You're not safe, anywhere. Loves truck stop, Emerson, Georgia, TWO accidents, (and counting)

dash riposki

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I have an early delivery on the other side of Atlanta tomorrow, not many places to park, so parked for the night north of Atlanta in Emerson while I could get a good, safe, parking spot.
Slept a few hours, woke up to see a stopped truck in front of me, with a police car in attendance, lights going. (Often cops will not write accident reports on private property, so was guessing the cop followed the truck into the truck stop for some reason. Another driver told me the Pam truck had hit a truck parked on the corner. I look back in the videos and you can see and hear it.


The Pam truck didn't move. You had room to get around it, but sure as hell, before the cop was through dealing with the first wreck, two trucks trying to get around that corner hit each other.
There's only one way in/out of this truck stop, and it's going to be chaos for a while.

This is the video from the A119V2.



Oh, the second accident was a Swift truck, hitting a Knight truck. Both owned by the same company, now!







Later I checked the video from the Mobius cam, and with the wider lens you can see the actual second accident. Both trucks trying to get around the corner at the same time, but the Swift truck hit the second truck while it was stopped.


A large wrecker which I think had been called for the first accident and not used, is now being used for one truck in the second accident.

Now a second wrecker has arrived, and two trucks are being towed.
 
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Maybe first parked truck shouldn't be parking at that spot like a jerk?
 
Yes, I wouldn't park or stop there, I know some dumbass would probably hit me. (Although there is plenty of room to get around.) The 'creative' parking' is a big problem since there are severe shortages of places to park trucks. (But you see truckers do this when the lot is empty)
 
Once I thought to check the video on the Mobius, and saw you could see the accident which didn't show up on the A119v2, I told the cop on site. He didn't appear interested. I think he wrote up the first accident, not sure about the second. Just interesting since police often refuse to write accident reports on private property.
 
Darn it- they just don't want you to have an easy week do they? Good footage though and glad you weren't a participant.

All the best to you!
Phil
 
Well, at least I slept through the first one. FWIW, as expected, the trucks parked on that corner in front of the 'no parking' signs are 2 deep when I woke up.
I
 
And two trucks towed away after being hit at less than 10 MPH.
...
As a matter of curiosity what's the bill for a tow like that? Can't be cheap. :(
 
Depending on how far they go, but probably starts at $700, minimum. Probably $3000-5000 of damage to each truck. I'm not sure how it works on private property, but there is a differentiation in severity of wrecks, 'towed/driveable' for DOT safety ratings. Not sure if if counts against you for totaling a truck and never entering a public street or road? :)

emerson.JPG

Not sure if you can see the two trucks, parked next to each other, in the no parking zone to the right? Same area other truck was parked in when it go hit. This is worse since there are two side by side, and the outer one has no damn lights on. This is the only in/out route to the fuel pumps and most of the truck stop. When you have impatient truckers in a hurry and not paying attention, mixed with obstacles like this, this crap happens too often.

(down to single digits before I retire.....terrified one of these morons will kill me before then.)

:rolleyes:
 
I think your timing of getting out of that business are good.

This is one of the biggest truck stops in my part of the country.

But a normal one look like this, all the trucks you see there are probably eastern EU truckers loitering illegally waiting for a new ride instead of going home like the rules say they must.
And so Danish truckers,,,, and others find it hard to find a place to rest ( as the law say they must during a work day ) or pull up for the night.

 
...but there is a differentiation in severity of wrecks, 'towed/driveable' ...

Why would it be towed if driveable?... safety equipment (lights, etc.) inoperable?

...
(down to single digits before I retire.....terrified one of these morons will kill me before then.)

Sounds like a good time to use up all your 'sick days'. :D
 
I hope I never make a wrong turn and end up in Denmark, but If I do, I'll PM you and we'll hit the McDonalds drive through, @kamkar1

:)

I'm mostly running out of patience,and will intentionally start running over people, and blaming it on advancing senility.


:)

Maybe I can be a 'victim', too?
 
Why would it be towed if driveable?... safety equipment (lights, etc.) inoperable?



Sounds like a good time to use up all your 'sick days'. :D


It's VERY rare an OTR trucker has paid sick days. They'll give you a day off without pay if you die, though.

Not sure why the trucks were towed, unless the repair places were in Metro Atlanta, and more traffic, etc.

MAYBE the truck stop required them to be removed from the property?

I've driven more heavily damaged trucks to a nearby repair facility, but not at night. Nearby meaning 5 miles.
 
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...Not sure why the trucks were towed,...
I was asking in a more general sense, versus this incident, as to why a driveable truck would be towed. Seems like an unnecessary cost burden.
 
@dash riposki for starters a trucker here make about 25.000 DKKr a month ( before tax ) thats 3700 or so USD, and for that you only have to truck about 8 hours a day,,, anything more really and it can get illegal and prone to high fines for the driver and who ever he work for.
Most drive a company truck, so all you have is to inspect it every day before you set off to make sure its in working order, so no financial burden of running your own rig,,,,, you can but most don't.
you are of course also entitled to your employer paying for your pension pension on your behalf, and you get the mandatory 6 weeks of holiday ( full pay ) every year
Medial are of course free here, so no additional cost for that, other then some special things you have to pay yourself like dentist and chiropractor ASO, but most are paid for over the tax.
Some things are also subsidized so you don't have to pay for it all yourself.

Its probably not US wages, so factoring in all the "free" stuff and a 8 hour work day one have to ask one self if its worth it.
The guys here driving export probably make a lot more, but they also don't get to go home every day, but most trucks here don't have a sleeper cab, its just in and out every day.
Of course the Danish tax man also take a bite i recon only 3000 of those 3700 USD every month go to your own pocket.


Tanker drivers seem to make the most, about 72.000 USD annual before tax.
If you drive nights you can go as far as 40.000 DKkr /mo - 5000 USD/mo, in general Danish truckers make more than the average unskilled or slightly skilled guy working on a factory floor.
 
@Bungus ten minutes spent in traffic in thailand is like ten bad days in the US. (But I think I can avoid driving frequently there.)


The 'towing' thing, I don't understand, either.
 
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I see this sign on the highway nearby. Its offering $29.xx now, this street image is a year old. This rate doesn't get that far in silicon valley but its not the worse. A full time job with this hourly rate is around $60,000 USD a year. In a state like Alabama, you'd be rich but in California, you are poorish.


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