Truckers, Tell a Story About Stupid Drivers..

[10thumbs]

Got a story to tell about real dumb car driver moves?

Quite a while back I had a neighbor who drove a big rig for a big company.  He was gone about 4 days during the week, and drove the SE Coast and back.  A decent guy and we got along well.  He didn't drink or get rowdy,  but would come over with his wife sometimes on Saturdays when mine and I would grill something.  He'd get real out of shape though when we wanted to hear some stories of being on the road....read, dumb car drivers.  I heard him say once, "man, you're pushing it down a wide 2 lane and some fool comes out from a side road in front of you, you hit the brakes and pray, only to see the idiot makes an immediate turn off the road at the next crossing. 

Nothing behind, just him and the fool car driver.  "Makes you fart foam rubber".

Whatcha got to tell.

Do you like driving long hauls among a lot of cars?

Edited September 8, 2016 by 10thumbs

[Warren D]

A friend owned his own rig and was running the right lane thru the Bronx, middle of the day.  He feels something like a tire blowing but different and starts looking around.  Sees a Lincoln Town car spinning out to his front right, hits the brakes but still manages to drag the lugnuts on the right front down the side of the car opening it up like a can opener.  Guy tells the cop the truck rear-ended him.  Right front bumper is sticking straight out and what happened was the car came on the entrance ramp and decided to try to beat the truck, snagged the front bumper and pulled it forward.  Insurance companies took over, the guy wanted a new car immediately as he was using it as a limo.  He never got a dime.

[10thumbs]

Dang cheats.

The wife has a parking lot mishap running, luckily she has a witness.

I have to admit, this morning heading downtown on my Vespa, still a strictly residential area, a big city cabover and I meet at a small intersection.  I had the right of way, but afterward I realize I should have waved him through.  He stopped late, and I had to make a sharp maneuver to get around the big truck.  I thought immediately, not good, I could have let him go through.  He's big and I'm small and agile.  No skin off my nose to let the other guy in, I can get ahead of him at the next light.

[Jim B]

You have a Vespa?  Let's see it.

[Petetrucker07]

Oh boy..... where do I start.....lol

[dieseldawg142]

........

Edited May 10, 2018 by dieseldawg142

[DRIPTROIT 71]

First let me say that I am not a truck driver. I've turned wrenches on them, but I'm no professional driver. With that said, I was on my way to the nursing home a while back when I came across an empty flatbed tractor trailer backing into a brick plant. As he backed in, his drive axle dropped off of the pavement and began to spin. He rocked back and forth a few minutes until his truck came to a rest with the drive wheels suspended in the air and still completely blocking the road. One of the guys from the plant came out and pointed to his front tandem axle and the driver just threw his hands in the air. The driver was walking around the truck with a puzzled look on his face. I walked up to the guy, and told him that I didn't mean to mind his business, but why wasn't he locking his tandems. He said that he had tried. I asked if I could take a look. I climbed up and locked his tandems for him. He said "Now what?" I told him to back the truck in and began to walk back to my car. I then started hearing rocks sling, so I turned around to look and both back axles were spinning as he backed in with the trailer brakes locked. The trailer was sliding and bouncing, but he cleared the road and I went about my business.

[highway]

Oh boy..... where do I start.....lol

Yeah, same here, especially since I drive through Pittsburgh PA (moron capitol of this area LOL) at least 2 or three times a week!! Stupid drivers are the main reason I bought a dash cam, and I share some of the idiot driving, but some language contained in the videos are NOT rated PG!!!

[Petetrucker07]

Yeah, same here, especially since I drive through Pittsburgh PA (moron capitol of this area LOL) at least 2 or three times a week!! Stupid drivers are the main reason I bought a dash cam, and I share some of the idiot driving, but some language contained in the videos are NOT rated PG!!!

Well, the LA basin is full of "fine" individuals that I'm surprised they found they're way out of bed, nevermind find they're way to work. Which for some is act of God in itself. They will go from the carpool lane (solo), all the way across 4 or 5 lanes of heavy traffic, across the gore point to get their exit. Some probably been gettin off at the same exit for years.

[Petetrucker07]

I'll give you a run down of some of the stupid things I've seen.

Women putting on makeup (no surprise)

Reading the newspaper

Working on a laptop

Both of last 2 at the same time.

Both genders having solo "personal" adult time.

Changing clothes

Playing a guitar, I have pics somewhere of this

Eating a bowl of ceral

Driving with their feet, again, I have pics somewhere

Doing dope

Cell phone use is kinda expected at this point, not condoned

Selfies(alone and group), again, to be expected

And the best one...truck drivers on the phone, talking on the CB, doing their log book, turning a corner and grabbin gears all at the same time.....just kiddin.

 

[signguy2108]

Oh boy..... where do I start.....lol

Can I fill 300 pages tonite or do I have to stretch it out over several months!!! 17 yrs of part time and full time driving back when trucking was fun and yes there are crazy people on both sides of the fence , 4 wheelers and trucks!

[highway]

 

Well, the LA basin is full of "fine" individuals that I'm surprised they found they're way out of bed, nevermind find they're way to work. Which for some is act of God in itself. They will go from the carpool lane (solo), all the way across 4 or 5 lanes of heavy traffic, across the gore point to get their exit. Some probably been gettin off at the same exit for years.

Pittsburgh we just have the fun of the Fort Pitt bridge, 300 feet with two interstates (I 279 and I 376) all merging into two lanes to go through the Fort Pitt tunnel. 5 o'clock traffic is real fun and everyone in their little Priuses think they can take on 80,000 lbs. I have had quite a few muscle their way in front of me and almost take my bumper with them! 

Someone even made a meme about it!

 

The two left lanes are where I 376 come on the bridge and go through the tunnel and the right are where I 279 come on the bridge needing to get into the left lanes to also go through the tunnel, and believe me, some take the "make it happen" part way too seriously!  It is very rare anyone is ever trying to exit off the right exit, I'm not even that sure where it goes! 

Edited September 9, 2016 by highway

[10thumbs]

You have a Vespa?  Let's see it.

Hi James, I asked if any Vespa guys here on this topic from last month;

I enjoy riding the silly thing.

[10thumbs]

Some funny stories guys, I was kind of figuring you might have a thing or two to grin about.

[vincen47]

Pittsburgh we just have the fun of the Fort Pitt bridge, 300 feet with two interstates (I 279 and I 376) all merging into two lanes to go through the Fort Pitt tunnel. 5 o'clock traffic is real fun and everyone in their little Priuses think they can take on 80,000 lbs. I have had quite a few muscle their way in front of me and almost take my bumper with them! 

Someone even made a meme about it!

 

The two left lanes are where I 376 come on the bridge and go through the tunnel and the right are where I 279 come on the bridge needing to get into the left lanes to also go through the tunnel, and believe me, some take the "make it happen" part way too seriously!  It is very rare anyone is ever trying to exit off the right exit, I'm not even that sure where it goes! 

Oh that is too funny! I spent a couple weeks in Pittsburgh last summer and I remember having to "make it happen" there.

[gatorincebu]

 

  Talking about drivers who do things that aren't really smart or advisable.

Here in the Philippines traffic is nuts. Traffic rules ??? ha

Incongested traffic the people on motorbikes ( there are lots of them 0 like to ride going the wrong direction in the oncoming lane. Or they will pass you on your right then cut across in front of you to pass the next car on the left riding on the center line or in the oncoming lane.

While watching you tube videos ( Karma fail etc  Somewhere in Europe) I watched as a motor bike passed a cement truck on the right. He lost control and fell under the rear duals non the mixer. The truck driver evidently did not feel the bump as he unknowingly ran the guy over.  Oh the price of stupidity !!!

 

 

  Be Well

   Gator

[dieseldog1970]

Ok....I got one...2009-2010(?), I was running a plow truck on the Coq (yes, as in Highway to Hell) heading north from Kingsvale towards Merritt. I was asked to stay late until the next shift came on, in the fast lane with about 6-8 inches of snow on the road and still coming down. Road is completely covered and I know I will not be able to make two passes each side to clear the road, so I figure one in the fast lane both ways to make it some what driveable. I have a front plow and underbody down, sanding as I go, doing about 40 kmh., as I come into an area known as the Comstock bluffs. This area is nothing but corners with no-posts (k-rails for you non Canadians!!) on each side as well as down the center of the road, I am running tight to the left hand side posts (the front plow will bump along as you clear the snow - sometimes sparks, sometimes little chunks of concrete fly off) concentrating hard because I know that the posts will end and I DO NOT want to go into the median and across traffic!! My two way radio crackles to life, the boys from the Coldwater yard in the crummy want to go by me, so I slow down to 30 kmh, they go by with roto lights on and 4-5 vehicles with them. I glance in the right mirror, nothing to see...so I pick it back up to 40 and continue. Now, like I said, you bump along these posts...so as I am trucking along, I feel a bump...now in my mind, I think, THAT does not feel normal! Just as this little tid bit of info exits my brain, I have a pickup truck coming across my plow sideways from the right!! It seems that the driver wanted to go through all the snow I was putting into the slow lane, and turned the wheel to the left because he "thought" all that snow would push him off the road. Now I have never had this happen before, so I kick in the clutch pedal, and pop the truck into neutral, he comes across in front of me, slams the left front of his truck into the no-post, some what straightens out and gets over to the right shoulder. I stop my truck and radio my foreman about what happened, he says he will be on site asap. I slowly bring my truck across the road to the shoulder, pull the brakes and get out...the driver exits his vehicle and the first words out of his mouth..."That's the stupidest effin thing I ever did!!". He is not hurt except for superficial cuts from glass on his hands, but he will be a tow job off the hill, left front smashed in/ blew out both his driver side windows on his crew cab/ and the box is creased front to back from coming around the plow, I have zero damage to my truck. I fill out an incident report back at the yard, and go home.  Fast forward a year, winter shift is starting up, and I am talking with the supervisor about the incident, he tells me that the driver approached ICBC regarding me "only" letting certain vehicles pass me, but they forwarded the incident report to them, included in the report....the first words outta his mouth!!! ICBC finds ZERO fault to the plow truck operator...100% to the driver of the pickup, so if you can learn anything from this....NEVER, EVER pass a plow truck on the right!!!

Edited September 10, 2016 by dieseldog1970

[dshue76]

Pittsburgh we just have the fun of the Fort Pitt bridge, 300 feet with two interstates (I 279 and I 376) all merging into two lanes to go through the Fort Pitt tunnel. 5 o'clock traffic is real fun and everyone in their little Priuses think they can take on 80,000 lbs. I have had quite a few muscle their way in front of me and almost take my bumper with them! 

Someone even made a meme about it!

 

The two left lanes are where I 376 come on the bridge and go through the tunnel and the right are where I 279 come on the bridge needing to get into the left lanes to also go through the tunnel, and believe me, some take the "make it happen" part way too seriously!  It is very rare anyone is ever trying to exit off the right exit, I'm not even that sure where it goes! 

I don't mind driving in Pittsburgh but I absolutely hate that bridge. I used to have to drive windowless Chevy work vans with their itsy bitsy passenger car mirrors over that thing. Pretty much less visability than most class 8 trucks. You can't win on that bridge. Every time you clear your self in the mirror to change lanes a dippshit flies in from two lanes away to take the spot. I figured out the safetst and most efficient way to use that bridge is to NOT use blinkers. As soon as you put a blinker on someone else will beat you to the spot, it's kinda like the how dare you pass me types, you know the ones, they are content to drive 5 mph under the speed limit until you pass them, then they get racey...

And the meme would have been better if it showed the true amount of traffic, like at 7 am or 4 pm.

Edited October 23, 2016 by dshue76

[Tom Geiger]

I'm going to take some equal time here...

I'm a car driver and a few times a week I'm victim of this....   on my way to work, the first 18 miles of the PA Turnpike are two lanes each way. Normally traffic scoots along at 80 mph in the 70 mph zone. My beef is slow moving trucks.  Those that stay in the right lane are okay with me. What is a pain in the tail is when one of them decides to pass another and the two of them just sit there side by side, totally blocking faster moving traffic,  at 50-60 mph.  I don't know if these trucks have regulators on their speed, but it seems the one in the slow lane just refuses to be passed.   This can go on the entire 18 miles!  Drives me friggin nutz.

Second story.... a guy I know from the model circuit is a truck driver.  He does local deliveries of full trailer loads. He is one of the laziest guys I know, and he has a bit of Ralph Kramden in him, thinking he's outsmarting the system but a wee bit short in the brains department to pull it off.  When I tell him the story about slow moving trucks, he tells me his story.  He refuses to get back to the depot before quitting time.  He says if he comes in a half hour early, they'll make him do some work around the warehouse.  He also says that dispatch can see when the truck is in motion or stopped.  So he figures out on his GPS how slow he needs to drive to get back to the depot exactly on time.  So if he needs to drive 40 mph on the Turnpike, that's what he does.    Argh!

And for equal time... I saw the results of an accident on the same PA Turnpike a few months ago.  An 18 year old girl moving slowly, pulled directly in front of an 18 wheeler who slammed on his brakes to avoid her. It sent him veering to the right and up an embankment, turning the truck over onto it's left side, directly on top of the girl's small car.  All I saw as I passed by was a bit of a car sticking out from under the trailer.  She was killed instantly.  No winners here,  a young life cut short by a stupid moment,  and an injured trucker who will never forget that day!

 

[1930fordpickup]

To be honest we have all had brain fads behind the wheel. 2, 4 or what ever you have under your booty. Makes no difference when you make a mistake. Hopefully when it happens no one gets hurt or worse. 

[steel_tiger1]

Ok the closest I ever came to killing someone. This was 99 or 2000. I was heading west on I90 in South Dakota. I just went under an overpass and saw 3 vehicles coming down the ramp to get on. First was an older local utilities power truck straight truck of some kind with bucket lift, you know the type. Second in line was a car don't remember the make or model like Toyota Camry sized, driven by a woman. Then a pickup truck was last in line. I was hauling drywall I think to rapid city. My tractor was a 98 Kenworth T600 only a year or so old, pulling a 48' flatbed right at max gross, which is normal for wallboard. I as a courtesy got in the left lane to let everyone on, speed limit I think was 70, my truck so I was running that + most likely, I usually do limit +5-7.

I am watching everyone coming down the ramp and of course the old utility truck isn't very fast so I don't have to much concern about anything with them. But apparently the car behind him did because as soon as they passed the end of the gore section she darted across it and the slow lane right into the fast lane right in front of me. I saw her, she never looked 1 time to check traffic. I immediately hit the brakes hard and started putting rubber down on the highway grabbed the airhorn cable and let her rip. The whole time saying oh F..k oh F..k I had no where to go the median wasn't an option she was to close. Anit-locks are doing their job I was slowing fast but still gaining on her, oh f..k oh f..k, closer and closer I got to back of her car thinking at any moment we are going to make contact. I got so close to her ass end that she literally disappeared from my view for a fraction of a second. Then her guardian angel must have woke up from his or her nap and saw what was going to happen , as her acceleration just started to increase over my deceleration and she started to pull away. I am not kidding when I said she disappeared in front of me. I was able to get off the brakes and get back under power. I looked in my curbside mirror and saw the utility truck and the pickup driving down the shoulder of the interstate they saw what was going to happen. I could see the utilities drivers face and he was like I can't believe that just happened. I then went from oh s..t mode to pissed off mode. And went on the chase took me a bit to get back up to cruising speed then into warp drive, but I finally caught up to her and pulled along side she wouldn't look at me or anything, so she must've at least realized what she did. I didn't want flip her off or anything I wanted her to know how close she was to dying that day because she was in a hurry. I stayed right beside her for a few miles she finally exited the interstate and looked up I pointed to her and then held up my hand with thumb and index finger together mouthing you were this close to dying today. I think she said sorry or something, could have been f..k off I don't remember now.

Things happen in an instant and you have to decide sometimes in the blink of an eye if it's gonna be you or them and control what your reflexes do.