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DozerII

Well-known member
Joined
Sep 4, 2015
Messages
4,765
Location
Saskatchewan Can.
For the last 10 years I have been driving truck for living, I got my Class 1,(Big Rig) license back in 1980.
It seems to me a good portion of drivers including big rig are becoming very inconsiderate, with less and less skill. Back in 80 when I was learning, the trucks had poor headlights and we had just as poor driving lights. But driver courtesy said when you saw the glow of oncoming traffic the driving lights went out and the high beams went off, usually before the oncoming vehicle even crested the hill or rounded the corner. I start my work day at 2-3 am and am in the truck by 4 am so I have lots of dark travel time. I travel an hour and a half to load each morning half on two lane road and the other on the Trans Canada highway. All these new vehicles have very bright led lights as well as driving lights, no one turns off there driving lights anymore and only about 50% dim there high beams on the two lane and it's even worse on the four lane.
On the Trans Canada there are some intersecting roads that have merge lanes to get on and off. Almost everyday there will be a big rig parked in either the on or off in one of these with all his lights off in the bunk sleeping.
At our yard in Swift Current there is a large Husky truck stop next door that is packed with rigs every night. Between the Husky and our yard there is a narrow North/South street that has a light pole 20 or so feet west and about 4 feet off the east/west service road, three times since December this light pole has been laying on the ground or on our fence with a big rig stuck on it.[S, there was even a Z class hauler tractor and two 53' trailers completely in the ditch on the N/S road next to our fence:(
Just seems no one cares anymore, sorry for the rant.
 
It's everywhere Dozer.
I know I'm getting older but it's still illegal to pass people on the right(The shoulder) when traffic is stopped. And don't even get me started on the the people driving ALL the time with their bright lights on.
I was driving with someone one night and the oncoming vehicles had their brights on(Some sort of Halogen lights) we could barely make out the road. I asked why he didn't flash them to get them to dim. He claimed that the Michigan Leos were purposely driving around with their brights on so that if you flashed them they would have a reason to turn around and pull you over.
I thinks that BS. I think people just don't pay attention or care or are in a WAY bigger hurry then I am.
Be safe out there.
Torchie
 
Apparently, drivers around here are better at dimming their lights. Very few times will the approaching driver not dim their lights and if you happen to forget, the oncoming drivers will definitely do a request flash at you.
If the law in your area is really driving around with their high beams and driving lights on, I would be obliged to call the headquarters and report their infraction.
 
Apparently, drivers around here are better at dimming their lights. Very few times will the approaching driver not dim their lights and if you happen to forget, the oncoming drivers will definitely do a request flash at you.
If the law in your area is really driving around with their high beams and driving lights on, I would be obliged to call the headquarters and report their infraction.

Agreed OI.
I think it's just some internet rumor that someone started. The claim is that if you flash the cops they pull you over and when you ask why they pulled you over they can say that you signaled them by flashing your lights. So that gives them the chance to ask to see your permit and proof of insurance etc. If that ever happened to me , my legal firm of Dewy. Cheat'em and Howe would be all over that as "Intrapment." :D
Either way. In my area there are a lot of what I consider to be reckless drivers.
Torchie
 
I get it D. Not only are head lights brighter, lots of SUV's run with 4 lights on. I parked my ground hugging compact and bought a car that I sit higher in. Ad to this bright light deal the folks who text, read, and eat while they drive.
 
My Turn:

English as a second language.

It's hard to know the rules if you've never read them. In SK, you can obtain a driver's license if you possess a license from any number of countries... so, if you can provide "legal" documentation from Thailand (for example) you could be licensed in an hour.

In these politically "correct" times, you'll never hear about forged documents and persons with NO training or qualifications whatsoever. Commercial is slightly more difficult, but there are plenty of unsavory companies willing to fast-track the process.


I'm sure you're familiar with the Humboldt incident, Dozer. I rest my case...

.
 
I know exactly where you're coming from Glen. I've driven commercial for 34 years now, and it's nothing like when I started. It used to be fun, now it's stressful work. Increased regulations, increased inspections, less experienced drivers and less common courtesy have all made it more stressful. I don't know if y'all have the electronic logs up there yet like we do down here, but they are a female dog. EVERY minute of your day, you're constantly checking the time clock to ensure you don't go over some stupid limit by even a few seconds so you won't get a violation. And these things record your exact GPS location, your speed, even how hard you use your brakes! And when it says you're out of time, you have to park wherever you can find a place. I've had to park in some areas I would never have considered parking before. I non jokingly say it's just like a felon with an ankle bracelet, you are constantly being monitored. Since the ELD was put in my truck, I have to run harder, faster, can't stop for fear of losing precious minutes, can't even stop and enjoy a burger and fries, it's balls to the wall for that 14 hour day. My home time is now limited to Saturday and half a day Sunday, by the time I get rested from the previous week, it's almost time to go back to work. It suxs.

I'll be 62 in a couple of years, if I can get my finances right by then, I'm going to start my Social Security and work part time a few years before I hang it up. I don't think I can take the stress until my full retirement age of 67, it would probably kill me first. It's doing a damn good job trying to kill me right now....:eek:
 
My Turn:

English as a second language.

It's hard to know the rules if you've never read them. In SK, you can obtain a driver's license if you possess a license from any number of countries... so, if you can provide "legal" documentation from Thailand (for example) you could be licensed in an hour.

In these politically "correct" times, you'll never hear about forged documents and persons with NO training or qualifications whatsoever. Commercial is slightly more difficult, but there are plenty of unsavory companies willing to fast-track the process.


I'm sure you're familiar with the Humboldt incident, Dozer. I rest my case...

.

Now Doc don't get me started on that, I left out a little incident that happened Thursday, but now I'm going to. Our little Ghost town has one paved street(if you can call it that) runs from the hwy a 1/2 mile north then turns to gravel. The RM is building a new shop at the end of the pavement and there has been a lot of semi traffic hauling in the components. Thursday I was heading east on the highway and gonna turn north onto the paved street there were three vehicles behind me, and one of these new Canadian drivers heading south on the paved street almost to the stop sign. As I started into the turn I had to almost go into the ditch as the New driver was almost completely on my side of the street, he let the three other vehicles pass then proceeded to pull out in front of a west bout pickup causing him to lock up the brakes almost skidding into the ditch while this drive continued on like nothing happened.[S[S

I know exactly where you're coming from Glen. I've driven commercial for 34 years now, and it's nothing like when I started. It used to be fun, now it's stressful work. Increased regulations, increased inspections, less experienced drivers and less common courtesy have all made it more stressful. I don't know if y'all have the electronic logs up there yet like we do down here, but they are a female dog. EVERY minute of your day, you're constantly checking the time clock to ensure you don't go over some stupid limit by even a few seconds so you won't get a violation. And these things record your exact GPS location, your speed, even how hard you use your brakes! And when it says you're out of time, you have to park wherever you can find a place. I've had to park in some areas I would never have considered parking before. I non jokingly say it's just like a felon with an ankle bracelet, you are constantly being monitored. Since the ELD was put in my truck, I have to run harder, faster, can't stop for fear of losing precious minutes, can't even stop and enjoy a burger and fries, it's balls to the wall for that 14 hour day. My home time is now limited to Saturday and half a day Sunday, by the time I get rested from the previous week, it's almost time to go back to work. It suxs.

I'll be 62 in a couple of years, if I can get my finances right by then, I'm going to start my Social Security and work part time a few years before I hang it up. I don't think I can take the stress until my full retirement age of 67, it would probably kill me first. It's doing a damn good job trying to kill me right now....:eek:

Electronic logs are here already for OTR drivers here, they haven't made to us local delivery guys yet but I'm sure it's coming. You sure don't hear any drivers that have anything good to say about them. I'm 62 now and need a couple more years to get things in order.
 
I too am annoyed with the LED lights, way to bright in most cases especially on the lifted trucks where the beams are aimed directly at your face.

I dont have the patience to drive a big rig although it is something I always wanted to do, the closest I came was transporting concrete wall sections on a 55 foot trailer using a Ford 850 within a construction site at one of the huge condo building operations in the Fort Lauderdale area early 80's.

Lately I have noticed that big rigs idle along at one speed in traffic jams leaving a large distance in front, which allows car traffic to switch lanes in and out, while the trucker never brakes, just keeps cruising slowly, which is the average speed in said traffic jam.
 
Back in the day... my dad had a buddy who worked at the airport & he gave dad some of those Lucas plane landing lights that dad put on his front bumper. They were on a toggle switch so when someone wouldn't dim their lights... dad would switch on those lights. They were incredibly bright & the other person would be begging for him to turn them off. And of course... before long he turned them on a cop! Needless to say the cop wasn't pleased but it was a guy he went to high school with so he just got a big tongue lashing! Next thing I knew... those lights were gone! [ddd:eek::D

BoB
 
Back in the day... my dad had a buddy who worked at the airport & he gave dad some of those Lucas plane landing lights that dad put on his front bumper. They were on a toggle switch so when someone wouldn't dim their lights... dad would switch on those lights. They were incredibly bright & the other person would be begging for him to turn them off. And of course... before long he turned them on a cop! Needless to say the cop wasn't pleased but it was a guy he went to high school with so he just got a big tongue lashing! Next thing I knew... those lights were gone! [ddd:eek::D

BoB

Hehehe, I had a set of those several years ago! You could light candles on a birthday cake a 1/4 mile away they were so bright! Never flashed any cops, but burned several people’s retinas when they blinded me!
 
Where can I get a set?[cl[cl

I don’t know now. NAPA used to carry them, don’t know if they still do or not. Mine were 7.25”, same as a headlight but tons brighter! They looked kinda like a King Bee headlight, except had a flat clear lens. They were hard to keep on the truck hanging under the bumper. Rocks took them out pretty quick.

If I was going to do something like that now I’d get one of those LED light bars, they’re probably almost as bright.
 

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