I’ve been watching the above programme for a few weeks on Netflix, where trucks seem to end up in ditches or overturned on the motorway several times a week in the Toronto area of Canada alone, and it just seems a normal day to them. One of those incidents would make headline news if it happened on the M1 or here in Holland.
Perhaps one of TNUK’s American or Canadian correspondents could give an insight into how these accidents might be happening? Is it a different driving style over there because you’re supposedly paid by the mile (or kilometre in Canada). I know they have extreme weather on that continent compared to Europe, but you’d think the natural reaction would be to slow down in bad weather. Yet they seem to drive at normal speeds in snowstorms if the computer simulations of these accidents that they show are to be believed.
Drove on the 401 quite a few times in the last 5 years during visits to toronto and they really do drive like complete tools over there , you think it’s bad over here , try driving over there , it’s like a free for all pass in any lane , last minute .com for the exits etc etc , much worse than over here
I watch Highway through Hell, that’s a similar type program set in North America, you wonder how some of them get a driving licence. Recovery pulled the same tipper out of a ditch twice in a mile!
I was chatting to a forkie once, as you do, and with a straight face he told me he plays forklift simulator at home. I also kept my face straight (god knows how), and I still can’t decide if he was extracting the urine or not. He seemed so sincere about it. If true, that has to be about the saddest existence ever.
ezydriver:
I was chatting to a forkie once, as you do, and with a straight face he told me he plays forklift simulator at home. I also kept my face straight (god knows how), and I still can’t decide if he was extracting the urine or not. He seemed so sincere about it. If true, that has to be about the saddest existence ever.
No one here play trucksimulator on the pc then.?
You can get from Manchester to London in about 20 mins on it…
On serious note though my misses is into flight simulator. And God there very realistic. And not easy to. Do.
If I had they time I reckon I could so get into it. But all in real time. Even right down to the weather is very realastic
I
edd1974:
No one here play trucksimulator on the pc then.?
You can get from Manchester to London in about 20 mins on it…
On serious note though my misses is into flight simulator. And God there very realistic. And not easy to. Do.
If I had they time I reckon I could so get into it. But all in real time. Even right down to the weather is very realastic
I
Funny you should say that.
I recently saw some episodes where they took avid flight simulator players and placed them into a real Airbus flight training cockpit and from cold, land the plane.
There was one woman who was so good the producers claimed she was qualified pilot.
401 can be a gong show at the best of times , 8 lanes of madness during Toronto rush hour . Chuck in some snow squalls and ice then watch the chaos unfold , imagine the M25 when it’s iced over plus zero visibility and you’re sort of in the same ball park .
I have never seen Heavy Rescue Highway 401 but have driven the 800+ kilometres from Windsor to the Quebec border on many occasions. It is always very busy and as FTTM says it can be a gong show through the GTA and all the way to Montreal, especially at night when the trucks running off the road is a frequent occurrence. I thought I had got away from all that when I retired but… On holiday last Winter, I had the pleasure of being parked next to a retired Heavy Recovery Operator from Bowmanville, Ontario. For nearly a month, Les entertained me with an endless collection of horror stories about his call-outs to Hwy 401. With him, he had his 1986 Peterbilt 359 wrecker which he had repurposed as a motor home.
ChrisArbon:
I have never seen Heavy Rescue Highway 401 but have driven the 800+ kilometres from Windsor to the Quebec border on many occasions. It is always very busy and as FTTM says it can be a gong show through the GTA and all the way to Montreal, especially at night when the trucks running off the road is a frequent occurrence. I thought I had got away from all that when I retired but… On holiday last Winter, I had the pleasure of being parked next to a retired Heavy Recovery Operator from Bowmanville, Ontario. For nearly a month, Les entertained me with an endless collection of horror stories about his call-outs to Hwy 401. With him, he had his 1986 Peterbilt 359 wrecker which he had repurposed as a motor home.
Nice photo. This is the 2019 version of that tow truck. Just a bit bigger than our UK spec ones operated by the likes of Sovereign. (Tap the top photo to fully open it).
edd1974:
On serious note though my misses is into flight simulator. And God there very realistic. And not easy to. Do.
If I had they time I reckon I could so get into it. But all in real time. Even right down to the weather is very realastic
I
She’s going to love the soon to be released Microsoft Flight Sim then. Got entire global mapping and satellite imagery with adaptive streaming scenery on it so she’ll be able to fly over your house in a 747.
I am an ex HGV Fitter, now Fleet Engineer.
Sad I know before some says.
I just had 7 days in Toronto and just could not help myself to look at Trucks,
I have also been in heavy recovery.
Watching the highway 401 program and every time there is a big smash and trailers axles falling off.
I now fully understand.
There is no chassis like our trailers in england. No wonder the smash to bits.
The trailers are more like a crumple zone Lol.
There is nothing in trailers over there.
If you ever watch any of the pile ups from America and Canada on YouTube it will leave you in no doubt how it happens . They seem to have Nil hazard perception , they don’t slow down in bad conditions or if something happens up infront of them .
edd1974:
On serious note though my misses is into flight simulator. And God there very realistic. And not easy to. Do.
If I had they time I reckon I could so get into it. But all in real time. Even right down to the weather is very realastic
I
She’s going to love the soon to be released Microsoft Flight Sim then. Got entire global mapping and satellite imagery with adaptive streaming scenery on it so she’ll be able to fly over your house in a 747.
