straight truck overhang

[ebsprintin]

I'm comfortable driving a tanker. No problems with a Sprinter van. In my new job I'm in a straight truck. I'm not used to having my rear end hanging out so far. What is the proper way to take a corner as to minimize swatting other vehicles on my outside side? Sometimes I feel like my back side is taking a wider path than a semi doing a button-hook.

eb

 

[ebsprintin]

Sorry I ended up in the truck section with this question. I was intending to post this in the newbies forum.

eb

 

[moose]

trial and error is a sure thing !

here is another example ,
as a newbee trucker i was facing this:

you drive in the middle of the night at an unfamiliar road at a state you have never being in.
it is raining , and heavily foggy .you cannot see the yellow line.
you barely see it , but theres a sign saying long one lane bridge ahead.
you drive up.
10 seconds later , 2 lights coming fast in front of the hood.
you cannot determent if it is a truck , or 2 motorcycles .

what do you do ?

you drive between the lights.

got to the other side of the bridge ?
Motorcycles.

did not made it ?
a truck !

Moose.

 

[P51bombay]

I have 6-7 feet out back and yes it does swing out a fair bit - roughly 2 or 3 feet at a guess though I've never actually measured. This can be a problem if you have to make a sharp turn and cars, or worse yet another truck or bus is beside you. Simple answer it to go out as far as possible at a slight angle before cutting your wheels. Alternatively, (and what I prefer to do) when I know it "could be" a problem (there isn't traffic at the moment but may well be while turning) is straddle the line between my lane and the one next to it. It kinda P's off the cars and some will try getting around you (and into trouble) anyway but it will give you room to make the turn without hitting anything.

 

[Jack_Berry]

when given the choice of left turn lanes i always used the one that took me to the outside of the turn. i also straddled the white lines to turn right and held back from the intersection at red lights.

 

[P51bombay]

and held back from the intersection at red lights.

What's that do for you?

 

[moose]

What's that do for you?

I Here by stand up for jack berry , as he is correct .
as mention in orientation of any large carrier, it is a company reg. not to take a right turn at a red light .
the rezone for it , as so many things we do those days:
INSURANCE .
as it gives the car on the middle lane the opportunity to swing around that L.R side of the truck , as its approaching its lane.
and mosts of all , if you hit a car that standing in a red light , it is obviously your bad.
not the case as if bouth vehicles are moving.
mosts insurance claims are a small fender-bender .

it is also a good practice to avoid those right turns for the first few months , as i do , Do to the , limited but yet, different blind-spots at any new commercial-vehicle .

Moose.

 

[P51bombay]

Yesterday I saw this M2 with a 28' box and a lift out back, it had three panels coming just shy of the axle centerline so with the lift the overhang had to be right around 12'6" Try making a sharp right with that - HA!

 

[Jack_Berry]

thanks moose.

\p51b it gives you more of the intersection to work with when you turn. if you get right up to the line you are all over the left turn lane of the approaching traffic. when i was in school bus i had a lot of tight intersections in my town and just started further back. it gave the the swing i needed.

 

[P51bombay]

thanks moose.

\p51b it gives you more of the intersection to work with when you turn. if you get right up to the line you are all over the left turn lane of the approaching traffic. when i was in school bus i had a lot of tight intersections in my town and just started further back. it gave the the swing i needed.

Ah, I see - I do that when rolling but never gave it much thought from a stop.

 

[moose]

Keep in mind , that all red light sensors are located 15 feet ahead of the stop line.

the city of St.paul is very match addicted to this rule , and it is always very funny to see out of town motorcycles cutting back to the right line , then after a few, they understand that they mists the sensor , and trying to go back and forth ... no luck...

Moose.

 

[moose]

Yesterday I saw this M2 with a 28' box and a lift out back, it had three panels coming just shy of the axle centerline so with the lift the overhang had to be right around 12'6" Try making a sharp right with that - HA!

I have seeing some TRUCKERS walking in trucks-stop with Exactly the same problem...


Moose.