dangerous jobs

[araby]

Mindia I heard a story about someone shooting truckers through the windshield on I-26 around the St Matthews (SC) area. I never heard more on this, but I did think of you and your safety. I don't know if you're ever in this area but either way...some fucked up people out there. watch yourself..

Also..Gaazy..I keep thinking about you and the coal miners..am I wrong or do you mine also?

just a concerned post for these guys...

[Phlegm]

The only things that Gaazy mines are men's asses.

[Evermore]

ROTF i was thinking that exact same thing while i was reading that.

[Narrock]

Thank you Araby. I know trucking is a dangerous job for several reasons. One, being the lunatics that are out there who get their thrills by doing stuff like shooting at trucks and truckers. When I was hauling food for Sysco/Sygma something scary happened to me last March. I had just delivered the last Applebee's on my route and was heading back to Stockton about 4am from Bakersfield on Hwy 99. I was getting ready to cross under an overpass on the highway, and two paintballs hit my windshield RIGHT in front of me. They were definitely aiming at the driver's seat. It scared the shit outta me, and I did swerve a little bit. I immediately called the Highway Patrol, and they said they're sending a car to check it out. That could have caused a major accident.

The other things truckers constantly battle with is other drivers. Everybody hates to get behind a truck, so they do the the most stupid, unsafe shit to avoid getting stuck behind a truck. The most stressful part to me is when people are entering the freeway from onramps and don't speed up or slow down... they just stay at the same speed as the trucker in the slow lane until they run out of roadway, and then have to slam on their brakes, or they speed up just in the nick of time and cut RIGHT in front of you. I wish people would realize that most trucks have a gross combined weight of 80,000 pounds and cannot stop on a dime, and that it's OK TO BE BEHIND A TRUCK TEMPORARILY UNTIL IT'S SAFE TO PASS THEM.

The other dangerous part to the job is the load itself. I haul hazmat tankers. The season just ended for the oil company I worked for since April. I was hauling 400-degree asphalt oil (PG 64-10), and if any of that gets on your skin, you're going to the hospital and will have to get skin grafts done. I just got hired by FerrellGas / Ferrell North America to haul propane, and with propane, it's like hauling a giant bomb around behind you.

[Maeya]

Let me ask you - how good is your visibility in that thing? I know the saying about "if you can't see my mirrors, I can't see you," but I feel very vulnerable driving next to a semi in my little Honda Civic. Where exactly is your blind spot, and are people in small cars very visible to you?

Semis scare me a lot

[Narrock]

Let me ask you - how good is your visibility in that thing? I know the saying about "if you can't see my mirrors, I can't see you," but I feel very vulnerable driving next to a semi in my little Honda Civic. Where exactly is your blind spot, and are people in small cars very visible to you?

Semis scare me a lot

Maeya, the blind spot is pretty much right behind the cab, all the way to about the back of the truck. Truckers are trained to check their mirrors EVERY 8 seconds, so we can see small cars and motorcycles, but there's still that blind spot to contend with. It's pretty safe to be in the lane to the LEFT of a semi, but don't hover there... pass him up when you can. It's the right side that's the most dangerous. Don't go there. Another stupid thing people do is try to pass a truck on his right when he's turning right. It happens a lot. When a trucker is turning right at an intersection, he has to go forward a little ways first, and start turning wide. This is so that the off-tracking doesn't put the rear wheels on the sidewalk. People try to sneak in and turn right while the trucker is making that maneuver, and it's VERY dangerous to do that.

[Arlos]

Well, Mindia, look at it this way: At least when you're hauling propane (or gas, etc) you don't have to break your back unloading it off the truck at 87 different stops on your route, like you did for Sysco. Plus don't you get a lot of extra bonus money for hauling the hazmat stuff?

Propane would be a bit worrisome, I am sure, but I've seen worse. A while back I saw a specialized tanker truck that was hauling gaseous hydrogen under high pressure. You want to talk rolling bomb.....

-Arlos

[Tikker]

this summer, my folks were pulling their little camper behind their can and one of the propane canisters somehow fell off, went under the trailer, and broke

amazingly, it split in such a way, that all the propane was released minus a big explosion, no damage at all to the trailer

(i'm assuming it couldn't have been too full)

[Narrock]

Well, Mindia, look at it this way: At least when you're hauling propane (or gas, etc) you don't have to break your back unloading it off the truck at 87 different stops on your route, like you did for Sysco. Plus don't you get a lot of extra bonus money for hauling the hazmat stuff?

Propane would be a bit worrisome, I am sure, but I've seen worse. A while back I saw a specialized tanker truck that was hauling gaseous hydrogen under high pressure. You want to talk rolling bomb.....

-Arlos

Well, the starting salary for a hazmat driver at FerrellGas is around $55k/yr. and that doesn't include the over $10k/yr. you get in profit sharing. That's not too bad for starters. I've only been driving semis for 15 months. At the 24 month point, it's around $65-70k/yr. The best part about it is that it's local. My route will be a 3-hour radius around Sacramento. I'll be home every night and have weekends off. I know drivers at some OTR carriers that are only making around $45k/yr. and they are away from home 10-14 days at a time. So yeah, it pays better to haul hazmat.

[Arlos]

Yah, that's not too bad a salary, especially since you're just driving (plus maybe I'd guess hooking up and disconnecting some hoses here and there), and not having to additionally play the role of porter and have to lift & carry crap off and on. It isn't my cup of tea, certainly, and I doubt anyone would consider it to be particularly cerebral (especially in comparison to programming, etc.), but it is most assuredly important work, and if you're enjoying it, that's all that matters. Make money, don't work too hard, enjoy it some, can't ask for too much more.

-Arlos

[araby]

All of that was very informative thank you!

I always have an interstate buddy. No matter where I'm going I always seem to hang out with someone else on the road, going the same direction/speed and gets along well with me on the Interstate. Last trip it was a guy on a motorcyle and his chick..they were sweet.

we even honked when we parted! we drove 100 miles together.

I also get freaked out by big trucks..I just say "big truck, big truck" and keep going. then once I get around him and I'm line leader again, we haul ass.

[The Kizzy]

Erik,

What happened to moving up the ranks with Sysco and being a diospatcher? I thought that is what you really wanted to do?

[Narrock]

Erik,

What happened to moving up the ranks with Sysco and being a diospatcher? I thought that is what you really wanted to do?

Sygma lost their biggest account, Burger King, to MBM Food Distibution (http://www.drive4mbm.com/articles/MBM_W ... Region.htm), and so they laid off a bunch of drivers. Then I hauled hot oil for an Oil Company from April until 2 weeks ago. But I knew that the season was coming to an end so I applied with Ferrell North America about 6 weeks ago, and I just got hired. I start in a couple weeks. They have lots of opportunity for advancement into management at Ferrell. I don't want to haul food anymore. The shifts suck (graveyard), and slinging 50-75 pound boxes of fries and frozen hamburger patties ALL NIGHT LONG gets old fast. Plus, Ferrell has a better benefits package than MBM or Sygma.

[The Kizzy]

Erik,

What happened to moving up the ranks with Sysco and being a diospatcher? I thought that is what you really wanted to do?

Sygma lost their biggest account, Burger King, to MBM Food Distibution (http://www.drive4mbm.com/articles/MBM_W ... Region.htm), and so they laid off a bunch of drivers. Then I hauled hot oil for an Oil Company from April until 2 weeks ago. But I knew that the season was coming to an end so I applied with Ferrell North America about 6 weeks ago, and I just got hired. I start in a couple weeks. They have lots of opportunity for advancement into management at Ferrell. I don't want to haul food anymore. The shifts suck (graveyard), and slinging 50-75 pound boxes of fries and frozen hamburger patties ALL NIGHT LONG gets old fast. Plus, Ferrell has a better benefits package than MBM or Sygma.

I hope it all works out for you

[Ouchyfish]

WTF--back in high school they made us unload the fuckin trucks while the damn driver stood there and watched/smoked..I guess they dont have it made anymore

[Narrock]

WTF--back in high school they made us unload the fuckin trucks while the damn driver stood there and watched/smoked..I guess they dont have it made anymore

ROFL We had keys and alarm codes to all the stores... there was hardly anybody every there when we delivered.

[Jay]

Most dangerous thing at my job is papercuts and brain cancer from my BlackBerry.

[Haylo]

Hats off to you Mindia, i'm terrified of trucks, I hate to be near them on the highways. I can't imagine driving around a load of hazardous material. Although some days when a kid has just thrown a chair at me, i'd love to get away behind a wheel and have no one to deal with!

[Gypsiyee]

I hate them, they really freak me out. I do my best to be nowhere near them, of course sometimes it's inevitable - I won't stay beside one for longer than a minute. When I was 17 one was coming off the highway and cut 3 lanes over without looking and knocked me into the median and kept going, despite my laying on the horn and despite him getting stuck at a stoplight right in front of me and my friend running up to his truck to tell him to stop because he just hit someone. Of course his license plate was basically illegible as it was dusk and the plate was blackened with dust.

Only accident I've ever been in, and a hit and run of all things. Banged up my knee and shelled out 1k (at 17 that's a lot of money) to fix my car, but it never went back the same and ended up having to buy a new one within about 6 months.

My cousin drives trucks and really hats off to those who drive with sense and are good upstanding because depending on what you do it's tough work, but there are a number of truckers out there for a quick buck who can give a shit less who else is on the road.

[Haylo]

Yep this morning on the way to work, a truck turned from the third lane to make a left turn after the turn light had already gone off. It was very nearly a huge accident. I just don't get that crap. There were two turning lanes and then three lanes. He started off in the second normal lane, jumped to the first lane and then made the left turn against the light.

[10sun]

I prefer driving with semis to driving with motorcycles & sports cars...

Truck drivers are responsible, predictable, & visible.

I am more than courteous driving through the Poconos with them and it pays off... Ohio kinda sucks because they cap semis at 55mph, but most other places in the nation are great because I can usually buddy up with one or two of them and break traffic open for them.

Meanwhile, you have fucking people in motorcycles & sports cars driving erratically & flying all over the fucking place... I hate that.

[Gypsiyee]

Truck drivers are responsible, predictable, & visible.

strongly disagree with this as a blanket statement aside from visible. as for the responsible and predictable, some are and some are not.

i also would have to disagree with you on the sports cars and motorcycles on the grounds that if they drive like stupid fucks, that's on them - I'm a very safe driver - if a sports car or motorcycle drives crazy, an accident will most assuredly be their fault for one, and for two they will lose to my truck and take the damage. that's not the case with a semi - if they drive like an idiot, *I* take the loss.

[Lyion]

I prefer driving with semis to driving with motorcycles & sports cars...

Truck drivers are responsible, predictable, & visible.

I am more than courteous driving through the Poconos with them and it pays off... Ohio kinda sucks because they cap semis at 55mph, but most other places in the nation are great because I can usually buddy up with one or two of them and break traffic open for them.

Meanwhile, you have fucking people in motorcycles & sports cars driving erratically & flying all over the fucking place... I hate that.

This is generally true, but for trips I worry more about truckers.

When I was commuting to North Carolina from Ohio and driving through the Mountains, going down those 40 degree hills with the sharp turns it gets a bit hairy. It's more scary late at night with guys driving big rigs who haven't had enough sleep there.

[Evermore]

I prefer driving with semis to driving with motorcycles & sports cars...

Truck drivers are responsible, predictable, & visible.

I am more than courteous driving through the Poconos with them and it pays off... Ohio kinda sucks because they cap semis at 55mph, but most other places in the nation are great because I can usually buddy up with one or two of them and break traffic open for them.

Meanwhile, you have fucking people in motorcycles & sports cars driving erratically & flying all over the fucking place... I hate that.

'

not all but a good portion of the truck drivers around here drive like assholes. they cut you off and think nothing of it. Even the stupid fucks that have one of those " how is my driving call this number" thing on the back. I call it every time even thou it prolly dont do shit. This morning I saw a trucker pass someone on the median. i couldnt grab my cell fast enough to take a pic. Gotta love the NJTP

[10sun]

I have about 150k miles logged on I-80 between Ohio & New Jersey in 10 years.

In that stretch, my blanket statement is the truth. I have never had a single issue with any semi driver. However it seems every trip I run into several jackasses who decide they want to A) tailgate me B) cut me off C) drive without lights on D) drift into my lane without paying attention to the rather large truck I'm driving or E) some variant thereof.

On large hills, I let the truck drivers have the right of way and stay the fuck away from them because I know things aren't easy there.