From CHP - Truckee on Facebook: OK the rumor mill is spinning on this video, and the theories have been great. So the Story, the driver had jackknifed at the top of the grade. When the driver had lost it at the top of the hill, he had broke the air lines to his rear trailer. This caused the brakes on the rear trailer to lock up. We arrived on scene and were informed the tow was going to be extended. So we asked the driver if he could get himself going and we would give him space to get down to the next open shoulder on the Interstate. 20 minutes later he was off the highway and we were open with flowing traffic.
The driver was an idiot… This is the situation with Fed Ex ground, the drivers are not employed by Fed Ex, they are self employed or employed by a contractor who pays disgustingly low wages with no benefits, the are told to deliver whatever the conditions, if you are driving along any interstate highway in the country regardless of the conditions or speed limits a Fed Ex Ground truck will eventually pass you at break neck speeds. I see these poor guys in accidents every week. Actual Fed Ex employees do not speed, do not take risks and are professional, this is because they are treated with respect by the company. That stretch of highway had been shut down due to conditions and the driver ignored the dangers as most Ground drivers do. I Hope he learned from the mistake.
You didn’t see any other trucks going down that mountainside did you ?
I have been down that route in winter and even after salting it is very risky.
And … Anyone who takes doubles out in those conditions needs a fine.
The fact that there were no airlines because he’d ripped them off jacknifing hints that his level of control was not up to par.
Coming down an empty three lane road with a 28ft trailer that’s shorter than the road is wide, it doesn’t matter that it’s swinging around, it ain’t going anywhere but in the same direction as the rest of the truck.
The worst part for me is the damage that has been done, those tyres will all be flat spotted now, even on ice and it would’ve been a 5min job to wind the brakes off and move it to a place of safety.
Pat, I have no knowledge of the good and bad drivers of Fed ex, but if you read the description on the police FB page, the driver had stopped when his brakes locked at the top of the hill. It was the police that axed him to take it down the hill. I presume they had cleared the road going down with traffic backed up behind them, which would explain why there are no signs of any other traffic.
Pat Hasler:
The driver was an idiot… This is the situation with Fed Ex ground, the drivers are not employed by Fed Ex, they are self employed or employed by a contractor who pays disgustingly low wages with no benefits, the are told to deliver whatever the conditions, if you are driving along any interstate highway in the country regardless of the conditions or speed limits a Fed Ex Ground truck will eventually pass you at break neck speeds. I see these poor guys in accidents every week. Actual Fed Ex employees do not speed, do not take risks and are professional, this is because they are treated with respect by the company. That stretch of highway had been shut down due to conditions and the driver ignored the dangers as most Ground drivers do. I Hope he learned from the mistake.
You didn’t see any other trucks going down that mountainside did you ?
I have been down that route in winter and even after salting it is very risky.
And … Anyone who takes doubles out in those conditions needs a fine.
I agree with you to a degree, but please don’t exaggerate. You don’t see other vehicles, not only truck, because all of them had gone, since the truck is descending slowly, second there is police cruiser if you pass him/her you gonna get pulled over. Third, thats a great skill on the driver with locked brakes.
Show proof that the highway was closed and the driver ignored it, because if its true he will lose his job, get fines and be in a huge mess, proof please!
Pat Hasler:
The driver was an idiot… This is the situation with Fed Ex ground, the drivers are not employed by Fed Ex, they are self employed or employed by a contractor who pays disgustingly low wages with no benefits, the are told to deliver whatever the conditions, if you are driving along any interstate highway in the country regardless of the conditions or speed limits a Fed Ex Ground truck will eventually pass you at break neck speeds. I see these poor guys in accidents every week. Actual Fed Ex employees do not speed, do not take risks and are professional, this is because they are treated with respect by the company. That stretch of highway had been shut down due to conditions and the driver ignored the dangers as most Ground drivers do. I Hope he learned from the mistake.
You didn’t see any other trucks going down that mountainside did you ?
I have been down that route in winter and even after salting it is very risky.
And … Anyone who takes doubles out in those conditions needs a fine.
I agree with you to a degree, but please don’t exaggerate. You don’t see other vehicles, not only truck, because all of them had gone, since the truck is descending slowly, second there is police cruiser if you pass him/her you gonna get pulled over. Third, thats a great skill on the driver with locked brakes.
Show proof that the highway was closed and the driver ignored it, because if its true he will lose his job, get fines and be in a huge mess, proof please!
One of the comments below the Vid claims to be from the drivers mum. Apparently there are snow chains across the road to stop people driving in bad weather. According to her, the police had removed these chains before the driver got there.
albion:
Pat, I have no knowledge of the good and bad drivers of Fed ex, but if you read the description on the police FB page, the driver had stopped when his brakes locked at the top of the hill. It was the police that axed him to take it down the hill. I presume they had cleared the road going down with traffic backed up behind them, which would explain why there are no signs of any other traffic.
What type of word is ‘AXED’ I take it you mean ‘Asked’ LOL
albion:
Pat, I have no knowledge of the good and bad drivers of Fed ex, but if you read the description on the police FB page, the driver had stopped when his brakes locked at the top of the hill. It was the police that axed him to take it down the hill. I presume they had cleared the road going down with traffic backed up behind them, which would explain why there are no signs of any other traffic.
What type of word is ‘AXED’ I take it you mean ‘Asked’ LOL
The fact remains that the entire stretch of that mountain road had a ban on trucks for the reason plainly seen, To attempt to take a set of doubles down was plain stupid and as for the other comment about chains ? The law only refers to the drive wheels on the tractor.
albion:
Pat, I have no knowledge of the good and bad drivers of Fed ex, but if you read the description on the police FB page, the driver had stopped when his brakes locked at the top of the hill. It was the police that axed him to take it down the hill. I presume they had cleared the road going down with traffic backed up behind them, which would explain why there are no signs of any other traffic.
What type of word is ‘AXED’ I take it you mean ‘Asked’ LOL
Yo, homey, in the hood and hanging wit the crew…and Er all that sort of thing.
The driver was an idiot… This is the situation with Fed Ex ground, the drivers are not employed by Fed Ex, they are self employed or employed by a contractor who pays disgustingly low wages with no benefits, the are told to deliver whatever the conditions, if you are driving along any interstate highway in the country regardless of the conditions or speed limits a Fed Ex Ground truck will eventually pass you at break neck speeds. I see these poor guys in accidents every week. Actual Fed Ex employees do not speed, do not take risks and are professional, this is because they are treated with respect by the company. That stretch of highway had been shut down due to conditions and the driver ignored the dangers as most Ground drivers do. I Hope he learned from the mistake.
You didn’t see any other trucks going down that mountainside did you ?
I have been down that route in winter and even after salting it is very risky.
And … Anyone who takes doubles out in those conditions needs a fine.
With respect Pat, total B.S.
If you think the FedEx driver just ran the down the hill out of his own free will, you are mistaken. This was a controlled police ■■■■■■ descent of the hill, with police / state troopers all aware of what was happening. If you need confirmation of this, look towards the end of the video when the one cop says, ‘can’t believe that worked’, not, 'what the hell is he doing?, They were hardly surrounding the driver with citations in hand were they?? He was escorted down the hill to clear the roadway to other traffic, I mean, really couldn’t be simpler.
If you think the FedEx driver just ran the down the hill out of his own free will, you are mistaken. This was a controlled police ■■■■■■ descent of the hill, with police / state troopers all aware of what was happening. If you need confirmation of this, look towards the end of the video when the one cop says, ‘can’t believe that worked’, not, 'what the hell is he doing?, They were hardly surrounding the driver with citations in hand were they?? He was escorted down the hill to clear the roadway to other traffic, I mean, really couldn’t be simpler.
+1
that would be my take of it as you listen to the radio…theyre not exactly in high speed pursuit like they were following oj simpson.the drivers a legend,and just getting down the hill and out of the road.deffo not some jobsworth fanny.i wonder how long it took his ringpiece to stop twitching after he arked up though??
Captain Caveman 76:
Apparently there are snow chains across the road to stop people driving in bad weather. According to her, the police had removed these chains before the driver got there.
I think she’s referring to the fact that police had relaxed the law on the fitting of snow chains to drive tyres, not that a chain was stretched across the road like some sort of death wish snow gate.
