Eastern Railroad Discussion > Trucker narrow miss, being a Darwin awards winner.

I am not sure what this trucker was thinking or when this happen,  I just was surfing the net and found this clip, of a truck crashing through the gates some place in Florida along a CSX line.  

https://www.msn.com/en-us/video/viral/truck-almost-gets-hit-by-train/vi-BBZLtj0?ocid=spartandhp

Sorry in advance if this has been posed before I just did a narrow back 5 day search and did not see it. 



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 02/07/20 21:09 by czuleget.

He was going idle speed, looks like they were texting on the phone, and did not realize they were idling forward. Thankfull he had the brains to keep going and not stop and reverse.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 02/07/20 22:04 by flarails882.

flarails882 Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> He was going idle speed, looks like they were
> texting on the phone, and did not realize they
> were idling forward. Thankfull he had the brains
> to keep going and not stop and reverse.

You base that on what?
I’m guessing that he tried to beat the train and being loaded and on an incline, needed that low of a gear to pull out or he has a god awful automatic and yes, some launch that slow.

And no, I’m not defending him. The more I see, I only defend my industry to an ever shrinking point.

Posted from iPhone

Doug Wetherhold
Macungie, PA

flarails882 Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> He was going idle speed, looks like they were
> texting on the phone, and did not realize they
> were idling forward. Thankfull he had the brains
> to keep going and not stop and reverse.

And making a right turn and shifting gears while texting......hmmm. 

ALCO630 Wrote:
-
> I’m guessing that he tried to beat the train and
> being loaded and on an incline, needed that low of
> a gear to pull out or he has a god awful automatic
> and yes, some launch that slow.
>
> And no, I’m not defending him. The more I see,
> I only defend my industry to an ever shrinking
> point.
>
> Posted from iPhone

That was my take also. Just had to beat the train. And I could not agree more with your "Automatic Transmission" comment. I drove one of the PBlt Auto's for my last 1 year and hated it all. No pick up/ get up and go. On snow or ice on even the smallest hills/inclines, it couldn't decide what gear to be in and always shifted. No traction at all. Mine shifetd at the worst times possible. It takes away any skill needed to "drive' the big trucks. They, the companies, want steering wheel holders any more. And if ya don't like any of that, there be another potential "holder" standing in line behind you to replace you.  Glad I got out of it. Ben

msns2557 Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> They, the companies, want steering wheel
> holders any more. And if ya don't like any of
> that, there be another potential "holder" standing
> in line behind you to replace you.  Glad I got
> out of it.

It's not just trucking. Pick a profession/trade. It's there.

TAW

EL-SD45-3632 Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> flarails882 Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > He was going idle speed, looks like they were
> > texting on the phone, and did not realize they
> > were idling forward. Thankfull he had the
> brains
> > to keep going and not stop and reverse.
>
> And making a right turn and shifting gears while
> texting......hmmm. 

If he pulled out on the hill and turned, he wouldn’t have the momentum to keep going if he tried to shift. He should know that.

But then...

Posted from iPhone

Doug Wetherhold
Macungie, PA

I never found an extended version of the video. Long story short, he needs to setup for the right turn before he gets to the crossing. because there is a guard rail defending the curb and  theres only one lane to turn into , I'm having a hard time believing some one would intentionally take a loaded old pete over a RR crossing like that. Not to mention Amtrak  comes through that area at good clip.

As for automatics the new ones wear out quick. Just starting out on job I had no assigned truck, so a diffrent one every few days.  I've had some that would shift every gear from 2 to 12 with an empty 53 container. Next truck would go 3-6-9- and shift to 12th at 34 mph! Loaded. My favorite new feature was the overpass coasting. Once the truck starts downhill on an overpass it gets out gear and coasts down a short overpass. Problem was instead maintaing speed it would not get back in gear until about 58 mph. Your going from 65mph to 58mph on Interstates in Florida. This adds confusion for motorist trying to merge.  The solution to all this was to put the automatics in manual mode and shift with the lever when need. That way you dictate what gears to skip and when. Plus no more coasting!

Some trucks have systems that once you shut it off or stall it the engine will  not start back up until after a certian amount of time has past.


 



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 02/08/20 13:01 by flarails882.

I hope someone at CSX sees this video as you get a good look at the license plate on the trailer as he tears the crossing arm off. 

It's hard to see in this video, but he did take out the crossing arm.  There is a better version of this floating around on the internet but I don't remember where I saw it.  Looks like he cleared he tracks with about 5 seconds to spare.

John