Wednesday, November 30, 2005
Driving on a slick road
When i am driving on a rain slick road, I drive alltogether differently. I allow a lot of room for the other driver. It takes more space to stop a big truck on a slick road than a car or lighter vehicle. You can't allways see out your rearview mirrors because of the water spray your tires are throwing up. And, the vehicle behind you can't allways see around you well enough to pass and believe me, They are going to try to pass. And if there is somebody coming from the oppisite direction, One of you are going to have to be ready to brake. You have to be very careful in doing so because if you both brake, and if the car trying to pass decides he can't make it, He is going to want to get back behind you. And if you brake, That makes it that much more dangerous. The key is to try to hold your same speed while keeping an eye on the other driver.
Now on an icy or snow covered road, You have to be that much more careful. A good way to practice driving on a slick road (My boys hated this) Is, ( Do this in good weather) Get a glass of water and fill it about half full. Put the glass on the roof of the car and see if you can drive around town without spilling any. Now don't cheat, The glass can't be attached to the roof, Just sitting there. You will have to not only start off easy but you will also learn to stop easy. Thats going to be very hard for some of the younger kids these days. But if you can do it, You will know how to drive on an icy or snow slick road.
Now on an icy or snow covered road, You have to be that much more careful. A good way to practice driving on a slick road (My boys hated this) Is, ( Do this in good weather) Get a glass of water and fill it about half full. Put the glass on the roof of the car and see if you can drive around town without spilling any. Now don't cheat, The glass can't be attached to the roof, Just sitting there. You will have to not only start off easy but you will also learn to stop easy. Thats going to be very hard for some of the younger kids these days. But if you can do it, You will know how to drive on an icy or snow slick road.
Saturday, November 12, 2005
Watch out for the other driver
I have seen a lot of near misses. One time There was a car in front of me slowing to turn off, They turned on the turn signal for a right turn and then turned left. Another time, I was going down the highway at 55 miles per hour and noticed an old pickup truck over to my right on a side road coming up to the highway to a stop sign, you guessed it. He didn't even slow down. He went right across the road in front of me. Lucky for me I had time to slow enough to not hit him. It's times like that, that make you wonder why you do this for aliving. I've seen a car coming right at me on my side of the road then at the last minute he looks up and sees you and jerks it back on his side of the road. Talk about heart stopping. You just have to allways have your eyes on the road and the other guy. I know somebody who wrecked a good car because he was adjusting his radio and not watching where he was going. He drove it right off a bridge into the water.
Saturday, November 05, 2005
Gone Many miles
I am a truck driver. I have driven for the same company for almost 38 years. I can give you some advise if you are considering getting a job driveing a truck. First off, if you are married or going to get married, Don,t start driving a truck. I will give you some reasons in a while, but now, What i am about to tell you is what i have experienced for myself, It may not be what everyone who drives a truck goes through.
Here is what you will miss out on. You will miss out on your kid's growing up, not to mention the birthday parties and parent teacher confrences and Graduations. Next thing you know, they are going off to the service. Your wife will wish you were there when she has a flat tire, or when the furnace goes out. That might not seem like a big deal to you but its a huge problem for her.
And you, not having a clock to punchout on, you may not know when you are going to be home again, so you can't really plan anything. I myself like to work in my shop with wood and make things. I have done that but what would normally take two or three days to make after work turns in to three weeks working on weekends or when you get in.
Another drawback to driving a truck is that it does usually pay good. You say what's wrong with that? Well, If you were making factory wages or thereabouts, you would get used to that amount of income. On the other hand if you made more money, you would get used to that income. Then when you get tired of driving the truck and want to quit, you can't because you can't make the payments that you have setup on the higher paying job. You would have to really watch your spending.
Now, if you are not married and don't intend to, Go for it.
I have driven around two and a half million miles for this company. (With no moving violations I might add).The good part about it is you get to know the driving habits of allmost everybody else out there on the road. I say almost all because there are those that are totally unpredictible. Those are the ones you have to watch out for. I have seen it all, almost. I could go on and talk about the ones that are a menace to the highway, but i'll save that for another time.
link
Here is what you will miss out on. You will miss out on your kid's growing up, not to mention the birthday parties and parent teacher confrences and Graduations. Next thing you know, they are going off to the service. Your wife will wish you were there when she has a flat tire, or when the furnace goes out. That might not seem like a big deal to you but its a huge problem for her.
And you, not having a clock to punchout on, you may not know when you are going to be home again, so you can't really plan anything. I myself like to work in my shop with wood and make things. I have done that but what would normally take two or three days to make after work turns in to three weeks working on weekends or when you get in.
Another drawback to driving a truck is that it does usually pay good. You say what's wrong with that? Well, If you were making factory wages or thereabouts, you would get used to that amount of income. On the other hand if you made more money, you would get used to that income. Then when you get tired of driving the truck and want to quit, you can't because you can't make the payments that you have setup on the higher paying job. You would have to really watch your spending.
Now, if you are not married and don't intend to, Go for it.
I have driven around two and a half million miles for this company. (With no moving violations I might add).The good part about it is you get to know the driving habits of allmost everybody else out there on the road. I say almost all because there are those that are totally unpredictible. Those are the ones you have to watch out for. I have seen it all, almost. I could go on and talk about the ones that are a menace to the highway, but i'll save that for another time.
link
