Ron Mayes, a trucker from Eureka, Kan., authored a blog post that’s caught the attention of people in the trucking industry and beyond.
Mayes recently spoke with Land Line about his now-viral commentary – read by more than 150,000 and counting.
“When cars get around a semi, it’s like they don’t even know the semi is there,” Mayes said. “They drive as if the truck isn’t even there.”
Read Mayes’ full blog post here.
Mayes has been a professional driver for more than 30 years, hauling agricultural and construction freight.
Drivers of four-wheel vehicles not considering how much time it actually takes for a truck to stop is among the major issues, Mayes said.
“You have to understand that’s a lost of mass, motion and density moving down the road,” he added. “If you cut us off, we can’t stop that fast. You have to be careful, especially around trucks with a fluid-type load. Everybody needs to pay attention, and they’re just not doing it.”
Trucking is a family business for Mayes, with his father and brother also being professional truckers.
“My dad had his own trucking business at one time, and my brother, Mike, is still driving,” he said. “I learned some from my dad, but I learned a lot from my brother, who’s earned million-mile crash-free safety awards. He’s a very good driver. The main thing I learned from them is when you’re driving a truck, you have to do your job and (the jobs of) at least 50% of those passing around you.”
Among the critical pieces of advice Mayes included in his post for drivers of four-wheel vehicles are to avoid tailgating, to not use a phone while driving and to stay off a truck’s right side.
“You need to be aware, not just (of) what’s right in front of you,” Mayes advised truckers. “You need to anticipate what (other drivers) do, before they do it, if you can. It’s a total concentration game, and it wears on you – but you have to, because most cars don’t feel they have to.”
He added that it’s not only four-wheel vehicles that are to blame and even specifically detailed scenarios he’s been in that involved truckers.
“Every day a driver gets in his truck, he has to live with the possibility that (he) might not see something quick enough,” Mayes said. “If something were to happen, even if it’s not my fault, I’m going to blame myself for the rest of my life. I’ll think, ‘What could I have done?’”
For improving driving skills among those in four-wheel vehicles, Mayes proposed adding specific training to driver’s tests or requiring ride-alongs in large trucks.
“Just to see it from our perspective,” he said. LL
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