This ever happen to you?

[Road_Phantom]

We stay primarily in the right lane when traveling. There have been times when tractor trailers cut in front of me so close I have to slow down. I have also been pushed over into another lane at no real gain to the trucks. They get lane crazy to gain just a few feet of open road. I do my best to stay out of their way. I don't park in truck stops or rest areas so as to avoid them.
My neighbor told me about a car pulling a trailer behind it that got caught between two tractor trailers. They went around on both sides and closed the gap as they passed, causing a vacuum that sent the car into a fishtail, knocking them over onto it's side.

[camperfamily]

Not so many problems with trucks. Its the buses. Not school busses but rather transit buses, tour busses. Excessive speed, unsafe lane changes, cutting off, failure to yield, failure to signal. Have come to just hate being around them and always expect them to do something stupid. Anyone else?

[Bipeflier]

Just be aware when a trucker turns on his signal light he is NOT asking permission to change lanes, he is telling what is going to happen immediately!

[charming]

ppine wrote:
I have been run completely off the road a couple of times by truckers. I have had them within 3 feet of my rear bumper many times. I have called in a couple of them to the Highway Patrol.

Make their lives easier by giving them plenty of room when you pass. Use your lights and turn signals to let them know when they can pull in front of you. Move over and get out of the way when you can.

For the most part we have experienced most truck drivers to be courteous and helpful to our pokey motorhome and toad.

[charming]

profdant139 wrote:
one strange texan, it turns out that some of those cars are really in a road race! At least in Southern Calif., young guys in souped-up hot rods (can you tell I am really old?) sometimes engage in actual races on the freeways. I don't know if money is involved, or if it is just bragging rights. But they meet up on social media, arrange a starting and ending point, and they're off, zooming through traffic at 90 to 100 mph.

I am not making this up -- I have seen it many times with my own eyes, and law enforcement is well aware of this phenomenon. I could be wrong, but some of this was inspired by the Fast and Furious series of movies. (I did not see those films, so I may have my facts wrong.)

I hope this "sport" will not spread to other parts of the country.

You can see them coming in your rear view mirror. When I do see them, I slow down a little to leave a gap for them to get through, so that they do not clip my front fenders as they whiz across the lanes of the freeway.

Usually, there are just two cars involved. Sometimes three or four. They look like they are playing tag, but it's a race. They will zig zag across three or four lanes of traffic at a time.

We saw some of that on I-95 in Florida when I was driving my Honda CRV.

[ppine]

I have been run completely off the road a couple of times by truckers. I have had them within 3 feet of my rear bumper many times. I have called in a couple of them to the Highway Patrol.

Make their lives easier by giving them plenty of room when you pass. Use your lights and turn signals to let them know when they can pull in front of you. Move over and get out of the way when you can.

[RedRollingRoadb]

ScottG wrote:
In Washington state the only problems are with Canadian truckers. They speed with impunity and drive dangerously.
One time I saw one coming up from quite a distance behind me. I was in the middle lane because the right lane was ending. This guy came roaring up in the right lane, pulled his trailer up beside me and just moved over on me. Had the left lane not been empty (where he should have passed me) we would have all ended up in a bad collision.
Called state patrol, they couldn't care less.

Amen about some of the imported drivers. If I say more...
And I drove trucks for 44+ years basically in the NW.

[LenSatic]

"I hope this "sport" will not spread to other parts of the country."

Too late. Your video was from NYC.

[Expyinflight]

Bionic Man wrote:
Two of the worst times I have been cut off were by semis. Once was on the rural interstate, there was a rest stop that a truck was leaving. Two lanes, I was in the right lane, another truck in the left preventing me from getting over. Truck entering the highway merged in well before the end of the accleration lane, right in front of me, going probably 25 MPH slower than I was going. Braked hard, avoided collision.

Another time a semi was trying to pass. His closing speed was fine until we got not an incline. The back of his trailer was barely past my cab, and he was slowing down rapidly due to the incline, he still decided to come into the lane I was in, and then immediately over to exit the highway.

I know we rely on truckers, but I am of the opinion that many of them drive like jackwads. Like when they decide to pass each other on a two lane interstate, the passing truck going maybe one MPH faster than the one in the right lane, and still 10 MPH below the speed limit. Causing them to hang in the left lane for a couple miles while all the traffic piles up behind them.

That is where I REALLY wish there would be a left lane minimum speed.

I think we observed every scenario you have described on our trip from Arizona to Illinois and back last June. The truckers were aggressive, and downright dangerous at times. The couple of days we spent traveling heading east on I-80 were the worst. Saw several pretty serious truck involved accidents. You have to really be doubly attentive out on the interstates.

[Durb]

I used to cover Oregon and Washington for my job, a lot of driving. I have seen it all. My response is to be overly courteous and shine on any untoward driving situations. Helped with my blood pressure and made my day run smoother.

When my trailer is attached, I am in vacation mode. Being cut short by a trucker's lane change would cause me to slow down some, that's all. Out of mind in five seconds.

[STBRetired]

ACZL wrote:

Dutch_12078 wrote:
As a few have mentioned, I've had more problems with cars than OTR trucks, especially the ones that don't know how to merge into the traffic lane. Today though, running down I-75 in Florida, I had two trucks running together pass me, and both cut back in way too close. Both were driving for the notorious Swift Transportation that often hires drivers fresh out of school with the ink still wet on their CDL's.

SWIFT has a whole ton of acronyms. 2 that come to mind in this situation are A): Sure Wish I had a Faster Truck, B): See What I **** up Today.

Sure Wish I Finished Training

[Dutch_12078]

ACZL wrote:

Dutch_12078 wrote:
As a few have mentioned, I've had more problems with cars than OTR trucks, especially the ones that don't know how to merge into the traffic lane. Today though, running down I-75 in Florida, I had two trucks running together pass me, and both cut back in way too close. Both were driving for the notorious Swift Transportation that often hires drivers fresh out of school with the ink still wet on their CDL's.

SWIFT has a whole ton of acronyms. 2 that come to mind in this situation are A): Sure Wish I had a Faster Truck, B): See What I **** up Today.

Yep, I've seen a bunch of them... 🙂

[ACZL]

Dutch_12078 wrote:
As a few have mentioned, I've had more problems with cars than OTR trucks, especially the ones that don't know how to merge into the traffic lane. Today though, running down I-75 in Florida, I had two trucks running together pass me, and both cut back in way too close. Both were driving for the notorious Swift Transportation that often hires drivers fresh out of school with the ink still wet on their CDL's.

SWIFT has a whole ton of acronyms. 2 that come to mind in this situation are A): Sure Wish I had a Faster Truck, B): See What I **** up Today.

[Dutch_12078]

As a few have mentioned, I've had more problems with cars than OTR trucks, especially the ones that don't know how to merge into the traffic lane. Today though, running down I-75 in Florida, I had two trucks running together pass me, and both cut back in way too close. Both were driving for the notorious Swift Transportation that often hires drivers fresh out of school with the ink still wet on their CDL's.

[Terryallan]

one_strange_texan wrote:
I worked for a very safety-conscious company. On-the-job automobile accidents invariably were our worst safety statistic even though we handled and produced many hazardous compounds. We started being required to have automobile safety training annually.

One of the things stressed frequently was to be aware where the blind spots for 18-wheelers are and to not linger in them on the highway. Speed up or slow down to move up or back, but don't stay in them if you are matched in speed. They exist on both left and right side of the rigs. Look ahead on the road for traffic situations that may cause the truck driver to have to make a sudden move to avoid potential collisions.

I agree with what some others have said. I observe many more dangerous drivers in cars, especially tailgating, speeding and veering through heavy traffic on congested freeways like they are in a road race.

Most truck drivers are very competent, courteous and safety conscious. I do observe tailgating and unsafe high speeds a few of them. I think that small minority is what sticks out in many people's memory.

Good advise, and something else to think about. Truck tires are heavy, and if one runs off while you are beside it. The tire can do great damage. Yes I have seen it when I drove big trucks. So I always speed up to pass them, or slow to let them go is we are close to the same speed. Really dangerous to ride beside a trailer truck for many reasons