Watch Your Wagon...Trainer!
Topic 21252 | Page 1
Driving a truck isn't so much about going down the road as it is learning how to drag a 53' trailer around behind you without hitting anything.
Absolutely ALWAYS "mind your wagon". Around every single turn. Errol always suggested dragging a broom behind you to really get the idea drilled into your head.
Your trainer.. what can I say other than he or she will be in trouble with your company's safety department. That kind of mistake for an experienced driver is unacceptable.
Wow. Given the same scenario, what would you have done differently? I will give you a hint, I am not a fan of what he attempted. The outcome was predictable.
When I was in school for my cdl my instructor drilled in our heads we are not driving the tractor we are driving the trailer by the means of the tractor and that has always helped me since.
CDL:
Commercial Driver's License (CDL)
A CDL is required to drive any of the following vehicles:
- Any combination of vehicles with a gross combined weight rating (GCWR) of 26,001 or more pounds, providing the gross vehicle weight rating (GVWR) of the vehicle being towed is in excess of 10,000 pounds.
- Any single vehicle with a GVWR of 26,001 or more pounds, or any such vehicle towing another not in excess of 10,000 pounds.
- Any vehicle, regardless of size, designed to transport 16 or more persons, including the driver.
- Any vehicle required by federal regulations to be placarded while transporting hazardous materials.
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I had just read a post last night by G-Town and remembered his quote "watch your wagon". Now just hours later I got a first had view of how important that is.
My trainer and I had just finished a very early morning delivery and my trainer was driving to a truck stop a few miles away. In the truck stop he turned left into a parking row and saw two open spots on the left so he got close to the trucks on the left to setup for backing in. As he passed the spots he saw the spot behind the one he was going for was open and would be a good pull through spot. So he went wide and turned left to pull through, but underestimated how close his trailer was to the truck on our left. The trailer dragged across the front left corner of the truck. Tore up the front fender, the grill, and the hood. Saw some smoke/steam briefly, may have damaged the radiator, but not sure of that.
Just a momentary lapse in judgement is all it took.
Watch your wagon!