I was in California and was approaching a traffic light and I needed to make a right turn. I moved over to the left and stayed in my turning lane.

I came up to the light about 20mph and figured it would turn yellow so I slowed down to under 5mph. The light stayed green so I started my turn. A car came up to the red light and didn't give me room to clear him, so he started backing up for me. I stopped while he started backing and when I was clear I started turning again. When I cleared him with the tractor I looked in my mirror to clear the trailer.

When I looked in the mirror the trailer was in the side of a car who had decided to make a right turn too on my right side. It was a little old lady and it totaled her car.

I thought the CHP Officer was going to piss himself when he asked the little old lady what happened.

She told the Officer I started to turn then seen her so I stopped to let her go on by.

Anybody ever ran over anyone making a right turn? CHP said it will take 2 weeks to receive the report, so I don't know anything about citations. I know the old lady couldn't find a insurance card.

 

The old lady is at fault. Or at least should be, in my opinion. Of course, I'm not an investigator. If no insurance, she could be in deep water.

 

Being in Cali, who knows, they will probably charge you just because. As Jack said, the lady should still be at fault though.

 

No kiddin, Mr. Ford. Seems like they are always trying to nail the truckers.

 

My cousin went over the hood of one with a loaded log truck the same way. The guy tried to sneak along his right side in a turn even though there wasnt enough room to pass. Sure does make a mess. He didnt get a ticket.

 

I agree she is at fault, at least she didn't get hurt. This is why when I make right hand turns I ALWAYS keep a tight watch on my right, and keep my tandems as close to curb as possible to keep the gap closed. I have had cars try to sneak up on me on the right before, but I always just stopped as close as possible to them so they would get the point and back up (honking the air horn while doing it too, I have seen one driver playing with his radio while doing it, not even looking).

Also be careful with trailer swing if your tandems are pretty far forward, when I was in downtown CHI a few days ago, I had to stop in the middle of a turn because my trailer was about to swing into the left turning lane while I was turning right, honked my horn a couple times and waited a few seconds before proceeding, I couldn't actually see if there was a vehicle there or not, but I presume there probably was because it was a busy intersection. I didn't hit anything though so I assume they got the idea .

 

I'm quite sure you won't get the ticket. But, your company may still consider it a "preventable." Like Matcat said, MOST of us were taught in school to keep the tandems near the curb to cut off this exact situation.

Even if you DIDN'T have to stop, you should try to steal a glance at your right rear side before (or while) completing the turn. But, once you DID stop, you should have checked your mirrors before continuing.

I'm not saying I haven't made this SAME mistake! I mean checking the mirrors, not running over someone.

I just remembered, Scott, that you're an O/O. I suppose you don't have to worry about the "company," but you MAY hear about it from your insurance company, unless you had no damage and don't report anything.

Even though SHE gets the ticket, she MIGHT file against your insurance IF you had to give that info.

Watch your back.... and be careful next time.

NOTE to newbie COMPANY drivers..... even tho' not at fault, this incident could cost YOU your job.... and the ability to get another one.

Remember at all times.... you are NOT driving the CAB. You are driving the TRAILER.

 

I had one of those in Lathrop, CA . . everyone ahead was very accomodating but, just as I began to resume my turn, here's Jorge and Juan squeezing up on the right. They managed to get just far enough forward to keep me from moving as traffic piled up behind them to keep them from moving . . a stalemate.

I got out to see how much room I had, walked around the trailer to find Jorge screaming his lungs out. I glared at him and yelled "Hey a_s _0le, while pointing out the wide turn graffic. Before I managed to get back in, I heard the squealing of tires and the thumping of curb jumping as my new friends decided to use the sidewalk rather than wait.

 

Back in the mid 70's I got my Class A, bought my own truck and went to work for a local company. (Kind of did a Steve Booth, now that I think about it) My first load was to bobtail to the port of Oakland & pick up a chassis & an empty container. When I was there I met three of our other OO's. They were loading empty containers on their sets of doubles, a 20' on the front trailer & a 40 on the pull. Two of them were locals, who I at last knew by name and reputation and the third was this black guy from LA who looked like he should have been playing linebacker in the NFL.

Introductions were made, everybody got hooked up & tied down & we headed out, linebacker in the lead, me in the back. At an intersection where we had to turn right we were all staying out from the curb, with our signals on, when some woman in a VW raced by all of us on the right and practically drove her car under the back axle of the first truck making the turn.

There was a major traffic jam forming as she got out and was sitting on the curb, complaining about how her neck hurt. Linebacker listened to her for a minute and said; "Sister, you better tell them it ruined your sex life, they only pay $750 for a whiplash"

 

I got a call tonight from the CHP Officer. He had not got my MC#

I asked him if there were any citations. He said California does not permit him to write a citation unless he actually see's the infraction or there is a injury accident with a investigation.

He said he was basically a go between on the exchange of information.