mrvette
Phantom of the Opera
it MAY add as much as 300 lbs to the weight of the typical trailer....3" square tubing with struts going upward and forward, bumper height going laterally one piece....1/4" walls should suffice....
well, the taillights are still in good shape....
- Thread starter MYBAD79
- Start date
it MAY add as much as 300 lbs to the weight of the typical trailer....3" square tubing with struts going upward and forward, bumper height going laterally one piece....1/4" walls should suffice....
Sam Cogley
Well-known member
From personal experience, a significant portion of the people driving big rigs shouldn't be driving Yugos. Add that to the safety design problems already mentioned, and you have a recipe for a mess.
Quite frankly, if anyone in this country needs more regulation, it's the trucking industry. Long-haul trucking is far less efficient than rail in most cases, anyway.
Quite frankly, if anyone in this country needs more regulation, it's the trucking industry. Long-haul trucking is far less efficient than rail in most cases, anyway.
68L71
Well-known member
- Joined
- May 13, 2008
- Messages
- 747
Quite frankly what we need is less lawyers, politicians and regulators. The ICC in 1935 took on regulation of the trucking industry to protect the "consumer", but really the politically powerful rail roads wanted protection from "unfair" competition of trucking firms.
So what happened? In order to operate the trucking companies needed an ICC issued certificate of public convenience and necessity. Out of the 90 thousand initial applications the ICC only issued 27 thousand. They then were reluctant to issue new certificates. This resulted in about 25 thousand trucking companies in 1939 and by 1974 there were 14.5 thousand. However in 1939 there were 25 million tons shipped and in 1974 700 million tons. The industry grew while the number of carriers shrunk. The reduced number of carriers as well as discouragement of rate competition by rate bureaus puts the consumer at a great disadvantage.
The railroads were long before ruined by the government. The government steps in to "protect the people", the railroad get power and influence in the government and ruins it for the consumer. Then the powerful railroads try to ruin trucking, until powerful trucking firms get power and influence over the gov and once again the average consumer gets the bad end of the deal. Powerful governing bodies are always more corrupt than market regulation.
mrvette
Phantom of the Opera
Eh, depends on the nature of the freight, I guess.....obviously you are correct for bulk/generic stuff....coal, ore, grains, etc.....
but I know a guy who doubles with the main driver, their job....once a week pickup a load of fancy European Ladies PURSES, and drive them from some freight port here in Florida, to Los Angles, and come back to repeat the trip next week, sometimes heavy, sometimes light, but back here by whatever time line it is....to pick up another load of purses, I was laughing with him about knowing EVERY roach, bear, cat, dawg along I10....he allows it's true.....every one they even have names.....
:hissyfit::hissyfit:
big2bird
Charter Member, Founder Bird-Run, Cruise-In Bird-R
I am tending to side with Jim on this one. DOT has safetied up the cars alot, and they ARE safer. Trucking has gotten a pass on these psuedo bumpers for a long time.
turtlevette
The Turdle
Should we start by eliminating your job? I'll just plumb my gas and water myself and hack the electrical while i'm at it. And town inspectors can get stuffed. Fire all of um.
68/70Vette
Well-known member
Yes, I too think there's way to many rules and regulations in our society. And of course another terrible thing is that some rules and regulations aren't enforced since they may "disadvantage" people; i.e. tolerating people driving without drivers licenses or under insured.
Having said that, I'd still be happy to see the people with jacked up SUV's and Pick Up trucks hammered for driving vehicles hazardous to others because their bumpers are so high, that they create death traps in collisions. But why do these people jack these vehicles up? They'll tell you it increases their off road capability. (Even though probably most have not gone off the pavement.) Their off road claims are bogus in my opinion. Being so high in the air, their center of gravity is so high that on any sort of an incline, these things will tumble over. I had a Range Rover in the late 1980's. It had amazing off road performance. With an aluminum body and aluminum engine, its still had a relatively low center of gravity. Also, it didn't have tremendously wide tires. Being driven on sand, the idea was that if there was a little bit of rain, the tires being a little narrow, would sink through the wet upper sand layer and reach dry sand. With a small layer of water on sand, the super wide tires just float and spin. I drove my Range Rover off road...NO ROAD..into the desert. These jacked up SUV's and Pick Up trucks would never been able to go there. Basically they'd just fall over.
My Range Rover had ARB locking differentials and an auxiliary fuel tank. The locking diff's were the secret for not getting stuck in sand.
Having said that, I'd still be happy to see the people with jacked up SUV's and Pick Up trucks hammered for driving vehicles hazardous to others because their bumpers are so high, that they create death traps in collisions. But why do these people jack these vehicles up? They'll tell you it increases their off road capability. (Even though probably most have not gone off the pavement.) Their off road claims are bogus in my opinion. Being so high in the air, their center of gravity is so high that on any sort of an incline, these things will tumble over. I had a Range Rover in the late 1980's. It had amazing off road performance. With an aluminum body and aluminum engine, its still had a relatively low center of gravity. Also, it didn't have tremendously wide tires. Being driven on sand, the idea was that if there was a little bit of rain, the tires being a little narrow, would sink through the wet upper sand layer and reach dry sand. With a small layer of water on sand, the super wide tires just float and spin. I drove my Range Rover off road...NO ROAD..into the desert. These jacked up SUV's and Pick Up trucks would never been able to go there. Basically they'd just fall over.
My Range Rover had ARB locking differentials and an auxiliary fuel tank. The locking diff's were the secret for not getting stuck in sand.
DeeVeeEight
Fast Pedalphile
JPhil
Huh?
I am conflicted by how I now earn my living.
But even though --no, because--I have turned to the dark side, I try to use my bureaucratic 'power' to enlighten people as to the real, down-to-earth reasons for so many of the laws & regulations. Instead of just saying "Because the code says so" I spend as much time as needed to explain to citizens building a patio cover or finishing their basement for kids bedrooms or whatever about wind loads, live & dead loads, voltage drop, cross connections, BTUs, venting, condensation planes, air stratification, etc. so that they will understand why I insist they do this or that. I know a number of 'inspectors' who live only for the power they have----fuck that. As a life safety inspector for the fire department doing annual inspections at businesses in town, I have had to do so much public relations work to repair the damage done by the previous fire inspectors. And now, there are many places I walk into where they say "Hey how ya doin? Can I ask you about something? & Thanks for pointing that out" where before, when they saw "The Inspector" walk in the mood immedidately went black and so many times I know they wanted to turn me upside down in the dumpster out back.
Jim, you do know what you are doing, or at least know how to find out or what your limitations are. Inspections I would do for you would be mere bureaucratic formalities to satisfy the beaurocratic machine. Others do not. How many times have I told a homeowner trying to do his best (and save money) on his basement project after the third or fourth "fail" and much time trying to explain with pictures drawn on the wall (jeez, translating to someone through a 9 year old girl the differences in shear & tensile strengths of sheetrock screws vs. 16d nails & thus the reasons of proper & improper uses of each is not easy either)---"Please sir! I do respect what you are trying to do! But think of it this way: All the time & money you have spent trying to do it yourself and it's still not right. Please, just go to work and do what you do to earn a living. Then call somebody who does this as his trade. You pay him and its done in a day, and done right."
Shit. Another goddam long day worn out inebriated Johnny Rant.
I fight against new (& existing) codes & laws & rules so much I have a reputation in the city where I work, way farther than just my office. All I want to do is help people do it right, with explanations of WHY. Educate rather than intimidate. The results may be slower in coming, but they last longer and spread further.
And I aint perfect either, sometimes (often?) I'm full of shit too.
Self justification? Of course.
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turtlevette
The Turdle
Phil, you know i'm just being a dick to stimulate conversation. I think what you do is very important, as is what i do in the engineering world. That's why i need a stamp or you or a doctor need credentials.
It's a line we all have to walk. You have Gene on one extreme saying we don't need any coneheads with Ph'ds then Michael Bloomberg on the other regulating your softdrinks and popcorn. I see the danger in both.
I don't like having to buy new 5 point harnesses every two years because they expire.
It's a line we all have to walk. You have Gene on one extreme saying we don't need any coneheads with Ph'ds then Michael Bloomberg on the other regulating your softdrinks and popcorn. I see the danger in both.
I don't like having to buy new 5 point harnesses every two years because they expire.
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big2bird
Charter Member, Founder Bird-Run, Cruise-In Bird-R
Well stated. I mean that for both of you.
Obviously a civilized society needs rules. To what extent? Well, the pendelum swings both ways.
One thing is for sure, you just can't fix stupid with a law.
JPhil
Huh?
Turtle--
Sorry I barked at you. Yeah, I know you meant it in jest. Once again my T&P valve popped, but it wasn't about you. I just had to let off some steam to someone. Thanks for letting me vent. It helped.
John
Sorry I barked at you. Yeah, I know you meant it in jest. Once again my T&P valve popped, but it wasn't about you. I just had to let off some steam to someone. Thanks for letting me vent. It helped.
John
mrvette
Phantom of the Opera
Jim, John, Jeff, as a beginning remodeling contractor having just got his license, the very first thing I did was ask and watch what my plumber and electrician were doing, and why....finishing basements into bedrooms require windows less than 3' off the ground and openings ~18? inches wide for fire reasons....window wells ok, but they be deep at that point, figgering 8' of basement...
and yes I can relate to trying to be a nice guy and esplain to some LUCY type customer, and laughing my ass off inside, as I imagine Ricky Ricardo in a rant.....it's an art I developed in doing TV in home service calls from back in the vacuum tube daze yet.....How to keep a straight face and even tone of voice, while letting your mind go totally apeshit on their asses.....
SOME call it PR's......I call it necessary to making a living.....:club:
:crutches:
MYBAD79
Moderator
to me it's really not a lack of rules or laws.... some (very few) are simply abusing the freedom they have....
example: There is no silly law that dictates what height your rear bumper has to be....... that's great..... now some people lower their car an inch or two, some may raise it an inch or two... to each his/her own..... now some a$$holes think their bumpers (which is nothing but a 6" heavy wall pipe) need to be at the same height as a passenger's head in a "normal" car... so he jacks up his poor excuse of a pickup truck 12" or more and creates a death trap for everybody around.....
good job ...
too bad that most of us who have a brain cannot enjoy the freedom we've got just because some dumbasses have to abuse it.....won't take long and the height of bumpers is regulated.....
rant over.....
example: There is no silly law that dictates what height your rear bumper has to be....... that's great..... now some people lower their car an inch or two, some may raise it an inch or two... to each his/her own..... now some a$$holes think their bumpers (which is nothing but a 6" heavy wall pipe) need to be at the same height as a passenger's head in a "normal" car... so he jacks up his poor excuse of a pickup truck 12" or more and creates a death trap for everybody around.....
good job ...
too bad that most of us who have a brain cannot enjoy the freedom we've got just because some dumbasses have to abuse it.....won't take long and the height of bumpers is regulated.....
rant over.....
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mrvette
Phantom of the Opera
OH, but they ARE, in states like Faryland....they got Annapolis with nothing else to do....not that it's a BAD law, really.....
but as this OP notes, still don't apply to 18 wheelers....
