Hi everyone,
Today was day 5 of truck driving school I have now officially had 40 hours of in class instruction next weekend is my last week in class and then it is out to the yard my class mates and I go.
Today we talked about defensive driving and took an official defensive driving test, I guess I can submit it to my auto insurance company and see if I am eligible for a discount because I took this class.
We also watched a video on cornering and backing safely.
We did go out in the yard today and I got to go in a big truck for the first time since like 1991 or 1992 something like that. We were doing a sight experiment and the instructor had us stand in a line behind the trailer arms stretched out finger tip to finger tip and we each climbed in the truck and the experiment was to show us how really you cannot see very far behind the trailer. The truck we climbed in was an older ex Heartland Express International from gosh 2003 maybe so it was at least 10 years old coupled to a 48 foot trailer, really if there is a car tailgating it would be impossible to see it especially if that car is right on the back of the truck riding up against the trailer.
Usually when I am in my 4 wheeler I try not to and now I really won't ride right up against the back of the truck. Usually I stay far enough back so I can see there mirrors and if I have to I pass them entirely, but I always leave plenty of space before I go back in the lane in front of the truck, because the truck needs more room to stop 100 yards or more.
One smart thing the State of Ohio did was get rid of the truck speed limit. We used to have cars 65 and trucks and non commercial buses 55. Which makes no sense. Ohio did go to a flat out speed limit all the cars and trucks can now go the same speed limit.
What makes no sense about that law is you have all the trucks going slow as molasses down the highway and then a lane over you have Greyhound or any big name motor coach bus company flying down the highway pedal to the metal at 70 miles an hour. Here is the thing, a big motor coach bus isn't a whole lot different then a big truck. I mean to stop an MCI or Prevost Motor Coach bus going at 70 miles an hour probably would take the same 100 yards I mean those buses are not much smaller then trucks and take the same amount of care when it comes to cornering.
Any how Ohio did get rid of the dual speed limits which made sense of course some of these companies have there trucks governed so slow it is dangerous.
Today was day 5 of truck driving school I have now officially had 40 hours of in class instruction next weekend is my last week in class and then it is out to the yard my class mates and I go.
Today we talked about defensive driving and took an official defensive driving test, I guess I can submit it to my auto insurance company and see if I am eligible for a discount because I took this class.
We also watched a video on cornering and backing safely.
We did go out in the yard today and I got to go in a big truck for the first time since like 1991 or 1992 something like that. We were doing a sight experiment and the instructor had us stand in a line behind the trailer arms stretched out finger tip to finger tip and we each climbed in the truck and the experiment was to show us how really you cannot see very far behind the trailer. The truck we climbed in was an older ex Heartland Express International from gosh 2003 maybe so it was at least 10 years old coupled to a 48 foot trailer, really if there is a car tailgating it would be impossible to see it especially if that car is right on the back of the truck riding up against the trailer.
Usually when I am in my 4 wheeler I try not to and now I really won't ride right up against the back of the truck. Usually I stay far enough back so I can see there mirrors and if I have to I pass them entirely, but I always leave plenty of space before I go back in the lane in front of the truck, because the truck needs more room to stop 100 yards or more.
One smart thing the State of Ohio did was get rid of the truck speed limit. We used to have cars 65 and trucks and non commercial buses 55. Which makes no sense. Ohio did go to a flat out speed limit all the cars and trucks can now go the same speed limit.
What makes no sense about that law is you have all the trucks going slow as molasses down the highway and then a lane over you have Greyhound or any big name motor coach bus company flying down the highway pedal to the metal at 70 miles an hour. Here is the thing, a big motor coach bus isn't a whole lot different then a big truck. I mean to stop an MCI or Prevost Motor Coach bus going at 70 miles an hour probably would take the same 100 yards I mean those buses are not much smaller then trucks and take the same amount of care when it comes to cornering.
Any how Ohio did get rid of the dual speed limits which made sense of course some of these companies have there trucks governed so slow it is dangerous.