I really feel bad for the driver. I know what it's like to be towing something and being concerned and distracted by the load. The thing is, stopping to recheck your tarps or straps doesn't totally alleviate the concern. There is inherent need to see it while you're in motion to confirm the load is secure. A driver cannot just strap it down and then assume all is well. Anyone with any degree of concern for others on the road will constantly check the mirrors to make sure there aren't tarps flapping or load shifting.
Just one hour ago I helped a guy who was driving a flat deck pick up his lost cargo. He went around a corner and the man lift he was hauling fell off the deck onto the road. I saw the heavy duty straps he used to strap it down. I don't know why it came loose, but he sure as hell didn't do it on purpose.
The thing is, that could have ended much worse than it did. He was rounding a corner on a single lane one way road, so there was no chance of it landing on another car, but if that had happened somewhere else, it very well could have, and that thing was goddamn heavy. It easily could have ended much worse than simple embarrassment and likely repairs to the machine.
I fully include the driver as one of the victims of this terrible tragedy. The first time I towed a trailer with a Bobcat on it, I think I spent more time looking in the rearview than out the windshield. It's a very uneasy feeling to be new to towing and hauling and I definitely think that the trucking industry should be increasing the amount of training drivers get. This driver got sent out on his first solo run after only two weeks of sitting shotgun. Ironically, his concern for another other kind of accident is what led to the actual accident.
Heartbreaking for everyone involved, including the driver.
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