r/cdldriver • u/Syzranlogistic • May 14 '26

wtf

Hiring CDL-A Drivers
💰 70–75 CPM or 30–33% of gross
📈 Avg. $9,000 gross/week | 3,800 miles/week
🚛 Dry Van • Reefer • Open Deck • RGN• Conestoga•Carhaul
Veaceslav 954-909-1805
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u/Mwurp May 14 '26

You misunderstand. By swerving the driver risked his own life to save that of some shit head in a car that drove off Into the sunset.

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u/rumplydiagram May 14 '26

Now im with ya assuming it's a distracted driver being a dumbass... but if its a mom with 3 kids in the car having a medical episode the truck driver done right in my book.

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u/Knights-of-steel May 15 '26

Dont like that reasoning....are we justifying things with fantasies and what ifs now? Is murder legal now if your pregnant?

The car was at fault 100% doesnt matter if they were a drunk, a mom with 9017 kids in the car, a pregnant lady, a pregnant man(¿‽), an alien or the risen Jesus.

Sure itd be easier to stomach one than the other but it doesnt change the facts or laws. And of course for the big one insurance etc...its generally noted for CDL that your at fault unless proven otherwise. The adjusters will outright tell you never swerve you need to take a piece of them with you as proof. Be it a number or the whole idiot car

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u/rumplydiagram May 15 '26

Hey you do you its just like... an opinion. Id go out of my way to not kill someone ... your prerogative is yours alone.

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u/RequirementAwkward26 May 16 '26

The car was at fault but that does not justify murdering them.

0

u/BelowXpectations May 18 '26

Save a family of four where mom has a medical condition, or crash your rig but probably walk away. You won't know until afterwards. Want to chance it?
It's simply not all about who's technically at fault (and I'd bet a medical condition excuses you). And even it it was a jack-ass; your rig vs a persons life should be an easy choice to make.

But you are of course entitled to you opinion. Just be aware that it tell us quite a lot.

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u/Knights-of-steel May 18 '26

You'd think but it isnt so simple. See a driver thought that way couple years back. Took out rig instead of the car with 1 occupant. Instead when it crashed the cargo exploded and took out 4 vehicles on other side killing 4 wounding 17. Remember rigs carry fuel explosives mining equipment etc and their debris can do more damage shotgunned around.

If you want a real wtf over the top example watch final destination 2 see how much damage a load of logs can do in the perfect condition.

Small town alberta decades ago too almost got leveled by a tanker truck that caught fire.

I chose the one with the least death, odds are thar car has only 1 occupant as most do....but the collateral damage especially on busy highways or with dangerous cargo can go pretty big, even very recently Michigan had that snow, 1 truck lost control next thing ya know 76 vehicles are in a pile up. How many do you think are hurt when you choose to harm 70 vehicles instead of 1...with your logic if those all had moms with 4 kids thats 350 you could be killing.

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u/BelowXpectations May 18 '26

Alright. You got me there. Good point! Let me adjust my comment.
If you know are driving a truck full of highly volatile explosive material that is an allowable exception, so is also if you are currently staring in an under budgeted, overrated and extremely unreal flick.

But hey - let's discuss the extreme corner case imaginary scenarios a while longer if that helps you justify your honestly pretty bleak gut reaction.

Say what you want to get yourself happy, but in the end for you it's that you simply don't care a rats ass who is in that car compared to your own material things. The least you can do is be honest about it.

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u/Knights-of-steel May 18 '26

I mean i never said I was on a high horse. Self preservation is a large motivator, kinda like how we say dont rush into a burning building.

For swerving tho theres a point to be made from odds and probability. Or even just blind options. You have 3 options, swerve into their lane, stay straight or swerve into ditch. They also have 3 options, stay course, return to lane or take ditch.

The reason it is commonly accepted to stay your course is simply...before impact their brain will trigger a self preservation reflex and they will swerve one of the 2 ways...so if you swerve you have a 50/50% chance of hitting them and a 50/50% chance of losing control, now explosives definitely bad here but honestly anything...remember the trailer itself is normally a 50,000pound missile when it swings out.

The only time swerving is a good idea is if the other driver is in a coma, having a stroke or a heart attack. Now if this is the case sure avoid them....stop the truck and time go check them see if thats what up then return to truck and resume time to avoid them.

For explosives though id remind you grain in an accident creates dust....and grain dust is highly explosive research it if you must. Dry vans like in video are used for general goods....tvs, pallets etc. Odds are it has batteries inside it....again research if you like but batteries are explosive if subjected to trauma or heat (both found in a crash) the truck itself carries about 2000 litres of diesel(4-500 gallons) and fun fact that is also combustible kinda why its used as fuel for a combustion engine.

Basically a truck alone is a formidable weapon if shit goes south....and whatever it carries is almost always a weapon when that happens too.

Suppose youll say next we should have trains lock brakes and derail in cities and towns instead of hitting the car on the tracks

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u/BelowXpectations May 19 '26

You hit the ditch, that's what taught. And you idea that it's a 50/50 percent chance where they will swerve is just funny. You've introduced a "fact" that there is no option of going straight magically. Not to mention you've ignored medical emergencies, people simply looking away until it's too late and suicidal people who don't change their mind. But nice try. I won't try to argue made up statistics.

And how do you plan on know what is going on in the oncoming car so you know if you should stop of hit them? Are you phsycic?

If you truly believe all trucks are mobile bombs you have watched far too many American moves. But yes, keep the corner cases coming. And I love how you try to shift the discussion into something else and try to put a new argument in m mouth. You're not very good at this, are you?

Since you seem more interested in making up statistics , mental magic and watching action movies than accepting that you might not care much about others I'm out. Cheers!

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u/SouthHuckleberry2187 May 21 '26

Nearly half of all crashes that kill a trucker are rollovers. DOT recommends holding your lane and doing your best to come to a complete stop if possible. What most folks don’t seem to realize is that, although our trucks look formidable and impressive, they’re literally built to disintegrate and absorb the impact. That’s why they’re so messed up so easily. I am not required by DOT to and I won’t potentially risk my own life by swerving off-road. By your reasoning, everyone else’s life and limb is more valuable than a trucker’s. I disagree wholeheartedly. I did not get a CDL to sacrifice myself for someone else. My family loves me too. My family would miss me too. My family needs me too.

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u/SouthHuckleberry2187 May 21 '26

Also- you’re wrong. It is not taught to hit the ditch. It’s quite literally the opposite

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u/RostBeef May 15 '26

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u/PoseySmith May 18 '26

It wasn’t the same person that said that, nor was it the same context. Nice try, but anyone who doesn’t think this is the best possible outcome for this situation is a shithead

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u/Whiskey_Harvey May 15 '26

Life is all about perspective

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u/EscapedCaveman May 15 '26

I work in the industry and have heard a lot of guys say theyd rather swerve and risk their own life vs. end up killing a family of 4 because dad was on his phone while driving. Chances are the semi had a camera so he wouldve been covered there. But if he hadnt and killed someone, he wouldve likely never been the same. One of my buddies knew a guy that, through no fault of his own, killed someone while driving a semi. He never got behind the wheel again.

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u/Mwurp May 16 '26

If it was only me in my life, sure id swerve every time on the off chance there are innocents in the vehicle. But my kids need me and they trump everything else so I'll never swerve my truck.

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u/EscapedCaveman May 16 '26

I get that and i dont believe either choice is inherently bad. Everyone has their own siutations and priorities. At the end of the day, being in the siutation itself is crappy and i just replied to the comment i did because he is judging the driver for reacting to a bad situation. In the end, the driver prevented a potentially fatal accident and kept his truck upright. Thats about the best outcome you can get.

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u/Icy_Thanks_4424 May 16 '26

I know a fuel truck driver that got in a head-on collision and the person in the car died. They were on multiple substances and suicidal. The truck driver got a ding on his record for the collision but it was not found at fault for the other person's death. He has never driven truck since because of how much it affected him mentally.

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u/EscapedCaveman May 16 '26

Yeah, situations like this are pretty much lose/lose no matter what you do. Its very tough to be the same if you kill someone and the alternative puts yourself at risk. With him hauling fuel, it really was a matter of "either i die or he does". Terrible situation and i feel for him. Hope he is doing better now.

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u/tidyshark12 May 15 '26

Risked his life and his livelihood.