Do they train truckers in the states or do they give any idiot a
license? There seem to be so many of these types of accidents over
there.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YFLeiCzVRbw&feature=related

B2003

Boltar wrote:
> Do they train truckers in the states or do they give any idiot a
> license? There seem to be so many of these types of accidents over
> there.
>
> http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YFLeiCzVRbw&feature=related

Being as big an idiot as that is a special skill.

Boltar wrote:
> Do they train truckers in the states or do they give any idiot a
> license? There seem to be so many of these types of accidents over
> there.
> 
> http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YFLeiCzVRbw&feature=related
> 
> B2003

Obviously the train drivers fault.
Anybody in charge of such a machine should be able to stop before 
hitting anything.

-- 
Tony the Dragon

In article <fc56f3ec-6001-4f3d-b0e9-769c71b0271f@
59g2000hsb.googlegroups.com>, Boltar says...
> Do they train truckers in the states or do they give any idiot a
> license? There seem to be so many of these types of accidents over
> there.
> 
> http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YFLeiCzVRbw&feature=related

The problem in the USA is that the truckers are paid mostly on a cents 
per mile basis so the impetus is to go as fast as possible to get the 
mileage in. They need to do 3000 miles a week to earn a living. With 
the lengths of trains in the US meaning you can be at a crossing for 10 
minutes, that's 15 miles or so of earning potential the US trucker can 
lose waiting for the train to pass.


-- 
Conor

I only please one person per day. Today is not your day. Tomorrow isn't 
looking good either. - Scott Adams

Boltar wrote:
> Do they train truckers in the states or do they give any idiot a
> license? There seem to be so many of these types of accidents over
> there.
>
> http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YFLeiCzVRbw&feature=related

This one's good... http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=LfKzOqmPezw&NR=1

Conor  wrote:

> In article <fc56f3ec-6001-4f3d-b0e9-769c71b0271f@
> 59g2000hsb.googlegroups.com>, Boltar says...
> > Do they train truckers in the states or do they give any idiot a
> > license? There seem to be so many of these types of accidents over
> > there.
> > 
> > http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YFLeiCzVRbw&feature=related
> 
> The problem in the USA is that the truckers are paid mostly on a cents
> per mile basis so the impetus is to go as fast as possible to get the
> mileage in. They need to do 3000 miles a week to earn a living. With 
> the lengths of trains in the US meaning you can be at a crossing for 10
> minutes, that's 15 miles or so of earning potential the US trucker can
> lose waiting for the train to pass.

I've been working with a bloke who used to drive trucks in the USA as a
student during vacations to get the money to put himself through
college. It struck me that it must be easier to get a truck licence in
the US than in the UK. He also surprised me by telling me that most of
the trucks he had driven in the US were right hand drive, something to
do with the teamsters insisting it had to be that way because stagecoach
drivers used to sit on the right. I hope he was pulling my leg.

Conor wrote:
> With the lengths of trains in the US meaning you can be at a crossing for
> 10 minutes, that's 15 miles or so of earning potential the US trucker can 
> lose waiting for the train to pass.

You do realise that that means US trucks average 90 mph?

-- 
'S rioghal mo dhream
www.cheesesoup.myby.co.uk

On Aug 24, 1:08�pm, Tony Dragon  wrote:
> Boltar wrote:
> > Do they train truckers in the states or do they give any idiot a
> > license? There seem to be so many of these types of accidents over
> > there.
>
> >http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YFLeiCzVRbw&feature=related
>
> > B2003
>
> Obviously the train drivers fault.
> Anybody in charge of such a machine should be able to stop before
> hitting anything.

I feel exactly the same way about aircraft.

George

On 24 Aug, 14:19, %ste...@malloc.co.uk (Steve Firth) wrote:
> the US than in the UK. He also surprised me by telling me that most of
> the trucks he had driven in the US were right hand drive, something to
> do with the teamsters insisting it had to be that way because stagecoach
> drivers used to sit on the right. I hope he was pulling my leg.

I've yet to see a right hand drive big rig in the states or canada. I
have however seen RHD delivery vans so the driver can step out direct
onto the pavement. Perhaps he meant one of those.

B2003

On 24 Aug, 14:38, soup  wrote:
> Conor wrote:
> > With the lengths of trains in the US meaning you can be at a crossing for
> > 10 minutes, that's 15 miles or so of earning potential the US trucker can
> > lose waiting for the train to pass.
>
> You do realise that that means US trucks average 90 mph?

Back in 2001 myself and some mates drove from toronto to montreal
overnight. At one point we had to get up to over 80mph to overtake
some trucks. So in some places over there they do seem to floor it.

B2003

In article <fvdsk.47453$E41.1980@text.news.virginmedia.com>, soup 
says...
> Conor wrote:
> > With the lengths of trains in the US meaning you can be at a crossing for
> > 10 minutes, that's 15 miles or so of earning potential the US trucker can 
> > lose waiting for the train to pass.
> 
> You do realise that that means US trucks average 90 mph?
> 
Priceless....

It's only 90MPH if you think that they go from 0-90MPH instantly and 
likewise 90-0. In the real world, they take time to stop and time to 
get up to speed again....



-- 
Conor

I only please one person per day. Today is not your day. Tomorrow isn't 
looking good either. - Scott Adams

Boltar  wrote:

> On 24 Aug, 14:19, %ste...@malloc.co.uk (Steve Firth) wrote:
> > the US than in the UK. He also surprised me by telling me that most of
> > the trucks he had driven in the US were right hand drive, something to
> > do with the teamsters insisting it had to be that way because stagecoach
> > drivers used to sit on the right. I hope he was pulling my leg.
> 
> I've yet to see a right hand drive big rig in the states or canada. I
> have however seen RHD delivery vans so the driver can step out direct
> onto the pavement. Perhaps he meant one of those.

No, he was talking about "Semis".

"John Rowland"  wrote in 
news:g8rmuj$qsa$1$8300dec7@news.demon.co.uk:

> This one's good... http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=LfKzOqmPezw&NR=1
> 

I was quite impressed with the actions of the van/mpv driver. Not so 
impressed with the truck driver.

-- 
The above post may contain traces of irony

"Steve Firth" <%steve%@malloc.co.uk> wrote



 something to
> do with the teamsters insisting it had to be that way because stagecoach
> drivers used to sit on the right.



Not true about the USA, but it is true about the UK.



-- 
Regards, Vince.

Harry Monk's Long Distance Diary   Luton-Huelva

http://trucknetuk.com/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?t=34657 (New 9th August 2008)

Boltar wrote:
> Do they train truckers in the states or do they give any idiot a
> license? There seem to be so many of these types of accidents over
> there.
>
> http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YFLeiCzVRbw&feature=related
>

Wiki describes a good trucker accident from Britain..
"Shortly after the opening [of the Hemel Hempstead Magic Roundabout] the 
driver of an articulated lorry failed to understand the new junction so 
tried to drive straight across the middle. Given that The [River] Gade 
passes through the centre, though not visible from the road, his vehicle got 
stuck in the middle"

"Steve Firth" <%steve%@malloc.co.uk> wrote in message 
news:1im6l0f.1ed6lbq2pmwg2N%%steve%@malloc.co.uk...
> Conor  wrote:
>
>> In article <fc56f3ec-6001-4f3d-b0e9-769c71b0271f@
>> 59g2000hsb.googlegroups.com>, Boltar says...
>> > Do they train truckers in the states or do they give any idiot a
>> > license? There seem to be so many of these types of accidents over
>> > there.
>> >
>> > http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YFLeiCzVRbw&feature=related
>>
>> The problem in the USA is that the truckers are paid mostly on a cents
>> per mile basis so the impetus is to go as fast as possible to get the
>> mileage in. They need to do 3000 miles a week to earn a living. With
>> the lengths of trains in the US meaning you can be at a crossing for 10
>> minutes, that's 15 miles or so of earning potential the US trucker can
>> lose waiting for the train to pass.
>
> I've been working with a bloke who used to drive trucks in the USA as a
> student during vacations to get the money to put himself through
> college. It struck me that it must be easier to get a truck licence in
> the US than in the UK. He also surprised me by telling me that most of
> the trucks he had driven in the US were right hand drive, something to
> do with the teamsters insisting it had to be that way because stagecoach
> drivers used to sit on the right. I hope he was pulling my leg.

A fair number Italian lorries used to have the steering wheel on the right 
when I first visited in the 1960s. I understood that was so that they could 
keep closer to the nearside on narrow roads.

Colin Bignell

"nightjar" <cpb@<insert my surname here> wrote:

> 
> A fair number Italian lorries used to have the steering wheel on the right
> when I first visited in the 1960s. I understood that was so that they could
> keep closer to the nearside on narrow roads.

Roudnd our bit of Italy the outside bend of every mountain road is
marked by icons and flowers. Sometimes you can see the truck in the
valley below. I suspect that they don't need to get closer to the
nearside.

"Steve Firth" <%steve%@malloc.co.uk> wrote in message 
news:1im9zin.1un2295xf6dczN%%steve%@malloc.co.uk...
> "nightjar" <cpb@<insert my surname here> wrote:
>
>>
>> A fair number Italian lorries used to have the steering wheel on the 
>> right
>> when I first visited in the 1960s. I understood that was so that they 
>> could
>> keep closer to the nearside on narrow roads.
>
> Roudnd our bit of Italy the outside bend of every mountain road is
> marked by icons and flowers. Sometimes you can see the truck in the
> valley below. I suspect that they don't need to get closer to the
> nearside.

I think it was the one coming the other way they wanted to be closer to the 
nearside :-)

Colin Bignell