Re: Increase in Carrier Involved Crashes

[rreschran]

Just for fun ... If you follow national news and (for sure) Tow Force, there's been a rash of carrier involved incidents and accidents; into houses, over-turns, trains, vehicle collisions, highway strikes, etc. Perhaps it's because there's a larger number of companies running carriers? Any ideas?

 

As tow owner, what practices do you use for training your drivers on carrier operations? Safety Meetings? Carrier topics beyond load and go?     R.

[brian991219]

I have no stats to back it up, however my gut tells me that it is mostly due to the increase in popularity combined with the lack of quality drivers being hired. Carriers are so simple to use that many folks are turned loose quickly, without any real instruction on how their handling characteristics change dramatically depending on what and how you load the deck with.

 

Anecdotal story alert, my first job in the towing industry involved operating a 1984 Ford F-350 equipped with a Weldbilt 17 foot steel carrier deck. The company owner was terrified to drive this truck, his one and only trip in it resulted in disaster when he lost a hightop conversion van off the deck because he did not know how to tie it down! My "training" with that company consisted of a ride along on a single call, a winch out, and then I was turned loose for a solo shift starting the next morning. I am very fortunate that noting bad happened back then and that I chose the path of education on my own dime, for my own safety.