I guess I'll never be an experienced driver

dabluzman1 · Jun 25, 2009

At age 57 and counting, I rarely get surprised at things I come across.
But, over the past two years of over the road driving, I have more than once been caught off guard, by what has been described to me as an "experienced team" manuever.
Yep, I am talking about the "rolling switch" the "moving driver swap" or "suicide move #1" (as I call it).
Naive I may be, but I see no reason for this ever to happen.
I would not expect anyone to admit to practicing this highly
unsafe manuever and think their carrier would retain them.
All I can hope is that everyone who practices this stupid trick
gets caught and their CDL revoked for being a moron.
Suspending them couldnt happen fast enough to help keep our roads a little safer.
The hundreds of things that could potentially go wrong as two
drivers vie for control of the wheel scare the hell out of me from ever even considering doing a bonehead thing as that.

ATeam · Jun 25, 2009

If you heard it from a driver that is more experienced than you, it is not your place to question it. Don't you read EO?

Be informed.

guido4475 · Jun 25, 2009

Phil,I saw you going east on 80/94 In indiana the other day,truck looks real nice.

arkjarhead · Jun 25, 2009

That is a dumb thing to do. I wonder how they log that without falsifying their logs? I mean the one driver has to do a post trip inspection and the other driver getting ready to go on duty has to do a pre trip. It's a retarded thing to do.

moose · Jun 25, 2009

dabluzman1 said:
All I can hope is that everyone who practices this stupid trick
gets caught and their CDL revoked for being a moroon.
Suspending them couldnt happen fast enough to help keep our roads a little safer..

Ye'p , in the name of SAFETY we can say just about anything...

(not admitting here for nothing...)

dabluzman1 · Jun 25, 2009

moose said:
Ye'p , in the name of SAFETY we can say just about anything...

(not admitting here for nothing...)

Just curious.
Is there another name/condition that comes before "SAFETY" in any of your driving?

arkjarhead · Jun 25, 2009

dabluzman1 said:
Just curious.
Is there another name/condition that comes before "SAFETY" in any of your driving?

There shouldn't be. Safety should come first and foremost.

greg334 · Jun 25, 2009

Well not to change the subject but it is safety related...

Today I am going into the construction zone on 75 near flatrock. They are taking things apart to open it all up and they had barrels on the right side of the road for the workers to ... well work...

I am three t/t lengths behind an expediter (I won't name the company until I hear back from them) who is driving a van. He/she is driving a bit slower than needed (40) and all of a sudden they just slam on the brakes, coming to a complete stop. I am fortunate that there was no one in the next lane and no one behind me.

Do you know why this great driver stopped suddenly?

Because who ever it was saw a Ford Pickup flying down the road on the other side of the barrels.

I don't know if this is the same driver who was driving down Airport road in Holland Ohio last week but it was the same company and make of the van. I was in the left lane and he was pulling past me in the right, the light turned yellow and I brought my 26,000 lb truck from 55 to a complete stop within a good distance but this guy slams on the brakes and looked like his wheel was going to buckle or collapase under the pressure of stopping. Of course he skidded into the intersection in front of a Ohio trooper, who pulled him over.

dabluzman1 · Jun 26, 2009

greg334 said:
Well not to change the subject but it is safety related...

Today I am going into the construction zone on 75 near flatrock. They are taking things apart to open it all up and they had barrels on the right side of the road for the workers to ... well work...

I am three t/t lengths behind an expediter (I won't name the company until I hear back from them) who is driving a van. He/she is driving a bit slower than needed (40) and all of a sudden they just slam on the brakes, coming to a complete stop. I am fortunate that there was no one in the next lane and no one behind me.

Do you know why this great driver stopped suddenly?

Because who ever it was saw a Ford Pickup flying down the road on the other side of the barrels.

I don't know if this is the same driver who was driving down Airport road in Holland Ohio last week but it was the same company and make of the van. I was in the left lane and he was pulling past me in the right, the light turned yellow and I brought my 26,000 lb truck from 55 to a complete stop within a good distance but this guy slams on the brakes and looked like his wheel was going to buckle or collapase under the pressure of stopping. Of course he skidded into the intersection in front of a Ohio trooper, who pulled him over.

well, since you did change the topic, do you have a point or are we just tired and rambling tonight?

dabluzman1 · Jun 26, 2009

arkjarhead said:
There shouldn't be. Safety should come first and foremost.

AGREED.

I was just trying to understand Mooses' comment.

TeamCaffee · Jun 26, 2009

I have also heard of partners changing drivers like this and in the craziest of places. Two guys were talking about doing this on I95 in Jersey going 70 mph and they sure lost our respect real quick. Probably was a truck stop story though. I know it happens out here and I have to wonder why it is so hard to pull over and change drivers in a safe manner.

Our truck is how we make money and putting it and ourselves in any more danger then we have to makes no sense. Something happens to our truck and our CDL we would have to go back to the 9 to 5 grind and that would be a nightmare come true.

moose · Jun 26, 2009

Good morning...
Not to change the subject , again , butt , well:

in this truck i have one of those driver seat that is very comphy , and can move all around.
i also have one of those small tiny little port A potty , that when the seat is all the way down , will fit on...
thinking of being the first to try ...
maybe...
some day...

moose · Jun 26, 2009

Back to the point on hand...
it just happened to be , that this thread started only 3 days after i was reading the new AAA survey for city's that drivers rated for the best and worst to drive in and around .

on a sub survey , the AAA drivers being asked for what they see other drivers do , that distract them from driving , at first came texting ,
and on second

drumming ....) : EATING ,
WoW , so unsafe , all drivers should be prohibited from eating while driving ,and all drive through's need to be closed , it's a jungle out there...
now while Texting and other distractions ,have being proven to have a great and immediate effect on our safety ,
and thats why they are being outlaw,
well, i have yet to see one fatal accident coused by the "on the fly maneuver on hand..."
but hay , lets revoke the driver CDL ,send him to prison and loose the key...
oh yah , and this come to mind :
"
Our truck is how we make money and putting it and ourselves in any more danger then we have to makes no sense. Something happens to our truck and our CDL we would have to go back to the 9 to 5 grind and that would be a nightmare come true.
"

how bout Coffeeeing ?... (drinking coffee while driving)
Gumming ? ... (eating a gum while driving)
scratching ? ... (the nose!,the nose!)

but hey , its will improved SAFETY so why not ,

greg334 · Jun 26, 2009

dabluzman1 said:
well, since you did change the topic, do you have a point or are we just tired and rambling tonight?

Let me decipher my post for you.

The van driver was confused about the situation of having the barrels on the road and didn't realize that people actually can drive on the other side of them. His actions could be put others in danger.

If there was a lot of traffic and he did this, what do you think would happen?

The moral of the story is to give yourself a way out at all times and be aware of your surroundings.

Do they teach you that at FedEx?

All safety related.... not really a subject change.

Here is another story for you that is closer to home for you.

A not long ago I picked up at a chemical plant, there was a FedEx truck behind me in line to go into the plant. When they got into the shipping office, they were in some big d*mn hurry and insisted on being loaded first because as they told the dock manager and shipping lady "we're a white glove team and on a tight schedule", which I thought was rude to begin with and the dock manager asked where their white gloves were.

They got loaded after I did because the dock manager said first come first serve, and made sure of it. They even asked the forklift driver to hurry up. After I was loaded, secured my stuff and got inspected, I pulled out of the plant with them right behind me. It seemed too fast for the amount they were hauling - I feel that they didn't have the time to secure it. A ways down the road, they passed me on a busy two lane right behind a car they couldn't pass. When they reached a set of RR tracks the most amazing thing happened with these professionals. they didn't even slow down for the tracks let alone stop as they flew across the tracks and just sped away into the sunset.

Doesn't FedEx enforce their Safety First policy by terminating contracts?

Nope

Are these two highly professional drivers?

Not by a long shot

I know they are still in the fleet, I know they are one couple who was accepted into WG by cheating the system and I know that they had time to do the right thing but because they felt they were special, they didn't think the rules applied to them. I heard but didn't confirm that the dock manager and the plant manager both complained to FedEx about them.

The moral of the story is that your job is to ensure the safety of the public first, not delivering to a customer under some fictitious time constants. They were delivering to a sister plant that I was delivering to and my load was needed to be delivered within a day but theirs wasn't needed for three days.

The more important question is this;

Seeing you didn't make any bones about how you got where you are, if you saw what I saw, would you call FedEx immediately and report them?

Scuba · Jun 26, 2009

I tried that rolling switch once but after getting into the passenger seat i forgot i was a solo. So i had to move back and i didn't see the point in it.

dabluzman1 · Jun 26, 2009

greg334 said:
Let me decipher my post for you.

The van driver was confused about the situation of having the barrels on the road and didn't realize that people actually can drive on the other side of them. His actions could be put others in danger.

If there was a lot of traffic and he did this, what do you think would happen?

The moral of the story is to give yourself a way out at all times and be aware of your surroundings.

Do they teach you that at FedEx?

All safety related.... not really a subject change.

Here is another story for you that is closer to home for you.

A not long ago I picked up at a chemical plant, there was a FedEx truck behind me in line to go into the plant. When they got into the shipping office, they were in some big d*mn hurry and insisted on being loaded first because as they told the dock manager and shipping lady "we're a white glove team and on a tight schedule", which I thought was rude to begin with and the dock manager asked where their white gloves were.

They got loaded after I did because the dock manager said first come first serve, and made sure of it. They even asked the forklift driver to hurry up. After I was loaded, secured my stuff and got inspected, I pulled out of the plant with them right behind me. It seemed too fast for the amount they were hauling - I feel that they didn't have the time to secure it. A ways down the road, they passed me on a busy two lane right behind a car they couldn't pass. When they reached a set of RR tracks the most amazing thing happened with these professionals. they didn't even slow down for the tracks let alone stop as they flew across the tracks and just sped away into the sunset.

Doesn't FedEx enforce their Safety First policy by terminating contracts?

Nope

Are these two highly professional drivers?

Not by a long shot

I know they are still in the fleet, I know they are one couple who was accepted into WG by cheating the system and I know that they had time to do the right thing but because they felt they were special, they didn't think the rules applied to them. I heard but didn't confirm that the dock manager and the plant manager both complained to FedEx about them.

The moral of the story is that your job is to ensure the safety of the public first, not delivering to a customer under some fictitious time constants. They were delivering to a sister plant that I was delivering to and my load was needed to be delivered within a day but theirs wasn't needed for three days.

The more important question is this;

Seeing you didn't make any bones about how you got where you are, if you saw what I saw, would you call FedEx immediately and report them?

Your axe is ground to the handle.
This Fedex is bad mantra of yours grows so old.
If Fedex didnt exist neither would you.

So yours was a bad experience, move on and let us as well.

I am glad you were able to control your vehicle by not tailgating. This is taught to even Class D drivers going for their 1st passenger license.
So I guess what I am saying, as an experienced driver, I dont need Fedex to teach me not to tailgate or how to safely handle my truck.
I hope as well that you dont need to be tutored on driving.
Hope this clarified things for ya Gregg.

dabluzman1 · Jun 26, 2009

moose said:
now while Texting and other distractions ,have being proven to have a great and immediate effect on our safety ,
and thats why they are being outlaw,
well, i have yet to see one fatal accident coused by the "on the fly maneuver on hand..." ,

OMG
you're comparing "texting" to "on the fly driver swapping"
ROFLMAO

dabluzman1 · Jun 26, 2009

moose said:
Good morning...
Not to change the subject , again , butt , well:

in this truck i have one of those driver seat that is very comphy , and can move all around.
i also have one of those small tiny little port A potty , that when the seat is all the way down , will fit on...
thinking of being the first to try ...
maybe...
some day...