUVs that were destroyed when the tires blew out. But they were overlooking the fact that they were doing 80 and 90 mph with UNDER-INFLATED tires. So, looking at the statistics,P.A.T.T and C.R.A.S.H. are 74% to blame for the lack of safety on the hiways, yet I don't see anywhere that P.A.T.T and C.R.A.S.H and the others are being told to "SWEEP OFF THEIR OWN COLLECTIVE BACK PORCH FIRST"...
WHY?...

By working with FMCSA, perhaps, you can give me a few answers. And I doubt that I'm the only one that would like to know.

The USDOT has a "NO-ZONE POSTER". I've seen it in many of the places where truck drivers congregate. But, the only place I've seen it where the motoring public can see it is on a billboard in WY

I've never seen a sign like that-What exactly does that mean?

I rest my case. Not even all truck drivers have seen it. How is the general public supposed to know about it?

It's a poster that shows the view from the top and the blind spots on the side as "NO-ZONES", and the areas in front and in back are also listed as
"NO-ZONES". But it does not say that the area in front is a SUICIDE ZONE, and it does not say that the safest place to be is about 300 feet behind or 1/4 mile in front.

Look at the back doors of the trailers you get to see. It has a blue background. Not many companies have it on their trailers, but every now and then, you'll see one.

ok-got your drift-It's like the Old Mudflaps-Passing Side-Suicide.
Michigan has been blitzing the TV airways with the Vision thing.
all my years of driving though I never saw a sign

Re: Myth_Buster
 

You've never seen those trailers that have the big "Don't hang out in the No Zone" on them? :shock:

Here's some variations on it:

http://transportation.ky.gov/highway.../No%20Zone.jpg

http://www.sharetheroadsafely.org/Im...eBrochure1.jpg

http://www.chp.ca.gov/images/nozone.jpg

http://www.kytc.state.ky.us/drlic/.%...s%5Cnozone.jpg

Re: Myth_Buster
 

You've never seen those trailers that have the big "Don't hang out in the No Zone" on them? :shock:



He was talking about a Billboard Sign-Not something that's on a Trailer

Re: Myth_Buster
 

DOT already has a campaign for this, and this is it - the trucks that have the "no zone" stickers on the back right corner, and trucks that have the "no zone" billboard on the side of them.

They are certainly going to reach more people this way than a stationary billboard.

Re: Myth_Buster
 

Really? When I pulled for Burlington Motor Carriers, they had one of their trailers with that "ROLLING BILLBOARD". It was sitting in the yard being used for a "PARTS STORAGE TRAILER". I'm lucky if I even see one of those trailers on the hiway once a year. Fat lot of good that does. I have seen NO AGGRESSIVE CAMPAIGN to reach the public.

Rev.Vassago, where did you see three of those trailers? Of course, they're parked. But even so, I've NEVER seen three at one time. I hardly ever see one anywhere.

I found the pic on the net.


I see the things all the time (at least one per day). I see the large stickers on the back of trailers several times a day.

I agree that the puplic is not educated on how to interact with trucks ATALL from what I can tell. I cannot imagine why. It is a disgrace that POV drivers can be dangerous as hell and we get blamed for their idiocy bacause were the professionals. Whenever a car moes over infront of me too close Ill blow my horn or flash my lights but it seems that they rarely care...so why do we have to get high blood-pressure about it??? If i get blamed for something like that I wont take it without vaseline- Ill take it to court like every driver should. :evil:
Whatever happened to 'all are equal under the law'? Its discrimination and we need to do something about it!

Michigan has a Done a pretty major TV Campaign informing the Public on what a drivers vision is, and the limits, through the mirrors.

My personal opinion is, that it has less to do with how well the info has been made available, and more to do with the rest of the motoring public not really giving a crap.

Well, considering his silence, it looks to be like Myth_Buster leans toward the ranks of the general motoring public. I thought I was asking legitimate questions. I get to deal with things like that quite often and see them as part of the problem with safety.

I remember, in my teen years, I would be reading the newspaper and see where every now and then, someone locally would be stopped, cited, and pay a fine for not using a turn signal to turn or change lanes. Today, the Police don't use them at all, so how are they going to enforce the law with the general public? Myth_Buster's silence does not speak well for DOT or FMCSA.

Maybe we all really do need ot walk off the job until DOT agrees to get to the ROOT of the problem with safety, not just sit at their desks, tugging at the leaves, and patting themselves on the shoulders for the good job they are doing at defoliating the stems. It's DOT's job to give the public the incentive to care, and if they don't give a crap, what are we left with?

I think it was back in the late 60's the state changed the law about turn signals in Fla. here---no longer needed for changeing lanes. Dumb move! :?: How about if I had a sign made for my trailer that stated what my stopping distance really is, could I post it on my trailer ok? And I agree with the un-knowing public part, they don't know it's gonna take 300+ feet at 55mph on a rrrreal good day and road. I think trucks need alot of improvement in the brakes!!! It's been like this for 30 or 40 years. The DOT shud be blamed as all they have done is squeeze the driver and owners harder and harder!

Seems just a bit odd to me. Myth_Buster came on here like a "HUMAN COMPUTER" with a PHOTOGRAPHIC MEMORY, listing rules and regs. Now, his silence is DEAFENING. I don't know if it's because he doesn't have any of the answers (I'd accept "I don't know" for an answer if that's the truth), or if answering my questions are beneath his dignity. Like my questions don't deserve to be answered.

When I worked in a factory, I was a "shift supervisor" and worked anywhere from 10 to 20 hours a day. No matter how tired I was, if a customer called with a question, IT HAD TO BE ANSWERED. Not to answer it could mean losing the customer. FMCSA and DOT have a "CAPTIVE AUDIENCE"... US..... If his silence is a matter of attitude, and reflects the attitude of both agencies, we could all be in very serious trouble. I'm sure he's had time to come to the boards and read... Even answer if he wanted to. Instead, all we get is silence...
WHY?.....

My guess is that he had enough pretty quick with a handful of people on here.

His "Photographic Memory" was his copy and paste jobs with the Regs and when some of us who have actually driven for quite awhile picked up on some of his Falacies his ego couldn't handle it.

He is still going at it over on Trucknet. I'm taking issue with him over there as well (on the split sleeper provision).

Washington State has a campaign . .
 

. . dealing with following distance and four wheelers cutting off trucks after they've passed them. I looked but couldn't find an example of the signs on the WADOT website. The program began after a few DOT/WSP officers actually spent time riding with truckers and were amazed by what they saw.

As far as the "NO-ZONE" goes, if you think 4 wheelers are passing time reading trailer doors, I suspect you're mistaken. With the number of warnings on trailer doors and mudflaps, how could anyone not know not to pass a truck on the right hand side, particularly at a corner? The number 1 cause of preventables at my company is right hand turns.

You have to remember, we are not on equal footing with the general motoring public. Our standard is (supposed to be) much higher and that's the way the courts treat it.

Re: Washington State has a campaign . .
 

Good Post-on corners there's a way that you can drive that can stop them from sneaking in on the right though :wink:

I didn't get as far as the split-sleeper provision. But, would you be so kind as to COPY all my "WHY's" and paste them on TRUCKNET? I'm not a member there. But let me know if you get an answer there or if he goes silent again.

Done. :wink:

What floored me was when he listed his qualifications as having "been around trucks" for how ever many years, and how he had "ridden in a logging truck with his dad" when he was a kid!!!
:roll:

The thought occurs to me...

What if he's not with FMCSA at all. Suppose he's with P.A.T.T. or C.R.A.S.H.??? An INFILTRATOR If so, there's NO WAY he wants to get pinned down with any of my "WHY's". If that's the case, I've REALLY struck a nerve. I mean, I could tell you that I'm a U S SUPREME COURT JUDGE..... Well, maybe you wouldn't believe that one. I'll have to think of something else. But, if he is who he says he is, he should have been able to give some kind of an answer. Even FOZZY does better than that. And he doesn't pretend to be anybody.

Maybe I should have worded that differently...... Sorry, Fozzy... :sad:

He has taken to reporting people to the FMCSA based upon what they post on Trucknet, and is defending his actions over there for doing so that it will "make the highways safer".

I know the admins of Trucknet are none too happy with it either.

He responded to the post, Windwalker.

Here it is, verbatim

That sounds more like an INFILTRATOR than FMCSA. I'd say he's a fake. He's trying to impress someone, or he's trying to get information on drivers to use against us the next time P.A.T.T and C.R.A.S.H. go into court. He could be one of their attorneys. I've talked to DOT Officers about a few of those things, and none of them ever said anything about contacting any information officer in Washington D. C. They did try to offer an explaination or said they didn't know. One guy in NM was a little short guy, not much bigger than my wife, and he did answer one of my other questions. Nothing about contacting anyone else. But, it sounds like we need to be a little bit careful what we say on here too. He can come back anytime and read what we say without responding, and get what ever information he wants to make use of. Sort of like the idiots that talk about logbooks on the CB. A good DOT can just about pick out what truck is doing the talking. If he misses the right one, he can get a look at me while he's looking for the other guy.

Exactly my thoughts exactly Windwalker
This "Person" IS from the organizations you mentioned I'm guessing and "Him"?? reporting to Authorities pretty much confirm it because he(?) came on here representing The" Authority".
Glad some people bought his BS because many of us on here didn't.

Just out of curiousity... How can he report anyone from the forums? He needs a name to do that. Not just a screen name. For example, WindWalker could be anyone. Young, old, blonde hair, grey or white hair, full beard and mustache, pony-tail half way down my back, or a Kojak hair-do. He can't turn anyone in that way. Not enough to go on. But... In putting together a case for Federal Court arguements, he can get facts in general. He would be able to say that "drivers do this, and drivers do that." He can use that to embellish his arguements in a court of law. he could also use it if he were to represent a 4-wheeler in a case against an 18-wheeler. I don't think he's turning anyone in, but he's instigating a discussion so that he gets information that can be used against drivers of CMVs.

If he's been riding in trucks, and been around trucks, pin him down. Ask him specific questions about particular aspects of a truck. Something that he would have to have been in one to know about. Like, on the old Macks. Which shifting lever did what. Something that he would have to have been IN a truck to know. While we're trying to answer questions for each other, he can use any information he wants against the industry.

I've talked to State Police, Motor Carrier Enforcement, scale masters, and they are required to enforce the laws as written, but tend to be on our side. I don't know whose side this guy is on, but it's not ours.

He has a name, because the user had given the information at one time.

Here - take a look for yourself.

http://roundtable.truck.net/viewtopi...966&highlight=

I could be wrong, but after reading that thread, he sure does come across like an attorney to me. And, he's been there since 2002? He knows EXACTLY what he's doing. And, now I know why he won't answer my questions. They do not serve his purpose. There's no violation indicated in them. Discussion of my topics isn't likely to bring out any violations. He's looking for HOS violations and other things that can be used in a court. And, he's VERY SHREWD. If he answers my questions, he's going to be helping us out. That's not his purpose.

He engages in a discussion with someone, and about all the information he gives out is quoting rules and regs. What he's giving out is already public knowledge. But what he's getting back in return is not public knowledge until he gets it.

Think about it. If he really was FMCSA, he would not have to file any complaint. He has the authority to take care of the matter himself. Or simply pass the info on to a jurisdiction that is much closer to the other person's location. An attorney, on the other hand, would have to pass the information along proper channels. The more I get to know about him, the more he comes across as a lawyer. And if he's representing one of the special interest groups, he'll have the rules and regs he's interested in at his fingertips. He also sounds like he's thoroughly versed in them.

I was hauling a permitted load once. (OW, not OD) Motor Carrier Enforcement had to refer to a book to make sure I was legal with the permit. when my gross was 89K. Until he did that, he didn't know that as long as none of my axles was over 20K, I was good to go. This guy knows exactly which rule he wants to quote and what it covers.

His information on the compensation is accurate, but open to interpretation. While Red Cross operates from donations from the general public, the company mentioned in the thread receives it's support from a few companies, which could be considered to be "hired" by those companies. It all depends on which way the attorney wants it to appear in court. If it were public donations from all across the country, it would be a different matter.

One, less than well chosen, word in a document can change the whole thing. One company, where I worked, had a job that was done exceptionally well. To thank us for our work and give us a pep-talk too, they rented a banquet room, catered in a meal with prime rib. They gave each of us a memo that said "All employees are expected to attend". That meant that they had to pay us for the 5 hours we all were there. If it had said "invited, no problem. But the word "expected cost them a couple of thousand dollars more, on top of the meal. It takes an attorney to realize something like that. And this guy can pick apart each rule, one word at a time.

Be very careful what you say to him.

yoopr

No photographic memory, just knowledge of the applicable rules and where to find them. Nothing personal but this site is too slow, stopping in every couple of weeks is enough for me. :wink:

Useless:

Better read again. I stated uncles. Washed trucks, helped load and unload, helped use the crane to load the logging trailer on to the front tractor. It’s amazing what you can learn if you choose. I can remember when “High” gear didn’t stand for the top gear in the transmission. It's amazing how fast you can coast down some of the hills on I-80 between Sacramento and Reno. As a passenger, it sometimes worried me.

Rev

No Rev, TransAlive was reported because I researched the company and found issues of non-compliance. In August TransAlive was contacted and asked to comply. As of October there has been no response and no indication TransAlive was considering complying.

Oh and how do you know that Rev? Have the post been deleted? Was the topic locked? Did you receive a PM from Rose? No one’s said a word to me, except for you.

WW

Scale officers and roadside officers are state employees, not federal employees. The federal government issues grants to states for CMV safety. The people who work in Washington DC at the numbers provided are responsible for the program described. Who better to talk to for the whys and why nots?

Rev mistakenly says:

I knew because I researched Transalive. Believe it or not Transalive has a web site and has been written about in multiple trade publications. Mr. Hataway provided information directly from Transalive’s web site revealing who he was:

TransAlive USA

Rev doesn’t pay very close attention sometimes and misses vital clues.

WW

I drove military trucks with a five speed and two speed rear end, Volvos with Volvo transmissions and exhaust brakes that I didn’t care for, the exhaust brake required the RPMs to be too high for me to feel comfortable so I kept her low and slow. The Volvo Transmission required use of the clutch there was no floating of the gears. If memory serves me right it was 1-2, 34, 5-6, 7-8, 9-10, 11-12. We had tandems axles with single drives around Denver. The tandems were experimented both ways, the front axle pulling and the rear axle pushing. Neither configuration worked worth crap because as soon as one drive tire was off the ground you were stuck. I also drove Freightliner flat tops, International COE, GMC Whites, and other Volvos with regular configurations. I can remember having to back to a trailer, connect the air lines, charge the trailer’s air system, set the trailer’s parking brakes, then back under the trailer. That was before mechanical parking brakes were required and failure to do as described resulted in chasing trailers because the air had beld off and there was no air holding the parking brake.

People amaze me; I provide technical advice on the FMCSR with no strings attached. I provide direct quotes from the FMCSR so people can read the regulations for their self and make a sound decision based on what they know not what some one told them. No one is standing in front of you threating to write you a ticket. :roll:

You people are way too paranoid.

If I had stopped in to visit I would have responded. However, as mentioned before this site is slow. In the week I've been gone there has been two new topics and maybe 15 responses to other topics. Why should I repeat myself re-emphasizing the same information 12 different ways? I've learned to ignore the majority of Rev's post. He has his panties in a wad over who I am. That's his problem.

If you have a pressing problem and want an immeadiate response PM me or let me know there's a topic you want a response to and I stop by. Other wise it may be a week or so before I stop in. I've been here since July 2006 and will continue to drop in from time to time.

Be safe.

Actually, I did receive a PM from Rose regarding this very thing, and she was none too happy with it.

How am I mistaken? He provided you with the information that revealed who he was, and who he was affiliated with. You then took it upon yourself to use the information in his posts to warrant an investigation into TransAlive.

The investigation started in July 2006. Please provide a link to information where Mr. Hataway exposed who he was in July?

From an e-mail sent 08/07/2006:

If Rose sent you a PM it was because you asked a question. I received a PM from a Moderator who supported the investigation. :roll:

Be safe.

I have alot to say about all this but Alas I can't :cry:
EXCEPT be Very careful about giving personal Info out on who you drive for on here and Elsewhere.

ya think? Hope you're right.

Oh, he's an expert on Crane Operations as well.... remember???? He was "around them, too!!!....Probably moomlights over at OSHA :P