First of all, I am not a truck driver, and I don't even have a friend that drives an "eighteen-wheeler". Secondly, I am a native born Wise Countian (so I'm not a "Johnny-Come-Lately"). With that, I hope this blog doesn't turn into a "how bad truck drivers are" commentfest. If you REALLY look at all the fatal accident reports in the papers involving trucks, you will notice that almost all involve the car pulling out in front of the truck, turning left into the truck, etc. The truck usually is not in the wrong! This is another one of those situations where statistics make something SEEM to be worthy of a story, but probably not. Cars probably pull out in front of other cars and get "T-boned" in the same frequency as with 18-wheelers, but more of those wrecks are SURVIVABLE. Trucks may not be in any more wrecks than cars, and might not even be in wrecks where they are at fault, but they ARE in more fatal wrecks due to their mass and energy. To sum it up--chalk this up to another instance where our stupid, "free" media thinks something is a "story", when it really isn't. They are just peddling sensationalism, as usual.
Unfortunately, Mrs. Parrish was at fault in this accident. She was involved in conversation and only looked one way before pulling into the path of the rig. The truck driver had no alternative but to make contact- he had no where to go to avoid the SUV in his path. People do not realize that these semis just cannot stop on a dime. Consider the weight of the tractor, the trailer-loaded or empty - and the momentum of the vehicle. I have witnessed truck drivers hurting themselves to avoid an accident when fools pull ount in front of them sorta in a dare. If people would respect the deadly weapon of a loaded rock cart, less "accidents" would occur.
P.S. I don't like my cracked windshield either but both of mine were thrown by a CAR-not a truck.
I drive plenty in Wise County. The rock haulers are motivated to get their loads to and from as fast as possible. Generally speaking, they speed. And if you are pulling out onto a highway and glance who's coming and see a truck, you might think you've got room to pull out. But if that truck is going 85 MPH a person might perceive a clear enough distance, but it's not there. If you can't stop on a dime, then you better slow down to compensate. They don't, and we all know it. Yes many times a truck driver will scuttle his or her rig to avoid killing people on the highway. But you really can't put rock haul drivers into that class of driver. Not based on what I've seen over and over and over.
I've had rock trucks pass me on the shoulder while I was driving the two-lane portion of Hwy. 380 between Decatur and Denton. I have also had a rock truck get within 4 feet of my rear bumper while I was going 70 mph on the same stretch of road. I've also had huge chunks of rock fly off the truck and hit and crack my window.
This is a case of more than a few making a bad name of the whole.
No one can tell me they don't speed, sometimes drive recklessly, and they are sometimes careless.
The point is that, while there may be more wrecks like the first post said involving just cars, and that more survive. I think he has made my point. People can survive an accident with a car easier than with a rock truck, so therefore, rock trucks must be held more accountable because of their size.
Not to mention all the truckers driving on no-doze tablets! Since truck drivers know that it takes them longer to stop their big rigs they should not tailgate. Most of those guys drive like they are driving a yugo - weaving in and out of traffic at a high speed. Basically they are driving big mean killing machines and need to handle them as such.
I do drive a truck and I see people in cars driving like idiots everyday. I've seen people wait for cars to go by and then pull right out in front of me. I'm not saying that there isn't bad truck drivers, I've cussed out plenty of them on the c.b., I'm saying it goes both ways. I have driven rock trucks and alot of the owners do refuse to properly maintain their trucks, but there are some that do. They're not all bad drivers, but alot of times they are forced by the owners to drive bad equipment or lose their job. We all like to eat. Now I drive over the road in all states and people around here in cars drive worse than any place I go. Maybe people should be required to ride in a truck for a day before they get their license. We can't stop as fast as a car! People need to realize that. When you are merging onto a highway you do not have the right of way, thats why the yield sign is on the on ramp and not on the highway. For some reason people think the opposite. When we try to get over to let people on, the people behind us in the left lane shoot around as soon as they see our blinker come on. Give a little respect and you will get respect. Just remember we have to share the roads in order to even have an economy. Without trucks america stops! So remember if you got it a truck brought it! Without rock trucks we would'nt have roads to drive on or concrete slabs under our houses.Without over the road trucks, america would starve. What would happen if the "Almighty Wal-Mart" had empty shelves? Gas stations with no gas? And on and on.....
All it takes is having regularly hauled a 4 or 6 horse trailer 6,000-8,000 miles a year for several years to realize the majority of people who drive cars are thoughtless gits when it comes to respecting the position and understanding the needs of a vehicle hauling any type of a trailer. I believe if more car drivers had to haul or ride in a vehicle hauling a trailer they would better respect and understand the needs of a vehicle hauling a trailer.
While having a home in Wise County for the past 20+ years it has been my personal experience that a small percentage of the gravel/rock truck drivers in Wise County are among the most dangerous and least professional lot of truckers with whom I have had the misfortune of sharing the road.
If the trucking industry wishes to have its members viewed and respected as PROFESSIONALS then the trucking industry had better bloody well make a SINCERE effort to keep IDIOTS from driving semi-trucks.
Incidentally, I have driven in 42 states and hauled horses in 30 states and without a doubt Texas has the rudest drivers of ANY state.
Why does Mzchief feel it necessary to capitalize certain words in bold to make a point? On the topic--I drive 287 and 380 alot and I never see a rock truck pulled over by DPS. The rumor has been for years that there's a payoff between big haul companies and the some of the local DPS. Weve got 20-22 officers in this county and you rarely see them on 287S or 380. Where are they???
re: 8:04 pm, yes, there are 20 some odd troopers in this county. tHey dont all work at the same time and are responsible for not only patroling the main highways but also have to work all the accidents in the rual area of the county and are called forr other duties as well. As for the possibility that there are payoffs to the DPS from the trucking companies, get a life. From someone that has driven both a rock truck and a patrol car (in this county), there are truths to both sides of the issue. Some of you tend to get a little one sided. There have been some horrific accidents involving rock trucks in this area. I have personally witnessed the aftermath of some of the worst ones we have had in recent memory. Some were trucker's fault, but some were not. We need more license and weight troopers in this county to do truck inspections. Get on the right band wagon.
How about not blaming the truck? The owners are responsible for the maintenance. Drivers are responsible for operating them. And police are responsible for insuring the other guys are legal and operate properly. A bunch of the above aren't doing their jobs. The trucks themselves are just tools - that are too often used improperly. Is it too much to ask that the authorities insure the regs on the books are enforced?
greta2424 --- are you blind? i see accidents in the decatur messenger at least once a week. in fact, thats the first thing i look for when i get my copy ... to see if anyone i know had been in a wreck. when is the last time DMN covered one of those wrecks? never. so, one story they do makes up for all the lives lost in wise county in fatal accidents? sorry, but i prefer to see the wrecks when they happen and your DMN does not bother with wise county. after looking at the picture again, i beleive it says it was taken by joe duty. and last i saw he shoots pictures for the MESS. hmmmm, DMN could not take their own photos?
lol.
on another note, from all the stories i read on our accidents, it seems as if it is usually the drivers fault. the last one i remember was the three killed earlier this year at 287 and 1810.
It's not the wrecks that I am talking about, it's the trucks. Of course WCM will publish the wrecks, that's a big story.
Please refresh my memory if the WCM has ever had a story on how dangerous 114 or 380 is. Both Hwy's are horrible. I hope 4 lanes are coming soon for 114.
Oh, and you guys honestly think that maintenance on a truck is going to prevent most of those accidents, pleeeez. Maintenance is very important but, that's not what causes most of those accidents. It's the driver of the car or truck.
This is Wise County, rock crusher capital of the world and there are too many rock trucks on the road.
For clarification, I am talking about rock trucks, not trucks who haul groceries, etc.
Truck are Trucks,No matter what they haul!! However, If the DMN Reporter was actually a Reporter, he would have rode along with some of these drivers, to find the real truth...Not depend on here say. Does anyone realize that if the rock truck drivers that drove for a company that actually cared abouttheir drivers and equipment maintenance,there would be far less accidents on these roads?..also if it was manditory for people who take the test to aquire a class c license, to watch films on truck safety, or accually ride in a big truck,to see how things accually are,the roads would be safer. I'm not saying all accidents are not the truck drivers fault, but the national average % of accidents/fatalities in this country where trucks are involved 1% is the drivers fault. Do your homework...Check it out! And while your doing your homework,check the trucking companies safety records...some are great and some are horrifying, however the only way that the accident will drop in wise county is For the DPS to start cracking down on the companies..not the truck drivers..and to have everyone that drives, do their part, driving safe and doing their part before heading out on the roads. See it is easy to point fingers and put the blame on the truck drivers, but before you do that, step back a minute and think, am I doing my part to make wise county a safer place to drive?...If you are great Job! If your not?, Do your homework...and GITRDONE....
well im glad to see that someone around here knows what they are talking about, and for you greta, where do you think the foundation under your home, job and your local grocery stores come from? it is made from rock! while ill agree that some of these drivers around here are idiots not all are. the best thing to do is get there company name and plate and report them. also you kind of people that have complained about truck saftey over and over till the laws were changed on the hours of service, heres one for you.... good going now it is worse, a driver can now drive 1 hour longer than used to and now can not split his sleeper time,used to you could drive 5 hours if you wanted then pull over and take a nap and drive your remaining 5 hours,now you can not split your sleeper time so a tired driver that needs a nap is now forced to keep driving till his 11 hours are complete before taking 10 hours in the sleeper. this to me is more dangerous than the old hours of service. but there you go let some pencil pusher write a new law thats never been in the driver seat of a truck to see what works best for them. i dont like broken windshields either but thats part of life, your neighbor kids may break it throwing rocks or playing ball are we going to make laws so these kids cant be kids and play? how about the wreck in mckinney a month or so ago, where a 18 year old was speeding and lost control came across the road and hit a truck head on and was decapitated? somebody should have taught this boy how to drive and be responsible,but yet their first thought was the truck drivers fault. so my final comment for the day... grow up and quit crying like a bunch of 2 year olds...jennifer of decatur
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21 comments:
First of all, I am not a truck driver, and I don't even have a friend that drives an "eighteen-wheeler". Secondly, I am a native born Wise Countian (so I'm not a "Johnny-Come-Lately"). With that, I hope this blog doesn't turn into a "how bad truck drivers are" commentfest. If you REALLY look at all the fatal accident reports in the papers involving trucks, you will notice that almost all involve the car pulling out in front of the truck, turning left into the truck, etc. The truck usually is not in the wrong! This is another one of those situations where statistics make something SEEM to be worthy of a story, but probably not. Cars probably pull out in front of other cars and get "T-boned" in the same frequency as with 18-wheelers, but more of those wrecks are SURVIVABLE. Trucks may not be in any more wrecks than cars, and might not even be in wrecks where they are at fault, but they ARE in more fatal wrecks due to their mass and energy. To sum it up--chalk this up to another instance where our stupid, "free" media thinks something is a "story", when it really isn't. They are just peddling sensationalism, as usual.
I am so glad to see this article! Finally someone out there notices the hell of driving with rock trucks.
It's pretty sad when your own community newspaper doesn't care about the issue. It took the DMN to point it out.
Rock trucks are a menace to Wise County. They need to be detoured onto their own road.
They do nothing but hold up traffic, break windshields, and kill people.
Their own road? Great solution there Greta.
Unfortunately, Mrs. Parrish was at fault in this accident. She was involved in conversation and only looked one way before pulling into the path of the rig. The truck driver had no alternative but to make contact- he had no where to go to avoid the SUV in his path.
People do not realize that these semis just cannot stop on a dime. Consider the weight of the tractor, the trailer-loaded or empty - and the momentum of the vehicle. I have witnessed truck drivers hurting themselves to avoid an accident when fools pull ount in front of them sorta in a dare.
If people would respect the deadly weapon of a loaded rock cart, less "accidents" would occur.
P.S. I don't like my cracked windshield either but both of mine were thrown by a CAR-not a truck.
I agree that trucks are not to blame for most of the accidents. People are not very bright about pulling out in front of them.
It's only a dream of mine for them to have their own road.
I drive plenty in Wise County. The rock haulers are motivated to get their loads to and from as fast as possible. Generally speaking, they speed. And if you are pulling out onto a highway and glance who's coming and see a truck, you might think you've got room to pull out. But if that truck is going 85 MPH a person might perceive a clear enough distance, but it's not there. If you can't stop on a dime, then you better slow down to compensate. They don't, and we all know it. Yes many times a truck driver will scuttle his or her rig to avoid killing people on the highway. But you really can't put rock haul drivers into that class of driver. Not based on what I've seen over and over and over.
I've had rock trucks pass me on the shoulder while I was driving the two-lane portion of Hwy. 380 between Decatur and Denton. I have also had a rock truck get within 4 feet of my rear bumper while I was going 70 mph on the same stretch of road. I've also had huge chunks of rock fly off the truck and hit and crack my window.
This is a case of more than a few making a bad name of the whole.
No one can tell me they don't speed, sometimes drive recklessly, and they are sometimes careless.
The point is that, while there may be more wrecks like the first post said involving just cars, and that more survive. I think he has made my point. People can survive an accident with a car easier than with a rock truck, so therefore, rock trucks must be held more accountable because of their size.
Not to mention all the truckers driving on no-doze tablets! Since truck drivers know that it takes them longer to stop their big rigs they should not tailgate. Most of those guys drive like they are driving a yugo - weaving in and out of traffic at a high speed. Basically they are driving big mean killing machines and need to handle them as such.
I do drive a truck and I see people in cars driving like idiots everyday. I've seen people wait for cars to go by and then pull right out in front of me. I'm not saying that there isn't bad truck drivers, I've cussed out plenty of them on the c.b., I'm saying it goes both ways. I have driven rock trucks and alot of the owners do refuse to properly maintain their trucks, but there are some that do.
They're not all bad drivers, but alot of times they are forced by the owners to drive bad equipment or lose their job. We all like to eat. Now I drive over the road in all states and people around here in cars drive worse than any place I go. Maybe people should be required to ride in a truck for a day before they get their license. We can't stop as fast as a car!
People need to realize that.
When you are merging onto a highway you do not have the right of way, thats why the yield sign is on the on ramp and not on the highway. For some reason people think the opposite. When we try to get over to let people on, the people behind us in the left lane shoot around as soon as they see our blinker come on. Give a little respect and you will get respect.
Just remember we have to share the roads in order to even have an economy. Without trucks america stops! So remember if you got it a truck brought it! Without rock trucks we would'nt have roads to drive on or concrete slabs under our houses.Without over the road trucks, america would starve. What would happen if the "Almighty Wal-Mart" had empty shelves? Gas stations with no gas? And on and on.....
All it takes is having regularly hauled a 4 or 6 horse trailer 6,000-8,000 miles a year for several years to realize the majority of people who drive cars are thoughtless gits when it comes to respecting the position and understanding the needs of a vehicle hauling any type of a trailer. I believe if more car drivers had to haul or ride in a vehicle hauling a trailer they would better respect and understand the needs of a vehicle hauling a trailer.
While having a home in Wise County for the past 20+ years it has been my personal experience that a small percentage of the gravel/rock truck drivers in Wise County are among the most dangerous and least professional lot of truckers with whom I have had the misfortune of sharing the road.
If the trucking industry wishes to have its members viewed and respected as PROFESSIONALS then the trucking industry had better bloody well make a SINCERE effort to keep IDIOTS from driving semi-trucks.
Incidentally, I have driven in 42 states and hauled horses in 30 states and without a doubt Texas has the rudest drivers of ANY state.
Why does Mzchief feel it necessary to capitalize certain words in bold to make a point? On the topic--I drive 287 and 380 alot and I never see a rock truck pulled over by DPS. The rumor has been for years that there's a payoff between big haul companies and the some of the local DPS. Weve got 20-22 officers in this county and you rarely see them on 287S or 380. Where are they???
re: 8:04 pm, yes, there are 20 some odd troopers in this county. tHey dont all work at the same time and are responsible for not only patroling the main highways but also have to work all the accidents in the rual area of the county and are called forr other duties as well. As for the possibility that there are payoffs to the DPS from the trucking companies, get a life. From someone that has driven both a rock truck and a patrol car (in this county), there are truths to both sides of the issue. Some of you tend to get a little one sided. There have been some horrific accidents involving rock trucks in this area. I have personally witnessed the aftermath of some of the worst ones we have had in recent memory. Some were trucker's fault, but some were not. We need more license and weight troopers in this county to do truck inspections. Get on the right band wagon.
anonymous 8:04 you must be driving with your head up your ass. dps has stopped plenty of rock trucks on 380 & 287
8:04 DOES have their HEAD up their ASS
BOLD word to you biiiiiiiioooooochhhhhhhhhhhh
I'm sorry rock trucks SUCK !
How about not blaming the truck? The owners are responsible for the maintenance. Drivers are responsible for operating them. And police are responsible for insuring the other guys are legal and operate properly. A bunch of the above aren't doing their jobs. The trucks themselves are just tools - that are too often used improperly. Is it too much to ask that the authorities insure the regs on the books are enforced?
greta2424 --- are you blind? i see accidents in the decatur messenger at least once a week. in fact, thats the first thing i look for when i get my copy ... to see if anyone i know had been in a wreck. when is the last time DMN covered one of those wrecks? never. so, one story they do makes up for all the lives lost in wise county in fatal accidents? sorry, but i prefer to see the wrecks when they happen and your DMN does not bother with wise county.
after looking at the picture again, i beleive it says it was taken by joe duty. and last i saw he shoots pictures for the MESS. hmmmm, DMN could not take their own photos?
lol.
on another note, from all the stories i read on our accidents, it seems as if it is usually the drivers fault. the last one i remember was the three killed earlier this year at 287 and 1810.
It's not the wrecks that I am talking about, it's the trucks. Of course WCM will publish the wrecks, that's a big story.
Please refresh my memory if the WCM has ever had a story on how dangerous 114 or 380 is. Both Hwy's are horrible. I hope 4 lanes are coming soon for 114.
Oh, and you guys honestly think that maintenance on a truck is going to prevent most of those accidents, pleeeez. Maintenance is very important but, that's not what causes most of those accidents. It's the driver of the car or truck.
This is Wise County, rock crusher capital of the world and there are too many rock trucks on the road.
For clarification, I am talking about rock trucks, not trucks who haul groceries, etc.
Truck are Trucks,No matter what they haul!! However, If the DMN Reporter was actually a Reporter, he would have rode along with some of these drivers, to find the real truth...Not depend on here say. Does anyone realize that if the rock truck drivers that drove for a company that actually cared abouttheir drivers and equipment maintenance,there would be far less accidents on these roads?..also if it was manditory for people who take the test to aquire a class c license, to watch films on truck safety, or accually ride in a big truck,to see how things accually are,the roads would be safer. I'm not saying all accidents are not the truck drivers fault, but the national average % of accidents/fatalities in this country where trucks are involved 1% is the drivers fault. Do your homework...Check it out! And while your doing your homework,check the trucking companies safety records...some are great and some are horrifying, however the only way that the accident will drop in wise county is For the DPS to start cracking down on the companies..not the truck drivers..and to have everyone that drives, do their part, driving safe and doing their part before heading out on the roads. See it is easy to point fingers and put the blame on the truck drivers, but before you do that, step back a minute and think, am I doing my part to make wise county a safer place to drive?...If you are great Job! If your not?, Do your homework...and GITRDONE....
well im glad to see that someone around here knows what they are talking about, and for you greta, where do you think the foundation under your home, job and your local grocery stores come from?
it is made from rock! while ill agree that some of these drivers around here are idiots not all are.
the best thing to do is get there company name and plate and report them. also you kind of people that have complained about truck saftey over and over till the laws were changed on the hours of service, heres one for you.... good going now it is worse, a driver can now drive 1 hour longer than used to and now can not split his sleeper time,used to you could drive 5 hours if you wanted then pull over and take a nap and drive your remaining 5 hours,now you can not split your sleeper time so a tired driver that needs a nap is now forced to keep driving till his 11 hours are complete before taking 10 hours in the sleeper. this to me is more dangerous than the old hours of service. but there you go let some pencil pusher write a new law thats never been in the driver seat of a truck to see what works best for them. i dont like broken windshields either but thats part of life, your neighbor kids may break it throwing rocks or playing ball are we going to make laws so these kids cant be kids and play?
how about the wreck in mckinney a month or so ago, where a 18 year old was speeding and lost control came across the road and hit a truck head on and was decapitated?
somebody should have taught this boy how to drive and be responsible,but yet their first thought was the truck drivers fault. so my final comment for the day... grow up and quit crying like a bunch of 2 year olds...jennifer of decatur
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