Oops!

There is a video from the dash cam of one of the cops....the driver was swerving back and forth trying to get that bolder out...and he dragged it a good long ways...

Now that's funny! Trailer whip is working to keep the rock!

I do believe you explained tail whip to a tee. Which is all I said.

What exactly are you trying to say here? I gave an observation is all. I know it can happen to anyone because it has already happened to me. Tandums all the way forward and all. Hence the funny/sad comment as that's what those pics made me feel. It was funny cause I had it happen to me and sad cause that driver has to go through it too.

If you take my post as anything other than opinions, observations, and a witty (in my opinion) joke here and there my apologies.

Tail whip is when the trailer sways side to side as you drive down the road. You see this mostly with doubles or triples. Hence the name "Wiggle Wagon". Sometimes it can get bad enough to be called the "Tail wagging the dog". You especially see this with pickups. I was in San Francisco one time before trucking when a pickup with a tandem axle garden trailer came down the on ramp hauling a forklift on the trailer. I could see before he merged that he was going to wreck. Well the trailer started whipping and put that truck right into a rock face nose first and the forklift ended up on it's side off of the trailer. This is why I tried to explain the differences. By the way that trailer was never meant to haul that kind of weight and he merged waaaay too fast.

Tail swing is when the back of the trailer swings out to the right when you are turning left or left when turning right. I know it is nit picking but new drivers need to learn what the right terminology is or they will not know what to look for or how to ask for help.

Oh it is funny but the snide comments from all rookie drivers and those that have yet to drive makes this thread seem like the posters on the other trucking forums. Yes I read the others and participate because you can learn from anyone, even a rookie does something better than you do.

The main thing that I found odd was that not one person asked how this could happen. We all make mistakes, heck I took out a stop light pole on my very first day. I just quoted your post because of the tail whip comment and wanted to correct that terminology.

In my defense, I wasn't trying to be snide with my unsecured load comment, I was just trying to maybe get a chuckle or too...

It's all good. No one needs to defend themselves. It is a predicament that you do not see every day.

There is a video from the dash cam of one of the cops....the driver was swerving back and forth trying to get that bolder out...and he dragged it a good long ways...

So what was his plan? Leave it on the highway?

His best plan would have been, pull over, call police to help with traffic and do a tight turn (Uey) to release the rock.

I agree. He made one mistake by hooking the rock, but he made an even bigger mistake by not stopping as soon as he noticed it and instead trying to shake it free and get away before anyone noticed, as I can only rashly assume he was thinking.

All drivers need to be aware, be more aware, and try and prevent things like this. Had that been a VW bug full of teenagers the results would have been tragic. I posted this in hopes people would see it and realize how easily something can happen, and, how we all need to stay on our toes at all times. First this driver made the mistake of having to turn around there. Second he made the mistake of not noticing and stopping immediately. Third he made the mistake of driving off anyway and then trying to swerve to dislodge the rock in an attempt to cover up his screw up, and leave a huge boulder in the middle of the road. Its pretty tough at that point to try and justify what happened, where as had he stopped right away it would have looked a lot better for him in the police's eyes.

Phil