JULY 2012
VOLUME ONE: ISSUE 2
“BreakerBreakerOneNiner
BreakerBreakerOneNiner”
BreakerBreakerOneNiner
.COM
Tractor
Tractor--Trailer “Roll
RollOver” Accidents
Roll-Over
“NEWSLETTER”
NEWSLETTER”
SLOW DOWN! Even
more than the posted
limit on the entrance
ramp or exit ramp.
TRUCK DRIVERS
DRIVERS: Use Caution!!At
All
Caution
Freeway Exit Off-Ramps & Entrance On-Ramps!!
Tractor-Trailer “ROLLOVER” Accidents
Are increasing at an “alarming” rate! Some areas
of the country are seeing several tractor-trailer
“rollovers” in a period of just “one” week! One city in
the mid-west recently saw ten 18-wheelers crash in less then
2 weeks, there were 3 fatalities. Another city in the southeast had a “dozen” tractor-trailer rollover accidents in a 14
day period, that is almost “1 Roll-Over per day”.
These events are devastating, costly and “tragic” especially
when there are severe injuries and loss of life.
1
Do Not Be The One
Everyone Is Talking
About On The CB
Radio … “Break,
Break 19 !!” , “Big
Truck In The Ditch
At Exit 104, OffRamp!” …”Hey
Driver, Is That A
ROLLOVER?”.”10-4
& It Looks Like A
Bad One Too!”.
SPEED*
*CONTROL**DRIVER--AWARENESS**WEATH-
ER & DRIVING CONDITIONS ARE ALL IMPORTANT FACTORS THAT MUST BE CONSIDERED BY
EVERY DRIVER WHENEVER THEY ARE ABOUT TO
USE A FREEWAY EXIT OR ENTRANCE RAMP.
The Commercial Driver’s
Re fer en ce H an d bo o k
touches on this in different
chapters. I drove an 18wheeler for over 10 years and
I do not believe enough emphasis is placed on driver awareness, familiarization of equipment & various types of
freight / cargo. The driver
training facilities and trucking
academy centers are limited at
the time of training in these areas of instruction because
many simply cannot afford to
have on hand, trailers “preloaded” with freight that students and trainees can practice
various maneuvers with. In
most cases truck drivers end
up learning “on their own”
how much the weight of their
load plays a role in maintaining control of their rigs
[sometimes this lesson is
learned the Hard way]. Many
of these truck “roll-over” accidents are occurring on or near
interstate/freeway “EXIT” &
“ENTRANCE” ramps in
which the traffic designs can
have significant CURVES. It
is on these curves the weight
of the cargo/freight combined
with the natural force exerted
by the curving motion can
cause that load to ‟shift‟ in the
direction of the curve. Once
the weight of that load shifts
“on or inside” a large truck,
Nothing can stop it ! The
truck is forced into a “rolling”
motion. Of course there are
other variables involved...
such as vehicle speed, driving
conditions, driver-awareness,
& weather conditions. It is my
experience that SPEED, CONTROL & DRIVER AWARENESS are the primary factors
„big truck‟ operators should
consider at All Times!
2
BE SAFE!!
Did you know that
once you have been
involved in a “roll
roll-over
over”” incident (as
the driver)
driver),, most
truck carriers will
more than likely
never hire you
you?
?
That is if you’re
even able to drive
again
again..
One reason for this
is because insurance carriers now
view you as a “High
Risk
Risk”,
”, then there
there’’s
the obvious safety
concerns of the
company itself
itself..
Avoiding these type
of incidents is the
best policy
policy.. Protect
your driving record
record,,
your life and the
lives of others
others!! Use
EXTREMECAUTION
on ALL CURVES !!!
Weather Can Make On
On--Off
Ramps More Challenging
Law Enforcement, Paramedics, CityCounty Officials & Other Motorists...
...can all tell you that
still greatly impact the
in addition to the obvi-
immediate surround-
ous tragedies that can
result from these major accidents, there
ings on many levels.
can be huge “ripple
effects”.
Thi s c oul d i ncl ud e
everything from traffic
Not to minimize in any
back-ups, interstate
shut downs, additional
a c c i d e n t s, l o s s o f
shape or form the life
b u s i ne s s, d e t o urs,
altering aftermath that
people stranded even
can & does result from
these “catastrophic“
events, there is the
evacuations.
“enormous” wave of
c onseq uence s that
can also occur.
Other Big-Trucks Parked On
“Exit-Entrance” Ramps Can
Also Present A Challenge.
In Many Locations This Is
“ILLEGAL”. Also Some Carriers Have A Policy Prohibiting
This Practice.
The Posted Speed Limits Will Vary
From Exit To Exit & Entrance to...
These situations are
certainly pale in comparison to the loss of
Entrance. This Just Means Taking Your Time
life or severe injury,
nevertheless they can
Conditions & A Few Miles Below The Limit.
& Maneuvering On The Ramp According To
3
Professional Development
Here We Go, Around & Around !
In order to deliver a load or to pick up a load, you must
first arrive [safely
safely...
safely...in
... the truck!] at the shipper or receiver. You “cannot” do that very well if you are involved in
an accident while en route. You‟ve just “messaged”
your dispatcher that you are only 3 exits from the
customer who is waiting on that hot load. Traffic is
heavy & you‟re already „30 minutes late‟. You reach
your exit, it‟s one of those “horse-shoe” designed
ramps & you‟re rolling a little Too Fast ! “Oh
Oh No
No”! The
next thing you know, everything is upside-down, a State
Trooper & Paramedic are yelling “Hey Driver, ”!!!
!!!…
!!!
Introducing The
Commercial Drivers’
Reference Handbook
WORRIED
DISPATCHER
...3 EXITS OUT!
Now, this Does Not have to be YOU!! Please SLOW
DOWN
especially when using freeway On
(entrance) & Off (exit) ramps.
TRAILER ON
IT’S
SIDE
ARRIVE SAFELY!
SHIPPING MGR.
PACING DOCK
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BE
4
S A F E !!