These ARE NOT Cars

 

We keep making trucks more comfortable. In the old days, if it was cold outside the truck it was cold inside the truck. Trucks rode hard. They were loud inside. There was no way we could ever forget that we were driving a truck. We can never forget these modern trucks are not cars. They are way bigger and can do a lot more damage.

 

Years ago, I got some good advice from my snowmobile dealer. We are lucky to have a venerable “old guy” out there. Over the last 25 years or so I have bought 4 snowmobiles and 2 boats from that dealership. It is the kind of dealership where the first to greet you is the dog. It is the type of place that you can have frank discussions. I had one of those after I rolled a sled.

 

Leroy talked to me after seeing the damage that I had done to my sled. I am sure over the years that he has seen a lot of damaged sleds and too many damaged people. He pulled me off to the side and started up the discussion. Now, this discussion was close to 10 years ago so it is not word for word, but you will get the gist and it applies to trucks.

 

These things keep getting better and better every year. They get faster. The handling keeps improving. We have reverse to get us out of things we should not have gotten into. The hand grips are heated. The ride has gotten smoother. The thing is that they have gotten so good that people seem to forget that they are not driving cars. These are sleds being driven across snow and ice.

 

Snowmobilers with the help of all this new technology have gained confidence. We have gotten too comfortable. Then we tend to out drive the capabilities of the sled and the rider. That is when we can get dangerous. When you lose the sense that you are driving a sled not a car, it is easy to get reckless. From time to time you need to remind yourself what you are driving.

 

That thought applies to trucks too. These trucks and trailers have anti lock braking systems. We have electronic stability and traction control. The ride has improved. These new heated seats are as comfortable as a lounge chair. We have gotten comfortable. This winter it seems as if we have had more massive pile ups than any year that I can recall. I wonder if from time to time we need to remind ourselves this is not a car.

 

Comments (3)

Jeff Clark

Jeff Clark of Kewaunee, WI has been driving a truck for 24 years. He has been an owner operator for 11 years.

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We are still 70 feet long, bend in the middle, and weighing up to 40 tons. These new trucks stop much better than the old one, but we still need to follow safe principles.

April 09, 2014 4:51:38 AM

I wish my newer car was half as comfortable as my truck for long distances. It is very true that one can become complacent easily in the comfort of a newer truck and let their guard down. Basic skills of a driver must never be let go for the advances in technology and should always be there, even if just as a backup should the need arise to use them.

April 06, 2014 15:03:17 PM

We put over 100,000 miles a year on our truck and less then 3000 on our car at home. It takes us a few days when we get home to drive the car like a car and not like the truck. You are right the truck is not a car, but the truck sure has some great features a car does not.

We are often ask how we can drive for so many hours. The answer is easy the truck is set up to drive for hours. The seats are comfortable, we have air ride everything, the dash is set up for comfort, and we have a fantastic view our of our large windshield of everything that is happening around us. Everything is designed for comfort and to get the job done - driving from here to there...

March 26, 2014 3:37:32 AM