Why so many 18 wheelers wadded up on i40?

[FCT]

I saw the one past Kelbaker on Friday and holy shit that had to been one hell of a ride
All the obvious reason have been stated but another reason is companies running steer tires for every bit of tread they can get out of them. When a steer blows at speed on a semi you might as well go lay down in the sleeper and enjoy the ride!!!!!
I replace mine every year regardless of tread life left. This pic is my truck when I only had 9k miles on it. Defective Bridgestone tire

 

[LC925]

So once the clock starts they can't stop? I figured if you have your 10 hour window your could break it down into however long increments you wanted. For example, I'd you wanted to run a 5 hr drive, have a brief rest then another 5 hr drive, is that not the case?

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As @DRYHEAT mentioned, basically.

There is a “split” option. Two shifts of driving, 2 hour drive and 8 hour drive (either can go first) with a break in between but this will delay your reset and now pushes your next start time. Domino affect. I don’t drive regularly anymore but the times I tried the split, it didn’t work and was stuck for hours waiting on the clock.

 

[Nikwho]

This was on I-40 recently. We had the entire interstate (west bound) shut down for over an hour. Then only one lane open for the following two hours. Probably backed traffic up half way to NM!

The driver of this rig rear ended another 18 wheeler, and burst into flames. All got out, fortunately. Either distracted or fell asleep. It's dangerous out there, there's no doubt about it!

 

[ONE-A-DAY]

not all professional drivers fit that bill like my self.

I wear our company shirt. 5.11 pants and cowboy boots lol.

Thank you, my childhood dreams are not shattered.

 

[ONE-A-DAY]

This was on I-40 recently. We had the entire interstate (west bound) shut down for over an hour. Then only one lane open for the following two hours. Probably backed traffic up half way to NM!

The driver of this rig rear ended another 18 wheeler, and burst into flames. All got out, fortunately. Either distracted or fell asleep. It's dangerous out there, there's no doubt about it!

Are you CHP along the 40? If so, I cant imagine your job, you must deal with some pretty horrific situations.

 

[Nikwho]

Another recent one. Neither driver or passenger were able to climb out, but we cut them both out, both very stable, miraculously. This driver split two overpass bridges and drove between them, crashing to the road below, then back up into the bottom of the oncoming overpass. It's got to be the hours and deadlines put upon these folks. Very sad.

 

[Nikwho]

Are you CHP along the 40? If so, I cant imagine your job, you must deal with some pretty horrific situations.

No sir. Fire.

 

[LC925]

Yeah it never ends well but glad they got out. I’m really curious to see how the industry does in the next 5-10 years. You have a lot of the 55-65 YO that, to me, were the badass Cowboy drivers from back in the day, calling it quits. My dad in this group along with all his colleagues I have met growing up as a kid. These guys are a different breed. Granted my dad has his company and rarely drives now but it’s his passion. With the younger crowd having to fill in the job, and wanting to be home every night, is why you are seeing new warehouses strategically placed. Companies are running two trucks to mid points, swapping trailers so that driver gets back to where he started by end of shift. There are companies pushing to get kids out of HIGH SCHOOL now to train them because of the shortage of drivers. The other push is to allow military class A drivers to be granted a CDL. Oddly enough, if you drove the rigs in the military, it doesn’t count as any experience for the states. And most insurance wants to see minimum 2 years before even allowing them to be on boarded.

 

[jesco]

My Stepmom works the port of entry in AZ on the 10 just past Exit 1. She said over the last year its a whole new breed of drivers. She's amazed that most can even drive a small car let alone a rig. Sign of the times I guess, EVERY industry is struggling to hire good help.

 

[Blackmagic94]

Walmart pays 87,500 for phoenix for a CDL driver

 

[LC925]

Walmart pays 87,500 for phoenix for a CDL driver

Yeah I saw that. I have hired a few good ones recently but we are having to go from $23 to $25 to now I think offering $27-$29 an hour for class A. You add in the 2-3 hours of OT daily. It’s good money.

 

[Blackmagic94]

Yeah I saw that. I have hired a few good ones recently but we are having to go from $23 to $25 to now I think offering $27-$29 an hour for class A. You add in the 2-3 hours of OT daily. It’s good money.

Is that gonna beat walmart?



I only drive once in a blue moon for my company, im actually the area manager for all of AZ and i forced the company to get me my cdl and an international just because, I get paid on a safe driving record bonus once a year, and basically just run one load to vegas here and there and stay in Marriotts on my corp amex lol



But its a great skill to have just incase in the future

 

[LC925]

Is that gonna beat walmart?



I only drive once in a blue moon for my company, im actually the area manager for all of AZ and i forced the company to get me my cdl and an international just because, I get paid on a safe driving record bonus once a year, and basically just run one load to vegas here and there and stay in Marriotts on my corp amex lol



But its a great skill to have just incase in the future

Beat them, maybe not every year, but I’m sure with the work load I have going on my drivers right now, they will likely be at the 6 figures. Plus the benefits, they are doing well.

Same here. I have the CDL just to have it. Although, since I broker a lot too, I like running all the routes first before I send anyone else on them. Drivers can’t BS me that way. Plus tends to gain me a bit of respect when my subs see me out there doing the same work. That and I can then renegotiate with clients on a first hand basis if there are delays or any concerns.

 

[ONE-A-DAY]

Yeah I saw that. I have hired a few good ones recently but we are having to go from $23 to $25 to now I think offering $27-$29 an hour for class A. You add in the 2-3 hours of OT daily. It’s good money.

$25 an hour is only $52,000 a year, not quite $87,500.

 

[LC925]

$25 an hour is only $52,000 a year, not quite $87,500.

Lol I am aware. The $23/$25 rates we had high turn over which is why we had to up it again (3rd time in a year now). We are in the $27-$29 depending on experience. The drivers that have been with us got the bump to the $29 as well. This is $60k with out the OT @ time and half which they can have anywhere from 2-3 minimum up to 6+ hours at times. If that Walmart is paying $87,500 for a 40 hour work week, again we can't beat that and that is great money.

 

[beerrun]

We have had drivers come in here in san diego with 6 months experience asking for $45.00 an hour. People are Fn crazy

 

[DRYHEAT]

Beat them, maybe not every year, but I’m sure with the work load I have going on my drivers right now, they will likely be at the 6 figures. Plus the benefits, they are doing well.

Same here. I have the CDL just to have it. Although, since I broker a lot too, I like running all the routes first before I send anyone else on them. Drivers can’t BS me that way. Plus tends to gain me a bit of respect when my subs see me out there doing the same work. That and I can then renegotiate with clients on a first hand basis if there are delays or any concerns.

Oh come on now, drivers would never BS you. I can’t believe you said that.

 

[LC925]

We have had drivers come in here in san diego with 6 months experience asking for $45.00 an hour. People are Fn crazy

Yeah exactly! If that $87,500 from Walmart is based on a 40 hour work week, that’s $42/hour. What are they making after OT? I would be inclined to say the AZ traffic isn’t as bad as the CA congestion, but last time I drove through Phoenix rush hour, it sure seemed the same to me. No way they keep it to 8/hour days.

 

[spectra3279]

I don't cut anyone off. Who said that?

You in general as being in a car.

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[spectra3279]

That's pretty selfish, to take that stance above decency to hundreds, if not thousands of motorists every day! Down right shitty, really!

Well, what about the cars that cut across 3 lanes to take the exit and cuts us off to point we have to lock up the brakes.


Not saying I'm that way, but if I start passing someone and then the cars catch up to me, fuck I ain't slowing down and pulling back in behind

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[spectra3279]

It's not just foreigners! It's Spectra3279 right here on the forum, too! Fuck us, they can't give up 1 MPH for the remainder of a grade! Thats nice!

Nope. Never said I did that. Just know others answers.

Now how many times have you got in front of a semi and slowed down?

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[yard dog]

Yeah exactly! If that $87,500 from Walmart is based on a 40 hour work week, that’s $42/hour. What are they making after OT? I would be inclined to say the AZ traffic isn’t as bad as the CA congestion, but last time I drove through Phoenix rush hour, it sure seemed the same to me. No way they keep it to 8/hour days.

They don’t get paid by the hour it’s by the mile , also included in 87,500 is alot of different bonuses that make up that amount if you qualify . One driver told me that they make it look inflated because it had your health insurance and that’s a benefit added into the yearly salary too.

 

[spectra3279]

So once the clock starts they can't stop? I figured if you have your 10 hour window your could break it down into however long increments you wanted. For example, I'd you wanted to run a 5 hr drive, have a brief rest then another 5 hr drive, is that not the case?

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The 14 hour clock consists of driving, loading unloading, paperwork, fueling, weigh scales, basically anything part of the job. Then during that you have 11 hours you can drive. Oh, plus gotta take a 30 minute break in there also. The 14 hour clock does not stop until you reach 14 hours or you take a 10 or more sleep break. So once you get up and start your pretrip inspection, the 14 hour clock starts. Then even if you go off duty to take a shit, the clock keeps going.

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[DRYHEAT]

They don’t get paid by the hour it’s by the mile , also included in 87,500 is alot of different bonuses that make up that amount if you qualify . One driver told me that they make it look inflated because it had your health insurance and that’s a benefit added into the yearly salary too.

One of my friends works for Walmart and it’s just like any other trucking job the more you work the more you make. Too many rules for my liking.

I am a lazy fuck, I work like a fireman, two days on five days off three days on four days off.
















Just fucking with you fire service guys for @Nikwho sake.

 

[yard dog]

The 30 minute break is required after 8 hours driving with the new rule you can count your 30 minutes when you stop for fuel, get food or waiting at a shipper. So any duty status other than drive time , so off - duty sleeper berth , on duty not driving or some combination thereof , as long as 30 together .

 

[DRYHEAT]

The 30 minute break is required after 8 hours driving with the new rule you can count your 30 minutes when you stop for fuel, get food or waiting at a shipper. So any duty status other than drive time , so off - duty sleeper berth , on duty not driving or some combination thereof , as long as 30 together .

The problem with that damn 30 minute break is now everybody takes their break on the fuel island while I’m trying to get fuel.

 

[rrrr]

I think a lot of them were previous cab drivers that got pushed out by Uber and Lyft. At that time I started noticing more Indian restaurants in the desert. A friend of mine owns a trucking company and says a lot of them destroy the insides of the trucks.


Being a truck driver is kind of a big thing in that culture now....

What the hell?

 

[spectra3279]

The problem with that damn 30 minute break is now everybody takes their break on the fuel island while I’m trying to get fuel.[emoji849][emoji35]

No shit. Hate that.

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[ONE-A-DAY]

I love to be out on the road and always wanted to be a long haul trucker so I enjoy getting fuel in our motorhome which has two side tanks in the truck lane. What irritates me is it some of the drivers are clueless and that they don’t pull up and park after filling up, it’s just common sense to do that you would think

 

[DRYHEAT]

I love to be out on the road and always wanted to be a long haul trucker so I enjoy getting fuel in our motorhome which has two side tanks in the truck lane. What irritates me is it some of the drivers are clueless and that they don’t pull up and park after filling up, it’s just common sense to do that you would think

It’s not so much that they’re clueless, they don’t wanna move the truck because that will put their electronic log into driving and we have some stupid ass rule that says we have to take a half hour on duty or off duty break. It’s a bunch of nonsense that the bureaucrats came up with when they redid the logs a few years back. The other issue is half of these drivers can’t back their truck into a parking spot.

There are times on the open road that I still enjoy being out there, but I’m pretty burnt out.

 

[yard dog]

It’s not so much that they’re clueless, they don’t wanna move the truck because that will put their electronic log into driving and we have some stupid ass rule that says we have to take a half hour on duty or off duty break. It’s a bunch of nonsense that the bureaucrats came up with when they redid the logs a few years back. The other issue is half of these drivers can’t back their truck into a parking spot.

There are times on the open road that I still enjoy being out there, but I’m pretty burnt out.

My ELD will not go into driving on duty until I go above 2 or 3 mph that way I am able move around the yard to hook up or unhook a set or just Park the bobtail in the yard

 

[DRYHEAT]

My ELD will not go into driving on duty until I go above 2 or 3 mph that way I am able move around the yard to hook up or unhook a set or just Park the bobtail in the yard

Yeah, I am aware that some do but my company keeps us on a short leash, frustrating as hell. If we move more than about 10 feet it shifts me into driving. Actually got a log violation in a truckstop parking lot because I backed up so a driver wouldn’t hit me trying to pull out of a stall.

 

[78Southwind]

I hate idiot drivers no matter what they are driving but getting hit by an 80,000 lbs big rig has a pretty high chance of killing you. We were hit by a fully loaded Kenworth when we were stopped on the 60 freeway behind another stopped big rig in traffic. This was just before the 15 freeway interchange. The Fucker hit us at 57 MPH. When you are hit by a big rig you literally lose time because of the force (it's like being in a time machine that is pushing you into the future). I still can't believe we survived it. Somehow the Fucker managed to hit us and push us into the open right-hand lane that was for the 15 southbound interchange and then into the guardrail instead of the big rig in front of us.

Since that accident six years ago, while driving on the 40 freeway I have had to lock up or hit my brakes hard five or six times because of big rigs pulling out of the right-hand lane and into the left-hand land to pass another big rig. They don't even try to give you a warning with a signal. I am usually the last car with nobody behind me on top of it all. I can't remember the guys name on RDP but he is a CHP Officer and he says these guys do it to him while he is driving his patrol/pursuit car.

When I was a kid, I always looked at the truck drivers like they were the "Ambassadors to the Road". I have two friends that drive truck, one that is now retired and the other has been driving for 10 to 15 years. They both tell me how Fucked up it is out there now with all these drivers that haven't been properly trained. These Fuckers straight-up don't give a shit. My friend that is still working just told me about a truck driver that ran over the front of his truck and just kept going. He is also the one that told me he had a truck driver passing him driving with his feet, laying back in his chair eating and watching a movie. WTF...

 

[boater250s]

I would say a UPS driver will come close to 87,500. A year for a 40 hr work week not including benefits, even though most work 60 hours a week.

 

[petie6464]

Dang I didn't realize there are so many experts in the trucking business here!

There us a simple solution for every one:

QUIT BUYING SHIT!

Problem solved. Thank you.

 

[yard dog]

I would say a UPS driver will come close to 87,500. A year for a 40 hr work week not including benefits, even though most work 60 hours a week.

ABF I would say they’re about the same as they’re a teamsters union too and same set up with health care benefits.

 

[DRYHEAT]

I would say a UPS driver will come close to 87,500. A year for a 40 hr work week not including benefits, even though most work 60 hours a week.

ABF I would say they’re about the same as they’re a teamsters union too and same set up with health care benefits.

I have to admit I haven’t really paid attention in a while but I would’ve thought the union freight haulers would all be making six figures or better by now even without overtime.

 

[beerrun]

The problem with that damn 30 minute break is now everybody takes their break on the fuel island while I’m trying to get fuel.

Thats called camping

 

[j21black]

My guess is, these guys and gals are "running on empty" due to Covid. Cant get product moved fast enough, shortage of drivers so they "cook the books" driving well past the allotted legal daily hours. Its the almighty dollar and all they see is green, regardless the fact they are driving numb, jacked on caffeine, red bull and the illegal stuff.

Its a tuff job and boring as hell...

Everything now is e-log = Difficult to cook the books.

Became law in 2017/2018 timeframe IIRC.

 

[Nikwho]

Now how many times have you got in front of a semi and slowed down?

Umm, I don't. I make room for semi's all the time! I happily share the road with them. Driving home from Colorado yesterday I blocked for multiple of them, to merge down to one lane for road construction. What is totally different, and completely disrespectful is when a semi cuts off other motorists, to pull the bullshit +0.5 MPH pass up a grade, while on a two lane highway. That's bullshit! That's the only thing that I ever complained about in this thread.

 

[Nikwho]

One of my friends works for Walmart and it’s just like any other trucking job the more you work the more you make. Too many rules for my liking.

I am a lazy fuck, I work like a fireman, two days on five days off three days on four days off.
















Just fucking with you fire service guys for @Nikwho sake.

Doesn't hurt my feelings. The schedule sounds more appealing than it actually is. I work 57 hours per week, before any overtime. And have approached 1000 hours of overtime per year. A lot of time, holidays, birthday's spent away from my family and kiddos. Sucks, but it's part of the job.

 

[Nikwho]

I hate idiot drivers no matter what they are driving but getting hit by an 80,000 lbs big rig has a pretty high chance of killing you. We were hit by a fully loaded Kenworth when we were stopped on the 60 freeway behind another stopped big rig in traffic. This was just before the 15 freeway interchange. The Fucker hit us at 57 MPH. When you are hit by a big rig you literally lose time because of the force (it's like being in a time machine that is pushing you into the future). I still can't believe we survived it. Somehow the Fucker managed to hit us and push us into the open right-hand lane that was for the 15 southbound interchange and then into the guardrail instead of the big rig in front of us.

Since that accident six years ago, while driving on the 40 freeway I have had to lock up or hit my brakes hard five or six times because of big rigs pulling out of the right-hand lane and into the left-hand land to pass another big rig. They don't even try to give you a warning with a signal. I am usually the last car with nobody behind me on top of it all. I can't remember the guys name on RDP but he is a CHP Officer and he says these guys do it to him while he is driving his patrol/pursuit car.

When I was a kid, I always looked at the truck drivers like they were the "Ambassadors to the Road". I have two friends that drive truck, one that is now retired and the other has been driving for 10 to 15 years. They both tell me how Fucked up it is out there now with all these drivers that haven't been properly trained. These Fuckers straight-up don't give a shit. My friend that is still working just told me about a truck driver that ran over the front of his truck and just kept going. He is also the one that told me he had a truck driver passing him driving with his feet, laying back in his chair eating and watching a movie. WTF...

I-40 is incredibly dangerous! The things that I have witnessed are shocking!