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Vancouver
Thursday, March 28, 2024

What’s Wrong With Truck Drivers

 This weekend a truck driver posted on line a dash cam video.  In the video it clearly shows a snowplough with the capacity to clear two lanes of a divided highway.  The GPS indicates clearly the speed being travelled is 50 KmPH pretty steadily.  The dash cam appears to be sufficiently behind the snowplough for a good safety margin.   Then the dash cam shows a Guilbault Truck and Trailer zoom past the dash cam on the shoulder and proceeds to pass the snowplough on the right and then out of sight in a cloud of roasters tail snow.   Next a TJL pull up on the left of the truck with the dash cam.   The TJL pulls up a little closer to the snowplough then backs off a bit.  Next, the TJL pulls up, flips on a signal light that he’s going to come to the right, but the truck with the dash cam is in the way.   Does that stop the TJL driver?  No, the TJL pulls into the right hand lane forcing the truck with the dash cam over onto the shoulder.   Then you see the truck with the dash cam back off quickly and tuck in and establish a safety margin behind the TJL who sits in behind the snowplough until the video stops.  

First of all, the Guilbault driver clearly wrong for passing the snowplough on the right or at all.  It clearly was an unsafe move.   The TJL driver, no excuse.  This driver is dangerous at best.

This incident occurred in Ontario, where truck related crashes have grown to more than 6,500 only on OPP patrolled highways, from about 2,500 in all of Ontario in just a few years.  But why?  

The imposition of speed limiters have not had the effects touted as the reason for such imposition — safety.   The imposition of ELDs which don’t adjust for inclement weather have forced drivers to work under undue pressure.   Drivers used to drive according to the conditions, co-operatively with their fellow truckers with patience.   Now, there’s no ability to slow down for weather, for obstacles.  There’s no time to have respect for brother truckers. 

This is Canada.  We get snow and ice on our highways.  We must deal with snow clearing operations while struggling to keep some semblance of schedule.  But, we must always have the patience to do our work safety, respectfully.