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ROCK & ROLL
Has a rock ever caused you to roll? A
driver and his wife from Kermit, TX were south of Barstow, CA
deadheading to Henderson, NV for a load. The sun was setting behind the
mountains.
Up ahead of him, about 1/2 mile, was a
rock hauler with a heavy load of broken concrete. It looked like residue from a
construction site.
He looked out across the desert and
admired the colors. He
thought, "Even deserts have a certain beauty." As he looked back, he saw a large
rock directly in front of him and he swerved left to miss it.
The tractor missed the piece of concrete;
however, the sharp turn shifted the center of gravity for his load to
the right. In the ensuing
moments, he lost control. The
tractor rolled over on the passenger side.
A more horrendous screeching noise has
never been heard by man or beast as the tractor and trailer came
sliding to a halt on the interstate.
Then ... the sound of silence.
He was on top of his wife. They both determined they were not
injured. A large piece of
concrete had fallen from the rear of the rock trailer when it hit a
slight bump in the highway.
Sure, we can say that the driver was not
paying attention, but there is more to it.
1. Too
often, we are distracted even when we think we are alert. Ever wondered what you just saw
over the last mile? But, you
were alert ... you thought.
Your mind can play tricks on you.
2. To
ensure alertness, look constantly to the left, forward, and to the
right mentally acknowledging what you see. Monitor your load/trailer with your
mirrors.
3. Take
breaks periodically. Don't let
the open road rob you of your break just because there is not a truck
 stop. Find a place you can get completely
off the interstate for a few minutes.
Bottom line: Let the 50's take care of the rock
and roll, you take care of the rpms and road.
That's the way I see it - Bob Hataway -
TransAlive.
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