[Brenda]

PERFECT!!!
I never understood why you can be taught something important like driving, and thus the safety of others by who ever you please. The exam is a joke too.

Just don't make it as bad as in Holland, where you are supposed to take 35 lessons of 1 hour before you can even take your exam. Lessons are about $60/hr and the last I heard about the exam itself it was about $300. Can you imagine the cost of that???

I just googled it. On average, getting your drivers license in The Netherlands, including roadtest and the other one (the one you do on the computer...) is roughly Euro 2200.

That is about $3300...

[Choban]

Brenda Brenda:

PERFECT!!!
I never understood why you can be taught something important like driving, and thus the safety of others by who ever you please. The exam is a joke too.

Just don't make it as bad as in Holland, where you are supposed to take 35 lessons of 1 hour before you can even take your exam. Lessons are about $60/hr and the last I heard about the exam itself it was about $300. Can you imagine the cost of that???

I just googled it. On average, getting your drivers license in The Netherlands, including roadtest and the other one (the one you do on the computer...) is roughly Euro 2200.

That is about $3300...

What are their accident figures like, and insurance costs I wonder.
I can see lessons beign mandatory but that's an enormous cost, then you gotta buy a car, register and insure it.

[DerbyX]

Choban Choban:

DerbyX DerbyX:

Its the truck drivers I'm the most concerned about. I drive Steeles every day and at every intersection during morning rush hour we have a fully loaded truck running a red light because he doesn't want to stop and right behind him there are always 1 or 2 cars following close behind. You have wait at least 5 to 10 seconds after getting a green light before going in order for all the vehicles running red lights to clear.

If McGuinty set up a bunch of red light cameras he'd clear the deficit in no time.

Truckers don't have the ability to slam on the brakes like everyone else, you can't just plow onto them for fear you will cause a worse problem. While I agree that they should be aware of what's ahead of them most of them will cruise through a yellow and into a red as opposed to jacknifing the truck, 2cdo said it right, 3 second rule, wait look then go as anyone can run a red.

I'm talking about trucks who aren't cruising through yellows though but who decide long before they are going through regardless and speed up knowing the light will turn before they hit the intersection. These trucks and the cars following them enter the intersection after the on coming cars get a green light.

The 3 second rule is best but like I said, even 10 seconds sometimes isn't enough.

[Choban]

True enough Derby, I've never received a call from a motorist that witnessed one of my tractors doing this, but I assure you that driver would be dealt wiht.
Fact is though that for commercial trucking the restrictions and regulations have increased and improved 10 fold in the last 2 years.
Each company has a profile with the DOT and points are put on it for infractions (much like an abstract and demerits). Too many points and you lose your operating authority and Blam, no more company.

[Choban]

I should add that everything and I do mean everything has moved by truck at some point from manufature to purchase, weather it came by sea, air or train it at one time was on a truck, the #'s are staggering, trucking is the one industry we will never be without and communication is one of the most important aspects of the industry.
All we can do is educate and train our drivers to be the best and safest as possible .
Alot of companies have a safety bonus program and onboard computers are making human error less of a factor all the time while greatly increasing accountability.
I would say to any of you out there, that if you notice tractors perfoming in an unsafe manner to note the company and unit # and call in your concerns, any dispatcer worth their salt will investigate the issue and disipline the driver.

[Brenda]

Still, it is one of the worst businesses to work in. Competition is high, fares are low.

[PublicAnimalNo9]

Choban Choban:

DerbyX DerbyX:

Its the truck drivers I'm the most concerned about. I drive Steeles every day and at every intersection during morning rush hour we have a fully loaded truck running a red light because he doesn't want to stop and right behind him there are always 1 or 2 cars following close behind. You have wait at least 5 to 10 seconds after getting a green light before going in order for all the vehicles running red lights to clear.

If McGuinty set up a bunch of red light cameras he'd clear the deficit in no time.

Truckers don't have the ability to slam on the brakes like everyone else, you can't just plow onto them for fear you will cause a worse problem. While I agree that they should be aware of what's ahead of them most of them will cruise through a yellow and into a red as opposed to jacknifing the truck, 2cdo said it right, 3 second rule, wait look then go as anyone can run a red.

The biggest thing I've ever driven on the roads was a 5/4 ton truck. Even that fully loaded isn't going to stop anywhere near as quickly as the family sedan.

[Choban]

Brenda Brenda:

Still, it is one of the worst businesses to work in. Competition is high, fares are low.

If your talking trucking, yes. It's a daily challenge. Rates change with fuel prices and competition is fierce, especially the big companies who have to deal with little guys comming in and slashing rates.
On the plus side, the slugs don't last, service speaks volumes and word of mouth is one of the best tools for promoting a company.

[Brenda]

Choban Choban:

Brenda Brenda:

Still, it is one of the worst businesses to work in. Competition is high, fares are low.

If your talking trucking, yes. It's a daily challenge. Rates change with fuel prices and competition is fierce, especially the big companies who have to deal with little guys comming in and slashing rates.
On the plus side, the slugs don't last, service speaks volumes and word of mouth is one of the best tools for promoting a company.

A lot of little guys will not survive. It's pretty hard to be a private trucker and make a profit. It's really tough...

[tritium]

acidcomplex acidcomplex:

tritium tritium:

Yogi Yogi:

I would like to see ALL provinces enact, and then strictly enforce such a law. There is one county here which has recently done so, but it doesn't apply to provincial roadways within the county. No word yet as to how that is working out.

ditto

As a truck driver I see people sway back and forth in a lane or cross the line.

When I pass they are on the phone, trying to dial or texting.

If the phone call is that important, pull over and talk, otherwise, drive your vehicle.

Talking on Cell Phone as Dangerous as Driving Drunk

ha right , just like you do when you use your CB right? give me a break. I guess you support this law if it covers CB radios as well correct?

First off, I don't have a CB (Citizen Band) Radio. I have a VHF and I use it only in emergency situations, such as break downs or accients. Other than that, it's turned off.

I have no desire to listen to a bunch of truckers talking shit...

[herbie]

$1:

The biggest thing I've ever driven on the roads was a 5/4 ton truck. Even that fully loaded isn't going to stop anywhere near as quickly as the family sedan.

Glad you know that, cuz I distinctly remember coming down a long hill with the jakebrake on, brakes faded and still gaining on a dickwad that was puttering along and thought I was tailgating. So he jammed on the brakes to "teach ME a lesson".
He did!
How to pass on the right in a gravel shoulder with the trailer jack-knifing and save a suicidal dickwad's wife and children from guaranteed death at the same time.

[PublicAnimalNo9]

I know what you mean herbie. One of the fucking dumbest things I ever saw was in Massachusetts. There's a stretch of I-90 that's on a real long slope and steep enough I wouldn't wanna drive a rig on it. There's a few emergency runoffs for rigs if their brakes fail on the downhill. One of them actually had a pretty decent view of the valley so some family actually decided it was a great place to stop for a picnic!!

On a side note, that same stretch of highway has a real cool illusion when yer travelling west on it. Even though you're going uphill, it looks like you're on a very slight decline.

[acidcomplex]

tritium tritium:

First off, I don't have a CB (Citizen Band) Radio. I have a VHF and I use it only in emergency situations, such as break downs or accients. Other than that, it's turned off.

I have no desire to listen to a bunch of truckers talking shit...

oh come on truckers say some of the funniest shit. Shiny side up, rubber side down, come on back now....over

[herbie]

Okay ban the fucking things. I just saw a freaking school bus slide into a ditch yesterday. It was snowing and I was told the driver was texting with a load of little kids in the back.
Someone better be unemployed this morning!

I've had to warn my employees constantly that I don't pay them to text their damn friends. No cell phones in the workplace, or keep them in the locker turned off and use them on breaks only.

[acidcomplex]

herbie herbie:

Okay ban the fucking things. I just saw a freaking school bus slide into a ditch yesterday. It was snowing and I was told the driver was texting with a load of little kids in the back.
Someone better be unemployed this morning!

I've had to warn my employees constantly that I don't pay them to text their damn friends. No cell phones in the workplace, or keep them in the locker turned off and use them on breaks only.

so you don't actually know if the person was on or texting with a cell?