On 4 May 2005 07:53:58 -0700, wrote:

Assuming the driver had to do a panic stop, why blame that
automatically on the driver?

It would seem likely that you've never driven anything larger than a
U-Haul van, or you would realize the big, slow, cumbersome loads seem
to attract every nutcase in the world.

It's funny - I see boats traveling down 395 all the time - there is
usually a gap between the front "WIDE LOAD" guide car and the truck
carrying the boat.

I asked one time about that and this is the reasoning - you have to
allow for stop distance. In fact, nobody is supposed to drive between
the front guide car and the truck carrying the load for that very
reason.

I don't know about you, but I've never heard tell of that, so I called
my state DOT and sure enough - there is a regulation that says you
can't get between the front guide car and the tractor carrying the
load.

You would think that would be common sense, but as far as I know,
there isn't any information about this in the driver's common
knowledge base. I asked several driving instructors in the area and
they never heard of it either.

So the potential of having a car, or more than one car, move into the
gap between the guide car and the truck is very high, thus creating a
potential for accident.

However, that doesn't excuse leaving 100 lbs hanging off the back of a
boat being transported a long distance.

Later,

Tom

On Wed, 04 May 2005 15:06:17 GMT, Shortwave Sportfishing
wrote:

It's funny - I see boats traveling down 395 all the time - there is
usually a gap between the front "WIDE LOAD" guide car and the truck
carrying the boat.

Considering this boat was ob powered, therefore probably a smaller
boat, I wouldn't assume it required a guide car.

bb

Just to clarify, the part of the bracket that broke was a piece of two inch thick mahogony
bolted to an aluminum frame. This was a newly installed item, which had only been used
once before for a two week cruise.

The damage inside the boat was minor, like hanging nets torn loose. Outside, the mast had
shifted forward over a foot, bending the bow pulpit to which it was lashed, and of course,
the broken bracket. I'm not concerned about the money or labor to replace the bracket,
but the driver lied to me at delivery about how the mast shifted forward, telling me he
just noticed it while driving down the road, as if nothing had preceeded that to cause the
problem. Also, American Boat Transport assured me that if I missed anything on the
delivery inspection, they would honor any damages, which they now claim, did not occur.

I had no other choices to stow this 100 pound long shaft engine other than on the stern.
I flew down to Florida especially to
pack up the boat, so I couldn't take the engine back as extra luggage. There was no
room inside the boat for this engine, crammed full with dinghy engine, collapsed dinghy,
boom, etc. Had the engine been inside or in the cockpit, I'm afraid even worse damage would have
been incurred. It's easy to blame the owner for improper packing of the boat, but there is no
excuse for bad driving. I have made the trip to Florida dozens of time by auto, and never had to
make any kind of panic stop because
I kept a safe distance from other vehicles. I would expect professional truck drivers
to do the same. This driver was either half asleep after making the trip in under 2 days, or he was
spaced out on something.
My boat was together with another boat, and there was no accompanying vehicles. The other boat
did not have visible damage, but it was cocooned in plastic, so who knows what it looked like
inside.

Sherwin D.



bb wrote:

On Wed, 04 May 2005 15:06:17 GMT, Shortwave Sportfishing
wrote:

It's funny - I see boats traveling down 395 all the time - there is
usually a gap between the front "WIDE LOAD" guide car and the truck
carrying the boat.

Considering this boat was ob powered, therefore probably a smaller
boat, I wouldn't assume it required a guide car.

bb

I have made the trip to Florida dozens of time by auto, and never had
to
make any kind of panic stop because
I kept a safe distance from other vehicles

*********

Try to same trip in the tow rig with a two-boat trailer. Much different
than a car.

Every time you come to a decent grade you will slow down, and all the
impatient people will begin whipping around you. The safe stopping
distance that a truck leaves behind the preceding vehicle looks like
wide open spaces to the driver of a little hot rod car, (who will think
nothing of pulling into the spot and then slamming on the brakes).

Then there's the suicide lane change that auto drivers like to do. It
involves making a continuous lane change of two or more lanes beginning
from a point right alongside the tractor.
Guy on the left wants to be two lanes to the right in order to exit,
and the guy on the right wants to be two lanes left to go "fast".
Neither can see the other with the truck in the way
and the first time they realize that somebody else wants to occupy the
same space, at the same time, is after the manuever is already started.
Point is, you're blaming the driver based on the assumption that
driving a Peterbilt is just like driving your Volvo sedan. It ain't
necessarily so. It would make more sense to prep the boat with to a
standard that would withstand the possibility of an emergency stop than
to expect the driver to control every variable on the road so that an
emergency stop would never be requred.