Drivers Who Speed Up When You Pass

There's carnage every winter since....about 1975.

What's next, Michael? Against the ELD, the 70 hour clock, and the 10 hour break?

Mr Smarmy... Whatever, I've been out here 30 years this past March, it gets worse out here by the day, and the egg timer on the dash is not helping with everyone playing beat the clock, myself included. Here in MI, truck fatalities for 2018 were up 18% over 2017. I wonder what happened? I just spoke to my insurance agent, truck accidents are way up and so will my insurance rates here in the next few weeks, a substantial increase is what I was told, across the industry.

This is not just a Michigan problem, accidents and fatalities are up across the board. I have gotten to the point I am calling safety departments of companies that have reckless drivers out here. I had one tailgating me at 72 mph in Iowa, up hill! I could not even slow down as he would have hit my trailer, he was that close. He got around me, and nearly took a few cars off into the median. This driving behavior went on for 30 or 40 miles, I finally had enough and called his safety department and reported him. And yes, I tried to get him on the CB... No answer. Maybe he did not speak English?

Drivers like the above are the reason we have more regulations and egg timers on our dash board. I'll be retiring soon, actually not soon enough, hopefully I will survive.

Just a few news clips with links...

Commercial motor vehicle-involved fatalities, however, increased in 2018 to 112, up 18%, https://www.freep.com/story/news/local/michigan/2019/04/24/michigan-traffic-deaths-2018/3561027002/

Trucking Fatalities Reach Highest Level in 29 Years https://www.trucks.com/2018/10/04/large-truck-fatalities-29-year-high/

Will 5-year fatal truck accident trend in MI continue to rise? https://www.michiganautolaw.com/blog/2017/11/21/fatal-truck-accident-trend-michigan/

Maybe he did not speak English?

So the language you speak is directly proportional to your driving abilities, right? It's always nice to have a little bigotry from a grumpy, bitter old-timer with our Monday morning coffee.

Your reading comprehension needs some work also. That first article actually talks about fatalities decreasing in 2018, not increasing.

The second article had some very important points that need to be considered:

• About 40 percent of truck occupants killed were not wearing seat belts.

• The biggest increase in fatalities occurred in trucks weighing 10,000 to 14,000 pounds, including dual-rear-wheel pickup trucks.

• With freight on the nation’s roadways at an all-time high, “the potential of crashes and injuries does increase,” Martinez said.

So the problem is more nuanced that you're trying to lead people to believe.

I'll be retiring soon, actually not soon enough, hopefully, I will survive.

That statement I completely agree with. When you get to where you're disgusted with everything it's time to move on to something else for everyone's sake, especially your own.

For the record,

Commercial motor vehicle-involved fatalities, however, increased in 2018 to 112, up 18%.........

That was in the last paragraph of the article. Looks like lawlessness in Michigan. Accidents all over...gesh.

Mr Smarmy... Whatever, I've been out here 30 years this past March, it gets worse out here by the day,

See the link below that shows FMCSA's trend table for large trucks and buses fatal crashes, which generally shows an increase in fatal crashes since a low point in 2009, but the rate of fatalities per 100 million miles traveled is less than half of where it was in 1975 and considerably below 30 years ago (1989). Also since 1989 the number of registered large trucks and buses has almost doubled.

FMCSA Large Truck and Bus Fatal Crash Statistics 1975-2017

I haven't been out here 30 years, maybe because I was in the military for 32 years? In 26 more years, I'll have my magical 30. I won't be driving because I'll be 90.

Have a great retirement, Michael. I know I'm enjoying mine, even when I travel through Michigan. Hopefully I won't turn into a bitter old truck driver like you some day.

On the runs I had this week, I was doing 40 in a 45 MPH single lane construction zone. When I got to the "end of construction zone" sign a bunch of trucks flew passed me. I said 2 things to myself:

1) I just got passed by the LTL rainbow. They all passed me. ABF, RL, ODFL, YRC, Estes, SAIA and even another FedEx freight guy.

2) Must suck to be in a rush.

I was taught to never rush. I won't get in trouble for missing a gate time, but an accident can cost me my job and any future jobs I may be interested in. And I was also taught to avoid driving in clusters so I slowed down a little more and let that mess get a decent bit ahead of me.

As fun as racing trucks sounds, there's a time and a place for it. I've seen it on YouTube. The interstate is not that place.