Stupid Buckeye Uses Up A Lifetime Of Luck

I'd say the four-wheeler was drunk or distracted by phone/texting...

He was moving from lane to lane after he went by, got into the sweeping right-hander in the hammer lane, drifted into the slush/snow on the left shoulder, and that was all she wrote.
 
Side-swiped the end cap of the guard rail by the overhead sign post.

Then he headed towards oncoming traffic. (You can see oncoming traffic slow down)

From the rooster tail of snow, I'd say the driver hammered it as opposed to stomping on the binders. 

Good move because slamming on the brakes would have caused an uncontrollable spin on the snowy grass median...sending him right into oncoming traffic.
 

It was a nice save...but it never should have happened.
 

That driver needs to buy many lottery tickets. 

And soon.

Tandem Axle Differential Power Divider Lock

Image courtesy Eaton Fuller Company/roadranger.com

Maybe it's just me, but there seems to be a lot of confusion out there about what a power divider lock is, how it works, and how it should be used.

I must admit...after perusing the internet for days trying to find a definitive answer, I'm more confused now than I was before.

Many moons ago, I was taught that one doesn't cruise down the interstate at speed for hours with the PDL engaged, and that PDL engagement should only be used for short periods, at slow speeds, in slick conditions, or to get yourself unstuck from mud, snow, muck, and goo.

This seems to be mostly accurate, but I wanted to know for sure.

Like all truck drivers, everybody has their own opinion.

Many of these opinions, it seems, are incorrect.

Knowledgeable mechanics are a good source of information, but sometimes I've found their explanations are too technical for the average dummy like me. 

So...like my dad always said, "When all else fails, read the instructions!" 

That is exactly what I did.

The following two scans are from pages 127 and 128 of the International/Navistar operator's manual which I found in my 2012 International Maxxforce tandem axle tractor equipped with a PDL switch.

Hopefully, this clears a few things up.

Please note:  Tandem axle power divider lock (PDL) is not the same as driver-controlled differential lock, and I'm too stupid to explain the difference between the two.

Different tractors may be equipped with different axle/differential controls.  It is important to know how your tractor is equipped, how it works, and how the controls function.

Otherwise, you may cause expensive noises and scatter your drive-train all over the interstate.

Doing so would be below average in just about anybody's book!

__________ 

How A Differential Works

Thought For The Day: Stoicism

Stoicism is the calm acceptance of responsibility.  

It is the acceptance that I am responsible for what I am capable of controlling. 

I cannot control what anyone else does or does not do. 

I cannot control the outcome of events, after I’ve done the work.

Stop trying to control anything except yourself.

We focus our efforts on what we are responsible for.

You are not in control over anything that you are not in control of.  Accept it.  Embrace it.

Accept responsibility for what you are responsible for.

You are responsible for you.  You are responsible for your actions.  You are in control of everything that you are in control of. 

Accept that responsibility.

The Stoic way...is to take responsibility for yourself.

Accept that you have absolute control over what you have control over, and don’t worry about the rest of it. 

If you take the responsibility you need to take, then you will perform. 

If you don’t, you will fail.

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The preceding were excerpts from an article written by John Mosby and were taken from his Mountain Guerrilla blog-site.

Steer Tire Blowout!

The way people talk, it is an instant trip to the ditch...or the undertaker.

Maybe yes, maybe no.

The video below makes sense to me.

Keep a little speed in reserve.

You might need it.

Don't slam on the brakes.

You'll crack up sure.

 

How To Prime And Start A Reefer Unit

We've all been there.

The reefer fuel tank has cob webs in it, you get fuel, and the darn thing still won't start.

It ain't the greatest tutorial, but this is the best video I could find on the subject.

You'll get the point.

This Guy Is An Idiot!

This didn't need to happen (again).

This driver's contact with the errant four-wheeler was completely avoidable.

Snowy slick conditions, and he's going way too fast.

He is also running with his jake brake on...a big no-no when traction is bad.

He's on the phone.

Again. 

It doesn't matter that he was using a Bluetooth headset.
 
Hands-free or not, he was carrying on with a phone conversation which has been proven to be distracting.   

No situational awareness.

No anticipation of four wheeler stupidity...or of anything else for that matter.

This cat is a disaster, and he's obviously too dumb to realize how clearly his videos illustrate his ignorance and carelessness.

Don't be him.

__________ 

For my own protection, I have many days of personally-shot big-rig dash-cam video archived.   The footage is interesting to review later.  I can see things I didn't see the first time around, and I can critique my own driving and make improvements.
  
Otherwise, every minute of my personal footage is dreadfully boring...which is just the way I like it.

For years it has been said that if nothing memorable happens during a trip, you most likely drove sensibly and defensively.
  
It almost seems as if this driver purposely makes things happen on the road in order to obtain "awesome" video content.

I DO thank him for the videos, though, because they are the perfect tool to use when teaching young inexperienced drivers on what NOT to do.

Plain and simple...he isn't very good at his job. It's a damn shame when a man doesn't realize his limitations. 

I've been driving rigs 20 years, and I know his type. 

He's an aggressive, know-it-all clown who thinks it's his duty to play policeman on the road and "teach" other drivers a lesson. 

I looked up his CSA scores. Amazingly, he doesn't have a bad rating, but it may have something to do with the fact his is a one-truck hobo outfit, and his recent shenanigans haven't caught up with him yet.  

They will eventually, and hopefully nobody dies in the process. 

It's fools like this who give all truck drivers a bad name. 

Good luck to him. 

He's going to need much more of it.

___________ 

It's all about attitude.  This guy's attitude is all bad.

He is chock full of excuses. 

What is your attitude?

Do you want to be and do the best you can? Do you care?  Do you want to improve?  Are you willing to listen and learn?  Do you take pride in your work?

Any professional driver knows to expect the unexpected and to prepare and anticipate.

It is obvious from this driver's comments on Live Leak and Facebook that he doesn't care he was involved with causing property damage and possible personal injury.

Again...don't be this guy, but learn from his mistakes and recommit yourself to safe, courteous, defensive driving.