O/T rant for state truck drivers.

Jim H SW-PA · Jan 11, 2009

Years ago there was an unpublished courteous self written other words common sense law , that when I was ashing, salting the roads that the spreading was to either be slowed down or stopped when a automobile was met and just as the vehicle passed.

Today it seems to be a game as to how much damage they can do to any ones vehicle knowing full well most won't chase them in bad weather.

last night I met a truck spreading salt while the roadway wasn't even slippery,it was dark, but doing 40 mph on a 45 mph road was safe. They were just wet.

All of a sudden WHAM !! Salt across the windshield paint on the hood, may have got my air conditioner cooler as well.

Now my truck is not worth as much as some but all I got. 97, S-10

Where are the responsible,professional,CDL trained drivers.

I saw a state pickup last year run deliberately over a dead skunk in front of my house 50 ft from porch.

It was during the morning hours so I called the office, to have them come back and remove it, and they said Call game commission they had nothing to do with it. Sorry for the rant

Johnski · Jan 11, 2009

I don't know about where you grew up but it used to be that when you saw a plow or sander coming then you pulled to the right and slowed down. Do you think that they were out there just for fun? If you think the roads were just wet then maybe you never heard of black ice. Give us a break, we are trying to make the roads safer for you. I heard one lady complaining on the radio during the last storm that she was late for work because of all the plow trucks in her way. I personally do not know any drivers who don't do this job in a professional manner. Unfortunately, like Rodney, we don't get no respect. Jf

John B. · Jan 11, 2009

In our township they turn the spreaders off long enough for a vehicle to pass.

Rick(MN) · Jan 11, 2009

Never heard of that unpublished rule. Only rule about it I ever heard was my Dad years ago telling me to give them all the room they need and to not do anything to make their job harder. My thanks to all the plow drivers out there.

tractormiallis · Jan 11, 2009

I used to work for the county road dept, I can tell you,get over to the right as far as you can when passing a truck. Also, I don't see why the spinner that throws the salt would be going so fast as to throw salt that far over . The driver should have had it slowed down to lay the material on the road lane he was in, not all over the road and shoulder. Most spreaders have chutes to drop the salt/sand down within a foot or so of the road.

Jim H SW-PA · Jan 11, 2009

No But you are talking to an experienced salt shaker driver and courtesy is a un written common sense thing and they use salt here like it is going out of style along with the new pre de icer.
spray, In all my professional experiences I never caused any damage deliberately.

I was driving less than the posted limit and temp were around 39°at the time I just don't see no professionalism in the way some drive. If he was worried about Black ice why was he going so fast.
salt scatters and you should know that and the faster you go, will scatter beyond the roadway berms thus wasting the precious salt supplies.

Jim H SW-PA · Jan 11, 2009

That's the way we did it too and I shake their hand
Called Professional Courtesy !
let some of these drivers today take their POV and pass a salt truck the way I did and the State --US will repair it.

Spook · Jan 11, 2009

I can't see the driver's here slowing down or stopping the spreader every time somebody passes them. It is annoying, but part of life. I try to get out of the way.

WantACaseLASomeday · Jan 11, 2009

They would never have the spreader on around here if they had to turn it off for every car they meet. I live in an urban area and there is too much traffic. The salt/slurry driver doesn't have much choice so I figure it is my responsibility to get out of the way. I appreciate what they do.

fixerupper · Jan 11, 2009

Around here the state trucks have a spreader that's hanging really low on the left side and it only spreads a few feet. They can't possibly spray a car from that height. A few years ago they still had the high spreaders that shot anything that passed them.

Probably the reason they don't slow down for cars is it could affect the rate of spread and the ones trying to balance the budget don't want to see it wasted.Jim

Anonymous-0 · Jan 11, 2009

The trucks up here have strobe lights and signs on them that say to keep back so many metres/feet. Did you come up behind him or were you going the other way? I remember seeing a full sanding truck go into a really icy turn lane and not drop a grain of sand. Then instead of turning left like he was supposed to, he turned right and came back over into the lane to go straight. Sometimes I think the drivers don't know exactly what they're doing. Dave

RodinNS · Jan 11, 2009

First I ever heard of them turning the spreader off. The general practice here is to not run the spreader at all but simply drop salt on the center line. If they're travelling at a good clip it disburses enough from there.
On major highways they travel at close to the posted speed limit... or mabey 20% less than the posted limit. Be about the same on the back roads.
The basic idea is to get out of their way.

Rod

ericlb · Jan 11, 2009

responsible, safe, cdl drivers...in a state truck? surly you cant mean that, you must not live around here , all ours are somebodys cousin uncle or brother, work as little as possible and their driving skills are minimal on their best day, tearing up your truck is a game for them as is making a huge mess out of your hiway frontage because it takes 4 dump trucks and 8 or 9 guys to pick up 1 dead deer or elk

Prez B O · Jan 12, 2009

Move to a place like Georgia that has civilized
weather

kyplowboy · Jan 12, 2009

Professional drivers won't work for $7.50/hour and thats what state road workers start at here.

Dave

tractormiallis · Jan 12, 2009

Take it like this... most drivers, at least at the county level started at around 10 an hour. They have their CDL test, CPR training for road accidents/situations they may come across. There are professional drivers that care about their work, and there are the jerks that dont care. Just like any workplace. Best rule is to get out of their way as far as you can when encountering the trucks.

Spotted Horse · Jan 12, 2009

(quoted from post at 21:51:02 01/11/09) responsible, safe, cdl drivers...in a state truck? surly you cant mean that, you must not live around here , all ours are somebodys cousin uncle or brother, work as little as possible and their driving skills are minimal on their best day, tearing up your truck is a game for them as is making a huge mess out of your hiway frontage because it takes 4 dump trucks and 8 or 9 guys to pick up 1 dead deer or elk

Every word of what you say rings true in my area also.

Our county employees are also a joke. :x
I've always said, it would be better to fire everyone and sell off the equipment,... and put everything up for bid from private contractors.
The results would be, less taxs and a better job being done.

Rollie NE PA · Jan 12, 2009

(reply to post at 03:41:11 01/12/09)

Jim, I am a retired district Foreman from a county Road & Bridge Dept. in PA. It was never my policy to have the spreader turn table spinning at a high volocity unless it was at a wide curve or an intersection. Salt/antiskid should be dropped in a pattern width of about 8 feet. The traffic will work it across the entire road because of the crown and or cross slope in the road. However I would turn the spinner down when a car would approach but not turn it off. Having said that, I have had drivers pass me from behind and risk causing an accident. They recieved an extra dose of antiskid. Hard to explain to the police how you got paint damage on the pass, side of your car.
Had a cop who was in his own private vehicle get paint chips down the entire side of his Suburban. I met him at our garage and he was really mad. When the police showed up(his buddy) on the force, he wanted the driver cited for the damage. His buddy told him he could not cite the driver of the truck. Snow removal operations come first and you travel the roads at your own risk.The cops comprehensive ins. paid for the damage

Anonymous-0 · Jan 12, 2009

Come out to Illinois, if you belong to the right party and make a campaign donation you to can become a state highway maintenance technician.

Rollie NE PA · Jan 12, 2009

It was like that here for a while, but now the county can't keep drivers.
Big turn over and when that happens you are always training somebody and by the time they are trained they leave for a better job. Seen drivers start on a Monday and be gone by lunch time. There is a poor work ethic out there among some of the younger ones.

O/T rant for state truck drivers.

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