“So you want to be a Truck Driver” Quiz

[brods]

Axle spacing? What space?

Given all the trailer tire scrubbing during turns it makes me wonder how lucrative the truck tire business is here in Michigan. Similar trash hauler rigs are at the dump everyday. They typically tip the scale around 160,000 lbs.

 

[TRAMPLINEMAN]

160 tires on the trailers.

 

[jhenderson]

But each set steers individually.

 

[TRAMPLINEMAN]

But each set steers individually.

Yup, I saw one tip over once. Not a pretty sight.

 

[jhenderson]

Did it go over slowly, like a crane? That's got to be one of the most painful things to watch I can think of.

 

[JR]

A little 30 tonner laid over on the job about a month ago. The operator thought he could make a pick on rubber, on soft uneven ground. And then swing over the side. Anybody who knows cranes and load charts knows the limitations for picking on rubber are over the front, essentially in between the front outriggers. And that's assuming level ground within 2 degrees. No exceptions or this is what happens.

 

[JR]

Getting off topic (sorry Mike ), but we worked with this crane for over a month. 750 ton, 300 ft of boom. I was the operator on the "little" 150 ton unit used to assemble this monster. It came in on over 20 tractor trailers, what an incredible machine. We set a cold box for an air separation plant. The box was over one million pounds and had to be cut apart, set in two sections and welded back together because the crane couldn't handle it. When you get into lifts like this lift plans are drawn up by engineers. Everything below the hook is included in the lift study. Absolutely no deviations from the plan. The guys that run these rigs are real operators. Lots of responsibility on their shoulders.

 

[TRAMPLINEMAN]

Did it go over slowly, like a crane? That's got to be one of the most painful things to watch I can think of.

Yes it did. The contractor that built the temp road did not compact it enough and it gave out.

 

[TRAMPLINEMAN]

Back around ‘01-‘02ish, we were setting back yard power poles over the top of houses from the street with a 300 ton crane. If I remember correctly, with full counter weights, we could have 200’ of boom out and boom down to near 0*. The operator flew the pole to us and stopped 2’ short of his max radius off to the side of us to just swing it in when we were done hand digging. Before we finished digging, we heard the pole butt hit the ground behind us and immediately knew something was wrong. It wasn’t long after that the entire boom was crumbled on the ground and smashed thru the middle of a house.
The operator told us he was sitting there waiting for us to call on the radio and the door on the crane cab slowly closed all by itself. He said the hair stood up on the back of his neck and he knew it was fight or flight time. He chose not to bail out and to try and boom down to save at least the crane chassis. One of the worst non deadly accidents I’ve seen involving a crane.

 

[TRAMPLINEMAN]

JR, that 750 is the type of crane that’s cool to drive by or see on other peoples jobs. Like you said, there’s just too much involved with that whole operation. I’ll stick with my 65-150T RT’s.

 

[TRAMPLINEMAN]

Plus no one will insure you..

It might make a difference if you’re an owner/operator or driving for someone. I got my cdl when I was 18 and drove for a beer distributor all over NE MN.

 

[RUSSELL5000]

My favorite thread of the year!

 

[mwilson]

It might make a difference if you’re an owner/operator or driving for someone. I got my cdl when I was 18 and drove for a beer distributor all over NE MN.

In state not so bad as out of state.......

 

[TRAMPLINEMAN]

Where I work, everybody in the field has to have a CDL. It’s very rare we hire someone under 21. I’m not sure how new this disaster is or if it’s in all states, but there are now different CDL tests to achieve the same outcome, a CDL. What I mean is, three people go in at the same time all to get a class A CDL. It’s now like a lottery system. One guy will have to do the air brake test, the other two won’t. One guy will have to back thru cones to a dock, the other two won’t. And so on... I can not see how this is a good idea.

 

[Wayne M.]

In the last week or 3, I heard the feds are revamping the drug panel, adding things to ground you for. Also I heard that they're revamping the test process, expanding the pre trip among other things. I'm waiting to run into a chap from our training unit I see time to time to chat with.

 

[BIGNASTY]

For the purpose of following the Federal Bridge Law on the Interstate Highway System ( with no discussion of state by state grandfathered or legislated allowances) you must have 10’ from axle center to axle center to allow 20,000 lbs per axle. In the standard spread shown above it is 17,000 lb per axle. When I get on something other than this tiny little iPhone I will illustrate it better...

Im not sure its been awhile but isn't the spread 10'2" it started at 9'6" and Oregon wast ticketing the 9 6 trucks for bridge violations which at that time was legal in Commiefornia & Washington so the industry standard became 10 2

 

[BIGNASTY]

Where I work, everybody in the field has to have a CDL. It’s very rare we hire someone under 21. I’m not sure how new this disaster is or if it’s in all states, but there are now different CDL tests to achieve the same outcome, a CDL. What I mean is, three people go in at the same time all to get a class A CDL. It’s now like a lottery system. One guy will have to do the air brake test, the other two won’t. One guy will have to back thru cones to a dock, the other two won’t. And so on... I can not see how this is a good idea.

I was under the impression that to cross state borders the driver had to be 21 but within the state a driver of 18 could hold a Commercial ticket. When I ran 11 western as O/O MANY YEARS AGO the guy that worked on my truck and that I pulled loads for had a 18 year old daughter that wanted to run 11 western when she turned 21 she followed me around to learn the ropes of falsifying log books and of course the guy preparing the BOL would ask you what date would you like put on the BOL.

I have reacquired my CDL in Indiana has granted it WITHIN the state, on change over from Montana commercial they didn't make me take air brake, doubles triples or Tanker and on my ticket it states that I'm. restricted to AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSIONS ONLY & WITHIN THE STATE OF INDIANA. I have yet had a need to get behind the wheel ON THE ROAD but proved to myself that I have the technical skills of backing off of both sides, loading AFTER ALL ANY MORON CAN GO IN A LINE FORWARD, No driving test was required

 

[BIGNASTY]

Spread Axle Trailer
Spread Axle Trailer
A spread axle trailer can carry 40,000 lbs on the spread axles allowing for more leeway in placing a heavier load. The spread of the two axles is 10’2″ counting them as two separate axles that can each carry 20k lbs. This gives you a legal limit of 86k lbs of all axles. Of course you still have the 80k lbs gross limit, so this gives you a larger margin of error when hauling heavier loads. They are more difficult to back up and are rougher on tires due to the “scrub” of making turns. But this can be offset using the dump on the rear axle. They are a smoother ride in more situations but can be more difficult to maneuver on some roads. California requires that trailers over 48′ long have a kingpin to center of rear axle of 41′ and this can be difficult for spread axle trailers. The rear axle would have to be able to be slid forward to the 41′ length to be legal. Manitoba does not allow spread axle trailers.

 

[BIGNASTY]

as for the plastic wheel tab A few years ago on this site I questioned what it was. After 30+ years of driving commerically someone told me what its use was. I being old school I do it a little differently, if the tires aren't spinning the trailer rear will off track EVEN WITH THE NEW ABS BRAKES when the trailer its sliding sideways its a pretty good indication that SOMETHING IS WRONG

 

[BIGNASTY]

sorry for the numourous posts Rural internet isn't the most reliable at Times