Why can't truck drivers anticipate their stops???

[hercsmama]

Minor rant here.
We recently (7 months ago), bought a property that had been empty and for sale for about 10 years.
It's on the highway in the middle of nowhere Nebraska, in the middle of big cattle country.
There is a minimum maintenance road on the opposite side just north of us. There are alot of cattle trucks and grain trucks that use this highwa to get where their going. No problem with that. They also use the MM road quite a bit, as there are three massive ranches back there, also no biggie.
But for pete's sake! Why must they use their jake breaks every flipping time they go by my house? At 3 am there just is nothing like being thrown out of bed by that noise. It's not like they don't know we are here. When we bought this place it was such a big deal there was a story about it in the local paper.
We bought what used to be the local gas station/grocery store/ coffee shop. It had been in business for about 100 years as a grocery store out here.
Anyway, seriously, you'd think they could anticipate that they need to slow down for that turn long before they get right in front of the house, which is about 50 ft. from it.
I told dh to get me one of those nail guns, so I can hide in the bushes and shoot out their tires, he said no.
These jackwagons will wave as they go by if I'm outside working, so they know someone lives here. It just seems to me a little courtesy wouldn't hurt.

[Farmerjonathan]

Ummmmmmm, you read about this problem in the paper before you bought the property and now wonder what is going on????? Kind of like buying beside a hog operation and then complaining about the smell isn't it?

[hercsmama]

No, no,no. Sorry I wasn't clear.
They story in the paper was about a month after we bought it. It had to do with the place finally selling.
Trust me, I'm in no way one of "those", who moves next to a feedlot and then complains about it. I do have some sense.
I'm just saying that maybe a bit of courtesy, the fact that they know we live here, why can't they start slowing down, heck use the jakes if you need to, but do it farther away from my front door.

[cntrywmnkw]

I think you "hit the nail on the head", it's called COURTESY, which it seems like there is a VERY SHORT supply of anymore, if any at all & it's not just truck drivers (my DBF & I are truck drivers), we see it everywhere. As my DBF says, there are TRUCK DRIVERS & there are steering wheel holders, it sounds like those buffoons are steering wheel holders, he even gets annoyed at those guys when they use the jake brake for no reason. I agree with your husband about the nail gun, that would be really dangerous & cause an accident, you might see about talking to your local authorities & see if you can post "NO JAKE BRAKES ALLOWED" signs around your property, also, see if you can see who the truck company is & contact them & complain to their company. They're MORONS, plain & simple. I feel your pain, you can't fix stupid.

[uncle Will in In.]

Is there a sign marking the corner back the highway far enough for them to be alerted that they needed to slow down?? It sounds like your house is the marker for the turn.. If not, insist that the hiway department put one up.. A NO JAKEBREAK sign sounds reasonable also.. I have seen them around here..

[Taylor R.]

I work in transportation, and our drivers get written up for serially not anticipating stops. I'd definitely see if you can get in touch with their company(s) and let them know that's happening and that it's a problem.

[fordy]

Originally Posted by hercsmama

Minor rant here.
We recently (7 months ago), bought a property that had been empty and for sale for about 10 years.
It's on the highway in the middle of nowhere Nebraska, in the middle of big cattle country.
There is a minimum maintenance road on the opposite side just north of us. There are alot of cattle trucks and grain trucks that use this highwa to get where their going. No problem with that. They also use the MM road quite a bit, as there are three massive ranches back there, also no biggie.
But for pete's sake! Why must they use their jake breaks every flipping time they go by my house? At 3 am there just is nothing like being thrown out of bed by that noise. It's not like they don't know we are here. When we bought this place it was such a big deal there was a story about it in the local paper.
We bought what used to be the local gas station/grocery store/ coffee shop. It had been in business for about 100 years as a grocery store out here.
Anyway, seriously, you'd think they could anticipate that they need to slow down for that turn long before they get right in front of the house, which is about 50 ft. from it.
I told dh to get me one of those nail guns, so I can hide in the bushes and shoot out their tires, he said no.
These jackwagons will wave as they go by if I'm outside working, so they know someone lives here. It just seems to me a little courtesy wouldn't hurt.

...............Why , don't you make up a sign , large , that says something like........"Please Slow down before making your turn......When you drive Too Fast , it stirs UP the dust and our customers don't like dirt , IN their Eggs and their burgers !" Please exercise a little common courtesy for those enjoying their meal .... , fordy

[hercsmama]

Fordy, we haven't got everything reopened yet, but I'll for sure take your suggestion and run with it when we do.
As far as the "No Jake Brakes" sign, dh talked to someone in the highway dept. and they told him we can't have one. We are about 18 miles in between two small (less than 200) towns. Both towns have them, but they won't put one out here.
But Fordy has me thinking, we are no where near having the actual store/coffee shop restored yet, but I could get up at the butt crack of dawn, especially this time of year with all the cattle going to slaughter, toss some biscuits and sauasage in the oven, and sit out there and hand out free coffee and biscuits. Maybe then they will at least stop, and get to know us better. Then just maybe they'll think about it before they use those stupid brakes......
I mean we do intend to reopen the business, and I'd certainly rather these guys be our friends, and customers when we do, rather than cause issues and have someone get fired....

[joebill]

A fair percentage of those 'ol boys probably think they are playing you a lovely symphony, they do LOVE those jake brakes, so much, and the sound it makes.

Better work it around in your mind where you think it's either funny or the sound of an imaginary silly looking bird that you can never quite get a look at, because it ain't stopping and you don't want to let it ruin your life in your new home.

We lived next to I 10 for 7 years, and it didn't take long to get used to the noise....Joe

[d'vash]

May I ask why the place was for sale for 10 years? I'm curious, is all.

[hercsmama]

It needs alot of work. There are two houses, one is 88 yo and the other is 113 yo. The "newer" house was the store.
We are living in the old store, as it is livable, just needs alot of repairs, and will be turning the older one into the coffee shop/store next year.
It also has 26 acres with it.
According to the locals, most everyone here just used it for free grass and hunting when it went on the market. No need to buy it when they could use the land for free. It's also in the middle of not alot, but cattle ranches and large farms. So it was for sure one of those properties that needed a certain type of buyer, (insert the word NUTs here) LOL!
Apparently, alot of people looked at it over the years, but most felt it was to much of a project, or to far out of a major city.
This is the view of our north pasture as the sun rises, who wouldn't want to live here!

[Jim-mi]

They aren't drivers . . they are deaf cowboys who think the noise makes them more macho.......


Yesterday I was at the farmers market right in the middle of the local village when another cowboy idiot stopped the conversation with his jake/brake show. And he had been in a 25mph residential zone for 3/4 of a mile...........go figure.......
His ignorance stood out like a sore thumb.

[FarmboyBill]

Put the sign if you use one a 1/2 mile back so they got time to read it, and start to slow down. Putting it next to your house wont help/

[JoePa]

I agree with the suggestions of putting a sign on the side of the road - one in each direction - I've seen where people have put them up - they read something like this - Please don't use brake retrading on this turn - thank you very much - I think if you put a 'nice sign" up most truckers won't use the jakebrakes on their trucks -

[vicker]

There is no reason that you can't put up your own sign, on your own property, visible from the road. When you finally open, maybe they'll start slowing down sooner, so's they can stop Then put up a big sign in the restaurant that shows two identical breakfast combos
Truckers Breakfast $4.75
Jake Breakers Breakfast $8.35

[J.T.M.]

Originally Posted by vicker

There is no reason that you can't put up your own sign, on your own property, visible from the road. When you finally open, maybe they'll start slowing down sooner, so's they can stop Then put up a big sign in the restaurant that shows two identical breakfast combos
Truckers Breakfast $4.75
Jake Breakers Breakfast $8.35

Now thats the kind of thinking I like - the use of humor to make a point - well played sir ... well played

[Harry Chickpea]

Make a "sign" with pin-up pictures that are large enough to be noticed, but small enough that they have to slow down to get a good look. Place the sign a half-mile down the road and change it out regularly.

[vicker]

Or, you could make them the same price, but give the Jakers a cold red wiener and a piece of white bread.

[farmerj]

They use them to save brakes.

Before yoh botch about truckers, think about harleys and their straight pipes too.

And i own my semi and am an owner operator with my own authority. Read that as self-employed and my own motor carrier.

You bought on a highway and did'nt expect this? Nice hog farm you bought there.

Sorry if not everyone is sympathetic to you. I also live 4 houses off a major highway AND have a train crossing at the same intersection. I simply deal with it. Harleys, trucks and trains. The harleys by far the most annoying.

[watcher]

For some drivers Jake brakes on trucks are like mufflers on Harleys, they are there to make noise. Some of them NEVER turn them off, even when they are empty.

Get the trucking company name and if possible the truck number and give the company a call.