Bush Road Safety Reminder

[shallowH2O]

Just want to send out a remider to all the fellow HBCers out there to be safe and cautious while driving on logging roads. This is the result from one of my work trucks heading out to work yesterday and being hit by a loaded logging truck that was not calling its km's. Road conditions were very slippery, but speed was NOT a factor! just narrow bush roads. All passengers were safe and sound thank goodness.
http://sphotos-c.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-prn1/136015_10151101354021360_1050791408_o.jpg

[Singleshotneeded]

Good post! Logging trucks are NOT famous for their ability to stop quickly on snowy logging roads,
especially going downhill!

[Big Lew]

Very glad no one was hurt. It's disturbing to hear and experience so often that some loaded trucks are not calling. This year seems to be quite bad. Although I don't have a radio, I always use a scanner tuned into the appropriate channel for the forestry or logging roads I'm traveling. Even with the scanner on, I always travel with extreme caution on those roads showing active truck travel. This year I have met at least 6 loaded logging trucks or flat beds that were not calling until after they met me. I always hold up my scanner to show that I'm listening and usually receive positive comments from those that are calling, and sometimes an apology from those that aren't. This time of year, when the roads are usually very slippery, it's extremely important, as your driver found out, for all loaded trucks to call as they're required to do.

[PointMan]

That's why I got myself a radio this year. I can call my own kilometers when heading in or out, don't have to depend on the truckers. Did your guy have a radio in his truck, or was he depending on a scanner?

[vortex hunter]

thats crazy Glad your workers were safe .. I watched a Car get hit last winter in the Wack becouse the Drive THOUGHT the logging truck was gonna move over WRONG ..

[shallowH2O]

Yes my work truck has a radio and was used. They called 0km up as they entered the road. Only response was from a loaded truck chaining up at 7km. The culprit truck was at two kms roughly. These are guys that work in the bush on a daily basis. Were well aware of the hauling activity

[Manitoba_Redneck]

What logging road did this happen on? I had a close call on the squamish this weekend, I don't have a radio, I am planning on getting one, I was well off the road and out of the tracks on the road. The logging truck decided he needed to pass me at about what felt like 20kph. Not sure if he was trying to intimidate me or influence me to stay off the road, the next two trucks I met, I was about the same distance off the road, giving them lots of room to pass, I know they have the right of way, passed me crawling by and even gave me a wave.

[budismyhorse]

Brutal! Sounds like everyone got lucky..... Logger was prob yapping on another channel..... Happens all the time!!


Goes both ways though..... I drive in the bush like there is a logger around every corner after I took the rhubarb to avoid looking just like the truck in this thread.... Only difference was after another logging company traded wood with the guys I was working for "decided" to rename the road without telling us... So we were both calling kms.... But thought we in different areas.... Idiots!

[Sofa King]

holy fackin' shite.
bet that feller had some drawers to clean.

[Sofa King]

will be interesting to hear what icbc has to say.
far as i know, insurance is null and void on fsrs.

[budismyhorse]

will be interesting to hear what icbc has to say.
far as i know, insurance is null and void on fsrs.

Wrongo

unfortunately I can speak with experience.

[dd3boss]

That's a great reminder. We have to remember they are out there working so we need to get out of their way.

[Sofa King]

Wrongo

unfortunately I can speak with experience.

well that's good to know.
i was in talking with insurance, and questioned them on that.
they had no answer, they truly did not know.
even called their supervisor, who also didn't know and called their superior, who again didn't have an answer.

[Johnny G1]

Is FSR's not public roads and why wouldn't your insurance be null and void, can't see the reasoning as thats about the only way you can get around in BC to most back places and lakes etc.

[Gun Dog]

When I talked with ICBC they said I was insured everywhere -- public roads, FSRs, fields, constructions sites, etc. Your insurance isn't void if you slide off (or deliberately leave) the road.

[Shooter]

I was told years ago by an ICBC adjuster that Collision insurance covered me as long as it was reasonable to expect me to be driving there. He said that if I am driving up a creek bed and wreck my truck I likely won't be covered but if I'm on a road or trail its good to go.

[shallowH2O]

This happened east of quesnel on the 2400rd. As far as insurance goes ICBC will split the blame at%50/%50 as know one is ultimately to blame. My reason for this post is more along the lines that this could happened to anyone of us well we are out pursueing our passion. My work crew got lucky and evyone walked away unscaved except for some stiffness. A proper radio call by the other trucker in this situation would have prevent this incident, but if this was your average hunter, weekend ice fisherman, gold panner or whatever a radio may never had come into play even. Just wanted to remind people to use extra caution out there.

[The Dude]

Glad your guys are OK. What's the fault decision? ICBC gonna pay, or the Company?

[The Dude]

beat me by a heartbeat......

[RBooth]

Yikes! Glad to hear everyone made it out in good condition!
I wouldn't have wanted to be in that same spot in my tracker.... ouch!

[BRvalley]

glad to hear no major injuries

just curious about the 50/50 blame...if the loaded truck wasn't calling km's, isn't that more than 50/50 for him? i guess you can't prove not calling km's without a written confession, but who would do that

[YAMMY-CA]

Yes my work truck has a radio and was used. They called 0km up as they entered the road. Only response was from a loaded truck chaining up at 7km. The culprit truck was at two kms roughly. These are guys that work in the bush on a daily basis. Were well aware of the hauling activity

Do the logging trucks legally have to call in???

[budismyhorse]

Yammy....everyone does..... Most roads have signage at the bottom telling you all about the risk.

[shallowH2O]

The only ones that legally have to call on bush roads is industrial traffic. Forest service roads are public roads. Industrial traffic has no more right than your average weekend warrior. Now being a daily bush worker for 25 years I can personally tell you that some definitely have a different attitude towards the non working crowd

[Big Lew]

I have a brother running a logging company in the Kamloops general area. He has told me on numerous occasions that all industrial traffic, including pickups etc., are legally obligated to call. Although I've mentioned noticing quite a few truck operators not calling lately, most do. Like in all walks in life, there are good and bad. I travel the forestry and back roads in B.C. frequently throughout 3/4's of each year, and as a former commercial driver and trainer, I probably notice good and poor behavior more keenly than most. There are far more good and careful drivers out there then the reckless or aggressive ones, but the general public notices and remembers the bad ones. Most of the log haulers are owner/operators and have to adopt a balance between careful and cautious driving, taking care of their rig, tires and fuel consumption, and getting to a mill or dump site on time. It's very understandable to me that most have little patience for those of the general public that wander about as if they're the only ones using the roads, driving down the middle, or both sides of the road, stopping in the middle of the road, or recklessly driving into narrow blind corners without any thought of meeting a fully loaded truck, especially if the truck needs every inch of the road to make the corner. If a loaded truck isn't making his calls, he's upping the risk factor hugely.

[kgriz]

Wow there is a lot of "I think" rhetoric on this one! Great to see that the guys are ok but also dont forget that they were "working" too. There truly are not that many "private" roads going through crown land in northern and central BC and the ones that are are usually a mine that paid for all of the road out of pocket not through appraisal renumeration like most forest roads. Road-permit roads that are not FSR's are not private and I really doubt that radio-control is a legal requirement although obviously a good idea.

[Dirt Road King]

had a couple close calls with logging trucks.....some of the *******s powerslide blind around corners...one almost took me out when i was riding my old dirtbike....no radio on the bike obviously but the ******* was doin about 80 on a dirt road powersliding

[Moe.JKU]

Very good topic, I actually had some experiences with this 3 weeks ago. We were driving down a FSR and as we turned a corner, a little slide came down and a few of the bigger rocks push our tracker right off the road. We were lucky it wasn't a big slide but it was enough to roll twice slide down a 40 foot slope. A few broken bones, some internal bleeding and some stitches were riquired. So watch other for nature as well.

[Tarp Man]

I was out the 500 Road East of Quesnel on Wednesday (grouse hunting and looking for wolf tracks). I ended up talking with a couple drivers as they were operating on the main roads and the smaller mains that had only one lane plowed. Now I don't have a radio in the vehicle, but I also know to keep on my toes and expect loaded trucks at every turn. I played it safe and waited for a truck to follow in, so I wouldn't meet a truck coming out loaded. The guys were decent and seemed to appreciate the courtesy. However, I have never seen anyone drive so fast down snowy/icy roads! These guys chained up and were doing 80km/h empty down a one way road! On the way out I waited for a loaded truck and spoke with the driver while he chained his load, and followed him out again.

I have been forced to ditch the truck into a ditch by industrial traffic on a double wide plowed FSR as he came around a corner in the middle of the road. It is fortunate that I was going slow enough to get out of the way. I saw brake lights but the fishtailing lowbed trailer didn't seem to slow at all. This was a main road with residences ahead of where he was driving, so there was reasonable expectation to have public traffic on the road.

[Walksalot]

Make sure the batteries in your radio are good. I had a religious experience with a logging truck the other day. I could receive but I didn't notice the "B" flashing telling me my batteries were getting low and I could not transmit.