A Dozen Semis Blown Over --THIS Is Why You Park It!
Topic 21234 | Page 1
What does that mean to you and the company when something like this happens ? Is it an accident on your mvr / dac ? Or is it like a termination thing ?
MVR:
Motor Vehicle Record
An MVR is a report of your driving history, as reported from your state Department of Motor Vehicles. Information on this report may include Drivers License information, point history, violations, convictions, and license status on your driving record.
DAC:
Drive-A-Check Report
A truck drivers DAC report will contain detailed information about their job history of the last 10 years as a CDL driver (as required by the DOT).
It may also contain your criminal history, drug test results, DOT infractions and accident history. The program is strictly voluntary from a company standpoint, but most of the medium-to-large carriers will participate.
Most trucking companies use DAC reports as part of their hiring and background check process. It is extremely important that drivers verify that the information contained in it is correct, and have it fixed if it's not.
Most likely, both. Its a preventable accident because you should have parked it. We have all sorts of weather apps and even the CBs give weather reports and warnings.
This goes on both your DAC as a recordable DOT accident (Fatality, Ambulance or Tow), and also affects the companies safety rating. The more accidents, the more often DOT will inspect the company/pull them into weigh stations which means more possible tickets. My safety dept said they do not report accidents to your home state so it doesn't affect my "regular" driving record or my car insurance.
Prime estimates a loaded trailer blown or rolled over can cost $300,000.
Usually when I park, i find out we had blow overs during those storms. Most recently in OK the gusts got up to 80mph. we had 2 blow over. Last year i was getting blown around even while driving 45mph with my hazards on. I parked and 4 trucks flipped in 3 states.
Prime mantra is "we'd rather change an appointment time than lose a driver or endanger the public."
DOT:
Department Of Transportation
A department of the federal executive branch responsible for the national highways and for railroad and airline safety. It also manages Amtrak, the national railroad system, and the Coast Guard.
State and Federal DOT Officers are responsible for commercial vehicle enforcement. "The truck police" you could call them.
DAC:
Drive-A-Check Report
A truck drivers DAC report will contain detailed information about their job history of the last 10 years as a CDL driver (as required by the DOT).
It may also contain your criminal history, drug test results, DOT infractions and accident history. The program is strictly voluntary from a company standpoint, but most of the medium-to-large carriers will participate.
Most trucking companies use DAC reports as part of their hiring and background check process. It is extremely important that drivers verify that the information contained in it is correct, and have it fixed if it's not.
HOS:
Hours Of Service
HOS refers to the logbook hours of service regulations.
Oh wow, I had no idea this happened yesterday. I hit some wind this week that slowed me down but nothing bad enough to shut me down. I fought winds almost the whole way through Kansas today--I'm guessing 30-40 mph winds but I didn't check the radar. Just stayed with a Knight truck and we ran 65 through the whole state. No blowovers though. Colorado was calm by the time I got in tonight.
A rollover can be a career ender too. At Prime it's an instant firing.
OK, non-cdl driver stupid question; an OTR driver in a day may be driving several hundred miles. How do you check winds for your route? Is there a “weather channel” on the CB? Do you just stop if it’s a windy day?
CDL:
Commercial Driver's License (CDL)
A CDL is required to drive any of the following vehicles:
- Any combination of vehicles with a gross combined weight rating (GCWR) of 26,001 or more pounds, providing the gross vehicle weight rating (GVWR) of the vehicle being towed is in excess of 10,000 pounds.
- Any single vehicle with a GVWR of 26,001 or more pounds, or any such vehicle towing another not in excess of 10,000 pounds.
- Any vehicle, regardless of size, designed to transport 16 or more persons, including the driver.
- Any vehicle required by federal regulations to be placarded while transporting hazardous materials.
OTR:
Over The Road
OTR driving normally means you'll be hauling freight to various customers throughout your company's hauling region. It often entails being gone from home for two to three weeks at a time.
OK, non-cdl driver stupid question; an OTR driver in a day may be driving several hundred miles. How do you check winds for your route? Is there a “weather channel” on the CB? Do you just stop if it’s a windy day?
I'm not OTR, but id assume that there would he talk on the CB. Wind isn't as big of an issue when your loaded heavy, but id use best judgement. If you honestly feel it is unsafe to process just communicate that to dispatch
CDL:
Commercial Driver's License (CDL)
A CDL is required to drive any of the following vehicles:
- Any combination of vehicles with a gross combined weight rating (GCWR) of 26,001 or more pounds, providing the gross vehicle weight rating (GVWR) of the vehicle being towed is in excess of 10,000 pounds.
- Any single vehicle with a GVWR of 26,001 or more pounds, or any such vehicle towing another not in excess of 10,000 pounds.
- Any vehicle, regardless of size, designed to transport 16 or more persons, including the driver.
- Any vehicle required by federal regulations to be placarded while transporting hazardous materials.
OTR:
Over The Road
OTR driving normally means you'll be hauling freight to various customers throughout your company's hauling region. It often entails being gone from home for two to three weeks at a time.
Wind isn't as big of an issue when your loaded heavy
But how strong is too strong even with a heavy load? 40k+ lbs
OK, non-cdl driver stupid question; an OTR driver in a day may be driving several hundred miles. How do you check winds for your route? Is there a “weather channel” on the CB? Do you just stop if it’s a windy day?
Most truck radios have an official NOAA (Weather Bureau) band on the radio. Push the selector buttons to find the strongest station. A drawback is they list counties and towns but you may not be familiar with the area.
There are several weather apps for your smartphone. Choose the one you're most comfortable with. I use "NOAA Weather". There's a couple with this label, but they are free and don't clutter up the view with ads.)
On the CB, you get on Channel 19 and ask if anybody knows what the weather is ahead. Another tucker might jump in.
If the wind is strong enough to move your truck or make you hold the steering straight, it might be a good idea to get off the interstate and park for a while. (Not under a bridge or on the interstate shoulder!!)
CDL:
Commercial Driver's License (CDL)
A CDL is required to drive any of the following vehicles:
- Any combination of vehicles with a gross combined weight rating (GCWR) of 26,001 or more pounds, providing the gross vehicle weight rating (GVWR) of the vehicle being towed is in excess of 10,000 pounds.
- Any single vehicle with a GVWR of 26,001 or more pounds, or any such vehicle towing another not in excess of 10,000 pounds.
- Any vehicle, regardless of size, designed to transport 16 or more persons, including the driver.
- Any vehicle required by federal regulations to be placarded while transporting hazardous materials.
OTR:
Over The Road
OTR driving normally means you'll be hauling freight to various customers throughout your company's hauling region. It often entails being gone from home for two to three weeks at a time.
Interstate:
Commercial trade, business, movement of goods or money, or transportation from one state to another, regulated by the Federal Department Of Transportation (DOT).
OOS:
When a violation by either a driver or company is confirmed, an out-of-service order removes either the driver or the vehicle from the roadway until the violation is corrected.
OK, non-cdl driver stupid question; an OTR driver in a day may be driving several hundred miles. How do you check winds for your route? Is there a “weather channel” on the CB? Do you just stop if it’s a windy day?
I have the Weather Channel app on my phone. I like it because it shows hourly forecasts for any city you put in, but it also has a radar map with layers like wind and snow. Very useful.
I don't really check the wind that much though because wind changes so much and it's not all the same. Unless it's very high winds like the kind you tend to see in Wyoming all the time, I mostly just get out there and see how it feels. If it's pushing me around a little but I can keep it in my lane fine, I usually continue on while possibly dropping my speed a little. If big gusts start threatening to push me into the next lane, that's usually when I decide to play it safe and get off the road. I'll sometimes use the app if it's really windy to see if it's better or worse in the direction I'm heading.
To give some perspective, I drive through Kansas twice a week on I70, usually with a load weighing less than 10k, which is very light. In the past two months I haven't had to get off the road because of wind, but I'm always prepared for the possibility. Yesterday I had to deal with some wind pushing me around a little (it's those gusts that really suck), so I dropped my speed to around 60 or so. I was able to control the vehicle without feeling out of control, so I continued on that way for several hours. I didn't get out of the wind until I was almost to Colorado. That's usually how it goes (unless you're in Wyoming lol)--if you can manage to safely get through that windy area, it's better on the other side. You just have to know when to shut it down. If you're not sure, just shut down--no one will blame you.
Wind is my least favorite thing to deal with out here. Unlike snow or rain, your skill level has little to do with whether you can continue on. Snow isn't a force--it just sits there and reduces your traction. Wind is an active force that can blow you right over even if you're sitting still.
CDL:
Commercial Driver's License (CDL)
A CDL is required to drive any of the following vehicles:
- Any combination of vehicles with a gross combined weight rating (GCWR) of 26,001 or more pounds, providing the gross vehicle weight rating (GVWR) of the vehicle being towed is in excess of 10,000 pounds.
- Any single vehicle with a GVWR of 26,001 or more pounds, or any such vehicle towing another not in excess of 10,000 pounds.
- Any vehicle, regardless of size, designed to transport 16 or more persons, including the driver.
- Any vehicle required by federal regulations to be placarded while transporting hazardous materials.
OTR:
Over The Road
OTR driving normally means you'll be hauling freight to various customers throughout your company's hauling region. It often entails being gone from home for two to three weeks at a time.
TWIC:
Transportation Worker Identification Credential
Truck drivers who regularly pick up from or deliver to the shipping ports will often be required to carry a TWIC card.
Your TWIC is a tamper-resistant biometric card which acts as both your identification in secure areas, as well as an indicator of you having passed the necessary security clearance. TWIC cards are valid for five years. The issuance of TWIC cards is overseen by the Transportation Security Administration and the Department of Homeland Security.
HOS:
Hours Of Service
HOS refers to the logbook hours of service regulations.New Reply:
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A dozen semis blown over in CO & WY
40 mph winds. 60mph gusts.
WHY were these trucks on the road?