I was very close to being in a bad wreck yesterday.

[General Zod]

Yesterday late morning,around 11:30 mountain time,I was driving my rig southbound on I-25,about forty miles north of Denver,CO. It was two lanes going north or south at that part. Traffic was very heavy for some reason. It reminded me of rush hour traffic,but a later version of it. I saw a white van up ahead of me getting ready to merge onto the highway.

So I slowed down a touch from 62 MPH,the speed my company governs our trucks at,to let that driver on. He waves at me to say thanks. Very nice of him.

Well,I do a mirror check,and see some asshole in an Audi car driving on the right shoulder beside me. You may wonder why I did not change lanes to let him on. To do that,I would have caused a major wreck,and possibly killed people. We were in a 75 MPH area. Not like they would have let me over as I was driving 62 MPH.

Well,the asshole driving the Audi,who was pissed off at me because I did not think he was special enough to let his impatient,egotistical self onto the highway finally merges onto the highway behind me. He was able to move over into the left lane,cutting someone off,then move over to the right lane in front of me,and start slowing down,and then flips me off. He speeds up a bit,then slows down,and flips me off again.

Thankfully,this fool did not crash into the right side of my rig,or get rear ended by me,due to his stupidity,

When will people realize that traffic on the highways have the right of way,and the traffic entering said highways have to yield to them? It has been getting worse over the years. I am one of those drivers who will try to get over into the lane to the left of me to let traffic on,if it is safe and legal for me to do so.

Twenty years driving big rig. Sooner or later,I will be one of the statistics you read about. If I was a passenger in a vehicle,and someone put my life in danger like that asshole did,as soon as we stopped,I would have hit them upside the head with a hammer,to beat some common sense into their head.


Their is no excuse for aggressive driving.

 

[kurchatovium]

Really awful the way some people drive. They dont realize that they are putting everyones lives at risk. Thank god you were not injured and avoided an accident.

 

[General Zod]

Really awful the way some people drive. They dont realize that they are putting everyones lives at risk. Thank god you were not injured and avoided an accident.

Amen on that friend.

 

[Bugman]

Damn Zod. Can't believe how people who might be nice anywhere else turn into complete assholes behind the wheel. Glad your skill kept things safe, at least. Sounds like you did everything you could. And that jerk will get his comeuppance. One of these days he will flip off the wrong guy and it's going to get ugly. Not saying that's right either, just the way things are now. Keep on truckin' buddy!

 

[Gothika]

wow man glad nothing happened

 

[hoseman2248]

Sounds like a case of another over-privileged and self entitled piece of garbage that thinks because he has money he is superior and can do anything he wants on the road. Anytime I get into a near accident you can bet it's either someone in an Audi or BMW. They all drive with arrogance to match their personalities.

 

[milagros317]

Zod, you behaved with commendable professional driving attitude and skill. I am very glad that there was no accident and that you are safe, my friend. 😀
With regard to the asshole driving the Audi, I see all too many drivers like that on the New Jersey Turnpike. They weave in and out of traffic, cutting off anybody they please, and are always jockeying to pass more vehicles. They are a danger to all others.

Keep right on driving safely, my friend. 😀

 

[Nedstacey2]

So I slowed down a touch from 62 MPH,the speed my company governs our trucks at . . . We were in a 75 MPH area.

Just curious about the company's rationale behind that. It seems to me that by keeping you guys far below not just a lot of the posted legal speed limits but the average speeds that the vast majority of the lawless maniacs nowdays actually go, they're making you into more of an unwilling hazard and thus a greater magnet for the kinds of potentially lethal abuse thrown at you by the likes of Mr. Audi Ass here.

 

[General Zod]

Just curious about the company's rationale behind that. It seems to me that by keeping you guys far below not just a lot of the posted legal speed limits but the average speeds that the vast majority of the lawless maniacs nowdays actually go, they're making you into more of an unwilling hazard and thus a greater magnet for the kinds of potentially lethal abuse thrown at you by the likes of Mr. Audi Ass here.

"Better fuel mileage" is what we are told. All big companies have their trucks set from 60 MPH up to maybe 68 MPH. Owner operators that are leased onto the big companies are not governed like we are. When I started back in 1996,trucks back then were governed. Some were set at 55-57 MPH. To top it off, some states restrict our speed. California and Oregon still restrict us to 55 as far as I know. A safety thing. BULLSHIT.

Over the years.a lot of states that had our speed restricted at 55 or 60 have raised it. Ohio,Illinois,Texas,and Indiana to name some. Here is the thing. Say that asshole would have hit me. Even though he was at fault,it still goes on my record,thanks to a ruling by the feds back in 2012. We truck drivers are damned if we do,damned if we don't.

Plus,all the states have this get over law if an emergency vehicle is on the side of the road. Some states it is move over,or slow down. Some,it is move over. I think another reason companies restrict our speed is because of scare tactics from some states and organizations like PATT and CRASH,

Crash-Citizens For a Reliable Safe Highway,
PATT- Parents Against Tired Truckers. Many years ago,I was on the CRASH website. Their was a section for people who were involved in a crash with a big rig. It never said which driver was at fault. Scare tactics.

 

[Bugman]

"Better fuel mileage" is what we are told. All big companies have their trucks set from 60 MPH up to maybe 68 MPH. Owner operators that are leased onto the big companies are not governed like we are. When I started back in 1996,trucks back then were governed. Some were set at 55-57 MPH. To top it off, some states restrict our speed. California and Oregon still restrict us to 55 as far as I know. A safety thing. BULLSHIT.

Over the years.a lot of states that had our speed restricted at 55 or 60 have raised it. Ohio,Illinois,Texas,and Indiana to name some. Here is the thing. Say that asshole would have hit me. Even though he was at fault,it still goes on my record,thanks to a ruling by the feds back in 2012. We truck drivers are damned if we do,damned if we don't.

Plus,all the states have this get over law if an emergency vehicle is on the side of the road. Some states it is move over,or slow down. Some,it is move over. I think another reason companies restrict our speed is because of scare tactics from some states and organizations like PATT and CRASH,

Crash-Citizens For a Reliable Safe Highway,
PATT- Parents Against Tired Truckers. Many years ago,I was on the CRASH website. Their was a section for people who were involved in a crash with a big rig. It never said which driver was at fault. Scare tactics.

From what you posted these folks seem to have a stick up their butts for truckers. Good thing those computers they use grew little wings and flew to the store so they could buy one. Oh wait...

 

[General Zod]

From what you posted these folks seem to have a stick up their butts for truckers. Good thing those computers they use grew little wings and flew to the store so they could buy one. Oh wait...

Exactly. Some time ago,a friend posted a bumper sticker on an SUV that said,trucks are the bad cholesterol of the highways.

Thanks for all the kind words everyone. 🙂

 

[Bugman]

Exactly. Some time ago,a friend posted a bumper sticker on an SUV that said,trucks are the bad cholesterol of the highways.

Thanks for all the kind words everyone. 🙂

Ha. I have an SUV. Mine is a small one, but there's no shortage of idiots driving some of those big beasts.

 

[goddess_nemesis]

Sorry to hear that, Zod. There are way too many idiots driving now a days. Too many don't know the rules of the road. Gotta stop giving out licenses in Cracker Jack boxes.

 

[maniactickler]

Rules of the road are my pet peeve. too many A holes out there. next time, try to force the person off the road down an embankment.

 

[General Zod]

Rules of the road are my pet peeve. too many A holes out there. next time, try to force the person off the road down an embankment.

I would not do that solely because their may be passengers in the car. I would hate to them get hurt or killed because of the idiot driving the vehicle.

 

[primetime]

Glad you are safe and nothing happened. What I never understood is, if you are driving an Audi and you want to mess with someone driving a big rig and nearly causing accidents, doesn't the law of physics NOT favor the Audi? The last thing I am going to do in a smaller car is not play games with big rigs. I would lose that battle horrifically...

 

[desdemona]

🙁 Sorry you had such a scare. I cringe watching some of the drivers on the highway (I'm not a great driver, but I don't tend to make those kinds of risky moves either). It's summer time and with lots of people traveling on the roads, I'm sure your job is harder and scarier! Be safe!

 

[paracarl44]

You hear a lot of people blaming the truckers when there is an accident. There are more maniacs driving cars than reckless truck drivers.

 

[Bugman]

Rules of the road are my pet peeve. too many A holes out there. next time, try to force the person off the road down an embankment.

Yeah, that sounds like a great idea until you get sued down to your underwear, and maybe pick up an attempted manslaughter charge. Of course if someone dies I hope you like big sweaty guys named Bubba. You will probably be rooming with one for a few years.

 

[Bohemianne]

Glad to know that you're alright..!

 

[General Zod]

Glad you are safe and nothing happened. What I never understood is, if you are driving an Audi and you want to mess with someone driving a big rig and nearly causing accidents, doesn't the law of physics NOT favor the Audi? The last thing I am going to do in a smaller car is not play games with big rigs. I would lose that battle horrifically...

Thank you kindly. A lot of trucks have a dash cam on these days. You ever want to see how bad it,look up truck dash cam on Youtube.

 

[Wolf]

You hear a lot of people blaming the truckers when there is an accident. There are more maniacs driving cars than reckless truck drivers.

Truckers usually get killed trying to avoid hurting idiots who think an 18-wheeler can stop at 65 mph like their mini-van.

 

[Bugman]

Truckers usually get killed trying to avoid hurting idiots who think an 18-wheeler can stop at 65 mph like their mini-van.

Amen brother. I ran into the same thing during my bus driving days. Most people have no concept of what an oversized vehicle can and can't do. Damn near killed an idiot who pulled out in front of me. Just could not put that stinkin' phone down long enough to pay attention.

 

[Wolf]

Amen brother. I ran into the same thing during my bus driving days. Most people have no concept of what an oversized vehicle can and can't do. Damn near killed an idiot who pulled out in front of me. Just could not put that stinkin' phone down long enough to pay attention.

Colorado drivers are some of the worst. Dipshits who think a vehicle with AWD, all-weather tires, and anti-lock brakes makes them invincible, and can scream around snowpacked mountain passes like they're on the PCH.

 

[General Zod]

Colorado drivers are some of the worst. Dipshits who think a vehicle with AWD, all-weather tires, and anti-lock brakes makes them invincible, and can scream around snowpacked mountain passes like they're on the PCH.

It is like that everywhere. What vehicle do you usually see in the median,or the ditch when the roads are slick? ^