Another driving thread .... (Denver: rent, insurance, buy)

[ArthurDaly]

I've already commented on Denver's wonderfully under skilled drivers, however I haven't been able to figure this one out ....

The last time I checked the speed limit for a truck and trailer, or a semi trailer was 55 MPH.
I don't think I'm exaggerating when I say the average speed I have observed trucks drive in CO is 65 to 70 MPH.

As an example, I was coming into Denver on the 25 this afternoon doing 80 MPH behind a semi trailer in the fast lane. I guess I should at least be grateful that he was passing other cars!

So am I missing something, is there an amnesty for truck drivers here or do the police just turn a blind eye?

I might just go buy a Petebilt as my daily driver ...

[hts]

what's the big deal?

[davidv]

Well since you are probably from California, you are not necessarily familiar with Colorado law.

Semi trucks do not have different speed limits than cars like they do in California. If you were coming into Denver on I-25 (we don't ever call it "the 25") the speed limit was probably 75 mph, so the trucker was doing only 5 mph above the speed limit.

So, to quote hts, "what's the big deal?"

[jazzlover]

There are some places where the truck speed limit is lower than for light trucks and autos, but on most Colorado roads the speed limit is the same. The problem with trucks speeding is the same as with cars speeding--there simply is not enough law enforcement to catch the speeders and the fines are too lenient to act as a strong deterrent.

For years, I had the equivalent of a CDL and could drive everything up to a semi. Frankly, I don't know what box of Cracker Jacks that they are issuing CDL's out of in the last few years, but the quality of many truck drivers has sunk to pathetic compared to the days when I was driving bigger trucks. The poor quality of a lot of today's truckers is one reason that speeding and other traffic violations by truckers is getting to be a real problem. And, no, that is not a Colorado-unique problem, but Colorado's overcrowded and often poorly designed metro highways, and Colorado's unforgiving mountain highways aggravate the problem.

[jwiley]

Originally Posted by jazzlover

There are some places where the truck speed limit is lower than for light trucks and autos, but on most Colorado roads the speed limit is the same. The problem with trucks speeding is the same as with cars speeding--there simply is not enough law enforcement to catch the speeders and the fines are too lenient to act as a strong deterrent.

For years, I had the equivalent of a CDL and could drive everything up to a semi. Frankly, I don't know what box of Cracker Jacks that they are issuing CDL's out of in the last few years, but the quality of many truck drivers has sunk to pathetic compared to the days when I was driving bigger trucks. The poor quality of a lot of today's truckers is one reason that speeding and other traffic violations by truckers is getting to be a real problem. And, no, that is not a Colorado-unique problem, but Colorado's overcrowded and often poorly designed metro highways, and Colorado's unforgiving mountain highways aggravate the problem.

While I agree with most of what you say, I have a CDL and the tickets you get with a CDL while operating a truck is no longer a joke. The fines are not that much usually around $120 although they can go to $1000, however a major violation which is considered weaving in traffic, 15 mph over the limit, following too closely, and a couple of others is a fine for the first time, and an automatic 60 day suspension with the 2nd violation within 3 years, 3 violations and that becomes a 120 suspension, although most will not get commercial insurance after the 2nd violation. If you have Hazmat on board when you commit a major violation it is an automatic 1 year suspension and the fines are higher depending on the substance. Stuff like drinking and driving, driving without proper insurance is an automatic suspension for a full year without hazmat with Hazmat it is an automatic 3 years. Minor infractions such as 5 MPH over have an automatic 4 points with restrictions on lowering the point total on any deal made by the ADAs. so colorado is pretty tough on CDL drivers who do not follow the rules/

As for Truckers not being as good today as they were even 20 years ago, I do agree, but Colorado and Colorado trained drivers are not the main culprit of the problem. The biggest problem is that there are states out there that let drivers drive a 26 foot box trucks with automatic transmissions through a minimal course (heard from some drivers the tests take less then 10 minutes) and then they give them a class A CDL with all legal rights to drive a 100,000 pound weapon throughout the country, which becomes even more dangerous on crowded roads and the steep mountain roads both of which are big concerns in Colorado.

[KaaBoom]

Originally Posted by ArthurDaly

As an example, I was coming into Denver on the 25 this afternoon doing 80 MPH behind a semi trailer in the fast lane. I guess I should at least be grateful that he was passing other cars!

So you were speeding, and still have the nerve to complain that a semi was driving the same speed you were going.

[KaaBoom]

Originally Posted by jwiley

As for Truckers not being as good today as they were even 20 years ago, I do agree, but Colorado and Colorado trained drivers are not the main culprit of the problem. The biggest problem is that there are states out there that let drivers drive a 26 foot box trucks with automatic transmissions through a minimal course (heard from some drivers the tests take less then 10 minutes) and then they give them a class A CDL with all legal rights to drive a 100,000 pound weapon throughout the country, which becomes even more dangerous on crowded roads and the steep mountain roads both of which are big concerns in Colorado.

Yep, I live near a California ISC where they give class B drivers tests. I have watched them. They have these guys open up the engine, and show that they know the basic mechanical stuff. Then they have them drive the truck a couple of times around a small empty parking lot. If they don't hit anything, or do something really stupid, they go back inside and issue them their CDL.

BTW anybody with a regular class C license can drive a 26 foot box truck in most states. Hell, U-Haul will rent a truck that size to anyone with a driver license.

[ArthurDaly]

Originally Posted by hts

what's the big deal?

Glad you asked .......

As we were coming into Denver (S bound) on the north bound side of "I-25" there was 6 car pile up in the fast lane. It was obviously a pretty hard hit as cars were pushed up under neath one another. So now imagine that the last car in that pile up was you, and our speeding semi is behind you doing 80 + MPH.

I've seen what a semi doing 60 MPH hitting a stationary car does. I can assure you that you don't EVER want to be in that car.

So thanks for answering my question on the speed limit. I also found out today that there is not a motorcycle helmet law in CO?

Does Colorado's state legislature not like its constituents?

By the way, I lived in CA for awhile, I'm not from CA. I actually haven't found where I'm from yet

[jwiley]

Originally Posted by ArthurDaly

Glad you asked .......

As we were coming into Denver (S bound) on the north bound side of "I-25" there was 6 car pile up in the fast lane. It was obviously a pretty hard hit as cars were pushed up under neath one another. So now imagine that the last car in that pile up was you, and our speeding semi is behind you doing 80 + MPH.

I've seen what a semi doing 60 MPH hitting a stationary car does. I can assure you that you don't EVER want to be in that car.

So thanks for answering my question on the speed limit. I also found out today that there is not a motorcycle helmet law in CO?

Does Colorado's state legislature not like its constituents?

By the way, I lived in CA for awhile, I'm not from CA. I actually haven't found where I'm from yet

If someone is dumb enough to drive without a helmet who is the government to protect them?

[Mike from back east]

Originally Posted by jazzlover

... Frankly, I don't know what box of Cracker Jacks that they are issuing CDL's out of in the last few years, but the quality of many truck drivers has sunk to pathetic compared to the days when I was driving bigger trucks. ....

Based on what I read from drivers in the truck driving thread, wages are so low that the good drivers either leave the industry or stay in what few driving jobs are decent. In addition to low wages there's a lot of crappy practices by dispatchers, shippers, receivers, etc. Anyone who reads that thread will get a glimpse into what it's really like out there on the road. I've read in various publications that there is a shortage of drivers, no doubt due to the mess that is today's trucking industry.

I'll go to my grave insisting such issues are the result of transportation deregulation @1980 that took us back many decades to the time of no-holds-barred, unprotected, bare knuckle competition that has made virtual paupers out of the CDL driver workforce, not to mention destroy thousands of trucking firms.