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Truck driving 101: Drivers need patience and consideration years ago

Inattentive driving, driver fatigue, just not paying attention are preliminary findings that caused two fatal accidents this past week in construction zones on U.S.-50 near Peabody.

Jeff Tomlinson of Marion has been a professional truck driver for the past 26 years with probably more than two million miles of safe driving under his belt.

He has noticed a steady decrease in highway safety and an increase in recklessness.

"Many truck drivers don't recognize or observe the reduced speeds in construction zones," Tomlinson said. "In Strong City they respect it because of troopers (patrolling the area) but in other construction areas the speed limits aren't observed."

Tomlinson drives a commercial truck for Brisk Transportation L.P., that contracts with Dillons and other major retail chains.

He runs four trips per week and is home every day. He leaves in the afternoon and returns the next afternoon.

"It sure beats going coast-to-coast," Tomlinson said. He said he's "done his time of driving coast-to-coast."

Commercial truck drivers are allowed 11 hours of running time with 10 hours of rest required. They are supposed to drive only a total of 14 hours per 24-hour period.

Is 14 hours of driving too long a period for truck drivers?

Tomlinson said it might be. His experience tells him when he needs to take a nap and have some down time.

"I'll pull over and rest regardless of the time frame," Tomlinson said. "It's not worth risking my life or somebody else's."

Lack of patience was noted by Tomlinson regarding every driver.

"Nobody has patience anymore," Tomlinson said. "The drivers will sit at an intersection for two minutes and then pull right out in front of me. It takes more than 100 feet to stop when I'm going 67 miles per hour."

Tomlinson attributes inexperienced semi drivers to some accidents.

"Some companies are training their own drivers and then putting them on the highway, unable to even maintain their vehicles," Tomlinson said. "Green, inexperienced drivers are on the road more and more."

He said he has 10 to 15 near-misses each time he drives — cars pulling out in front of him, semis cutting him off.

"I have just as many near misses in a truck as airplanes have," Tomlinson said.

Kansas Department of Transportation recently announced additional steps to provide more warning to motorists approaching a road maintenance site on U.S.-50.

KDOT will divert traffic partially onto a 10-foot-wide, paved shoulder, where vehicles must pass over built-in rumble strips.

KDOT also will place two CB (citizens band) radio alert devices on either end of the project. The devices will have a broadcast range of two miles and will send messages to alert truckers and other motorists who use CBs of maintenance work ahead.

Tomlinson said he was concerned about the rumble strips on the shoulder.

"My experience has been when a semi hits a rumble strip going 65 miles per hour, it has a tendency to pull the wheel," Tomlinson said, resulting in the truck going off the road.

Tomlinson said CB messaging has been done in Nebraska for a number of years in the winter time.

"A message comes over the band regarding snow plows and snow removal," said Tomlinson. He added currently there is so much voice traffic on channel 19 on the CB radio it is difficult for one CB user to warn another CB user of upcoming dangers.

Tomlinson also has observed other professional drivers abusing driving time.

"For instance, I've seen salesmen who are swerving and driving erratically on the roads," Tomlinson said. He said he would like to see a crack-down on all drivers who are behind the wheel longer than is safe.

Tomlinson offers advice to all drivers.

"Do not follow semis too closely," Tomlinson warns. "If I blow a tire, it might go right through their windshield. Drivers need to allow space when following.

"Car drivers have got to realize they have to give us trucks enough room to maneuver," Tomlinson said. "Cars shouldn't linger in the passing lane. They need to get past me in case I need to get over due to slower moving traffic."

Since the accidents, Tomlinson's employer has instructed drivers not to use U.S.-50.

"I know other companies are doing the same thing," Tomlinson said.

Tomlinson said he would like to see major highways, like U.S.-50, closed during repairs and reconstruction. He also believes more visibility of troopers in construction areas may be helpful.

"Common sense and common courtesy go a long way," Tomlinson said.

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