The Problems Different Kinds of Cargo Can Cause Before You Begin Truck Driving

The following questions will help you think about the problems different kinds of cargo can cause before you begin driving. By doing so, they should help you drive more safely on the road.

DO: Answer the following questions.

1. Look at the following illustrations of what happens to liquid cargo as you travel the highways. Study them. Then answer the questions that follow.
   
   
   
   
   a. What happens to liquid in a partially full tanker when you travel?
   
   
   b. Would the same thing happen if the tanker were full? Why or why not?
   
   
   c. Which would be easier to haul, the full or the partially full tanker? Explain.
   
   
   d. How would baffles in the tanker reduce danger during travel?
   
   
   e. What might a driver of a partially full tanker do to lessen danger while driving?
   
   
2. Look at the following illustration of beef. This kind of load is called swinging beef. It can't be tied down because the tie-downs would bruise the beef so badly that it couldn't be used once it reached its destination. Answer the questions that follow.
   
   
   a. What will the beef do when you turn a corner?
   
   
   b. What will the beef do when you slow down?
   
   
   c. What will the beef do when you accelerate?
   
   
   d. What might happen when you are carrying the load over icy pavement?
   
   
   e. What steps can a driver take to lessen the dangers caused by swinging beef?
   
   
3. Imagine yourself the driver of a difficult load. It might be difficult because it will be hard to tie-down (like boats, bathtubs or window frames). Or it might be difficult because of surging or swinging (like swinging beef). Describe your load in the space below. Tell how you would lessen the dangers of spillage or accident. For example, what type of tie-down would you use? What driving skills would you use or special precautions would you take to lessen danger? Draw a picture if it will help either to show your load or to illustrate the safety steps you should take.
   

Phoned-in Accident Report #2 - Jim Ellis: Is this Arrow Transport in N.W. Seattle, Washington? Sorry. I must have dialed wrong. (Pause.) Betty, this is Jim Ellis. I'm Senior Driver of Truck #19. I am calling from the Corvalis Medical Center in Corvalis, Stone County, Washington. I need to talk to Mr. Ames. Hello Mr. Ames. Jim Ellis here. I need to report an accident. Yes, Corvalis Medical Center. Our phone number here is (509) 415-6215. That's the hospital. Our motel phone number is (509) 625-1795. That is the telephone number of the Blue Jay Lodge in Summit, just outside of Corvalis. Yes, I'm ready to give you my report. We had parked at Summit and dropped our trailer at the Blue Jay Lodge and headed into Corvalis for fuel for the morning and to eat dinner. It was about 8:30 P.M. when we left the fuel stop on Route 51 to get something to eat on the way back to Summit. We were traveling North on 51, going about 50 mph. The road was pretty wet, and it was getting real cold. The highway was a two-lane with crossroads. As we approached Third Avenue, going out of town, we noticed a car coming from the right on Third. Just as we got to the intersection, the car ran the stop sign. Ted Niffy, my co-driver, hit the brakes to avoid hitting the car. Our tractor spun around two or three times and went off the left side of the road into a ditch. The car that hit us sped off down the road without stopping. Ted cut his forehead pretty bad when the tractor rolled over, and they're talking here like I've got a couple of cracked ribs. A Mr. and Mrs. Graham, real nice people, were following the car when it ran the stop sign, and Mr. Graham helped me get Ted out of the tractor. I couldn't lift him, you see, because of my injury. Mr. Graham called the State Police up here, and they gave us their own private home telephone number which is (509) 525-6202 and the license number of the car that blew the stop sign: RTU106 Oregon. The police are having our tractor towed into Corvalis, and they will be here in the morning with their report and to get our statement. The doctor wants us to stay here at the medical center overnight for observations, so we'll be in Room #112. Well, thanks for your concern. Ted and I both had on our seat-belts or we would have been thrown out of the cab. Sure, I can answer a couple more questions. The width of the road? You mean the 51? Oh, I guess about 12 feet. Yeah, the lanes were marked. No, there wasn't any curb or anything. My tractor and trailer numbers? Tractor #19 and Trailer #19-TL. Yes, I'll call you first thing in the morning. Tomorrow's Sunday. Will you be in? Okay, I'll ask for you. Yeah, Happy Valentine's Day to you too.

STUDY PURPOSE: This exercise is provided to draw your attention to PROJECT /the causes of accidents. It will give you experience in analyzing #2 two accidents to see what caused them and help you think about / how they could have been avoided.

DO: The Supervisor's Investigation Report (Figure 22-4 in the Trucking Handbook) is made out at the scene of the accident if possible by the company's accident investigator. If the accident investigator cannot make it out at the actual scene of the accident, she or he will make it out later at the office or terminal. He or she will also suggest a remedy to prevent another similar accident from occurring in the future.

Assume that you are a company accident investigator. Snap out two copies of the Supervisor's Investigation Report which appears in Part IV of this workbook.

Complete an investigation report on each of the accidents described in STUDY PROJECT #1. You will have to guess at the extent of property damage. What damages to the rig would you imagine, considering the driver's description of the accident? What dollar figure would you assign to damages? Decide which things to put down under unsafe conditions and which things to put down under unsafe acts.

Doing this exercise will help you take a close look at truck safety. Be sure to fill in the section marked "Remedy." What would you do to avoid such occurrences in the future if you were the investigator? Would you suspend the driver? Would you have the rig repaired? Would you issue new safety guidelines to all drivers? Be realistic and practical. What would you do?