I think I was well taught by instructors as far as situational awareness and the like. They barked constantly about lane position, day one to final words. So I might disagree with gashauler on that particular. Besides, if a guy has a notion for retrieving his apple from the floorboards, only God can help him!

very good advice from all of you and all very true. New inexperienced drivers, more now than ever, cell phones in or out of hands but still engrossed in conversation, more now than ever. And sometimes simple fatigue, wind drafts, road ruts, other reasons such as someone else encroaching on them from another outside lane. Stay alert at all times! Peace out ...

I guess I've been lucky I haven't seen this in a while, though one time I remember clearly being forced almost off road entirely by a truck that was 'passing' that NEVER actually fully got into the left lane and was straddling the line the whole way toward me, by me, and for quite a while past me.

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I am a Camaro Girl because IROC!

You have unlimited chances to go too slow, but only one to go too fast.

I hate it when other drivers try to cross over into your lane, sometimes without even looking.. That is why I always to to look and make sure there is plenty of distance between me and other drivers before making a lane change.. I do see a lot of drivers not so much as even using a turn single when making lane changes anymore this goes for 4 wheelers, and big rigs..

you do NOT want to coast next to me - when I have triple trailers my rear wanders from lane to lane - and I refuse to brake and slow for any idiot who does not recognize the danger... you see - if I back out at speed it will take me a mile or more to get back up to speed because of my extra weight and the fact that our power units can not accelerate like a swift or schneider pulling an empty at a dronning 62.

I take out a few mirrors a year - and even side smack a trailer every now and then and the cops always tell the drivers that they should not have been there.

just like any oversize - heavy haul - you have to give us more room

we can not make it for ourselves.

if you can not easily get around us - DO NOT TRY and for gods sake do not COAST next to us...


I go as far to the right as possible when I am being passed - but some guys want to drag race me in a slow truck not understanding the danger.



backing out of it and being a man is worth a lot more than creating a bad situation.

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TEAMSTERS LOCAL 100


Faster than a 60 MPH bullet....

Interesting thread!

I don't blame the CDL schools for any driver's lack of common sense. Ignorance can be fixed with knowledge, but lack of common sense? You either have it... or you don't! Common sense should tell any driver that distractions are deadly. You drop something on the floor, it stays there until your next stop! CB's and sandwiches can be just as deadly as phone distractions. Quit paying so much attention to "seat covers" and keep your eyes on the road ahead. If you really need a "school" to tell you things like this, maybe driving isn't the right job?

But, back to the original post... side by side trucks. Did you know that the aerodynamics between two moving trucks actually creates a low pressure area between them? It has a tendency to draw the two trucks together. The same thing happens to airplanes in formation. A wingman often has to maintain a small amount of "yaw" away from the lead aircraft to keep from being drawn into it. And yes, I am a pilot!

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"Life is too short to wake up with regrets. So love the people who treat you right. Forget about the one's who don't. Believe everything happens for a reason. If you get a chance, take it. If it changes your life, let it. Nobody said life would be easy, they just promised it would most likely be worth it."
(From a short story by Michael Gartner)
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Free information: Sometimes it's worth what you pay for it!
(Anon)
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Same thing I was thinking.......... kinda like drunk drivers and the way they hit parked cars and other objects they are looking at........ you tend to move your hand toward what you are looking at...... it takes you a second to realize that you are doing it.........

If you are drunk, tired or distracted you're going to take longer to notice the issue and of course, then your reaction time will also be impaired........ those are the guys that "jerk" back into their lanes.........

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The definition of stupidity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results. — Albert Einstein

All very good points about factors other than driver error. You know, there was one thing from school that I cant help but remember each time I pass/get passed by a big truck. It came from my instructor the very first day we went out on the road. We just pulled out on a 2 lane road that was pretty tight. Another truck was coming toward us(me driving) so I moved over a little as he was passing. Afterwords, my instructor asks why I did that. I said to avoid hitting his mirror or something else. The instructor said 'If he were maintaining his lane, you wouldnt have to move. That might be true, (I didnt say this)but I would rather ride the yellow line than take a chance on hitting him.

I hope you're exaggerating about your last box moving lane to lane. I also hauled trips and I would pull them out of Las Vegas NV heading north at night and sometimes the winds blew very hard. I have never had my last box go over into another lane. If yours do I would bet they are loading you wrong.

the rear will washout from "line to line" - it does not change lanes...


the turnpike in ohio has some interesting ruts in it - as well as the indiana tollway which for the first 40 miles out of chicago is rough and really gets the rear rocking...

all to often guys pass me with their passenger mirror OVER the divide line and at that point there is not a whole lot I can do seeing that I try to ride as close to the rumble strip as possible.

(crunch) "got ya!!!"

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TEAMSTERS LOCAL 100


Faster than a 60 MPH bullet....