That's sad. I was almost a witness to something similar while going down a 6% grade mountain pass in CO. I was behind a truck behind an extremely slow car and after the car turned off the frustrated trucker sped up and soon began to lose control. Thankfully there was a well-placed runaway truck ramp he took or no doubt there would have been a disaster by the next curve. Trucker was okay, think his truck had some minor damage but it could have been so much worse. Terrifying reminder for sure.
Donner is legendary in and of itself. The worst downhill stretch that I've found is the road headed to Laughlin, NV from Kingman, AZ. Not as long as Donner, but it's 13 miles of 6% without a break with a traffic light at the bottom.
And this wasn't road rage with the pickup either. You can plainly tell the truck was going way to fast when they passed the England truck that was filming. He dropped off the top 'knowing' he could handle it. Same story every year, different truck, different driver, different mountain, but the same story. You can almost always tell a new driver. They are always tailgating a slower truck or car, when they themselves are castrated, etc etc etc
Something else I will never understand is why any company would allow anyone with less than a year of experience to even come close to Donner, Cabbage, Soldier or any of the other mountains that can get you or anyone else killed before you realized(usually too late) you screwed the pooch rather spectacularly.
God Bless this Trainer and the driver and regardless of the reasons for the accident As a Driver my heart and love goes out to the families of all those involved in this accident. I know that words don't help much when you've lost a love one but know this. They are with God now and looking down on us. Every time another driver weather it be student,trainer,or experienced watches this video they are smiling and reminding us that SAFTEY IS IMPORTANT!!!
Would not common sense tell you to be in the proper (8th) gear before going down the hill, not shifting, jake brake on, and slight pressure on the brakes til 5 mph under release then repeat all the way down the hill
I heard it was road rage with the Semi and the white pickup truck. Supposedly the pickup truck cut the trucker off so the trucker was raged! We saw this video in a SWIFT orientation during the safety part. Bad combination of ego, testosterone, down hill, large heavy vehicle, speed, and road rage!
The "trainer" is my good friend's father. thank you so much for uploading this, now he can watch his father's last moments again and again. please take this down
@dubjunkie93 Tell him to think about all the lives that are now being saved because of this video.. As a Driver I wouldn't wish this kinda of accident to anyone but I would hope that all the people that do watch it learn that respecting your truck and watching what your doing is so important.. Safety is not a choice it is a way of living to see your family again..
I don't want to sound like a know it all but the "runaway" did apply the brakes at about :24 - :25 of the video. You can clearly see the trailer break lights come on just about when the trailer starts to tip over.
Notice also as the runaway comes up next to the camera he is already drifting across the white line as he forces the camera truck towards the shoulder.Had the runaway applied his brakes and eased into the curve he might have survived it in tact.But again the runaway never touches his brakes.(unless of course his brake lights were inoperable) Had he been applying his brakes at that speed they would have been smoking.Either the driver was alseep or had a medical issue.
@liberalinthedesertaz Yep your right ! The brake lights did come on just as he was about to tip over.I didn't see that before.Still no professional driver would have gone off that hill like that,so again he either had a medical issue or was a student driver.
Thanks for bringing the brake lights to my attention !
This is some what strange...take note that the runaway as it passed the camera there was no smoke coming from the brakes on either the tractor or trailer...also note as the runaway passes the camera there are NO BRAKE LIGHTS showing on the trailer.Apparently the driver never touched his brakes as he passes the camera and as he drifts and leans into the opposite lane never once does the brake lights come on.Be curious to know what the DOT determined.
All you people talking about speeding here should watch this again. It looks to me more like a runaway brake failure situation. The truck is already out of control as it passes the camera truck.
You know, there is one thing missing from all of your comments here...peer pressure is a huge thing to deal with. People should not worry about what they hear on the cb from folks behind them, and likewise, should just drive and not worry about what they THINK other drivers are thinking about them... it is just like when someone says "drive safe" ... well, my idea of safe is different from your idea of safe. and granted, driving the posted speed limit is not always safe
I traveled through Donner Pass Every week for years. Mostly my co-driver would take the wheel as it was my time to sleep. We went through the same time as this accident and saw the aftermath. This should really be a cautionary tale. Even with a million miles under our belts we both were shaken by this tragedy.
I went down virgin river on i15 as a rookie driver . trainer a sleep in bunk. i made it ok but it should have not have happened at all. God bless them both
Sad, and frightening. Only been driving for 3 1/2years, but 3 SW Ontario/SE Michigan winters and I have seen more than my share of this kind of thing, although not from such a close proximity. The piddly six week 'in n out here's your license' courses provide nowhere near enough proper training. My question here tho is, was the trainer not experienced enough to tell the driver to slow down?
your supposed to slow down before you start going down!. i would always go down donner with 70k gross. i always went down at 35. jakes on , hit the brakes a t 45 mph.
the way i was taught on mtn driving was put your foot on the brake with gentle pressure just to knock the speed down a little jakes turned on and count 1 100 2 100 3 100 and so on till 5 100 then let off so you wont over heat/fry your brakes..
I go down that pass all the time, i live in sacramento, but like all passes I have gone down I read the signs for recommended speeds, if it says 55mph thats for cars, if your driving a fully loaded tractor trailer weighing in at 78,000 lbs common sense says 45mph!!!!!! I know a guy that works for CR england that trains drivers and he does this same sh*t, he sleeps while the trainee is driving! I showed him this video and he says he doesn't care so i guess some dont care if they live or die....
@440sac That is the problem now days the trainers they put these new student drivers with just don't care or have enough experience themselves to even be a trainer. I got my schooling through CR England and although they are classified as one of the top of the line schools they aint very selective about who they allow to be a trainer. God bless these drivers families and I hope more new drivers will watch this video and learn from this mistake. It cost two people their lives and that is SAD..
I havn't had the chance to go down Donners or Cabbage. I've heard some horror stories but this one is just terrible. A trainer should never go to sleep while a rookie is going down a mountain. It's sad to see two drivers loose their lives.
@MrMud31 I have been a driver now for four years and have been over both Donner and Cabbage. Just remember to have respect and pay attention to what your doing. Being a driver is not a game but a responsibility that all to many take far to lightly. Good Luck and Be Safe..
People are commenting about brakes and gears and blah blah blah yak yak yak. The only thing the driver needed to do was slow down. I mean look at spankstudios comment. Talk about blah blah blah yak yak yak
@mantywi. Over the years I have found in mt. driving, be it west coast or east coast, if you hold gently on the breaks, soft, you will heat up your breaks and then that mt. wins. lower gears, apply breaks, get off them to maintain a spead that is safe for you and your equep You can go down a mountain manytimes slow, you may only get to go down it once, going fast I know this driver was going to fast for whatever reasons, I'v been over Donner Cabagemteagle,etc and many more, still here, thanks
Nobody will ever know what happened in that truck before the crash. We can all play armchair quarterback in the safety of our own homes. But I know what it is like to wake up from a nap after being awake for 34hrs, to find my student going 95 miles down a hill fully loaded because he can't find the gear, and the school told him "don't use the brakes down hill" So truckerj, I agree with you. That is why I don't work for that company any more, and I run a solo dedicated run. It's a shame
...(last continuation) But the reality is, a company sees a truck with 2 drivers in it, and dispatches it as a team. They will lose money if they roll those trucks as solos. It does not matter that one of those drivers has 8hrs of experience behind the wheel and the experienced driver is getting less than 3hrs sleep a night. What matters is the bottom line. I tried to get solo loads and I couldn't. That is why I don't do it anymore.
....(continued from previous post) The way it works is, I spend most of my 10 hr sleeper time training the student, then while the student is sleeping (usually over night) I drive my 11hrs. When you are at the shipper/receiver you cant sleep, you art training then too. This goes on for a months. So really you catch sleep when you can. Hopefully you have trained your student well enough that he/she can be trusted while you grab a little sleep. Sometimes then can, sometimes not...(continued again)
truckerj said to me "do you think accidents just happen on bad stretches of road? TRAINER AND STUDENTS SHOULD BE SLEEPING AT THE SAME TIME. HOW THE HELL DO YOU TRAIN SOMEONE WHEN YOURE ASLEEP!" First of all truckerj, don't yell at me. Secondly, once a student is on my truck, I am dispatched as a team. A team run can not be completed of both drivers sleep at the same time. NOT MY RULE. So the way it works is....(to be continued)
@ussenterp65 word of advice if your jake wasnt holding you back you were already going too fast and or in the wrong gear. just because it hold you back with say 30,000 doesnt mean it will with 45000. you just have to learn what your truck will do under different loading conditions.
@ussenterp65 it's better to do donner at night simple fact you pay more attention. i was over it several times at night, then my first trip in the daytime scared the hell out of me
37 yrs out here on the road and i have seen some of the worst truck crashes you could even think about...Donner...Cajone....Cabbage...are just a few...i have seen trucks going down these hills smoke pouring off the brakes..on fire...and almost out of control....RESPECT is what you have to have for any grade...I have 3 million miles no accidents no tickets...been a trainer and still an owner operator...Sad to see this video..New people watch this and LEARN..Great Video but Sad
@bigj200016 only thing better about cabbage is it's only 7 miles donner if you actually look at it is almost 100 miles downhill yeah theres some up grades but not many.
Iv been over Donner many times, lesson kids, Don't go down the mountain any faster then you can climb it, Grab a gear, stay in it. on off the breaks, etc. All it takes is one time and you won't go down it again,,, f
@TheRoper0201 .....I agree about the gears but don't think i understand about your comment on the brakes i was always taught is put just enough brake peddle so your NOT gaining speed i've used this for 18 years i smoked the brakes once BUT that only cause i made the mistake on the gears.Never was down Donner,but all the drivers comments were going TO FAST.They had this video in our saftey meeting and about 20 other companys around here
@mantywi the comment about the brakes is this, if you hold the brakes steady (even lightly) they will produce heat and keep on producing heat and will eventually fade out from overheating. If you get on the brakes then off then on again it allows them to heat a bit then cool a bit. That helps to keep them from overheating. Now mind you if you go to fast and ride them hard and let off for a second then ride them hard again they will still overheat and fade out on you.
Thank you for sharing this video ..I think that all drivers should have to watch this.I have been driving for 4 yrs now and I have driven through Donner more then once.. I have never ever once stopped respecting it or any other grade for that matter and I have a truck with no jake brake.. :(
One time I was not paying attention going back east on Donners pass and notice my truck was picking up speed waay to fast, but I slow it down just in time. The pass is very beautiful, but still gotta watch what you doing.
All I can say is WOW! In my training, thankfully, never had to go down Donner Pass. Although, I've heard stories about it. Thank you for posting this video, I'm sure it has made alot of drivers aware of all the safety precautions we need to take while driving anywhere.
@rookietrucker71 Donners is relatively tame. Now, in the winter, it can be different (which is why California is very anal about the chain law on that hill). Every hill is easy in good weather during the day. Just keep your speed. If you think you're going to fast, slow down NOW and down shift into a better gear. Don't be afraid to go down slower than the other trucks (especially when new).
i should also say i have taken many students down donner. some in their first or second week out. i'm sure the trainer in this accident was a wonderfull man and god rest his soul and give comfort to his family. my company requires all trainers to watch this video. would not surprise me if this video has already saved lives.
rule one: remain awake and in jump seat with student driving in mountains. rule two: make sure student is in proper gear for grade with jake brake on BEFORE beginning descent. rule three: DO NOT let student shift gears during descent. these three simple rules will save you and your students life and possibly others. not that difficult.
@MrMplee , good information. I just upgraded to a regular driver and had to drive this mountain twice and the east side scared the heck out of me but the west side was alot safer so it appeared to me. However, I've learned that if you respect the mountain and the truck and follow the rules of the road signs presented to every driver you should be safe. When I first seen this video as a student it scared me alot and had me afraid to drive that mountain but now I feel okay to drive some mountains.
I might be out of bounds here, but I notice as the truck goes by that the brake lights are not on until the trailers starts to go over. This also is a reason that I won't even consider training. Such as waste and my condolences to both the victims and their familes. By the way, Thank you for posting this. Not to be crude about it, but it is a message even experienced drivers need to be reminded of.
Imagine the horror of those final moments in the cab - struggling with the wheel in an attempt to regain control as the speed increases, the desperate and futile attempt to stop the rig when the brake lights come on, but it's too late - shear panic as they face the inevitable. This should make every driver pause and think about safety.
I agree therefore from here on out anyone with 5 or more years experiance MUST train at least 1 student a year. Problem solved. Oh you dont want that either?
That is why I would never be a trainer. What a way to die, by the hands of some new truck driver. When I was learning to drive a truck, my trainer was back sleeping when I went down my first mountain. No big deal, but he should have been up reviewing my driving.
@SamCynical seriously you blame the inexperience driver saying he thought he knew it all? Most likely thing that happen is the poor guy/girl had no idea what gear and speed was the proper gear and speed for that pass.
I feel for both the families and hope maybe someone will learn from this mistake.
i rode with my trainer down this he told me i wasnt ready so i respected that now im ready and i respect the roads alot more since i been driven and too all be safe and god bless
So bottom line no one should profit or pride themselves on this video. Treat it as a safety video and nothing more. Roll overs happen to experienced truckers too.
First of all the could of, would have, should haves will not bring these two men back. Like the first words said here this was suppose to be a training video. Learn from it.
We will never know what really happened inside the cab. As for trainers, they are to work with the trainee until the trainee has enough time behind the wheel on their own. Then it does go to team training. I know this for a fact as my husband is a trainer.
46Mongoose a trainer is not supposed to sleep while his trainee is at the wheel. They are supposed to operate as a single driver would, they are not team driving, or at least they aren't supposed to be.
Something my trainer, who drove for 25 years, always told me and I take this with me every day. If you do down Donner's Pass, I don't care how slow you go. I don't care how much the other drivers bitch on the CB. In fact, turn off your CB and your other radio and cellphone as well. Limit distractions and go slow.
I have seen many more owner operator trucks in the ditch or other trucking companies than Swift or JB Hunt! And by the way...this one wasn't a Swift truck either. Why do people always have to say that? You sound just like the idiots I have to hear on the cb everyday!
I feel bad for the families that lost loved ones in this accident, but I know for fact this video is being used for training in major trucking companies. This will always be a dangerous business. Espescially when your DM pushes you over the Eisenhower on chains in a snowstorm. RIP men
All the time you drive down the road in a storm and for some odd reason you always see a swift truck or a JB hunt truck in the ditch. Are the trainers doing thier job? This guy was going too fast, but hittin those brakes did him in. Bet he did not even know where his jake was.
@46Mongoose my experience is jb hunt has some of the best drivers around like the one person said i see more owner operators in the ditch than companys like jb or swift
I wonder how people train and ever getany sleep at all; I would have a heart attack hearing the rumble strip even if my trainee was going around construction cones or whatever. This is just tragic.
My son unfortunatly just went to driving school and the first thing I did when he informed me he was going was showed him this video to show the outcome of not paying attention to your surroundings and the terrain.You did good posting it because it could save many others lives.
A tragic accident, but also a sad demonstration of the old addage "useless laws weaken necessary laws". While I realize this accident was the result of an inexperienced driver, California's statewide 55 mph truck speed limit negates the vital importance of obeying the signs on Donner. Too many drivers think that because 55 is too slow for I-8, I-5, I-10, and I-15 it should be too slow for Donner. Not true! Drivers, let's speed safely through the desert but slowly jake down Donner!
@70Kenny states that have the lower truck speed limits do it for a reason, to keep you moronic truck drivers from killing innocent people. Sure they have families too, but what about the people that they kill that are completely innocent.
@liberalinthedesertaz Why don't you do a bit of research on accident rates in split speed limit states versus states with uniform speed limits? You will find that the uniform speed limit states have fewer accidents involving commercial trucks than California. I've seen firsthand fatal accidents caused by moronic automobile drivers like you, too.
and thank you for posting this i use it and show the newbies when we get em what to worry about. I know several of our trainers who use this as well to train their students so. My prayers and thoughts go out to the family of both of those men who have departed our trucking brotherhood. May the lord keep them safe and rest in peace and as for every other trucker be safe out there we are the professionals
you guys have to know this There are brake checks at almost every long and steep grade use them guys. You can always go to slow down a hill a million times but you will go fast only once. Use what these states give you a brake check area make sure you are good talk to mechanics find out how to adjust brakes the more knowledge you know the longer you will live to tell about your life in trucking. AND FOR GOD SAKES DO A Pretrip everyday Every stop no matter what look at your truck and trailer
no shit? is that what happened? Its a runaway truck as in NO BRAKES cause of an inexperianced driver, 7% grade + no brakes = taking the turn too fast. Thank god you solved mystery. 2 PEOPLE DIED AND YOU MAKE A RETRDED COMMENT LIKE THAT! When you die of being a fat prick i hope people say "too many twinikies" 2 people died! dont comment unless you have something knowlegable to say that may help the next guy out. I really hope you dont have a CDL if you couldnt figure this out.
Answer is brake failure or hard brake application in a curve. The truck didnt start rolling untill the brake lights came on.
I have heard of people not checking the service line connecting their trailer. If it is off, your trailer brakes will realease but will not work. This happeded to a UPS driver going down flat top mtn in WV. He bailed out of the truck at over 60mph and died in the hospital.
its a more simple explaination than you make it out to be, the kid had his license only 9 days out of driving school, and we all know driving school is a joke that provides us with JB hunt and swift drivers. He simply hit the downgrade before he found a gear and being an inexperianced driver didnt know how to find a gear,(no gear no jake) forced to use the service brakes, on a grade like that, dont take long till your service brakes are gone or on fire, then you have a runaway truck.
you can see at 0.26 that the skid marks began not for brakes been applied but for the trailer wheels start draging sideways on the right side,,then at 0.29 the left wheels are completly off the ground by the trailer brutal gravity force,,there was not power on this earth to stop that speeding truck...I am a newby truck dirver with 11 months experience but very careful and slow when going down hill,,even when I hear insults on the cb from other drivers passing me by...R.I.P the ones onthe vid
@bewjr u fuking retard. re-read what was written. he uses the word AND. talking about donner AND i-70 in CO. and to think they let u drive a truck and even train new drivers. God help us all !!!!!!!!!
there should not be a roockie driver out on the hills like that and i 70 in colorado they need to leave to the old truckers that know what we are doing out there and the company that let that happen should be charge with there death
Been to Donner twice. Once as a trainee and once as a Company Driver. 76k coming down in 5th and people passing me like there ain't no tomorrow. Companies shouldn't allow trainees to drive on Mountains like that until they complete at least 100k miles.
Well I can honestly say this video has scared the hell out of me. There isn't a curve I go through now that I don't think of it and slow down. I went through Monteagle TN last week, at 79,000 7th gear with jakes and never even had to touch the brake pedal. Other trucks were just flying by me but that's ok cause I know I'm going to make it to the bottom safely and that's all that counts. Oh they were also cleaning a run-a-way ramp from a truck taking it earlier that morning.
I know that's what you meant but the way you worded it you said he had 79,000lbs on the trailer. We don't want to confuse anyone on youtube...most of them are already way too stupid as it is. lol :)
I have been on Donner Pass many times. Donner Pass was the first real mountain driving I did with my trainer. Never grossed less than 79,000 going west and no less than 75,000 going east. If one can read road signs they will give a driver all the instruction he/she will need. The rest is up to the driver. Mechanical malfunctions can happen to anyone and every machine, even new trucks breakdown.
this wasnt mechanical, it was driver error, the kid had his license 9 days, he couldnt find a gear after he crested the hill. Remember learning a 13-18speed? its a bitch to find a gear when truck is accelerating down hill when your new. Trainer was forced to sleep cause their company ran the truck as a team truck instead of a driver/trainer truck to save a buck, hope it was worth it, now they lost 2 lives, a tractor a trailor a load and funds to pay for cleanup. I hope that company leanred.
IMO even MOST not all mechanical malfunction is driver error. You do a pre-trip for a reason. If you work for Swift or JB hunt its always driver lol. every swift truck ive seen trying to back in while im fuleing up cant do it without 15 mins and 25 pull ups. and 8/10 JB hunt trucks i see on the grapevine in CA have either smoking trailer brakes or they are just on fire....and i get next to them and tell them they are smoking....everyone of them shrugs and keeps going down the hill with no jake.
@wtfmanicanthaveaname companies never learn and some trainers never do either a company i used to work for one of the trainers said he'd been in 3 accidents with trainees driving. one time pinned in the truck for 7 hours before anyone found them. i asked where were you when this was going on? answer in the bunk asleep. i told him thats a dammed good place to be training someone from.
@truckerjay1 a lot of companies do run you as teams though, and with the economy the way it is, the trainer cant afford to not make a load and risk moving out of the truck and catching a greyhound to the unemployment line, so a lot of drivers are forced to gamble with their life and the life of the kid they are "training" to a lot of people they would rather roll the dice and hope for the best, than be late and know the outcome, i blame the companies not the drivers.
@wtfmanicanthaveaname i believe it would be a lot better to be jobless than dead i've told many companies "late freight is better than scattered freight" !
Went by that wreck that day, Eastbound...horrible wreck...ABSOLUTLY the "trainer" should at the very least, been awake and coaching...brakes were fine, no smoke, he panicked...keep it easy guys
I've been driving for 5 years now and my first mountain was in Wyoming. My trainer was awesome and told me exactly what to do. If I didn't have that experience in training I could have ended up just like these guys, maybe that particular student shouldn't have been driving. But all students should be coached down a mountain the first time.
looks like trailer was mt,how do you roll an mty trailer ? i will tell you [speed] and too much of it, even if loaded way too fast! live and learn new drivers, god be with the families of the 2 dead drivers
I'm a trainer for swift and a good old country boy from down south this would not happen in my big rig , WE NEED TO STOP THIS DRIVERS ! TO MANY PEOPLE NOT DRIVING SAFE OUT HERE MOTHER FUCKERS
This would be every driver's worst nightmare. Just one reason why I don't go two-up. But a question : if he was out of gear like some guys are saying, why isn't smoke pouring from the brakes ?
The puff of smoke from the trailer wheels looks like the tires hitting the underside of the trailer as it was going over.
Anyway, I feel very sad for the families left behind. Just one mistake can have terrible consequences........this should be compulsory watching for any driver, new or otherwise.
I agree that the service brakes would be smoking if he was unable to use the jakes because he was out of gear. This video alone is enough for me to never be a trainer!
This video has been instrumental in training our new students. I am an instructor at the company whos truck was filming. I agree that the student should'nt have been driving. Been there many times, and its hairy for a experienced driver. Hopefully this video continues to educate new drivers.
I knew the trainer - helped plan his funeral - he was a great guy, husband and father of 3. He was found the next day buried in the wreckage. The driver only had is CDL for about 2 weeks, should have never been sent on this run but the owner of the company didnt see it that way. It is so sad no matter how you look at it. I grew up in this area and it is a tough drive in a car much less a semi. My prayers go out to all the truck drivers out there that keep this country running!
Son of a bitch...what kind of comment "He Had the Hammer Down" is suitable for a rollover video that KILLED two people. Kinda makes me wish you were in that truck as well...then we would have gotten rid of an insensative bastard like you....
no, he didn't. the driver was a newbie, only had his CDL 2 weeks. he tried to downshift & missed the gear, so he was stuck in neutral on a 5-6 degree down grade, with no way of controlling his speed. they should never of sent a trainee on this route.
he did have a way of controlling his speed, its called BRAKES...obviously brakes worked...no smoke remember? If the "trainer" had been where he was supposed to be he would have told him....apply your BRAKES...thats what to do if you miss a gear going downhill....come to a safe speed quickly (before your brakes cease to work) and catch a gear,
and did anyone notice he didnt hit the brakes until the trailer started to roll over? Rookies should not be driving that stretch of road. Get some miles, never think you know it all but keep learning from other drivers, and then try it if you feel your up to it but remember anything that is man made WILL fail sooner or later. So loose your brakes
@supershy13079 So ur saying that trainees should wait till they have been driving 4 a while b4 driving over donner? Whether a driver has 5 months or 5 years under their belt, u hit donner 4 the 1st time ur still a rookie. I think it would be better if they went over that pass with a seasoned driver who has went through there that way they can show them the "proper" way 2 make it down to the bottom safely. My 1st time over donner, I was by myself with 16,000 in the box and I was scared to death.
I've made trips longer by taking routes that would keep me away from this stretch of road. First off the rookie should have had his truck going slow enough BEFORE he started down that long grade. And I'm a strong believer that some trucks dont have strong enough engine brakes to help keep things under control. This should not have happened and my prayers go out to the family and friends of fallen drivers everywhere.
maybe it was just me but i could seee the smoke from where he cooked the shit off those brakes right when he got very close to the england truck. ive crossed donor dry and frozen and it breaks my heart to see fellow drivers lose their lives out here but that studen had no buisness going down that grade unsupervised. may god watch over their familes
(continued) I don't see how it is safe to be 11hrs on your own log, then be awake another 11hrs for your student. I'm sure there is a safe way to do it, but not in the mountains, or on ice, or fog, or any other condition that requires experience. If I DO become a trainer, I will REQUIRE my students to watch this video before driving my truck. My heart & prayers to the families of the victims.
it all depends on the person your training, i trained with an owner/operator in his $170k truck, i payed attention, did everything he said, and the day i got my licence i was cut lose on my own, I still work for him and drive that truck. To this day all i have is a parking ticket. I did my training on a permit, and i had NEVER towed any kinda trailer, and hes never trained. After 1 month, i got my licence and been keepin the wheels turning solo since. So dont let this video discourage you.
thanks for the advice. Just finished with my 1st student. Cabbage over in Oregon was probably the worse grade we encountered, not nearly as bad as Donner, but my student did fine. Getting enough sleep was a big issue for me, but found my rhythm. The key for me was doing a good trip plan so I KNEW when I should be awake before my student got there. I'm sure the families of these drivers dont want this accident on youtube, but this video has probably saved a lot of lives by the example it sets.
@spankstudios do you think accidents just happen on bad stretches of road? TRAINER AND STUDENTS SHOULD BE SLEEPING AT THE SAME TIME. HOW THE HELL DO YOU TRAIN SOMEONE WHEN YOURE ASLEEP!
I'm considering becoming a trainer, but this video really has me wondering if I should. I read other people's criticisms about the trainer being asleep while this happened, and I agree that a novice driver shouldn't be in the mountains unsupervised. BUT they way my company does it (wont mention names) they run you as a team. The trainer has to do his 11hrs then still be awake during his "SB" time to coach the new driver. You got to sleep sometime.
wolf creek pass way out on the great devide, truckin on down the other side!
3car 2 weeks ago
That's sad. I was almost a witness to something similar while going down a 6% grade mountain pass in CO. I was behind a truck behind an extremely slow car and after the car turned off the frustrated trucker sped up and soon began to lose control. Thankfully there was a well-placed runaway truck ramp he took or no doubt there would have been a disaster by the next curve. Trucker was okay, think his truck had some minor damage but it could have been so much worse. Terrifying reminder for sure.
CovertSabotage 1 month ago
Donner is legendary in and of itself. The worst downhill stretch that I've found is the road headed to Laughlin, NV from Kingman, AZ. Not as long as Donner, but it's 13 miles of 6% without a break with a traffic light at the bottom.
wildturkey1960 1 month ago
you can go down 1,000 times to slow, but only once to fast
retiredmp05 2 months ago
And this wasn't road rage with the pickup either. You can plainly tell the truck was going way to fast when they passed the England truck that was filming. He dropped off the top 'knowing' he could handle it. Same story every year, different truck, different driver, different mountain, but the same story. You can almost always tell a new driver. They are always tailgating a slower truck or car, when they themselves are castrated, etc etc etc
TxRattPack 2 months ago
Something else I will never understand is why any company would allow anyone with less than a year of experience to even come close to Donner, Cabbage, Soldier or any of the other mountains that can get you or anyone else killed before you realized(usually too late) you screwed the pooch rather spectacularly.
TxRattPack 2 months ago
@TxRattPack dont forget lookout pass ID /MT
crazyfox5683 1 month ago
God Bless this Trainer and the driver and regardless of the reasons for the accident As a Driver my heart and love goes out to the families of all those involved in this accident. I know that words don't help much when you've lost a love one but know this. They are with God now and looking down on us. Every time another driver weather it be student,trainer,or experienced watches this video they are smiling and reminding us that SAFTEY IS IMPORTANT!!!
Drakkenswitch 2 months ago
Would not common sense tell you to be in the proper (8th) gear before going down the hill, not shifting, jake brake on, and slight pressure on the brakes til 5 mph under release then repeat all the way down the hill
gooruraw 4 months ago
I heard it was road rage with the Semi and the white pickup truck. Supposedly the pickup truck cut the trucker off so the trucker was raged! We saw this video in a SWIFT orientation during the safety part. Bad combination of ego, testosterone, down hill, large heavy vehicle, speed, and road rage!
gooruraw 4 months ago
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jazzmood 5 months ago
This has been flagged as spam show
The "trainer" is my good friend's father. thank you so much for uploading this, now he can watch his father's last moments again and again. please take this down
dubjunkie93 6 months ago
@dubjunkie93 Tell him to think about all the lives that are now being saved because of this video.. As a Driver I wouldn't wish this kinda of accident to anyone but I would hope that all the people that do watch it learn that respecting your truck and watching what your doing is so important.. Safety is not a choice it is a way of living to see your family again..
Drakkenswitch 2 months ago
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dubjunkie93 6 months ago
I don't want to sound like a know it all but the "runaway" did apply the brakes at about :24 - :25 of the video. You can clearly see the trailer break lights come on just about when the trailer starts to tip over.
RottyFan1 6 months ago
@RottyFan1 he hit his brakes when the trailer was already sliding out of control.
liberalinthedesertaz 6 months ago
Notice also as the runaway comes up next to the camera he is already drifting across the white line as he forces the camera truck towards the shoulder.Had the runaway applied his brakes and eased into the curve he might have survived it in tact.But again the runaway never touches his brakes.(unless of course his brake lights were inoperable) Had he been applying his brakes at that speed they would have been smoking.Either the driver was alseep or had a medical issue.
vangard213 6 months ago
@vangard213 he hit his brakes when the trailer started to slide out of control after it passed the camera truck.
liberalinthedesertaz 6 months ago
@liberalinthedesertaz Yep your right ! The brake lights did come on just as he was about to tip over.I didn't see that before.Still no professional driver would have gone off that hill like that,so again he either had a medical issue or was a student driver.
Thanks for bringing the brake lights to my attention !
vangard213 6 months ago
@vangard213 it was a student driver BTW.
liberalinthedesertaz 6 months ago
@liberalinthedesertaz I figured it probably was,thanks !
vangard213 6 months ago
This is some what strange...take note that the runaway as it passed the camera there was no smoke coming from the brakes on either the tractor or trailer...also note as the runaway passes the camera there are NO BRAKE LIGHTS showing on the trailer.Apparently the driver never touched his brakes as he passes the camera and as he drifts and leans into the opposite lane never once does the brake lights come on.Be curious to know what the DOT determined.
vangard213 6 months ago
@vangard213 I can tell you what I noticed. The truck was driving WAY WAY WAY too fast for the grade and for the turn...
liberalinthedesertaz 6 months ago
All you people talking about speeding here should watch this again. It looks to me more like a runaway brake failure situation. The truck is already out of control as it passes the camera truck.
ProInception 7 months ago
@ProInception where in the hell do you get that idea from? The truck brake lights come on WHEN its trailer starts to slide out towards the right.
liberalinthedesertaz 6 months ago
You know, there is one thing missing from all of your comments here...peer pressure is a huge thing to deal with. People should not worry about what they hear on the cb from folks behind them, and likewise, should just drive and not worry about what they THINK other drivers are thinking about them... it is just like when someone says "drive safe" ... well, my idea of safe is different from your idea of safe. and granted, driving the posted speed limit is not always safe
slitchner 7 months ago
I traveled through Donner Pass Every week for years. Mostly my co-driver would take the wheel as it was my time to sleep. We went through the same time as this accident and saw the aftermath. This should really be a cautionary tale. Even with a million miles under our belts we both were shaken by this tragedy.
scottsims1970 7 months ago
R.I.P. When Ive been on Donner Pass I just keep it in 8th and the jake on high. Got to bring your A game out there.
drissofish 8 months ago
I went down virgin river on i15 as a rookie driver . trainer a sleep in bunk. i made it ok but it should have not have happened at all. God bless them both
TheParamountpirates 9 months ago
Sad, and frightening. Only been driving for 3 1/2years, but 3 SW Ontario/SE Michigan winters and I have seen more than my share of this kind of thing, although not from such a close proximity. The piddly six week 'in n out here's your license' courses provide nowhere near enough proper training. My question here tho is, was the trainer not experienced enough to tell the driver to slow down?
ClassicGameVault 9 months ago
your supposed to slow down before you start going down!. i would always go down donner with 70k gross. i always went down at 35. jakes on , hit the brakes a t 45 mph.
srt41320 9 months ago
the way i was taught on mtn driving was put your foot on the brake with gentle pressure just to knock the speed down a little jakes turned on and count 1 100 2 100 3 100 and so on till 5 100 then let off so you wont over heat/fry your brakes..
mrmichaelredneck 10 months ago
I go down that pass all the time, i live in sacramento, but like all passes I have gone down I read the signs for recommended speeds, if it says 55mph thats for cars, if your driving a fully loaded tractor trailer weighing in at 78,000 lbs common sense says 45mph!!!!!! I know a guy that works for CR england that trains drivers and he does this same sh*t, he sleeps while the trainee is driving! I showed him this video and he says he doesn't care so i guess some dont care if they live or die....
440sac 10 months ago
@440sac That is the problem now days the trainers they put these new student drivers with just don't care or have enough experience themselves to even be a trainer. I got my schooling through CR England and although they are classified as one of the top of the line schools they aint very selective about who they allow to be a trainer. God bless these drivers families and I hope more new drivers will watch this video and learn from this mistake. It cost two people their lives and that is SAD..
Drakkenswitch 2 months ago
I havn't had the chance to go down Donners or Cabbage. I've heard some horror stories but this one is just terrible. A trainer should never go to sleep while a rookie is going down a mountain. It's sad to see two drivers loose their lives.
MrMud31 10 months ago
@MrMud31 I have been a driver now for four years and have been over both Donner and Cabbage. Just remember to have respect and pay attention to what your doing. Being a driver is not a game but a responsibility that all to many take far to lightly. Good Luck and Be Safe..
Drakkenswitch 2 months ago
This has been flagged as spam show
People are commenting about brakes and gears and blah blah blah yak yak yak. The only thing the driver needed to do was slow down. I mean look at spankstudios comment. Talk about blah blah blah yak yak yak
javaxsqft 11 months ago
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javaxsqft 11 months ago
That driver was well past the point of lower gears & Jake brake, that's terrible... mountain passes are really no place for green drivers....
hobbeekid 11 months ago
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jokersride 11 months ago
@mantywi. Over the years I have found in mt. driving, be it west coast or east coast, if you hold gently on the breaks, soft, you will heat up your breaks and then that mt. wins. lower gears, apply breaks, get off them to maintain a spead that is safe for you and your equep You can go down a mountain manytimes slow, you may only get to go down it once, going fast I know this driver was going to fast for whatever reasons, I'v been over Donner Cabagemteagle,etc and many more, still here, thanks
TheRoper0201 1 year ago
Nobody will ever know what happened in that truck before the crash. We can all play armchair quarterback in the safety of our own homes. But I know what it is like to wake up from a nap after being awake for 34hrs, to find my student going 95 miles down a hill fully loaded because he can't find the gear, and the school told him "don't use the brakes down hill" So truckerj, I agree with you. That is why I don't work for that company any more, and I run a solo dedicated run. It's a shame
spankstudios 1 year ago
...(last continuation) But the reality is, a company sees a truck with 2 drivers in it, and dispatches it as a team. They will lose money if they roll those trucks as solos. It does not matter that one of those drivers has 8hrs of experience behind the wheel and the experienced driver is getting less than 3hrs sleep a night. What matters is the bottom line. I tried to get solo loads and I couldn't. That is why I don't do it anymore.
spankstudios 1 year ago
....(continued from previous post) The way it works is, I spend most of my 10 hr sleeper time training the student, then while the student is sleeping (usually over night) I drive my 11hrs. When you are at the shipper/receiver you cant sleep, you art training then too. This goes on for a months. So really you catch sleep when you can. Hopefully you have trained your student well enough that he/she can be trusted while you grab a little sleep. Sometimes then can, sometimes not...(continued again)
spankstudios 1 year ago
truckerj said to me "do you think accidents just happen on bad stretches of road? TRAINER AND STUDENTS SHOULD BE SLEEPING AT THE SAME TIME. HOW THE HELL DO YOU TRAIN SOMEONE WHEN YOURE ASLEEP!" First of all truckerj, don't yell at me. Secondly, once a student is on my truck, I am dispatched as a team. A team run can not be completed of both drivers sleep at the same time. NOT MY RULE. So the way it works is....(to be continued)
spankstudios 1 year ago
@ussenterp65 word of advice if your jake wasnt holding you back you were already going too fast and or in the wrong gear. just because it hold you back with say 30,000 doesnt mean it will with 45000. you just have to learn what your truck will do under different loading conditions.
truckerjay1 1 year ago
@ussenterp65 it's better to do donner at night simple fact you pay more attention. i was over it several times at night, then my first trip in the daytime scared the hell out of me
truckerjay1 1 year ago
What a massive crash ! Quite a bend for a highway as well...
google coordinates : 39.138059,-120.928912
madhollander 1 year ago
37 yrs out here on the road and i have seen some of the worst truck crashes you could even think about...Donner...Cajone....Cabbage...are just a few...i have seen trucks going down these hills smoke pouring off the brakes..on fire...and almost out of control....RESPECT is what you have to have for any grade...I have 3 million miles no accidents no tickets...been a trainer and still an owner operator...Sad to see this video..New people watch this and LEARN..Great Video but Sad
promod188 1 year ago
i don't run donner very often, i seem to head out of slc to portland and cabbage isn't much better of a picnic than donner.
bigj200016 1 year ago
@bigj200016 only thing better about cabbage is it's only 7 miles donner if you actually look at it is almost 100 miles downhill yeah theres some up grades but not many.
truckerjay1 1 year ago
@a62dave I love your comment. Very well said.
frieda1889 1 year ago
Iv been over Donner many times, lesson kids, Don't go down the mountain any faster then you can climb it, Grab a gear, stay in it. on off the breaks, etc. All it takes is one time and you won't go down it again,,, f
TheRoper0201 1 year ago
@TheRoper0201 .....I agree about the gears but don't think i understand about your comment on the brakes i was always taught is put just enough brake peddle so your NOT gaining speed i've used this for 18 years i smoked the brakes once BUT that only cause i made the mistake on the gears.Never was down Donner,but all the drivers comments were going TO FAST.They had this video in our saftey meeting and about 20 other companys around here
mantywi 1 year ago
@mantywi the comment about the brakes is this, if you hold the brakes steady (even lightly) they will produce heat and keep on producing heat and will eventually fade out from overheating. If you get on the brakes then off then on again it allows them to heat a bit then cool a bit. That helps to keep them from overheating. Now mind you if you go to fast and ride them hard and let off for a second then ride them hard again they will still overheat and fade out on you.
Blacksheep2294 1 year ago 2
Thank you for sharing this video ..I think that all drivers should have to watch this.I have been driving for 4 yrs now and I have driven through Donner more then once.. I have never ever once stopped respecting it or any other grade for that matter and I have a truck with no jake brake.. :(
kaitlinpg2001 1 year ago
@kaitlinpg2001 I think every Safety Dept. and Company Bigwigs of all l truck companies need to watch this too!
TheHoomaikai 1 year ago 2
Scarey thinking about driving these mountains before I 80 was built. Heard stories back then if you went over they didnt even bother to go get you.
billyjo1881 1 year ago
One time I was not paying attention going back east on Donners pass and notice my truck was picking up speed waay to fast, but I slow it down just in time. The pass is very beautiful, but still gotta watch what you doing.
pcmiler2000 1 year ago
All I can say is WOW! In my training, thankfully, never had to go down Donner Pass. Although, I've heard stories about it. Thank you for posting this video, I'm sure it has made alot of drivers aware of all the safety precautions we need to take while driving anywhere.
rookietrucker71 1 year ago
@rookietrucker71 Donners is relatively tame. Now, in the winter, it can be different (which is why California is very anal about the chain law on that hill). Every hill is easy in good weather during the day. Just keep your speed. If you think you're going to fast, slow down NOW and down shift into a better gear. Don't be afraid to go down slower than the other trucks (especially when new).
somethingnothing96 1 year ago
i should also say i have taken many students down donner. some in their first or second week out. i'm sure the trainer in this accident was a wonderfull man and god rest his soul and give comfort to his family. my company requires all trainers to watch this video. would not surprise me if this video has already saved lives.
MrMplee 1 year ago
rule one: remain awake and in jump seat with student driving in mountains. rule two: make sure student is in proper gear for grade with jake brake on BEFORE beginning descent. rule three: DO NOT let student shift gears during descent. these three simple rules will save you and your students life and possibly others. not that difficult.
MrMplee 1 year ago
@MrMplee , good information. I just upgraded to a regular driver and had to drive this mountain twice and the east side scared the heck out of me but the west side was alot safer so it appeared to me. However, I've learned that if you respect the mountain and the truck and follow the rules of the road signs presented to every driver you should be safe. When I first seen this video as a student it scared me alot and had me afraid to drive that mountain but now I feel okay to drive some mountains.
velt1870 1 year ago
I might be out of bounds here, but I notice as the truck goes by that the brake lights are not on until the trailers starts to go over. This also is a reason that I won't even consider training. Such as waste and my condolences to both the victims and their familes. By the way, Thank you for posting this. Not to be crude about it, but it is a message even experienced drivers need to be reminded of.
docslimm 1 year ago
Whats happening? Brakes defective? Whats with the Driver?
Sebo5484 1 year ago
at least theyre fixing it now the road work is ridiculous but they fixing it ...slowly
satansmusic2009 1 year ago
You gotta love those west coast mountains
showtime302 1 year ago
It was Brake Fade I believe
pastorgeorgem 1 year ago
Imagine the horror of those final moments in the cab - struggling with the wheel in an attempt to regain control as the speed increases, the desperate and futile attempt to stop the rig when the brake lights come on, but it's too late - shear panic as they face the inevitable. This should make every driver pause and think about safety.
Cadillacjack01 1 year ago
You did well to avoid that.
Xantec 1 year ago
safety!!!!
rafaeltico1 1 year ago
I came up to this wreck about 5 mins after. I took photos of it and use them to show my trainees what can happen if you don't slow down.
Cyane5 1 year ago
I agree therefore from here on out anyone with 5 or more years experiance MUST train at least 1 student a year. Problem solved. Oh you dont want that either?
Thumper255 1 year ago
this was a driver fault who in the heck taught him how to drive anyway sorry this happened
TruckingAngel1963 1 year ago
this kind of thing happens when you allow a driver with 6 months experiance to be a trainer. Rookies training rookies.....
TxRattPack 1 year ago
@TxRattPack Amen.. I so agree with you!!!
Drakkenswitch 2 months ago
That is why I would never be a trainer. What a way to die, by the hands of some new truck driver. When I was learning to drive a truck, my trainer was back sleeping when I went down my first mountain. No big deal, but he should have been up reviewing my driving.
SilverFox466 1 year ago
this is a very sobering moment. I am a trainer and I use this video to stress the fact that you cannot be to safe out there.
willisroy 1 year ago
@SamCynical seriously you blame the inexperience driver saying he thought he knew it all? Most likely thing that happen is the poor guy/girl had no idea what gear and speed was the proper gear and speed for that pass.
I feel for both the families and hope maybe someone will learn from this mistake.
sargemil 1 year ago
god bless their family's
mrcarter117 1 year ago
Damn..
mikegotta400ex 1 year ago
i rode with my trainer down this he told me i wasnt ready so i respected that now im ready and i respect the roads alot more since i been driven and too all be safe and god bless
jammengears 1 year ago
OMG!!!!!!
navonechile 1 year ago
Did he die! Is that guy alive!!!
Usernameinvalid16 1 year ago
@Usernameinvalid16 are u that stupid, dumbfuck. did u not read the lyrics at the beginning and end of vid. hope u don't drive a truck!!!!!!
hamman06able 4 weeks ago
So bottom line no one should profit or pride themselves on this video. Treat it as a safety video and nothing more. Roll overs happen to experienced truckers too.
KathyHagle 1 year ago 9
First of all the could of, would have, should haves will not bring these two men back. Like the first words said here this was suppose to be a training video. Learn from it.
We will never know what really happened inside the cab. As for trainers, they are to work with the trainee until the trainee has enough time behind the wheel on their own. Then it does go to team training. I know this for a fact as my husband is a trainer.
KathyHagle 1 year ago
46Mongoose a trainer is not supposed to sleep while his trainee is at the wheel. They are supposed to operate as a single driver would, they are not team driving, or at least they aren't supposed to be.
northernchicken 1 year ago
Something my trainer, who drove for 25 years, always told me and I take this with me every day. If you do down Donner's Pass, I don't care how slow you go. I don't care how much the other drivers bitch on the CB. In fact, turn off your CB and your other radio and cellphone as well. Limit distractions and go slow.
jasperman515 1 year ago
I have seen many more owner operator trucks in the ditch or other trucking companies than Swift or JB Hunt! And by the way...this one wasn't a Swift truck either. Why do people always have to say that? You sound just like the idiots I have to hear on the cb everyday!
kittenlangley 1 year ago
I feel bad for the families that lost loved ones in this accident, but I know for fact this video is being used for training in major trucking companies. This will always be a dangerous business. Espescially when your DM pushes you over the Eisenhower on chains in a snowstorm. RIP men
46Mongoose 1 year ago
All the time you drive down the road in a storm and for some odd reason you always see a swift truck or a JB hunt truck in the ditch. Are the trainers doing thier job? This guy was going too fast, but hittin those brakes did him in. Bet he did not even know where his jake was.
46Mongoose 1 year ago
@46Mongoose my experience is jb hunt has some of the best drivers around like the one person said i see more owner operators in the ditch than companys like jb or swift
rvrjr7 1 year ago
I wonder how people train and ever getany sleep at all; I would have a heart attack hearing the rumble strip even if my trainee was going around construction cones or whatever. This is just tragic.
46Mongoose 1 year ago
This is the ONLY reason why I will not become a trainer. Even though I could potentially double my income. Not worth it.
jeepkid7998 2 years ago
My son unfortunatly just went to driving school and the first thing I did when he informed me he was going was showed him this video to show the outcome of not paying attention to your surroundings and the terrain.You did good posting it because it could save many others lives.
truckbbbb 2 years ago
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NJKatwoman 2 years ago
A tragic accident, but also a sad demonstration of the old addage "useless laws weaken necessary laws". While I realize this accident was the result of an inexperienced driver, California's statewide 55 mph truck speed limit negates the vital importance of obeying the signs on Donner. Too many drivers think that because 55 is too slow for I-8, I-5, I-10, and I-15 it should be too slow for Donner. Not true! Drivers, let's speed safely through the desert but slowly jake down Donner!
70Kenny 2 years ago 5
Hey 70Kenny I agree 100% with your comment, you must be one safe driver...happy trails!!!
cabezonsobabas 1 year ago
@70Kenny Good point!
scottsims1970 7 months ago
@70Kenny states that have the lower truck speed limits do it for a reason, to keep you moronic truck drivers from killing innocent people. Sure they have families too, but what about the people that they kill that are completely innocent.
liberalinthedesertaz 6 months ago
@liberalinthedesertaz Why don't you do a bit of research on accident rates in split speed limit states versus states with uniform speed limits? You will find that the uniform speed limit states have fewer accidents involving commercial trucks than California. I've seen firsthand fatal accidents caused by moronic automobile drivers like you, too.
70Kenny 3 months ago
I think you did the right thing posting this. Its important for people to know what can happen.
GordonGriggs 2 years ago 2
and thank you for posting this i use it and show the newbies when we get em what to worry about. I know several of our trainers who use this as well to train their students so. My prayers and thoughts go out to the family of both of those men who have departed our trucking brotherhood. May the lord keep them safe and rest in peace and as for every other trucker be safe out there we are the professionals
alonearmyranger 2 years ago
you guys have to know this There are brake checks at almost every long and steep grade use them guys. You can always go to slow down a hill a million times but you will go fast only once. Use what these states give you a brake check area make sure you are good talk to mechanics find out how to adjust brakes the more knowledge you know the longer you will live to tell about your life in trucking. AND FOR GOD SAKES DO A Pretrip everyday Every stop no matter what look at your truck and trailer
alonearmyranger 2 years ago
no shit? is that what happened? Its a runaway truck as in NO BRAKES cause of an inexperianced driver, 7% grade + no brakes = taking the turn too fast. Thank god you solved mystery. 2 PEOPLE DIED AND YOU MAKE A RETRDED COMMENT LIKE THAT! When you die of being a fat prick i hope people say "too many twinikies" 2 people died! dont comment unless you have something knowlegable to say that may help the next guy out. I really hope you dont have a CDL if you couldnt figure this out.
wtfmanicanthaveaname 2 years ago
What was your first clue?
Question is why was he going too fast.
Answer is brake failure or hard brake application in a curve. The truck didnt start rolling untill the brake lights came on.
I have heard of people not checking the service line connecting their trailer. If it is off, your trailer brakes will realease but will not work. This happeded to a UPS driver going down flat top mtn in WV. He bailed out of the truck at over 60mph and died in the hospital.
Everybody, check your truck.
24preacherboy 2 years ago
its a more simple explaination than you make it out to be, the kid had his license only 9 days out of driving school, and we all know driving school is a joke that provides us with JB hunt and swift drivers. He simply hit the downgrade before he found a gear and being an inexperianced driver didnt know how to find a gear,(no gear no jake) forced to use the service brakes, on a grade like that, dont take long till your service brakes are gone or on fire, then you have a runaway truck.
wtfmanicanthaveaname 2 years ago
you can see at 0.26 that the skid marks began not for brakes been applied but for the trailer wheels start draging sideways on the right side,,then at 0.29 the left wheels are completly off the ground by the trailer brutal gravity force,,there was not power on this earth to stop that speeding truck...I am a newby truck dirver with 11 months experience but very careful and slow when going down hill,,even when I hear insults on the cb from other drivers passing me by...R.I.P the ones onthe vid
bertduarte 2 years ago
Hey dude..I was referring to the comment below mine..It is saying something about I 70.. I know this is Donner Pass in your viedo,
bewjr 2 years ago
Wow..I did not realize Donner Pass--I-80, had been moved to I 70 in Colorado!!
bewjr 2 years ago
@bewjr u fuking retard. re-read what was written. he uses the word AND. talking about donner AND i-70 in CO. and to think they let u drive a truck and even train new drivers. God help us all !!!!!!!!!
hamman06able 3 days ago
there should not be a roockie driver out on the hills like that and i 70 in colorado they need to leave to the old truckers that know what we are doing out there and the company that let that happen should be charge with there death
lavonecowen 2 years ago
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ocoopiii 2 years ago
Been to Donner twice. Once as a trainee and once as a Company Driver. 76k coming down in 5th and people passing me like there ain't no tomorrow. Companies shouldn't allow trainees to drive on Mountains like that until they complete at least 100k miles.
Mumszzr600 2 years ago
i agree i spent 4 years running the small hills east of the big river before making my first trip to the west coast
rvrjr7 1 year ago
He wasn't intentionally speeding, He missed a gear.You have no jake in neutral! A little F.Y.I. people-
beef434 2 years ago
Well I can honestly say this video has scared the hell out of me. There isn't a curve I go through now that I don't think of it and slow down. I went through Monteagle TN last week, at 79,000 7th gear with jakes and never even had to touch the brake pedal. Other trucks were just flying by me but that's ok cause I know I'm going to make it to the bottom safely and that's all that counts. Oh they were also cleaning a run-a-way ramp from a truck taking it earlier that morning.
jdgatliff 2 years ago 2
79,000? I hope that's not RPM or Elevation. (yep you guessed it, I'm not a trucker)
HellBound8492 2 years ago
79,000 is the weight he had on..
rubs1389 2 years ago
No 79,000 was the gross weight of the truck which is the weight of truck, trailer and the cargo it has in it.
funkrider 2 years ago
Same shit dude, but the way you put it is just with details. What i meant was that thats how much he weighed in total
rubs1389 2 years ago
I know that's what you meant but the way you worded it you said he had 79,000lbs on the trailer. We don't want to confuse anyone on youtube...most of them are already way too stupid as it is. lol :)
funkrider 2 years ago
Lol.. You've got a point there
rubs1389 2 years ago
I have been on Donner Pass many times. Donner Pass was the first real mountain driving I did with my trainer. Never grossed less than 79,000 going west and no less than 75,000 going east. If one can read road signs they will give a driver all the instruction he/she will need. The rest is up to the driver. Mechanical malfunctions can happen to anyone and every machine, even new trucks breakdown.
TheSteamLocomotive 2 years ago
this wasnt mechanical, it was driver error, the kid had his license 9 days, he couldnt find a gear after he crested the hill. Remember learning a 13-18speed? its a bitch to find a gear when truck is accelerating down hill when your new. Trainer was forced to sleep cause their company ran the truck as a team truck instead of a driver/trainer truck to save a buck, hope it was worth it, now they lost 2 lives, a tractor a trailor a load and funds to pay for cleanup. I hope that company leanred.
wtfmanicanthaveaname 2 years ago
I know it was driver error that caused this crash, but some instances may be caused by mechanical malfunction.
TheSteamLocomotive 2 years ago
IMO even MOST not all mechanical malfunction is driver error. You do a pre-trip for a reason. If you work for Swift or JB hunt its always driver lol. every swift truck ive seen trying to back in while im fuleing up cant do it without 15 mins and 25 pull ups. and 8/10 JB hunt trucks i see on the grapevine in CA have either smoking trailer brakes or they are just on fire....and i get next to them and tell them they are smoking....everyone of them shrugs and keeps going down the hill with no jake.
wtfmanicanthaveaname 2 years ago
@wtfmanicanthaveaname companies never learn and some trainers never do either a company i used to work for one of the trainers said he'd been in 3 accidents with trainees driving. one time pinned in the truck for 7 hours before anyone found them. i asked where were you when this was going on? answer in the bunk asleep. i told him thats a dammed good place to be training someone from.
truckerjay1 1 year ago
@truckerjay1 a lot of companies do run you as teams though, and with the economy the way it is, the trainer cant afford to not make a load and risk moving out of the truck and catching a greyhound to the unemployment line, so a lot of drivers are forced to gamble with their life and the life of the kid they are "training" to a lot of people they would rather roll the dice and hope for the best, than be late and know the outcome, i blame the companies not the drivers.
wtfmanicanthaveaname 1 year ago
@wtfmanicanthaveaname i believe it would be a lot better to be jobless than dead i've told many companies "late freight is better than scattered freight" !
truckerjay1 1 year ago
I was always told "you can go down a mountain to slow a million times, but you only go down it to fast once."
jewlove1212 2 years ago
Went by that wreck that day, Eastbound...horrible wreck...ABSOLUTLY the "trainer" should at the very least, been awake and coaching...brakes were fine, no smoke, he panicked...keep it easy guys
jennsoogood 2 years ago 3
I've been driving for 5 years now and my first mountain was in Wyoming. My trainer was awesome and told me exactly what to do. If I didn't have that experience in training I could have ended up just like these guys, maybe that particular student shouldn't have been driving. But all students should be coached down a mountain the first time.
jdgatliff 2 years ago 2
looks to me as the tire blew out mixed with speed
JoseyWales68 2 years ago
i seen that many times.. not a good feeling
XXPurecountryXX 2 years ago
trainer was sleeping i bet
mattr402 2 years ago
That pass is so beat up that is sad
mattr402 2 years ago
Dang, this is one hill you absolutely have to respect! That right there is the reason i have always refused to train.
btjohnson83 2 years ago
A truly tragic accident that is portrayed here, many comments about should or shouldn't it be shown.
However if it causes one person to slow down/stand back and think/gain experience, it will have been a worthwhile posting.
There is an old saying used by some drivers; "You go down the hill in the same gear you would come up it".
Deepest sympathy to all of the families concerened a tradgedy
ticklingstick 2 years ago
Boy, you were so lucky not to have been caught in this. I hate to see any trucker wreck, but I am glad there were not three dead there.
Peace!
kutzbill 2 years ago
No student drivers should be going down that road!
boomerlesterok 2 years ago
How are students supposed to learn? It's much better if you have an experienced hand to guide you down then going down the first time alone.
kutzbill 2 years ago 3
Its all about consistency not how fast you go.
anxious2002 2 years ago
part 3 or 4
TheNewportstar 2 years ago
he wont be in part 2
TheNewportstar 2 years ago
looks like trailer was mt,how do you roll an mty trailer ? i will tell you [speed] and too much of it, even if loaded way too fast! live and learn new drivers, god be with the families of the 2 dead drivers
tonyferster 2 years ago
Was not empty dumb ass...do you watch the news?
jennsoogood 2 years ago
I dunno, the picture looked like it was empty to me.
HellBound8492 2 years ago
I'm a trainer for swift and a good old country boy from down south this would not happen in my big rig , WE NEED TO STOP THIS DRIVERS ! TO MANY PEOPLE NOT DRIVING SAFE OUT HERE MOTHER FUCKERS
THEGMAN875 2 years ago
This would be every driver's worst nightmare. Just one reason why I don't go two-up. But a question : if he was out of gear like some guys are saying, why isn't smoke pouring from the brakes ?
The puff of smoke from the trailer wheels looks like the tires hitting the underside of the trailer as it was going over.
Anyway, I feel very sad for the families left behind. Just one mistake can have terrible consequences........this should be compulsory watching for any driver, new or otherwise.
gm16v149 2 years ago 4
I agree that the service brakes would be smoking if he was unable to use the jakes because he was out of gear. This video alone is enough for me to never be a trainer!
mrerkman0 2 years ago 2
This video has been instrumental in training our new students. I am an instructor at the company whos truck was filming. I agree that the student should'nt have been driving. Been there many times, and its hairy for a experienced driver. Hopefully this video continues to educate new drivers.
everett4ever 2 years ago
I knew the trainer - helped plan his funeral - he was a great guy, husband and father of 3. He was found the next day buried in the wreckage. The driver only had is CDL for about 2 weeks, should have never been sent on this run but the owner of the company didnt see it that way. It is so sad no matter how you look at it. I grew up in this area and it is a tough drive in a car much less a semi. My prayers go out to all the truck drivers out there that keep this country running!
rockymtnmommy 2 years ago
This comment has received too many negative votes show
HE HAD THE HAMMER DOWN
MrCrim4527 2 years ago
Son of a bitch...what kind of comment "He Had the Hammer Down" is suitable for a rollover video that KILLED two people. Kinda makes me wish you were in that truck as well...then we would have gotten rid of an insensative bastard like you....
ALS2001 2 years ago 3
no, he didn't. the driver was a newbie, only had his CDL 2 weeks. he tried to downshift & missed the gear, so he was stuck in neutral on a 5-6 degree down grade, with no way of controlling his speed. they should never of sent a trainee on this route.
kdraper2007 2 years ago
he did have a way of controlling his speed, its called BRAKES...obviously brakes worked...no smoke remember? If the "trainer" had been where he was supposed to be he would have told him....apply your BRAKES...thats what to do if you miss a gear going downhill....come to a safe speed quickly (before your brakes cease to work) and catch a gear,
jennsoogood 2 years ago 2
my heart goes out to the families, makes ya wonder what really happen, its hard to tell but he should of been perpared way before then. shame.
swtchbckshtr 2 years ago
This is why I will never team drive.
bigbastard66 2 years ago
my dads a trucker and he said the dude was a trainee and the passenger wasn't found till a week later. he was thrown from the truck
bigjimmy0922 2 years ago
and did anyone notice he didnt hit the brakes until the trailer started to roll over? Rookies should not be driving that stretch of road. Get some miles, never think you know it all but keep learning from other drivers, and then try it if you feel your up to it but remember anything that is man made WILL fail sooner or later. So loose your brakes
supershy13079 2 years ago
@supershy13079 So ur saying that trainees should wait till they have been driving 4 a while b4 driving over donner? Whether a driver has 5 months or 5 years under their belt, u hit donner 4 the 1st time ur still a rookie. I think it would be better if they went over that pass with a seasoned driver who has went through there that way they can show them the "proper" way 2 make it down to the bottom safely. My 1st time over donner, I was by myself with 16,000 in the box and I was scared to death.
biggare1980 9 months ago
I've made trips longer by taking routes that would keep me away from this stretch of road. First off the rookie should have had his truck going slow enough BEFORE he started down that long grade. And I'm a strong believer that some trucks dont have strong enough engine brakes to help keep things under control. This should not have happened and my prayers go out to the family and friends of fallen drivers everywhere.
supershy13079 2 years ago
maybe it was just me but i could seee the smoke from where he cooked the shit off those brakes right when he got very close to the england truck. ive crossed donor dry and frozen and it breaks my heart to see fellow drivers lose their lives out here but that studen had no buisness going down that grade unsupervised. may god watch over their familes
cedtrucker82 2 years ago
I know that place well and am always amazed how fast people are going when they pass me right at that sign.
Raften 2 years ago
sh!t mayb i shouldnt have watched this me & my friend r movn 2 Sacramento & have 2 take this road 2 get there it kind of boggled my mind lol
addicted2cobyshaddix 2 years ago
you will be OK as long as you resist the urge to "Get there faster" just remember to start slow on the down grade & watch you speed carefully.
kdraper2007 2 years ago
(continued) I don't see how it is safe to be 11hrs on your own log, then be awake another 11hrs for your student. I'm sure there is a safe way to do it, but not in the mountains, or on ice, or fog, or any other condition that requires experience. If I DO become a trainer, I will REQUIRE my students to watch this video before driving my truck. My heart & prayers to the families of the victims.
spankstudios 2 years ago
it all depends on the person your training, i trained with an owner/operator in his $170k truck, i payed attention, did everything he said, and the day i got my licence i was cut lose on my own, I still work for him and drive that truck. To this day all i have is a parking ticket. I did my training on a permit, and i had NEVER towed any kinda trailer, and hes never trained. After 1 month, i got my licence and been keepin the wheels turning solo since. So dont let this video discourage you.
wtfmanicanthaveaname 2 years ago
thanks for the advice. Just finished with my 1st student. Cabbage over in Oregon was probably the worse grade we encountered, not nearly as bad as Donner, but my student did fine. Getting enough sleep was a big issue for me, but found my rhythm. The key for me was doing a good trip plan so I KNEW when I should be awake before my student got there. I'm sure the families of these drivers dont want this accident on youtube, but this video has probably saved a lot of lives by the example it sets.
spankstudios 2 years ago
@spankstudios do you think accidents just happen on bad stretches of road? TRAINER AND STUDENTS SHOULD BE SLEEPING AT THE SAME TIME. HOW THE HELL DO YOU TRAIN SOMEONE WHEN YOURE ASLEEP!
truckerjay1 1 year ago
I'm considering becoming a trainer, but this video really has me wondering if I should. I read other people's criticisms about the trainer being asleep while this happened, and I agree that a novice driver shouldn't be in the mountains unsupervised. BUT they way my company does it (wont mention names) they run you as a team. The trainer has to do his 11hrs then still be awake during his "SB" time to coach the new driver. You got to sleep sometime.
spankstudios 2 years ago