Ramp Speed Limits, And Why They Matter

I couldn’t get a picture of the cargo spread all over the shoulder the other day, but this is after the cleanup.

I was racing my clock to get to the TA at Waterloo NY a week or two ago, when I saw a message the ramp was closed on an overhead sign. Stopped 45 minutes away and made dry camp. Was hoping to make the TA as I badly needed a shower.

Next morning I saw why. Heard over the CB the driver didn’t make it. It says 25 for a reason.

Hopefully everybody that seen it happen, or the aftermath along with everyone who reads this post will heed the warning. These incidents tend to happen way too much. I ALWAYS take curves less than what they're posted. I believe Susan has said her company policy is take curves half of what's posted. So many drivers fail to realize that mistakes we make can prove to be fatal for ourselves or others.

Hopefully everybody that seen it happen, or the aftermath along with everyone who reads this post will heed the warning. These incidents tend to happen way too much. I ALWAYS take curves less than what they're posted. I believe Susan has said her company policy is take curves half of what's posted. So many drivers fail to realize that mistakes we make can prove to be fatal for ourselves or others.

Yeah, posted for the new guys and those considering a career.

Same as mountains.

You can go too slow as many times as you want. You only go too fast once.

Kind of like this one?

Grumpy wrote

I couldn’t get a picture of the cargo spread all over the shoulder the other day, but this is after the cleanup.

I was racing my clock to get to the TA at Waterloo NY a week or two ago, when I saw a message the ramp was closed on an overhead sign. Stopped 45 minutes away and made dry camp. Was hoping to make the TA as I badly needed a shower.

Next morning I saw why. Heard over the CB the driver didn’t make it. It says 25 for a reason.

Grumpy is this at Exit 41 on Thruway near the Casino? I noticed that the Guard rail was gone when I got off and headed to the Petro.

Generally the truck speed on ramps should be about half what the yellow advisory signs say. Semi-trucks have a higher center of gravity, so your freight might want to pull over to the outside of a curve.

I've written a short piece about curve driving that might help in this situation:

A technique I worked out I call Driving With No Arms, and the thought works great in keeping the shiny side up.

Sure you hold onto the steering wheel to keep on the road. But when you start a turn, relax your shoulders and arms - do not hold the steering wheel to keep from falling out of the drivers seat. Hold in to the steering wheel only to steer.

Your body will move sideways, just like those potatoes in back will push against the side of the trailer. You'll really feel like a piece of freight, and you will slow down accordingly. This works on curvy mountain roads and freeway ramps.

I agree with everyone on here. Speed limits posted on those turns are for 4 wheelers. I'm sure I ****ed a lot of the Cowboys off by going below the speed limit...the ones I really question are the tankers? But then they are often the ones passing me going down the mountain too... it's their life and their license.

I remember many years ago as a novice driver, was running a stake body, vacuum loaded with wet leaves to the dump at end of day. Dump was closing soon and boss wanted empty truck for morning so I was motoring. Hit a curve and swear the driver side wheels left the road. Scared the hell out of me. Luckily, I learned what high center of gravity really meant without rolling the truck that day. Have reduced my speed on curves and ramps to below posted mph in any vehicle ever since.

Coincidentally had this pop up on Facebook feed. Can't seem to make the link active.

But it's a short clip of what appears to be a fuel tanker taking an on ramp to fast.

https://m.facebook.com/groups/357931264660427/permalink/781323682321181/

I couldn’t get a picture of the cargo spread all over the shoulder the other day, but this is after the cleanup.

I was racing my clock to get to the TA at Waterloo NY a week or two ago, when I saw a message the ramp was closed on an overhead sign. Stopped 45 minutes away and made dry camp. Was hoping to make the TA as I badly needed a shower.

Next morning I saw why. Heard over the CB the driver didn’t make it. It says 25 for a reason.

I am familiar with that TA/Petro. and that exit ramp curve is posted 25 for a reason, it is sharper than drivers realize. I was on an account out of Cannastota, NY, and went to Buffalo often, and stopped there pretty frequently,,, I can recall seeing the signs saying that the regular exit I would take for that truck stop would be closed, so I would have to get off 1 sooner or 1 later, depending which way I was going and go on backroads. Thank goodness for rerouting on my GPS the first couple ties I had to do it... lol...