Humboldt truck driver.

[elkhunter11]

Originally Posted by kingrat

I see your point but why aren't all these immigrant gang bangers that shoot up houses and kill people or deal massive quantities of drugs or molesting their daughters being sent back to their lovely countries. Instead they walk around the penitentiaries and act like we owe them something. I think as soon as your found guilty there should be a plane waiting.

An crime committed by someone without full citizenship should result in deportation.

[Ebrand]

The system allowed him to be fully licenced and legally qualified to drive that truck. The company used the system to allow that to happen. Yet the driver is hung out to dry? Not quite right.

There are a huge list of people who need to be deported ahead of this guy. HUGE.

But ,if this case sets the standard for deportation the. Cool. They better get on with it and consistently apply the standard.

Deporting him is pretty much closing the gate on field with no fence after the horse is out.

[W921]

Originally Posted by elkhunter11

While he didn't intend to kill or injure anyone, he was guilty of a long list of violations of safety standards designed to prevent accidents like this. While his employer likely coersed him to commit those violations, the fact is that he did commit those violations, and because of his actions, many people died. I see this as no different than an impaired driver, that doesn't intend to kill anyone, but that chooses to act in a manner that puts other people's lives at risk. So I am not at all disappointed that he is being deported.

Years ago most of us trucking were breaking all kinds of laws. The laws are so extreme basically you can pull anyone over in a brand new truck and trailer and find something in the name of safety to charge him with.
That does not mean truck is unsafe. I drove millions of miles from Mexican border to ice roads up north. Like most others we broke all kinds of laws. Running single I used to run a
two hundred and forty thousand miles a year. Did my own repairs and for few years was finding my own loads as well. I think most snowflake generation truckers might run half what we used to do. Anyway I never hit anybody or went in the ditch.
This was how it used to be. Actually it was even better and I'm full of stories but the industry was different. It used to be about freedom, living by your Witt. Trucks used to be cool and your average trucker was a gear head, business type of guy. It used to be fun and you could make good money at it. Was way safer before government who I believe was bought off by multinationals destroyed whole industry.
These modern mega outfits are not truckers and its the government regulations and massive deep pockets that is only reason they exist.
Anyway that foreign guy driving the truck they just made a scapegoat out of him. Most people if they make a mistake at work it doesn't matter.
Its like agriculture
You can spend years in university studying agricultural and not know a darn thing because the people teaching you have never gone out and borrowed money and bought cows,equipment and machinery and made a go of it. All they teach sounds good if you know nothing but in real world these experts can't make a go of it. There is reasons why what they teach won't pencil out but because they have never actually done anything they dont realise it.
If I was going trucking today I would start a hotshot business just to avoid all attention and all stupid big truck regulations. Thank God I have freedom plates and are exempt from most of this garbage.
The more you try to regulate and dumb down the industry the more dumb downed the people will be in that industry and its like giving retarded people a loaded revolver

[roper1]

Originally Posted by brendan's dad

As horrific as this incident was, I firmly believe the driver did not wake up that morning and decide he was going to take a life. He made a grave mistake, plead guilty to offense and took responsibility for his actions, and then serve his sentence. I would gladly have this person reside in Canada over any of the habitual offenders that plague our society.

I can see this side of it, but I heard the dad of the Joseph boy who was killed talking about reliving the pain every damn time the guy's name is heard. Who are we to say that pain isn't justified? And I agree, he probably had no intent.

But wow, think of the backlash if the guy is in even so much as a Walmart fender-bender in the future, much less another highway wreck. Whose responsibility would that be, and heaven forbid there be more suffering. As the elder Joseph said, Sidhu would be going home to India to a support system, a job, and a chance. Joseph junior not so much.

Load him on the plane.

[W921]

Originally Posted by roper1

I can see this side of it, but I heard the dad of the Joseph boy who was killed talking about reliving the pain every damn time the guy's name is heard. Who are we to say that pain isn't justified? And I agree, he probably had no intent.

But wow, think of the backlash if the guy is in even so much as a Walmart fender-bender in the future, much less another highway wreck. Whose responsibility would that be, and heaven forbid there be more suffering. As the elder Joseph said, Sidhu would be going home to India to a support system, a job, and a chance. Joseph junior not so much.

Load him on the plane.

There was a owner operator from new Brunswick in late eighties who got tangled up in a massive car pile up in Massachusetts. It wasn't his fault and he didn't cause it but because he was foreigner from Canada in United States they tore his truck a part and because he had an illegal radar detector and was running multiple log books they went after him and charged him for manslaughter. He didn't even cause the accident but they painted him as this Canadian road pirate coming onto their country and not respecting their laws they threw book at him and he went to prison for doing what we all were doing. If he would have been from Massachusetts it would have been different.
This Humboldt so called truck driver was 100 percent at fault.
Yes we have a huge problem with new Canadian drivers who shouldn't be driving.
Look at all the new 30 and 40 kph speed zones. Cars are safer than ever. Roads are built safer than ever. But yet our speeds are going down. Why is this? Go to Calgary in a snow storm and its clear that certain people can't drive on snow because not used to it.
The government should go after the owners of the vehicles who cause accidents. Hold them responsible. Not go after the majority of vehicle owners who are not causing accidents with expensive restrictive laws and regulations and endless red tape.

[graham1]

Originally Posted by roper1

I can see this side of it, but I heard the dad of the Joseph boy who was killed talking about reliving the pain every damn time the guy's name is heard. Who are we to say that pain isn't justified? And I agree, he probably had no intent.

But wow, think of the backlash if the guy is in even so much as a Walmart fender-bender in the future, much less another highway wreck. Whose responsibility would that be, and heaven forbid there be more suffering. As the elder Joseph said, Sidhu would be going home to India to a support system, a job, and a chance. Joseph junior not so much.

Load him on the plane.

You make a darn solid point.
It would be mob justice if he’d of been allowed to stay and got in another wreck someday.
I hadn’t thought about that.
Thanks

[colvert]

Originally Posted by Phil McCracken

Well said and I agree.

Yes horrific. One thing that didn't get mentioned much in the media is the very dangerous intersection due to obstructed view for some moving westbound, especially driving a truck with a long trailer. Even if the truck driver honors the stop sign, a crash with someone northbound was going to happen sooner or later.
The edges blocking the view seems to be of coniferous trees.
In 2014

In 2019


Without blaming the farmer living at the corner, I am sure he felt some guilt having his coniferous edge blocking the view. Does the county have any bylaw to avoid this situation?
And in 2021, edge removed, good visibility. So, that was a critical factor in the horrible crash.

[urban rednek]

Originally Posted by colvert

Yes horrific. One thing that didn't get mentioned much in the media is the very dangerous intersection due to obstructed view for some moving westbound, especially driving a truck with a long trailer.

Does the county have any bylaw to avoid this situation?

Good point! But why stop at a local bylaw? Let's go all out and demand a federal law that every level crossing intersection in the country requires all obstructions to visibility within XXX meters to be removed. That means all trees, buildings, solid fences, and horribly placed road signs and billboards.
Especially for intersections with an oversized Stop sign with a flashing red light on top and multiple rumble strips warning drivers of the upcoming intersection; like the one at the intersection of SK35 and SK335 was at the time.
Surely that would save people from incompetent drivers causing accidents.
If it saves one life...

OT- So, if accidentally causing a deadly accident should be grounds to deport this guy, what should be done about all the other people who have caused deadly accidents, after they serve their sentence? Do we differentiate between those who had a brain fart accident versus those who were doing something illegal at the time? ie. DUI, driving recklessly prior to the accident, etc.
Surely a fine and jail isn't enough.

[ram crazy]

Why did the bus driver not notice that the truck wasn’t slowing down before it disappeared behind the trees. As the truck was coming up to the trees it should have been starting to slow down way before the trees. Was the bus driver busy talking to the passengers and not paying attention to the truck coming up to the trees and seeing the truck not slowing down? One will never know.

[Au revoir, Gopher]

Something I was wondering about today... did that intersection have rumble strips? Anybody know?

ARG

[elkhunter11]

Originally Posted by urban rednek

Good point! But why stop at a local bylaw? Let's go all out and demand a federal law that every level crossing intersection in the country requires all obstructions to visibility within XXX meters to be removed. That means all trees, buildings, solid fences, and horribly placed road signs and billboards.
Especially for intersections with an oversized Stop sign with a flashing red light on top and multiple rumble strips warning drivers of the upcoming intersection; like the one at the intersection of SK35 and SK335 was at the time.
Surely that would save people from incompetent drivers causing accidents.
If it saves one life...

OT- So, if accidentally causing a deadly accident should be grounds to deport this guy, what should be done about all the other people who have caused deadly accidents, after they serve their sentence? Do we differentiate between those who had a brain fart accident versus those who were doing something illegal at the time? ie. DUI, driving recklessly prior to the accident, etc.
Surely a fine and jail isn't enough.

The truck driver was found guilty of 70 violations, he was doing something illegal at the time. Because of so many ommission in the log book/books, we don't know how many hours he had driven without a break, or if he had fallen asleep.

[W921]

Originally Posted by Scott N

I spent a few decades in the transportation business, and clearly, it's not just "this culture" that cuts corners and lies. Cutting corners is the only way for a small trucking business to stay afloat, and obviously it's problematic.

Its the big mega carrier's like Swift that have the most accidents. Its not owner operators or small fleets. Some of the reasons small guy can't keep up with regulations is it's a full time job trying to keep up.
Its the same amount of garbage if you have one truck or a hundred thousand trucks. Plus its not like you can random drug test yourself.
Most of these regulations do nothing to increase safety and who in their right mind would ever put up with all this crap.
The safety laws in existence right now are endless and far beyond common sense. Most written by people who have no clue.
What's unsafe are dumb people .
You don't make these kind safer by making the job easier. The easier and more boring you make the job the more you compound the problem.
Years ago the roads were more safer.
But 90% of these current guys driving trucks would have been unemployable years ago.
Its not the same job now a days. It might look the same but its nothing like it used to be.
It would be like trying to get Neil Armstrong to sit three years on a computer controlled space mission to Mars. He would go nuts from boredom. I dont think any of those Apollo astronauts could do it.
These modern long haul mega carrier's are almost to the point they dont need any driver's. These so called drivers are basically just steering truck and really not doing much else and it takes no skill to drive one of these new trucks

[W921]

[=Scott N;4725610]I spent a few decades in the transportation business, and clearly, it's not just "this culture" that cuts corners and lies. Cutting corners is the only way for a small trucking business to stay afloat, and obviously it's problematic.[/QUOTE]

Its the big mega carrier's like Swift that have the most accidents. Its not owner operators or small fleets. SomeQUOTE of the reasons small guy can't keep up with regulations is it's a full time job trying to keep up.
Its the same amount of garbage if you have one truck or a hundred thousand trucks. Plus its not like you can random drug test yourself.
Most of these regulations do nothing to increase safety and who in their right mind would ever put up with all this crap.
The safety laws in existence right now are endless and far beyond common sense. Most written by people who have no clue.
What's unsafe are dumb people .
You don't make these kind safer by making the job easier. The easier and more boring you make the job the more you compound the problem.
Years ago the roads were more safer.
But 90% of these current guys driving trucks would have been unemployable years ago.
Its not the same job now a days. It might look the same but its nothing like it used to be.
It would be like trying to get Neil Armstrong to sit three years on a computer controlled space mission to Mars. He would go nuts from boredom. I dont think any of those Apollo astronauts could do it.
These modern long haul mega carrier's are almost to the point they dont need any driver's. These so called drivers are basically just steering truck and really not doing much else and it takes no skill to drive one of these new trucks

[W921]

Originally Posted by ram crazy

Why did the bus driver not notice that the truck wasn’t slowing down before it disappeared behind the trees. As the truck was coming up to the trees it should have been starting to slow down way before the trees. Was the bus driver busy talking to the passengers and not paying attention to the truck coming up to the trees and seeing the truck not slowing down? One will never know.

Years ago I knew two people who were both applying for same job as a school bus driver.
The one guy was a retired owner operator who was respected by everyone and this was back in the day when this was something to be proud of.
The other person was a housewife who's kids had grown up and really she never drove or did anything much her whole life.
Guess who they hired haha Housewife of course

[Scott N]

Originally Posted by W921

Its the big mega carrier's like Swift that have the most accidents. Its not owner operators or small fleets. Some of the reasons small guy can't keep up with regulations is it's a full time job trying to keep up.

I disagree with you about the small fleet / owner operators not being the problem. Of course the larger fleets have the most accidents, they have the most miles. The larger fleets are also more concerned with safety, legal, and tax compliance because they have more exposure to audits. They also have larger financial resources, and are more able to comply with the regulations.

Trucking is an expensive business. Truck payments, insurance payments, prorate registration, fuel tax, mileage taxes, multijurisdictional sales taxes, carbon tax, and then paying someone like me to administer all that because you don't have the time / knowledge to do it yourself. Small companies are the most likely to cut corners from my personal experience, because if they don't, it's hard to make a go of it financially. I often wondered why someone would become a truck driver, because after they pay all of their expenses, they are literally in the minimum wage category, or even lower. It's no wonder people cut corners and sadly, innocent people die.

[W921]

Originally Posted by Scott N

I disagree with you about the small fleet / owner operators not being the problem. Of course the larger fleets have the most accidents, they have the most miles. The larger fleets are also more concerned with safety, legal, and tax compliance because they have more exposure to audits. They also have larger financial resources, and are more able to comply with the regulations.

Trucking is an expensive business. Truck payments, insurance payments, prorate registration, fuel tax, mileage taxes, multijurisdictional sales taxes, carbon tax, and then paying someone like me to administer all that because you don't have the time / knowledge to do it yourself. Small companies are the most likely to cut corners from my personal experience, because if they don't, it's hard to make a go of it financially. I often wondered why someone would become a truck driver, because after they pay all of their expenses, they are literally in the minimum wage category, or even lower. It's no wonder people cut corners and sadly, innocent people die.

What small commercial transport companies even exist anymore?
All the ones I knew are long gone now and even big ones that used to be good are only the same name like maritime Ontario is nothing like used to be.
Only small guys I know of are hauling cattle, hay,gravel, logs,etc. Short haul exempt from some of regs and of course farm trucks.
It was in the 90s that whole industry started going down hill.

[Scott N]

Originally Posted by W921

What small commercial transport companies even exist anymore?
All the ones I knew are long gone now and even big ones that used to be good are only the same name like maritime Ontario is nothing like used to be.
Only small guys I know of are hauling cattle, hay,gravel, logs,etc. Short haul exempt from some of regs and of course farm trucks.
It was in the 90s that whole industry started going down hill.

Most small trucking companies operate as Numbered Companies, and there are plenty of them, much like the one involved in the bus tragedy.

[W921]

Originally Posted by Scott N

Most small trucking companies operate as Numbered Companies, and there are plenty of them, much like the one involved in the bus tragedy.

If hauling long haul commercial freight and not their own product i suspect they would fall into the immigration scam outfits category.
Small real deal ,owner operator ,actual trucker outfit ,that trip leases are I suspect like hens teeth.. Lease operators or so called owner operators who can only work for the one company are not independent truckers or real owner operators.

I think old school outfits like Landstar Ranger out of Florida do still exist but to answer your own question as to why would anybody want to drive truck. It used to be a lot about freedom. With current regs this does not exist anymore. There is no money in it or excitement. No pride in doing something anybody can do that's why its mostly immigrants or people with few choices in life working for these awful companies.
I'm on my way to Church so I can't really talk anymore this morning haha probably to everyone's joy that I have to shut up. Haha have good day

[AxeMan]

Sidhu blew through a large yellow 60 km/h sign followed by a large "stop ahead" sign, then a big green highway intersection sign followed by another big blue one, and ultimately right through an oversized stop sign with a flashing red light.

The stop line view is not obstructed by those trees on the left.
His actions caused these death's. He was a professional driver.

Please guys, don't you dare try to explain this off with a farmers shelter belt.

Deport him.

[trapperdodge]

The farmers shelter belt obstructed the view but he (the farmer) is no more culpable than a butterfly flapping while it's wings causes a hurricane.

[W921]

A lot of accidents can be prevented from defensive driving. Example I suspect hunters hit less deer on highway even when not hunting than non hunters because hunters are more aware of wildlife than non hunters and naturally watch more for them.
I think shelter belt was idea about bus driver watching for someone blowing through intersection. Example I always watch out for and expect other drivers to do stupid things. If light turns green I always watch in case someone running the light.
But yes this steering wheel holder driving the big truck was hundred percent in the wrong.

[JohnB]

Originally Posted by AxeMan

Sidhu blew through a large yellow 60 km/h sign followed by a large "stop ahead" sign, then a big green highway intersection sign followed by another big blue one, and ultimately right through an oversized stop sign with a flashing red light.

The stop line view is not obstructed by those trees on the left.
His actions caused these death's. He was a professional driver.

Please guys, don't you dare try to explain this off with a farmers shelter belt.

Deport him.

I feel the same way as you.

[Ackleyman]

He was a guy trying to make a living. His ******** 'Boss" should be the guy getting fried. Putting a very inexperienced man in a big truck...like letting a kid run a table saw. My heart is with the Humbolt families . Deport the boss.

[Sooner]

Originally Posted by 1899b

I work in a diesel engine rebuild /truck shop.

Step son’s first cousin was killed by Sidhu.


The majority in this culture are not doing anything to enrich our country or the current trucking industry. They lie and cut corners. I have stories but will keep them to myself.

Back to India with you Sidhu and please don’t come again……

I work on the ins side when these trucks crash. I too have heard many stories from adjusters and the odd Rcmp officer I happen to meet at a tow yard etc when looking at a truck. I have heard the exact same thing and probably heard the same stories/seen the same truck issues. Your 100% correct.

Not all do it, but a lot know how to play the system to get green drivers from
across the pond behind the wheel with very little or no real experience. I'm sure this happens across the trucking industry but I only seem to hear the bad stories from this group.

I heard Chris Joseph's opinion and I heard this guys lawyer cry the blues on ched the other day. While I am pleased he took full accountability, did his time etc, the law is the law in this case. I agree with sending him back, maybe there is a way to re apply in a few years.

It does not look like he is being sent back to poverty and life threating scenarios, he and his family can make a go of it somewhere else. In the end, he went through the stop sign and caused this horrific incident. His feelings and consequences don't compare to the families who lost loved ones or have seen them get life changing injuries.

[Talking moose]

Originally Posted by Ackleyman

He was a guy trying to make a living. His ******** 'Boss" should be the guy getting fried. Putting a very inexperienced man in a big truck...like letting a kid run a table saw. My heart is with the Humbolt families . Deport the boss.

He obviously knows what red stop signs are and what red lights mean…..
How was his boss supposed to know he would choose to disregard them?
It’s not a lack of skill thing. It’s a poor choice thing.
I thought the same thing as you. But now I realize that he alone made the choice. And it was a bad one.

[elkhunter11]

Originally Posted by Ackleyman

He was a guy trying to make a living. His ******** 'Boss" should be the guy getting fried. Putting a very inexperienced man in a big truck...like letting a kid run a table saw. My heart is with the Humbolt families . Deport the boss.

He was trying to make a living, but 70 violations show that he disregarded many safety regulations designed to prevent this type of accident. We don't know if he was awake or asleep, or where his attention was at the time. If he was impaired , many people would feel very differently, but he may have been tired or distracted, which are just as dangerous, as being impaired. If he wasn't trying to hide something, why were there so many violations, and log omissions?

[Albertadiver]

I've been to this intersection. A few times. The shelter belt nonsense is just that, nonsense.

A horrible tragedy that has lifelong effects for those connected to that bus.

[Fradaburidi]

If this wasn't in the media, or was low profile, no one would've talked about deportation.

If he's going to be deported, it shouldn't be because he ran a red light.

It's already been said, but some others kill intentionally and get away with it, but then again the press and the voting public is not all over them.

[Hunter gatherer]

Originally Posted by Fradaburidi

If this wasn't in the media, or was low profile, no one would've talked about deportation.

If he's going to be deported, it shouldn't be because he ran a red light.

It's already been said, but some others kill intentionally and get away with it, but then again the press and the voting public is not all over them.

He is not being deported because he ran a red light...... Seventy violations resulting in 16 deaths leading to criminal charges resulting in jail time.

[Fradaburidi]

Originally Posted by Hunter gatherer

He is not being deported because he ran a red light...... Seventy violations resulting in 16 deaths leading to criminal charges resulting in jail time.

That makes more sense but, had he killed cattle and not people would he still be convicted for the same 70 violations, jail time and deported?