Wednesday, December 22, 2010

sizes, weights and limitations


Sizes, weights and limitations
Tractor trailers come in many different shapes and sizes. This all depends on the length of the trailer and the length of the cab itself.  Most will measure from 70 to 80 feet long but can go as long as 150 to 200 feet long. Those 150 to 200 feet along are specially designed over sized loads like wings for wind mills that go on these wind farms. They require escort vehicles and will require much more room than a standard sized tractor trailer when making turns and other maneuvers.

My particular tractor trailer combination measures 75ft from nose of tractor to end of trailer. This is pretty much a typical configuration. The turning radius is approx 100 to 200 ft. This means they need that much room when turning in parking lots or other tight maneuvering situations. 

The legal weight for tractor trailer combinations is up to 80,000. This includes weight of tractor trailer and product.  Weights can exceed that only with special permits.

Stopping and following distances
Contrary to popular belief, a tractor trailer does not have a brake on each wheel. I E an 18 wheeler does not have 18 brakes.  There are 2 brakes per axle. Generally speaking, there are 5 axles on tractor trailers. Each axle has 2 brakes on it. Therefore a 5 axle truck will have 10 brakes.  If the truck is fully loaded to 80,000lbs, that means stopping power of 8,000 lbs per brake. That would be the equivalent of stopping two 4,000 lbs cars with just 1 brake!
A fully loaded semi traveling at 60 mph requires 300ft to safely stop. That is the length of a football field.  This length will increase as road and weather conditions decrease.  Cutting of trucks can become very hazardous to your health. 
Following distances
Although there are no laws stating how far cars must follow behind a semi, I would like to present some thoughts for consideration.
                Blown tires:
                                Truck tires are made of hard rubber with steel belts inside. They are filled to approx 110lbs of pressure and can weigh over 50lbs when fully inflated.  When they blow, there is a tremendous amount of force released.
                                Example 1: A mechanic, who weighed 150lbs, was inflating a recapped tire. When it blew, the force of it slammed him into the wall 20 feet behind him. (If the dumbass would have followed established safety procedures, he probably would not have been hurt).
                                Example 2:  I was traveling on an interstate in Illinois when a trailer tire blew out. The mud flap (5lbs) and its metal hanger (5 lbs) elevated about 10 to 15 feet in the air at 65mph. if someone had been tailgating; I hate to think what kind of damage would have been done.  There have been accidents recorded where tire treads have flown through windshields.
                Falling debris:
                                Truck drivers cannot safely remove snow and ice from on top of their trailers when the trailer roof is 13ft 6in off the ground.   
A good safe following would be a minimum of 1 car length for every 10mph. Keep in mind that this should be increased during bad weather and times of reduced visibility.
                Stop signs and stop lights:
                                It’s a good idea to stop about 10-15 ft away from a semi when necessary to come to a complete stop, especially when on an uphill.  When starting out, a semi may “drift” or roll back wards when releasing the clutch and engaging the throttle. Good truck drivers know how to compensate for this. Not all truck drivers are good drivers!

By the way some states do have laws requiring how far semis are supposed to be following. In Iowa, it’s 300ft. In Wisconsin, it’s 500 ft.  It’s really scary to me when I see trucks following much closer to vehicles then they should be.

                Speed limiters/inhibitors. (Commonly referred to as “Governors)
These are computer controlled devices that limit the speed of a truck when heading down a flat stretch of road. A vast majority of companies use these on their company trucks not only as a way of controlling vehicle speed, but also as a fuel saver.  Companies themselves generally dictate what speed these are set at. Some companies out here have theirs set as low as 58mph while others are set as high as 75mph.  a vast majority of the trucks are set at 62 to 65mph. This can create problems when traveling in states where the posted speed limit is higher than the truck is capable of doing.  If you are traveling in a state where the speed limit is 70miles per hour on the interstate and the truck in front of you is only going 65, chances are that is a fast as he can go. If weather and traffic conditions permit, please continue on at the posted speed limit.  Too often cars will fall in line behind the slower truck for no apparent reason. When enough cars and trucks do this, this creates an unnecessary traffic back up and can become a serious safety issue. Some states also have split speed limit laws. Take Michigan for example. Cars are allowed to travel 70mph on the interstates while trucks are only allowed to go 60mph.


                Slow moving vehicles:
Because trucks are considered slow moving vehicles, they are often restricted to the right lane of travel on an interstate. This allows for the fast more agile vehicles to safely pass on the left.  This is especially true in mountainous/hilly terrain. Often times, trucks will travel uphill or downhill with their 4 way emergency flashers activated. In some states, it’s the law.  Therefore, as traffic and weather conditions permit, safely pass them on the left and continue on your way. 
                Trucks carrying hazardous material:
Hazardous material (HAZMAT) Haulers can be identified by the square on point, triangle shaped placards that are supposed to be displayed on all four sides on the vehicle.  By law these vehicles are required to stop at ALL railroad crossing, put on their 4 ways flashers and safely proceed once they have verified there are no trains coming. Some states like Wisconsin provide slow down/speed up lanes just for this purpose. Most states do not. Please be patient with the trucker. The life they save, by following the law, could be yours.

Happy motoring……stay tuned……………..

Wednesday, December 15, 2010

merging


Merging.
 Comedian Jeff Foxworthy once stated that merging around Atlanta is a personal challenge. Actually this could be a true statement around most major cities. Merging around big trucks can be especially challenging. There are many areas to be especially cautious with merging trucks. Some of the most populated areas are rest areas, truck stops, industrial areas, weigh stations and entrance/exit ramps.  Keep in mind that trucks are not as maneuverable as cars. Depending on load weight, weather and road conditions, it can often take a semi 4 to 5 minutes to completely come up to highway speed. I have often said that I want to put a sign on my truck that reads zero to sixty in about 5 minutes.
Merging on to highways
When coming down the entrance ramp please do not rely solely on your mirrors. Take a quick glance over your shoulder to check for oncoming traffic. By doing this, you will help to avoid losing traffic in blind spots.  Please remember that when you are entering a highway, it is up to you to adjust to the traffic that is already there. In other words, if you want to occupy a space that is currently occupied by another vehicle, you have to wait for them to move out of that space.  If there is a semi in the lane that you are merging into they might not be able to show courtesy and move out of your way. You then have two options.
1)      Speed up and come onto the freeway in front of the truck
2)      Slow down and come into the lane behind the truck.
Keep in mind a semi cannot always move out of the way. They often weigh up to 80,000 lbs and cannot maneuver as easily as a car can, especially if road ways are slippery.  When coming onto the highway in front of the semi, leave as much space between you and them as you possibly can. If something should happen that you need to stop quickly, a semi cannot stop as quickly as you can.  A fully loaded semi traveling at 60 mph requires a minimum of 300ft to safely stop.  That stopping distance increases as roadway and weather conditions decrease. While it is not always possible to give that much space, you should do the best you can not to cut them off.

Merging in constructions zones
 Accidents frequently occur at merge points approaching a construction zone.  It can create major headaches for all concerned when people run right up to the last moment before merging into the proper lane of traffic. This can also lend to making the backup longer and more aggravating then it already is. A general rule of thumb to follow is start merging when construction signs indicate lane reduction is up coming.  It’s also a good idea to merge every other vehicle. 



Let’s be safe out there and happy motoring.

Monday, December 13, 2010

courtesy

Today, I was broken down on interstate 80 in Indiana. I spent 3 hours on the shoulder of the highway with a locked brake.

Interstate shoulders are 10ft wide. A semi truck is 8 1/2ft  wide. That means if a driver is out walking around there truck there is a maximum of 18" separating them from traffic traveling at speeds of 65mph or greater.  This is very unsafe and very nerve racking.

I cannot count the number of vehicles, both cars and semi trucks, who failed to move over when then had plenty of room to safely do so.  In some states the law requires that you move over for broken down or emergency vehicles who are on the shoulder of the road.

Let's be courteous to one another out there  The life you save could be your own!

a few years ago a man had stopped to give assistance to a stranded motorist. Draft created by passing traffic threw him out into a lane of traffic where upon he was run over and killed.

This past year a friend of mine had broke down on an interstate. He was directing traffic around his vehicle and the wrecker that had come to help him. The wrecker accidentally backed up over top of him, crushing him to death.

Thursday, December 9, 2010

backing and maneuvering

Semi's are routinely required to operate in very tight situations. Many times trucks are required to back into loading docks from off the street and will end up blocking traffic for a short time while maneuvering into and around loading docks,  Most tractor trailers are not equipped with back up lights on their trailers.  If you see a tractor trailer with it's 4 ways flashing, chances are they are getting ready to make maneuvers or start backing up. While doing these things, a drivers vision is very limited to only what they can see in mirrors. When making maneuvers such as tight turns and backing up at tractor trailer will require approximately 100 to 150 ft of maneuvering space. It would be very helpful to the driver if you can remain outside of that maneuvering radius.

Turning. Turning a semi is not like turning a car. Again more room is needed for a truck to safely and effectively negotiate turns.  Right turns are routinely more difficult to make because trucks are closer to things like parked cars, street signs, light poles, pedestrians etc...While preparing for a right turn on a very narrow road, trucks will routinely swing out wide to the left prior to making the right turn. Sometimes this means trucks will come all the way out into the left lane in order to set up for the turn. This is especially true when road ways, like city streets, are very narrow or have many objects like fire hydrants, light posts and parked cars lined up on the right side. 

general information about trucks

Semi trucks come in many different shapes and sizes.  For instance, a fully loaded semi with tractor and trailer can weigh as much as 250,000 lbs and measure 200ft in length. These would be specially designed vehicles used for hauling over sized freight. 

Generally speaking trucks will range in length from 70 to 80 feet long (when measured from nose of tractor to tail end of trailer) and weigh a maximum of 80,000 lbs when fully loaded.  I drive a truck that measures 72.5ft and can weigh as much as 80,000 lbs when fully loaded. The information that I will be relaying in this format will be based on the size of my tractor trailer.

Wednesday, December 8, 2010

location

Tonite Im sitting in Bismarck North Dakota. Its bloomin cold out here. It was 10 degrees when I got here at 5pm this evening!  Oh how I miss summer!

disclaimer

My intention here is to share with you information that will allow you to drive safely around semis and share with you my experiences from the road. It is meant for informational purposes only. The opinions expressed here are soley mine and are not the opinion of the company I work for or of any company associated with the transportation industry. 
I welcome any comments to whatever I may post. However, this is a family blog so I expect comments to be of a clean and family friendly nature. Any comments not made in that fashion will not be tolerated and will be immediately removed.

Tuesday, December 7, 2010

tonite i am sitting at nelson bros truck stop in clear water minnisota. This is home of the infamous flavored bread. Yummy!

truckers stuff

Hi everyone. I am going to use this spot to talk about life on the road and possibly pass along some training tips