So how do you merge onto the highway?

With a blinker and a swerve. Then bam blood everywhere

 

If you can't even drive a car on the freeway it's probably not advisable to drive a bigrig on the freeway

 

I follow the first rule of Italian driving...


[video=youtube_share;AjGXn249Fc0]http://youtu.be/AjGXn249Fc0[/video]

 

In a training video at the school I went to the instructor in the truck just told the student 'don't look, just MERGE, (as he grabs the wheel), they will get out of the way!' I laughed my ##### off everytime I think of that!

 

Well a 4 wheeler in CT on 95 decided merging doesn't mean yield the right away. I couldn't get over but slowed a bit but not enough to allow her in since I had 43,000 lbs in the box. She eats up the shoulder and grass the get in front of me. I just smh.

 

Kevin_L, out of curiosity do you live in the Northeast? I ask because I'm originally from the Northwest and now live in California, and about the only place I've seen the phenomenon you describe in the OP is in the Northeast. First time I ever drove a big rig in Massachusetts, for example, I was accelerating to merge onto a freeway as I was taught, and the car in front of me slammed on the brakes to come to a complete stop just before getting on the freeway. I nearly pancaked into the car, not expecting such a stupid stunt (not to cast aspersions, but that is a really dumb move).

After coming to a complete stop behind that car I then had to content with merging onto a freeway from a standing start with a loaded truck with only 50 feet to get any speed. Not an ideal situation at all.

Other parts of the country folks seem to get the whole concept of getting up to highway speed to merge onto a freeway, at least for the most part, and that's exactly what you have to do in a big rig.

Other than that you signal your intention early and make sure you understand that when you first get onto an entrance ramp your responsibility is to merge as close to highway speed as possible and you are watching for an opening as early as possible (not waiting until the last minute to realize you are blocked or need to slam on the brakes to avoid a "pinned" big rig). I like what another forum member noted about using your turn signal to make a lane change, "It isn't a suggestion". When a big rig signals and starts to make a lane change or merge it is time for oncoming traffic to slow and certainly not time to speed up to cut them off.

 

It's what a person is used to. I'd bet someone who has never driven outside of Florida, for example, would find the first time driving in snow a bit overwhelming too. I've seen the videos of standstills in major cities in the South when there's even an inch or two of snow. If the OP gets in a truck, I'm sure he'd learn how to merge just like I'm sure a Florida native would learn to drive in the snow. Just give him time and experience to figure it out.

 

It helps to turn on your turn signal as you are merging. More often than not people see you signaling and move over to make an opening. It's really not a difficult concept but it is amazing how many 4 wheelers don't seem to get it.

 

100% wrong. kind of.

If there is solid traffic, the expressway lane must make room for the oncoming ramp vehicles.

But if there is only one car on the expressway and the merging traffic is riding right alongside, the expressway car is not required to do anything. Merging traffic must adjust position.

Mikeeee

 

Common sense in today's world is a rare, rare commodity.