Premier transport?

[GTRS Fiero]

Today, I--along with many other drivers--was treated to a 10-minute side view of a Premier Transport tractor-trailer making a U-turn in the middle of a 6-lane road.  The driver was an overweight white guy with curly brown hair.  He was following his handheld GPS.  The trailer had some golf carts on it.  I'm no expert, but it seems to me that even I could have made a better U-turn, although I would've chosen a better location.

All 6 lanes (3 each way) of traffic were held up.  The driver just sortof turned and forced his way through traffic.  This was about .5 miles north of a major highway, near a shopping center and a casino.  No vehicular contact was made, although the truck and trailer did hit both curbs, a street sign, and a lightpost.

This transport was registered in Augusta, GA.

Maybe the GPS told him to "make illegal U-turn".

[Raydar]

I'm not going to say anything to disparage truckers. Driving a truck would send me straight into conniptions.
But when people in cars follow a GPS, it's usually a simple matter to correct a course error made by the GPS, (or driver, for that matter.)
But a trucker has a much tougher job. The Tail Of The Dragon is a perfect example. Truckers sometimes follow their GPS's instructions to "Take 129...", only to realize, way too late, that the road is incapable of accommodating their trucks at all, much less safely.
They've installed signage, now.

[GTRS Fiero]

That may be true, but a bad decision is a bad decision.  In this case, the driver actually caused damage to both public property and his vehicle.  Oh, and that U-turn was illegal.  By law, drivers are required to follow the laws for the location where they are driving.

It was not my intent to disparage truck drivers.  I am old enough to remember when truck drivers were professionals, and as such had unbelievable control of their rigs.  I just thought it interesting to see a truck from GA.  You know, when you own a vehicle, you see a bunch of them.

[GTXVette]

 I must agree with you on all points because you are right on All Points . Sadly ? there is so Much Freight Nowday's the drivers are not the "Professional" minded People they Once were.
 GPS is Is worse than a Set Of written Instructions. Recently A Large Mfg.Plant was Built in My Town(they Make Wing Spars ) You Can See it from the Expressway Exit Ramp, BUT GPS says Go Left, Not right(Again you can SEE The Building) And Off They Go Down a Super Hilly Bairly 2 Lane road With Nothing but Cow Pastures Down Both Sides. And Nowhere to turn Around for Miles. But they Did .

[Fierofool]

That was possibly Club Car.  They're based in Augusta.  Green golf carts.  There's another down that makes white carts.  They both use contract haulers as well as their own fleet.

[GTRS Fiero]

Several times, my wife has submitted corrections.  The issues were corrected.

I think that was discussed somewhere else recently, but truckers can get a GPS specifically for truckers, to avoid this type of issues.

[f85gtron]

As a truck driver, I think it's ridiculous how quick the motoring public is to call out a truck driver as being unprofessional, like they'd have a clue what it takes to pilot one of those things down the road, carrying 75%+ of the materials and goods on their backs to keep this country going. I'm not sticking up for him, but considering the crappy gps maps (usually not updated by local municipalities), piss-poor road conditions, weather, obstructions, construction, accidents, directions, and the worst thing of all is a terrible motoring public. These are variables that have to be used to factor a response, plus a hundred more, on a moment's notice, and usually reactionary after the fact because the truck driver has absolutely no control over these things whatsoever.
Maybe he missed his turn and couldn't see what you knew to be a better option ahead. He's probably never been there before AND is dragging around 80ft of 80000lbs metal all while trying to find his stop, negotiate unfamiliar traffic, and deal with all those variables at once. Next time, get out and offer your local knowledge and help.
I'm not trying to be rude, but put things in perspective.
I know a lot of fat white guys that aren't truck drivers. I know a lot of fat white guys that drive fieros. Can you get a truck and trailer combination into a decent restaurant parking space?  They don't fit in drive throughs.  We're stuck eating crap from truck stops. What was your point, other than a lazy prejudicial comparison?

Ron

[GTRS Fiero]

This caught my eye, because of the home city/state combo.  But let's not argue.  My intent was not to strike a nerve.  If you look at my original post, I stated what happened, was critical of the driver, and made fun of the GPS.  I did not disparage truckers in general or that particular line.  As I later stated, corrections can be submitted to the GPS companies.

[f85gtron]

GTRS Fiero:
I deleted your pm without reading it. It's obvious you have opinions that have not fully developed yet and I don't want to form an unfavorable opinion based on biased rant. Thanks for explaining your position, but it's not necessary.  Bygones.
Ron

[GTRS Fiero]

GTRS Fiero:
I deleted your pm without reading it. It's obvious you have opinions that have not fully developed yet and I don't want to form an unfavorable opinion based on biased rant. Thanks for explaining your position, but it's not necessary.  Bygones.
Ron

Hmmm.  I replied honestly to your post.  Interesting that you were able to establish your opinion without reading my pm.

[f85gtron]

If we're being honest...
I read the first two points, then gave up because the words where too big and I am but a lowly truck driver and can't handle any more words much bigger than "open" and "closed".  My apologies, sir.
Ron

[Roger]

As a truck driver, I think it's ridiculous how quick the motoring public is to call out a truck driver as being unprofessional, like they'd have a clue what it takes to pilot one of those things down the road, carrying 75%+ of the materials and goods on their backs to keep this country going. I'm not sticking up for him, but considering the crappy gps maps (usually not updated by local municipalities), piss-poor road conditions, weather, obstructions, construction, accidents, directions, and the worst thing of all is a terrible motoring public. These are variables that have to be used to factor a response, plus a hundred more, on a moment's notice, and usually reactionary after the fact because the truck driver has absolutely no control over these things whatsoever.
Maybe he missed his turn and couldn't see what you knew to be a better option ahead. He's probably never been there before AND is dragging around 80ft of 80000lbs metal all while trying to find his stop, negotiate unfamiliar traffic, and deal with all those variables at once. Next time, get out and offer your local knowledge and help.
I'm not trying to be rude, but put things in perspective.
I know a lot of fat white guys that aren't truck drivers. I know a lot of fat white guys that drive fieros. Can you get a truck and trailer combination into a decent restaurant parking space?  They don't fit in drive throughs.  We're stuck eating crap from truck stops. What was your point, other than a lazy prejudicial comparison?

Ron

Truck drivers brought me all my stuff. A truck driver delivered my Fiero to me. I flash my lights and let them move over. I don't cut them off when going down hill and they have a run on the truck in front of them. Besides that, nobody's perfect. And who you calling fat!? 

[f85gtron]

Pic from Christmas party-before-last

Maybe a thread could be started addressing how to drive around big trucks. Since the economy ramped up, they'll be even more of them on the already crowded roads. Any pointers might help, especially since our little cars tend to get hung up under them rather easily.
And then another thread for how to gracefully enter and exit our little cars for anyone over 220lbs.
Ron

[GTRS Fiero]

No one will ever describe anything I do as graceful.

I didn't intend to besmurch anyone by my comment.  It was a truck from GA.  Had it been a Fiero, would there have been such an issue?  I suspect that the posts would have been quite different.

[Fierofool]

Ron, I didn't recognize you with that curly wig on your head.

The reaction would probably be similar from any profession or anything someone is passionate about if they took it as a general put-down.  I didn't think much of it but I'm not a big rig driver.

Ron is a Haz-Mat driver hauling bottled gasses.  To quote another driver from the same company, "I'm the guy that goes to work every day and straps a big bomb on my back."  I'm sure they don't make U-turns like that.