Comments By Dan S.

The story I've been told is Purple is Rob Low's (The Owner of Prime) Wife's favorite color.

Got that from a Prime employee of 22 years at the Millieum Building

Also that he himself (Rob Low) is a former United States Marine.

I saw a total of 52 purple trucks today. 90% of them were Prime trucks, most going the other way.

As I'm southeast bound .

My last post wasn't all that pretty, bottom line whether driving SOLO or team everything inside a truck becomes a deadly missile if not properly secured and tied down.

The absolute minimum needs to left out and unsecured. Everything off the dash, GPS, CBs, etc secured bolted down or secured with zip ties. Nothing in the side pockets, nothing left loose on the top bunk.

Bungee Cords and Zip ties are your friends.

Thanks for the well wishes.

Yes when team driving you have to Hot Bunk the bottom bunk.

And yes you need to use the restraint provided, although truth be told? I'm willing to bet most don't.

What I'm thinking got me, was a metal brief case that had been stowed at the bunk of the bed, horizontally that bounced out, as I bounced up the first time, on the 2nd bounce, as I was still in the bunk, I bounced and the brief case (The kind you see in truck stops) bounced under the lumbar part of my back.

Which brings us to the third thing you need to do BESIDES strapping in and sleeping in the bottom bunk.

Making sure EVERYTHING in the truck is strapped and buckled down. That's EVERYTHING in the truck, not just the berthing area.

I posted the relevant equation below, but a stationary object (at 90 in this example ) basically accelerates 3X's it's weight and kinetic energy. (Just trying to keep it simple) this 3 lbs at 3 mph become 9lbs at 9 mph. (Again this is a VERY SIMPLISTIC example and explanation)

10 lbs become at 60 becomes approximately 30lbs at 180 mph!

"The matter can also be discussed in terms of some known parameters: the velocity V, at the moment of collision, and the crush distance, D, the distance the passenger compartment has to slow to a stop, as the bumpers collapse, the fenders split off, and the engine submarines. One purpose of seat belts and air-bags is to ensure that the occupants stay with the compartment as it comes to a relatively slow stop.

The relevant formula is: v2=u2+2ad where v and u are velocities, final and initial, a is acceleration and d is distance. In this case, v=0, u=V, and d=D Substituting and rearranging, we get a=−V22D So the acceleration of the passengers (and the so-called "weight" of a free object) would scale with the square of the velocity. In the given examples, if a speed of 50 km/hr leads to a weight of 80 kg, then a speed of 90 km/hr should lead to a weight

Dan, I hope you heal up real quick and like new. Also I'm curious as to what regulations affect team drivers when one is in the sleeper? Do the restraints have to be used? Does the lower bunk have to be used? This might be a good opportunity to inform us solo drivers who have never been taught team driving procedures.

From what little I know he was doing 60 on the right hand side, another truck passed him, got 2/3rds of his trailer passed him, (My driver) and the other driver started to Jack knife and clipped our tractor sending us into the median. It was a straight, steady although rough ride into the median. It's to my drivers credit he decelerated, keep her straight front to back, didn't Jack knife nor flip.

I don't know who got faulted, other driver kept going down the highway. This is 3 hours South of Chicago. Haven't seen my driver in 3 days, although he's called every day.

So far it's been 150% support from Prime. They're towing his truck back to Springfield. He's headed back there to get another truck.

Again thanks for all the support

Thank you Rainy and all here at Truckers Truth, you've ALL been a great source of well? Everything, knowledge, experience, wisdom.

I got lucky. Only fractured my L1 vertebra. Lots and lots of pain, but I'm working through it. Voluntarily turned down the.pain meds when I can. Mo surgery. Just physical therapy x 3 months + wearing the Turtle Shell x 3 months. Toss up between changing my name to Leonardo, Raphael or Michelangelo. Thinking I'm more of Cecil the Turtle type.

Dan, fire you for what???? You weren't driving. Was this listed as a preventable for your co driver? Did you get further details about the cause of the accident?

As far as him taking another student...that won't happened until he has 1 year accident free. HE might not have a job. They could easily not permit him to lease another truck.

Im glad you are okay....as much as can be expected considering the situation. Take good care of yourself and dont push yourself too hard to recover.

The more o learn of the numerous out of pocket expenses LO's have, the more attractive being a company driver appeals to me.

The truck i just got off of that was in an accident was LO

He's had to pay

A motel room x 3 days

Towing back to Springfield

$1000 insurance deductible

Rental car back to Springfield

And that's just what I know of.

From EVERYTHING I've read? Its really more like 3 years, 2 years minimum.

I'm already getting messages from others, (ALL non drivers of course, to lawyer up and sue any and everyone for the "accident" I just went through.

Yet every time I hear that a little voice gies off in my head:

"DON'T MAKE SHORT TERM DECISIONS, WITH LONG TERM CONSEQUENCES!"

I must confess as career military, I know nothing about Workmans Comp. Being military, were taken care of like family.

Well like Prime, who's been on the phone and contact with the Dr. Hospital Administration, my wife, etc. They're going to fly me home as soon as i get cleared. Hopefully next week.

The one and ONLY thing is Prime didn't contact the wife, she didn't know I had been in an accident.

On another note my co driver is an LO, and he's having to come up with major $$$$$ Just to get back into another truck and back on the road.

Since I'll be out of commission x 3 months, I'm sure he'll pick up another trainee. Makes me shudder when i think of the million and ONE plus things that can go wrong in the Olympic split fraction of a second.

STICK TO THE FUNDAMENTALS

PROCESS AND PROCEDURE

APPLY THEM EACH AND EVERYTIME

THERE ARE GOOD AND SOUND REASONS WE DO WHAT WE DO, THE WAY WE DO THEM.

I've been licensed and driving 7 months, just earned my 6 month safety award from Prime.

May be they won't fire me?

Marc, you're handling this with the utmost integrity and professionalism. There isn't enough of that in this industry. It's very encouraging to see that.

You're the kind of guy we all love to help. We certainly hope and expect you'll get past this soon enough and you'll be back out there getting after it like nothing ever happened. We look forward to following along as you work through this situation and get back out there.

I was thinking the same and was just about to post this.

This whole scenario reminding me of something that happened when I first got to Prime. A woman driver fell whole getting out of the truck at a shipper. Prime paid the bills immediately, paid her for time off, and even gave her an in-house classroom teaching job. Then someone prompted her with the "get a lawyer" line. She did, and it turned out the customer had a video of her going forward out of the truck rather than backwards with the 3 points of contact. Automatic termination. Failure to follow company policy and insurance fraud are now on her DAC. Im sure she never got another driving job.

Many times the "I'm suing" can backfire. Im really glad Marc is being cool. Good luck!

Congrats. Best of wishes for your success

Thanks for the heartfelt wishes .

Yes trucking is comprised of a million and one little things, that in and of themselves, or by themselves? No harm, no foul (but any two that come together at anytime to spell trouble.

Another thing I've learned about truck driving.

Process and Procedures

There are REASONS why we do things the way we do them and why we do them.

If my post helped ONE person by posting. My work is done here for the moment