Stop with the tailgateing!

im my personal ride i don't dare brake check a big truck i like my life

 

You can't fix stupid unless you take their money. I was in my 4 wheeler the other day and another 4 wheeler was less than 10 feet behind me in a 55 mph zone. I just slowed down coasting. Finally at 30 mph he got the message and backed off a couple hundred feet and then I sped back up.

 

I should clarify before I get hammered on....if it's a big rig on my butt I just slow down enough to let them pass, the rest is for cagers!

 

I was running across Arizona last week and some dummy in a Red Peterbilt rolled up behind me and then just stayed there about 3 feet off my trailer....No one in the left lane so he could have passed me, But Noooooo! He just had to sit there on the back of my trailer.

We started pulling a grade and I backed out of it and slowed down to about 45 MPH, Then I got back into it and pulled away from him and left him back there pulling the hill way slower than he would've been if he had passed me in the first place.

 

Tailgating while driving a tractor trailer is just total unprofessional driver.Unfortunately we have a lot of them on the road today.

 

I don't even try to pass anyone anymore (I really don't care to pass) when they are going around the same speed as me. What I do is if I am catching up I back it down a couple mph and let my truck fall back a bit, find that right speed and kick back far away from the slower than me slowpoke. Usually they get off or slow down around to 55, then I can pass easily when its all clear no cars about 2 miles in sight or so. Its second nature for me to see another slow truck coming up to just slow down a tad to let them get by faster even before they get near my trailer, even my own same company drivers that think a 1/2 mph difference will help them. After awhile you know what other companies run for speed on the site and can easily adjust your driving to keep things moving.

When I get tailgated I just slow down gradually, I'll put on hazards if they continue for along while, kinda act like I am breaking down. I have even got off an exit ramp a few times just for someone following and then got back on. Most times after they pass I can see them talking on a cell phone, no idea on speed they are driving or their surroundings.

Since the day about 10 years ago that I had a blowout on the drivers side rear outer trailer tire that flew up (full gator) in the air towards the hammer lane about 4 inches above a gold dodge intrepid on i35 in TX and seeing the face of the moron who was pacing right next to my trailer wheels I do more to lose a follower or pacer.

 

I run I-5 about 80% of the time...it does seem to be getting more and more common for these trucks to be running right up within a few feet of the truck/car before they change lanes and pass...

Personally, if I am doing 60 I will get out into the left lane to pass AT LEAST one truck length before the vehicle I intend to pass...if you are behind me...you can wait till I pass and move back over...and I won't "jam out" in front of another truck/car just to get the lane...I can wait for you to pass me before I inconvenience you with my safe technique.

On I-5, the real "problem children" seem to be SAIA and Yellow...seems they are always doing 63-65....those two miles per hour must really be critical!

 

We are either professional or we're not. We either care about the safety of others on the highways or we don't. There's no middle ground. There is no justifiable reason for tailgating....whether it's tailgating a 4-wheeler or another big truck.