18 Wheeler On "Tail Of The Dragon"!! 😳😳

[DavidKFla]

 

[Ronin]

Fucking asshole almost killed two bikers, including the couple that we're two-up. Hopefully lost his license over it...if he drives a truck like that he's about as qualified to be a greeter @ Wal-Mart...

 

[Jimmy N.]

I dunno. Looks like he did as much as humanly possible to stay in his lane with that length trailer. And stopped when there was approaching traffic that "wouldn't fit".

Having lived on a very similar road, and sometimes pulling doubles, I can relate. Except two turns were so tight that both steer and trailer tires were over the fog lines.

If anybody here could drive better than that guy did, I'd like to know how.

 

[Ronin]

They don't (legally) belong on that road, period. Signs have been installed restricting vehicles more than 30 feet in length and trailers more than 30 feet in length since 2015, so he was breaking the law and likely lost his CDL.

https://tailofthedragon.com/trucks-on-the-dragon/

Scroll down and look at some of the pictures, NO business being on that road...

 

[Jimmy N.]

Okay, not familiar with the restrictions on that road.

Ironically, where I lived there was a perfectly good and reasonably straight road that did get restricted to anything over 8,000 lbs., because of the grade, which made some tractor trailers use the 10 miles of the very curvy road I lived on.

Either way, he did the best that physics would allow, I think.

 

[Ronin]

Deals Gap/Tail of the Dragon is one of the most iconic drives in the country and motorsports enthusiasts of all types travel there just to drive/ride it...it's NO place for commercial traffic and/or RV'ers who are as short on driving skill as their vehicle is too long. Anyone who frequently travels the area is well aware of it and no question people end up on it having no idea what they're in for, but with the signage/warning these days there's no excuse not to steer clear (pun intended!) of it and take an alternate route. Not so coincidentally, there's also no shortage of folks that wreck in single vehicle accidents when they run out of talent...

 

[1971demon]

Okay, not familiar with the restrictions on that road.

Ironically, where I lived there was a perfectly good and reasonably straight road that did get restricted to anything over 8,000 lbs., because of the grade, which made some tractor trailers use the 10 miles of the very curvy road I lived on.

Either way, he did the best that physics would allow, I think.

I drove commercial for 11 years...no way I travel that stretch..restrictions or not...

 

[DavidKFla]

That driver is a fucktard.

 

[Jimmy N.]

Deals Gap/Tail of the Dragon is one of the most iconic drives in the country and motorsports enthusiasts of all types travel there just to drive/ride it...it's NO place for commercial traffic and/or RV'ers who are as short on driving skill as their vehicle is too long. Not so coincidentally, there's also no shortage of folks that wreck in single vehicle accidents when they run out of talent...

If you check out Latigo Canyon Road you'll find that it's comparable to the Tail of the Dragon. Just add RVs and the occasional tractor trailer. A weekend without a motorcycle crash was almost a rarity.

I would generally leave very early in the morning to avoid meeting any vehicles.

 

[Jimmy N.]

That driver is a fucktard.

Maybe so, but he still drove that road very well, I think.

To me, a 'tard is more like the guy that tried to pass me in the middle of an S-curve one day. In the right turn my trailer tires were a bit over the fog line and the left steer tire about three feet from the guard rail. Then, in the middle of the S I kept as far to the right as possible to be able to make the immediately following left turn, which is sharper, but not a blind turn. Generally didn't go over 5 or 10 mph through those, for obvious reasons.

Well, this guy decided to pass just as I'm having to turn hard left. Due to basic physics, the trailer followed me, which made "his lane" disappear. And there we sat, after I had to slam on the brakes.

I couldn't go forward or the trailer would hit the car, and he couldn't continue to pass since there was only about two feet of lane width left...and the trailer was still in the first half of the turn.

Not only was he oblivious to that a trailer has to follow a tow vehicle, he also couldn't comprehend that he'd have to back up to untangle this mess he had got us in. Eventually the coin fell down, he backed up a few feet, I finished the turn and stopped at the beginning of the following 300'-something straight section of road to let him by.

He took off down the hill so fast I'm surprised he made the last two curves before the road ends. Yes, we were less than a quarter mile from the large highway.

 

[DavidKFla]

Maybe so, but he still drove that road very well, I think.

To me, a 'tard is more like the guy that tried to pass me in the middle of an S-curve one day. In the right turn my trailer tires were a bit over the fog line and the left steer tire about three feet from the guard rail. Then, in the middle of the S I kept as far to the right as possible to be able to make the immediately following left turn, which is sharper, but not a blind turn. Generally didn't go over 5 or 10 mph through those, for obvious reasons.

Well, this guy decided to pass just as I'm having to turn hard left. Due to basic physics, the trailer followed me, which made "his lane" disappear. And there we sat, after I had to slam on the brakes.

I couldn't go forward or the trailer would hit the car, and he couldn't continue to pass since there was only about two feet of lane width left...and the trailer was still in the first half of the turn.

Not only was he oblivious to that a trailer has to follow a tow vehicle, he also couldn't comprehend that he'd have to back up to untangle this mess he had got us in. Eventually the coin fell down, he backed up a few feet, I finished the turn and stopped at the beginning of the following 300'-something straight section of road to let him by.

He took off down the hill so fast I'm surprised he made the last two curves before the road ends. Yes, we were less than a quarter mile from the large highway.

The fucktard can't read. There's plenty of signs telling him to not enter the road with his vehicle.

 

[Jimmy N.]

The fucktard can't read. There's plenty of signs telling him to not enter the road with his vehicle.

Which still doesn't mean that he can't drive well.

 

[DavidKFla]

Which still doesn't mean that he can't drive well.

A driver who puts other people's lives in danger is not a good driver no matter if they can handle the rig or not.

They deserve to lose their CDL.

 

[RGPIII]

Would bet he lost his CDL over that one. Many signs posted before he made it that far. Deliberately put many lives in danger including his own.

 

[DavidKFla]

Would bet he lost his CDL over that one. Many signs posted before he made it that far. Deliberately put many lives in danger including his own.

Probably can't speak or read English and a graduate of a fly by night driving school.

The freaking highways are full of these drivers anymore. They work for almost free.

 

[Jimmy N.]

A driver who puts other people's lives in danger is not a good driver no matter if they can handle the truck or not.

They deserve to loose their CDL.

So I should've lost my CDL because I definitely could have hurt or killed somebody driving on the road leading to my house?

But does it only apply to CDL drivers? I would imagine that people texting while driving puts many more lives at risk. And they may not even really know how to drive in the first place.

 

[Jimmy N.]

Probably can't speak or read English and a graduate of a fly by night driving school.

That does puzzle me. You're required to speak and read English to get a CDL, yet...

 

[DavidKFla]

That does puzzle me. You're required to speak and read English to get a CDL, yet...

That doesn't make it true. Look at everything going on in this country today.

What about the tards that end up 1/2 mile from the highway because they were following the navigation?

 

[Jimmy N.]

I really have to consider myself lucky. In CA there were lots of nice twisty roads in the Santa Monica Mts., and here there are several somewhat nearby.

For example, if heading for Denver, Hwy 17 has a really good stretch. Can almost check the trailer's taillights in a couple of the curves.
And before you ask why the heck I was doing the speed limit (a first on that road), there was a thin layer of snow on top of ice. Didn't even dare to use the exhaust brake. Hell, had to use 4WD to get to the top of the hill before I could go down the steep part on the GPS.

Another fun one is US 64 a bit east of Taos. And while not near here, coming into Big Bear, CA, from the north is another one where it's nearly impossible to keep all tires on the pavement with a 32' trailer.

Yep, I like driving on twisty roads. A lot. Going to Taos Wednesday and while the regular route is plenty nice (that's where I took the photos of the Challenger for the of-the-month), I noticed a road on the map I've never been on.
Might take that one coming back. It's says it's extremely dangerous (curves, narrow, steep, etc.) and generally discourage people from driving it. Well, the 32' trailer has seen curves before, just not those.

 

[1971demon]

If you check out Latigo Canyon Road you'll find that it's comparable to the Tail of the Dragon. Just add RVs and the occasional tractor trailer. A weekend without a motorcycle crash was almost a rarity.

I would generally leave very early in the morning to avoid meeting any vehicles.

Well if it must be navigated...early when traffic is non existent..would be best...