Oh Bugger - Massive screw up here

**Paul in NZ** · 8th January 2014, 12:49

Jesus what a cluster fuck....

http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/9586...tu-truck-smash

Two rigs crawling along? At that length I thought they were supposed to have a pilot front and back? The poor prick in the car didnt stand a chance...

These over size loads can be a bloody nightmare... I remember coming back from up north in the car once and came up behind one north of Hunterville... It was super wide (passing lane) and the bloody thing kept using his blinker signalling to trucks going the other way and leaving it on and we were all like WTF is this guy telling us to pass??? Er? No... er maybe? I dunno... Anyway after a bloody long time (like 30 mins or so) of litterally crawling along... The rear pilot just about ran us off the road as we crept up closer to see if he was waving... It was very odd....

**SMOKEU** · 8th January 2014, 13:01

"Almost directly outside the Perry's home, a third truck carrying fresh produce came up behind the convoy at a faster speed and wasn't able to break hard enough in time, Nick said."

Why are people so obsessed with breaking their vehicles? I try hard not to break my stuff, because then it costs time and money to fix.

**Gremlin** · 8th January 2014, 13:24

Originally Posted by Paul in NZ

These over size loads can be a bloody nightmare... I remember coming back from up north in the car once and came up behind one north of Hunterville... It was super wide (passing lane) and the bloody thing kept using his blinker signalling to trucks going the other way and leaving it on and we were all like WTF is this guy telling us to pass??? Er? No... er maybe? I dunno... Anyway after a bloody long time (like 30 mins or so) of litterally crawling along... The rear pilot just about ran us off the road as we crept up closer to see if he was waving... It was very odd....

It's the truckers way of waving to each other. First time I saw it, I thought yep, safe to pass, had a look... uh, no

Then realised, so mostly ignore when a truck indicates on the open road (unless slowing etc).

If they were taking up both lanes, then very likely there were pilots, just not mentioned. Possibly obscured, with the convoy, then big chill truck, car and this crazy produce truck comes racing up behind at open road speeds. Still, you should notice the lights getting rapidly bigger in the distance?

**Paul in NZ** · 8th January 2014, 13:30

Originally Posted by Gremlin

If they were taking up both lanes, then very likely there were pilots, just not mentioned. Possibly obscured, with the convoy, then big chill truck, car and this crazy produce truck comes racing up behind at open road speeds. Still, you should notice the lights getting rapidly bigger in the distance?

Oh yes granted but I think the pilot is supposed to be back far enough so you can't rush up... Anyway its not a thing I know bugger all about (obviously) but its a damn shame.... Shitty thing for everyone....

**bluninja** · 8th January 2014, 13:34

Originally Posted by Paul in NZ

Jesus what a cluster fuck....

Two rigs crawling along? At that length I thought they were supposed to have a pilot front and back? The poor prick in the car didnt stand a chance...

Even if there was, the last truck was behind a car that was behind a b-train. Clearly those vehicles had slowed based on the hazard ahead, the last truck clearly didn't.

**Ender EnZed** · 8th January 2014, 14:30

I would've thought that the rear pilot vehicle would have been travelling far enough behind the wide load that traffic had past it before having to queue behind the load. Doesn't really sound like that happened though.

**Trade_nancy** · 8th January 2014, 15:23

That's the risk when super large loads are transported in the darkness. While traffic disruptions are far less - risk to the other traffic is high. Inattention, a mistake, poor visibility..whatever...leads to the death of an innocent person(s). The boat should have been transported in daylight IMHO. Other companies do so. When travelling down to the Burt Munro this year, we followed TWO large transporters on the SH south of CHCH ...about 100 metres apart - one carrying a house and the other the roof. We followed them for about 15-20 minutes till we got to a town and were able to ride a gap to pass. Not really a big problem. I'd hate to have come up behind them in blackness.

**Grumph** · 8th January 2014, 15:33

Originally Posted by Trade_nancy

That's the risk when super large loads are transported in the darkness. While traffic disruptions are far less - risk to the other traffic is high. Inattention, a mistake, poor visibility..whatever...leads to the death of an innocent person(s). The boat should have been transported in daylight IMHO. Other companies do so. When travelling down to the Burt Munro this year, we followed TWO large transporters on the SH south of CHCH ...about 100 metres apart - one carrying a house and the other the roof. We followed them for about 15-20 minutes till we got to a town and were able to ride a gap to pass. Not really a big problem. I'd hate to have come up behind them in blackness.

I've seen worse...coming back from Timaru in the dark, doing a steady 100kph, got chased down and passed by a big set of lights which turned out to be a transporter with the biggest bloody road roller I've ever seen on board. Out of curiosity, I paced him for a while and was left behind as he worked up to a terminal velocity around 130kph...

it's usually car transporters which go off at high speed at night in the SI - the resulting mess has to be seen to be believed.

**bogan** · 8th January 2014, 15:36

Head out that way for work fairly often, it's not the sort of road that should cause any issues with large loads transported at night. Mistakes were made, questions will be asked and answered, but I doubt the answers will ever be enough, RIP.

**Grubber** · 8th January 2014, 17:19

Originally Posted by bogan

Head out that way for work fairly often, it's not the sort of road that should cause any issues with large loads transported at night. Mistakes were made, questions will be asked and answered, but I doubt the answers will ever be enough, RIP.

Well said.
This was one of my subbies that crashed.
Plenty of speculation at the moment.

Large loads generally have tons of lights on them to give plenty of visibility.
With the Big Chill behind those lights would not have been visible of coarse.
Think someone had their eyes shut.

Sad affair all the same!

**Akzle** · 8th January 2014, 18:16

i bet he was going 4km/h too fast. Otherwise everyone would have gone on to lead productive lives, unmolested.

**slofox** · 8th January 2014, 18:33

Originally Posted by Gremlin

It's the truckers way of waving to each other.

And a practice I hate. It gives false signals to following or attempting to pass, traffic. Bastards. Burn them I say.

**Milts** · 8th January 2014, 20:33

But that's OK, we can't invest in rail infrastructure to take this type of shipping off the road because the initial outlay is too much

**Ocean1** · 8th January 2014, 20:48

Originally Posted by Milts

But that's OK, we can't invest in rail infrastructure to take this type of shipping off the road because the initial outlay is too much

Either that or everyone on the planet managing a rail infrastructure budget actually did some arithmetic and decided not to bother spending billions on a rail system that could deal with: "an 11 metre-wide Profab Central Engineering-built catamaran".