and of course you know who's fault it'll be

 

That happens to me all the time. It blows my mind. I can appreciate the gesture when I've got other vehicles backed up behind me, but I even notice it happens a lot in the middle of the night way out in the country with no other vehicles in the area. I just flash the markers and keep going until there is a safe distance.

 

I find that *most* 4wheelers (at least in this area) are pretty good... At least until you get into the city. They do a lot of stupid things, but I find myself noting that they don't realize their stupid ways most of the time.

Some do things that they know they are doing... Like yesterday.

I got some hippy van in front of me doing like 30 mph on the interstate with all sorts of flags and bumper stickers and what have you. Gap is closing fast and I look in the left mirror and there is a pickup truck, not too far back in the left lane. He is going just about the speed I am, going to do a slow pass. I flip the turn signal on, he kinda hangs back there as if he is going to let me in. I start to move over at the same time he FLOORS it to get around me. So I have to slow down to 45 mph and am now behind the hippy van with everyone going around on the left.

I left my turn signal on and luckily a nice mazda sedan of some sort held the traffic back to let me in. It's moments like that that I really appreciate some of the drivers out there, even 4-wheelers. I would have been there forever!

 

How I lost my last job:

I was driving down a 4 lane city street in the right lane. I had a "lady" pass me on the left, change lanes in front of me, then slam on her brakes to get into the food mart. I rear ended her. I got fired. I was driving a loaded tir-axle dump and am now having problems over back otr.

The other day I was backup to dump in a construction zone, and the idiot pulled behind me,and he got t-boned with my rear. How could he not see the big dump truck backing into spreader in the construction zone?
He had his 5 year old grandaughter in the passenger seat that got it.

I don't get these idiots :roll:

 

I guess, I dunno. But it happens alot at 3 AM when no one is around too. I especially hate it when it took the guy a mile just to pass me in the first place.

 

I'll do the 1 mile pass, I admit it. I am so tight on time that slowing down even 1 mph could be devistating.

 

I could care less about that at 3 AM, just stay out there a little longer! I go home after my shift so I do the same thing!

 

Because most of the old freight-hands of yore have left the biz due to the low pay and lousy working conditions. Look at us - we both gave OTR a shot. Why did we jump ship to LTL? Because the pay, bennies, and hometime are heads-and-tails above road work.

The big OTR companies with their mammouth turnover rates mean that alot of drivers out there on the road nowadays are greenhorns. It used to be that OTR was alot like LTL - guys would stay with a carrier until they retired. But deregulation knocked the Teamsters out of the box and along with them went the pay, retirement, and most of the experienced/professional drivers. Kinda like throwing the baby out with the bathwater.

So now you've got alot of guys making .26 - .36 cpm with the "more miles = more $$$$" mentality. You make, what, around .53 -.55 cpm which means that a nice bid run of 2400 miles = $1,328. Throw in the dock time and the delay pay and pay for breaking down sets = $1,500 and home everyday + weekends. An OTR driver at .33 cpm would have to run 4545 miles running 7 days per week to make what you do. Plus he doesn't go home or to a motel - he lives in his work vehicle.

Then of course, you've got alot of trainers using students as a 2nd logbook. Lease-ops with $1,600/month truck payments. CR England. The emphasis on lean manufacturing and zero-inventory means more JIT-type freight. The carriers' push for detention times after 2 hours creates more fixed appointment times versus open-window deliveries. And the newer HOS means no more sleeper-berth splits. Once that clock starts, you can't stop it.

Add all of the above up, and you've got alot more hammered-down drivers on the road. They see that rear box with "UPS FREIGHT" or "OVERNITE" lettering and the 1988 governed Volvo up ahead chugging along and you're nothing but a nuisance to them.

 

I always make sure there is plenty of space before I come back over

 

It is too bad how little people will work for in this industry. Reduces wages for all the OTR guys.

I drive local/regional but have been lucky and got one of the longest routes we have in terms of miles, and am going to try to get another one for earlier in the week (wish me luck). If I get my way, next spring I should be doing around 2,000 miles a week at an average of $0.37 a mile, and then I get paid for making the deliveries too :-) I also sleep in company paid hotels.

I don't know why these people subject themselves to the type of work they do at the wages they do.