Had and interesting CB conversation with an old school trucker the other day

^ your an idiot...I understand you dont like the high beams, but just grin and bear it that was somebodys attempt at being courteous, you return the favor by blinding them with your spot lights, why don't you get on the cb and whine and cry about it...

 

I agree with BigJohn54, and I'm only 19,lol.

 

I'll add my 2 cents. I'm in this industry for the money as well as a career. I really enjoy this industry, despite the occasional bs we deal with. I wanted to be a truck driver ever since I saw the movie Convoy as a kid. I joined the industry in 1998 and left in 2001and now that I'm back after 10 years, I've noticed a lot of changes. The CB seems a lot quieter now when you get away from the truck stops.

As for elephant races, I usually drive around 73 mph (we operate in TX, NM, OK, AR, and LA) so its sort of an "average" in speed. I sometimes encounter a truck running 72 mph and if needbe I will bump my cruise to get past the slower truck since mine is ungoverned. Conversly if a 74 mph truck is passing me, I'll give a bump down to let him pass. I run with my lights on at all times so turning them off/on is no biggie.

 

To me it the same as running with high beams on. If you behind someone, low beams no matter what. At night your eyes are adjusted to the dark and the flash has the tendency to blind for a second or too. If ya cant cut the lights for a second or two, give the guy a good ol' "comeon over (insert company name/trailer type here), your clear" on your radio. All of us who use our mirrors thank you greatly.

 

I'll just throw this out here. Some trucks you can not turn the headlights off when it is running. So instead they hi beam you. It is meant well but not excepted readily. There's a lot to trucking besides herding it down the big road. Every trailer you pull is a different job. I have found over the years no make that decades that the more respect and Patience is the state of endurance under difficult circumstances, which can mean persevering in the face of delay or provocation without acting on ...the better everything worked out including my long term health. One day your a green kid in a truck and a few miles down the road you look in the mirror and wonder what the hell happened. For me slow and smart works better than fast and stupid. Run it cool.......

 

It is too bad that there are drivers that cannot treat fellow truckers as they wish to be treated themselves. I think that is some of the difference between "the old days" and now. There has always been jerks and there will always be true professionals. The decision on which one you will be is yours.

 

I prefer fast and smart. Unfortunately, at 65 mph my company's trucks don't go fast. (Maybe if I drove it off a cliff)

 

So that's what Air brakes are. 600 hp engines and 355 butt gears will just get you to the side of the road faster.

 

Jerz, my pete has an interrupt and I use it and the cb accordingly, but when people high beam me over I dont respond with an ignorant comment on the CB or flashing spotlights at them, just grin and bear it.

 

My truck has DRLs, but they're not as bright as headlights. I usually flash a couple times in quick succession as it makes it obvious to the other driver. Just killing the headlights isn't effective as the other driver can't immediately differentiate between headlight/DRL unless they see the change. But my high beams aren't coming on unless it's daytime.

And I just thought to mention this... The high beam flash wouldn't be so bad if it was just that--FLASH. Instead it's usuallyFFFFFFLLLLLLLLLAAAAAAASSSSSSSSHHHHHHHHH .
I mean, come on! A little night blindness passes fairly quickly; but attempting to incinerate my retina is either lazy or ignorant, or both. Makes me wish for a handful of marbles... or that crazy Chinaman, Hu Flung-Pu.

And is just me, or is this thread kind of a filtered deja vu of the old vs. new flame war USLD started in the 43 posts before he took 'vacation'?