Posted by kcm.MN on September 18, 2020 at 13:02:00 from (174.219.134.196):
In Reply to: Lucky to survive-wreck posted by Mech Inclined on September 18, 2020 at 09:31:56:
Mech Inclined -- Hello, and welcome to YT.
I was one of the ones who replied to the original post. I also am one who believes that your tractor should have been chained down better than it was. Was it legal? I would guess so.
See, even when working construction in my youth, I took an approach very closely to that of Canadian contractor Mike Holmes, that building to code is not good enough. Code means "Minimum Acceptable". That's my views of load-restraining regs. There is no possible way to plan for every possible scenario, but I try to think of every worst-case-scenario I may encounter, then go about trying to prevent those scenarios from happening. Do I go overboard? HA! Yes, I most certainly do!
As written in the thread that you mentioned, we were in an accident a few years before yours. Our trailer rolled, even though the tow vehicle did not. Tremendous forces were put on not only the trailer and tow vehicle, but also the load and every inch of chain/strap/rope/twine/duct tape/string/chewing gum that we had securing the load. Again, this was a newer 14,000 GVW PJ trailer, with less-than-rated load (about 3,000 lbs. less) that included a small tractor, 6-foot Howse rotary mower, and a lot of lumber and sheet goods. Even had a few 4x8x16 concrete blocks and cinder blocks! In the end, almost nothing moved on that load. Every chain and strap was trashed, as there was no way to know how much they had been stressed during the accident, even if they still looked brand new. What failed in our case was the trailer hitch. The hitch was literally ripped from the trailer and remained dangling from the back of the truck.
I spent nearly two days tying down that load. .....JUST tying down the load!! Yes, I go far, far beyond what most people would even consider "sane". In our instance, it was certainly a good thing.
Now to answer the question......why? Why in the world would I spend so much time securing a load that is simply going to sit on the trailer from point A to point B? For one, that's the kind of luck we have. I was raised to hope for the best, but to plan for the worst. It's kind of an OCD thing with me now. Still, in "MY" personal (and useless) opinion, if a tractor leaves the trailer during an accident, and the trailer is not virtually in rags, then the tractor was not secured properly. I'm a responsible person, and when I haul a load, I understand that it is ME who is bringing this load onto a public roadway; that it is ME who is securing the load; ME who has to ensure that tow vehicle and trailer are in excellent condition, etc. I also realize that if I overlook even one thing, that it would be MY oversight that might cost someone else their life.
We were fortunate that nobody else was involved in our accident, and we are also fortunate that we were able to walk away.....although the wife still has pains from the stresses she endured.
In your instance, do I see that you did anything wrong? Well, yes....the tractor left the trailer and the trailer isn't in shambles. Did you follow DOT regs? I don't know. I wasn't there. Still, in my (still useless) opinion, DOT regs are Minimum Acceptable.
......Let me throw another point-of-view into this mess. I can't count the number of times I've pulled in to get gas and seen someone filling their tank while smoking. In many instances they still have their engine running as well. I have tired of fighting with these people because of their carelessness and disrespect. They don't respect law, and they certainly do not respect the lives/safety of others around them. If they did, then they would not take such chances with the lives of others. And it's that point of view that I try to get across. Unfortunately it seems I usually fail.
I am not/have not/will not say you were wrong to follow DOT regs. I don't say you were wrong to not go a bit overboard in securing your load. I'm simply "trying" to state that, in my (yes, still useless) opinion, you could have done more.
PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE use your accident as a learning opportunity! And try to remember that when taking any trip over a public road, you are initializing events that could involve the lives/safety/welfare of others. It's YOUR responsibility, just as it's their responsibility for getting on the road and being out there with you. However, you cannot do anything about other people (ie; smoking at gas pump). I have tried to use our experience to teach others. Seems most people don't wanna listen. Most people don't wanna follow speed laws. Most people don't wanna think about anything; just do it, and have fun and/or make money if at all possible.
My best to you - may you have safe travels. I wish that you never have another close call. But I also wish you to expect that you will, and to imagine what would happen if a small car broadsided your trailer, causing your chains to fail, then the tractor lands on the car and kills someone. Just consider that as a possibility please. What you do after that is up to you -- it's your responsibility.
Here's the hitch from my trailer. Looking back, I never should have gotten that heavy of a trailer that has bumper hitch. That was my fault. It obviously was the weak link in our instance.
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