Three years ago, this same colleague escorted a truck from this regional trucking company when the driver struck an overhead sign.  The two escorts insisted that they warned the driver of this sign, but the driver said they did not.  The trucking company filed a claim against the pilot car company for $40,000 in damage to the load and the sign.

In consulting with an attorney, the pilot car operator learned that this particular trucking company has a reputation for suing pilot car companies…A LOT!!

I have escorted OD loads for this company myself.  On EVERY load that I’ve been on with them, the drivers force their high pole to race about 85 miles per hour, just to stay far enough out front to be useful.  Once when I was in the chase position, I watched a driver go around a 90 degree curve at about 60 mph!  I actually saw the right rear tandems come off the ground.  These guys are mavericks in every sense of the word.  They tend to want to go their own way, regardless of the permit (if they actually HAVE one).  They are a danger on the highway in my opinion.

And yet, here is this pilot car operator continuing to do business with them AND writing a “book” survey.  In my opinion, it is utter folly.  I told my colleague that…but he was not deterred,  All I can say is that I hope the pilot car operator is well insured!

The rear escort brought a trainee today.  I think that is great!  I really think his new boss is doing the wise thing by actually training this young man before putting him in a truck and pushing him out in front of or behind a load.

This young man got a terrific education today.  He saw a broad range of the types of things that an escort needs to know.  We ran high pole on the interstates, through some urban environment, and on skinny two lane roads.  He got to see how blind even truck drivers can be.  On one two lane road, our wide and high load was crossing a skinny bridge.  I was in front with two sets of wig-wags running, plus my four ways, headlights and police style lightbar going…and I was 3/4′s of the way into the other lane and waving my hand at an oncoming truck driver who completely ignored me.  Self preservation being what it is, I got out of his way and warned our truck driver that this truck was NOT going to stop.  When the oncoming truck driver got over the hill and saw my load, he hit the brakes and went into the ditch.  The new trainee had a chance to learn that no matter what we do, even professional truck drivers ignore us at everyone’s peril.

He also had a chance to see some great teamwork.  The rear escort (a woman who also is a big truck driver) anticipated the driver’s every need, kept me informed about speed changes, talked the driver through tight turns…the entire gamut.  This one day was almost a complete training session.  Imagine what he’s going to learn tomorrow when we go through a densely populated metropolitan area such as Las Vegas tomorrow.