Posted 2007-10-22 10:06 AM (#69752) Subject: Road Hazards
Location: Georgia
I drive a GN 5-6K miles a year with 6-8 horses with a dually. You try to allow enough room ahead to handle any problem, but there is always going to be something. Large truck treads and 12 foot extension ladders seem to be multiplying on the interstates. I have always been able to avoid them but what happens to your rig if you have to go over them?
Posted 2007-10-22 10:33 AM (#69754 - in reply to #69752) Subject: RE: Road Hazards
Expert
Posts: 5870 Location: western PA
It gets very expensive to replace tires and suspension components. Make sure your trailer brakes are working well, you will need them when you blow out a truck tire. Carry two spares, be careful as you can.
Posted 2007-10-22 1:25 PM (#69770 - in reply to #69752) Subject: RE: Road Hazards
Expert
Posts: 2953 Location: North Carolina
Welcome to the forum ... When you're hauling a loaded trailer make the decision today. Steer, Don't Swerve to avoid anything. Stay in control of your rig. Otherwise , your results won't be pretty.
I've made the mental choice to hold the course if anything were to run into our path. My reasoning is: In a collison, I'm best protected if the rig is up-right and directly behind the truck. If I were to swerve and lose control, jack-knife & overturning is a likely result. That's the worse case.
For the sudden ladder or debris in the road, tires and suspension parts are cheap compared to an overturned truck & trailer full of horses.
Posted 2007-10-22 1:53 PM (#69776 - in reply to #69752) Subject: RE: Road Hazards
Expert
Posts: 3802 Location: Rocky Mount N.C.
One thing that has helped me was to......SLOW DOWN! I only got one leg and my reaction time hasn't gotten any better as I have gotten older. I try to leave home a little earlier, keep my distance, drive a little slower, and still make to my destination on time. I wish sometimes the interstate speed limit was still 55 mph, maybe then everyone would keep it at 60 to 70mph rather than 75 to 90 mph. Every trip over the mountains to Tennessee seems to net us a couple hours sitting, waiting on I-40 for fire rescue and the wrecker guys to clean up a bloody, flaming wreck. If I travel that route enough times I too will become a TDOT or NCDOT statistic. Last Sunday I had a triple decker hog hauler pass me in one of the east bound tunnels on I-40, (no big rigs in the left lanes on that portion of I-40) thought the horses were going to turn the trailer over. Needless to say before we exited the tunnel he was back in the right lane, he was hell flying, I'm maintaining the posted speed limit. By the time I passed the LOVE'S truck stop at the foot of Black Mountain there he sat out in the parking lot, guess he had a load of hogs to pick up there. Just stay alert and if you get tired, just pull over and stop walk around, take a "cat nap"........Remember, that person that you that you hit when you swerve into the other lane may be ....ME!
Posted 2007-10-22 3:53 PM (#69781 - in reply to #69776) Subject: RE: Road Hazards
Expert
Posts: 2953 Location: North Carolina
Originally written by retento on 2007-10-22 12:53 PM
...Every trip over the mountains to Tennessee seems to net us a couple hours sitting, waiting on I-40 for fire rescue and the wrecker guys to clean up a bloody, flaming wreck. If I travel that route enough times I too will become a TDOT or NCDOT statistic. Last Sunday I had a triple decker hog hauler pass me in one of the east bound tunnels on I-40, (no big rigs in the left lanes on that portion of I-40) thought the horses were going to turn the trailer over. Needless to say before we exited the tunnel he was back in the right lane, he was hell flying, ...
Hey ! I made that same trip a month ago .. I tried to count the holes in the concrete barrier between the directions... I lost count at about 30 they were coming too fast!
But even doing the speed limit and being careful, "stuff" happens. That reminds me of the trip coming home from Boone.
It was two lanes of heavy traffic in each direction. I had left plenty of space between me and the car ahead. The opposite lane had stopped because of folks waiting to turn left to the Blue Ridge Parkway entrance. When I about got there, several cars decided to use my ahead space to make the turn. Only problem was for the last car, the entrance traffic suddenly stopped. The last car was now blocked from going forward and the traffic was flowing behind him. He was stuck in MY lane! I couldn't move left because of the moving traffic and cars were in front of him blocking his movement or mine to the right. He was about to get hit! While I stomped the brakes, blew the horn, I locked eyes with the right back seat passenger. At the last moment, the path cleared and the car pulled forward and out of our path.
Afterward, I thought hard about what almost happened. ... I came to the conclusion that a straight ahead collision is the best choice of a lot of poor choices. The engine and air bags will help protect me from the initial collision. And, the bed and rear of the truck will protect us from the trailer if only it doesn't over ride the truck. The horses are also best protected in a frontal collision. Anything that overturns the trailer or impacts the sides are worse for them.
Posted 2007-10-22 7:46 PM (#69805 - in reply to #69783) Subject: RE: Road Hazards
Expert
Posts: 2953 Location: North Carolina
Originally written by Hank on 2007-10-22 3:29 PM
stay home?
After these grizzly images, I don't wanna trailer anymore.
Hey Hank ... It was only a near miss... Life is fatal eventually. The home pasture is a bit confining and boring. Lets enjoy life, Ride the new trails!
The value of my story is to consider the possiblities while behind your keyboard. It's too late to think, when it happens behind the steering wheel.
Posted 2007-10-22 8:57 PM (#69822 - in reply to #69752) Subject: RE: Road Hazards
Extreme Veteran
Posts: 544 Location: Claxton, Ga.
I Just made that trip through I-40 and it wasn't fun at all. My buddies 05' Ford 6.0 dually blew the headgaskets and toasted the motor half way over the mountains. It wasn't fun at all. Finally limped it to a rest area and unloaded 4 of his horses into my trailer. We tried to make it to an exit but never did. It went about 5 more miles and was done..... I finally got him totally off the road at 5:00AM in the morning. You hear about all of the 6.0 problems but they really don't do them any justice until you experience one and dangit I don't drive a Ford. What are friends for?
Posted 2007-10-23 1:23 PM (#69856 - in reply to #69752) Subject: RE: Road Hazards
Veteran
Posts: 219 Location: Mt. Clemens, MI 48043
Live in MI we have road construction every summer. I usually drive 60. Don't care about faster drivers. I live for my family, pets, friends that trust me with their life. Let the faster people go around me. As far as stopping people will always be in a hurry and I try to participate them and they always like to pull in front of you. I have been around double haulers and those large trailer trucks. I let them have the room that they need. I seen/heard stories where haulers fall over. Stories about Construction barrels and cars and trucks drivers not paying attention. Just be careful out there.
Road Hazards
