[geeks] Work getting slow

[doctor obnox son of a bitch]

On Tue, Apr 16, 2002 at 08:49:24AM -0400, Kurt Huhn had the audacity to opine:
> > The hardest part, in my experience, of driving those things is backing
> > them up.   Once you realize that "Hey, I'm 53 feet long" and "God and Mr.
> > Newton say I can't stop on a dime", you've got most of the basics covered
> > up.
> 
> Yep - hardest part about driving a semi is the part where you have to
> backup to a loading dock.  You are literally BLIND doing that.  Yes, you
> have mirrors, but the blind spots on those things are HUGE!  There's no
> other way to do it than to line it up straight, and go by feel as you
> back it up.  When you feel a *thump* come up through the floorboards,
> set the brake and take it out of gear...
> 
> Turning while backing up confuses the living crap out of people for some
> reason.  They just can't keep the thing going straight.  To this day I
> don't *ever* look over my shoulder while backing up, it's all done by
> looking in the mirrors - as it should be.
> 
> > 
> > Of course, I've never driven actual semis...I've just driven 20K-65K pound
> > fire trucks and non-articulated water tankers.
> 
> It's fun.  Something about having a monstrous diesel engine under you
> with that much torque is thrilling.  Kinda like a V-Twin motorcycle...
> -- 
> Kurt
> kurt at k-huhn.com
> _______________________________________________
> GEEKS:  http://www.sunhelp.org/mailman/listinfo/geeks

 I drove both 5-Ton S&Ps and 2 1/2-tons in the army, and I can say that
 backing up a semi-trailer is SO much easier than backing up a small-ass
 trailer when the main wheelbase of the truck is greater than the
 distance from the truck rear axle to the trailer axle. A
 deuce-and-a-half with a 1/4-ton trailer is just plain EVIL.



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