Would love advice on how to travel safely and not be in your way...

Learn to read traffic better by looking further down the highway and what's going on behind you. Give truckers their space. Following, if you can't see the driver in his mirrors, he can't see you. Never pass on the right.

Merging, start using your sideview mirror as soon as possible coming down the ramp and start planning. I'll actually take a look right before I even turn on the ramp to see if a bunch of traffic is coming. A good merger is one that has their vehicle up to speed and has read the traffic ahead of time.

The majority of trucks are governed now a days around 62-65 mph so you understand why some things happen.

Anticipate a trucker eating his traffic up and the need to get out and pass. Alot happens on hills and it makes a truckers life easier to keep his speed up. Cutting a trucker off on a hill can mean alot of shifting and fuel waste. It takes a truck alot more to recover speed than a zippy car. It can mean the difference of going up a hill 55 mph versus 25 mph because someone slowed you down.

Finding truck stops? There are directories available at truckstops. The big chains will give you a free directory of their chain. Just ask the cashier. Another good resource is a CatScale directory. They list many of the truckstops. You usually find them in the hallway going to the bathrooms. They are a yellow/white pamphlet. Another good one is the TripScan directory which lists the most. Ask a cashier for one.

Parking, stay out of the truck parking area. Many mishaps happen there and parking is hard to find anymore for a trucker. Park in the RV parking or in a lit area of the front lot. Always park in numbers. Never park by yourself in an isolated area. Avoid sleeping in big city truck stop. Go to a truckstop in the suburbs or in the country.
Rest area's are okay if there are alot of people there. Preferably in front of the truckers. Truckers see everything and could prevent a mishap.

Be safe and have fun. Just asking, I think you'll do just fine. Courtesy is everything on the road along with good traffic reading. Many now a days look just past their hood and could care less about the next person.

 

Dont follow too close to trucks nor merge in front of them too close. Pretend you are following a little kid on a tiny tricycle. Can you see them? That's kinda like a truck and your car. Leave PLENTY of room if you need to merge in front of one. And the old saying of "if you can't see my mirrors, I can't see you" is not only VERY true, but if you can't see the DRIVER in their mirror then there is a good chance that he/she can't see you either.........there are more blind spots than one!

Also, let your common sense prevail. Truckers are people, too....and they make driving mistakes as well. Don't follow through on something just because you are right and the trucker is wrong. You can be "right" all you want....but "Dead Right" is not the place to be. Remember the car-tricycle analogy? No matter what...your car will squish the trike...even if the kid on the trike is doing nothing wrong. That 18-wheeler will "squish" your car just as easily. Be aware of your surroundings and capabilities AS WELL AS the guy you are travelling near!

 

Hope this helps: Like the previous poster stated YOU are responsible to accelerate or decelerate on the on and off ramps. Most times the trucks will extend courtesy and merge into the hammer lane to allow a vehicle to merge into traffic. However if a truck has a another vehicle to his left and you are maintaining a slower speed on the acceleration lane, don't be surprised if your stuck there either by a: the traffic lanes are on grade going up and the trucks are already struggling to maintain some semblance of speed or b: either a vehicle to our left or an emergency vehicle running code getting ready to pass us. Park with RV's in the car lot of a travel center (not too many truck stops left). Most travel centers have a publication that lists travel centers/hotels/maintenance/food, worth buying. Park with cars in the rest areas. Use your turn signals. Have someone adjust your headlights so they are aimed properly for night driving and not blinding us as you drive around a cmv. With that do not-repeat, use your high beams to signal that a cmv has cleared your front if being passed. We can figure it out, promise. Do not text, type, read, perform personal hygiene while driving, bad things happen and I don't want to be involved with them. Back in the day, truck drivers would stop to help a motorist, with the advent of portable phones that has become a dying mission-literally. I used to, but not anymore with people doing bad things to good people. If broke down on the highway, do not-repeat, stand on the traffic side of your vehicle or leave the driver side door open. Either stay in your vehicle with the hood up and a flag of some sort hanging from the window hazard lights on or clear away from the vehicle period. Do not-repeat follow so close that we can't see you in the mirror. Especially in inclement weather and night. CMV is not a fog, rain, snow plow for the motoring public. CMV is a highly regulated industry, when its time for a driver to stop for his/her mandated rest period, we are stressing about finding a parking spot. Maintain your lane and you'll be fine. Construction zones are hazardous, because we lose from 1-2' of road clearance in them. Do not-repeat, crowd us while traveling through them. Suggestion, purchase a hand held cb radio, so you can hear if something is going on ahead of you and take appropriate action i.e, construction zone, accident scene, traffic jam, disabled vehicle, etc. Short list but hope it helps. Drive safe.

 

I second or third or whatever the on ramp suggestion. If you are gong to go....go. Also if you see a truck put on his turn signal to move left it probably means he needs to move over. Dont just hang out and look at the driver in his mirror. And last i'm big and slow...i'm going to use the last quarter of a downhill to get a run at the next hill. Please dont make me slow down.....oh wait....dont try to shoot around a truck on a merge in traffic. Being in front of me isn't really going to get you anywhere any faster.

 

In inclement weather and dusk, another good rule to remember is in inclement weather and Dusk/Dawn Driving turn on your LIGHTS!!! Fog, Rain, Snow, Dust storms, etc. If your lights are on we can now effectivly see your vehicle. This might seem trivial, but in bad waether it can prevent accidents and save your life. Might even be a good idea, habit to get into is turn on your lights and 4 ways, walk around your vehicle and make sure they all work. As far as knowing where truck stops are, there is a truck stop pocket guide that lists all truckstops, rest areas, by state, mile marker and highway. Costs about 4.95

 

Try to maintain the speed limit or close to it on whatever road you're on. That should cut down on the traffic stacked up behind you, which we get caught in, especially on two lanes. It doesn't really bother me to slow down a couple mph under the limit but for the love of all that is holy, if you find yourself doing 45 in a 65, find another road. Or a field. Or anything that I am not on.

Better than a handheld, if you're going to be traveling for a while, go ahead and get a full cb radio installed in the car. There's a cb radio section here with plenty of advice on how to set one up, where to get one set up, and even a few radios for sale. Having one in the car means you can have it on all the time and know more about what's going on, unlike the FedEx driver who almost steamrolled me today when traffic came to a stop due to an accident. I knew about it and the way I came down to a stop gave him the extra few feet he needed to not ruin my day.

 

hey mate you just drive as you allways have and you be sweet us drivers even in New Zealand look out for private vehicles

 

since your getting good info from the others...here is my 2 cents....as for personal security...try not to advertise the fact that you are alone...(females alone just attract problems) stay in well lit areas...have a cellphone prepaid even for emergencies, front of rest areas, RV parking...but for the Love of all that is holy STAY OUT OF THE TRUCK PARKING!!!! there has been too many times I am short of hours and trying to find a place to park and I pull in to find a little box van or pickup parked in a truck spot camping out...you can legally move to somewhere else...us on the otherhand we are limited to the hours we can drive....
Make sure you pack plenty of food and warm blankets along with water especially when traveling in the northern parts of the US during winter months...weather can change from great to crap in short periods of time...you don't wanna get caught in a blizzard unprepared to camp out for a day or 2....
if your on I80 in ohio they have free showers for truckdrivers...if you need a shower try going in when the truck parking is basically empty..otherwise you might cause issues.....
Don't hide behind my trailer...again if you can't see my mirrors your way to #### close and I can't see you...pass on the left only, and when you do pass us give yourself plenty of distance once you get around us...don't try taking the licence plate off our front bumper...cause if something goes wrong with your vehical or a vehical ahead of you...you will end up with 80k of truck trying to pass THROUGH your car or pickup...and trust me we will win that battle...

 

Buy a nice aluminum baseball bat and keep it on the passenger seat. Know how to change your own tire. Don't sit waiting for for someone to help. How to check oil, transmission and other fluids on your car. If your not mechanically inclined have a your mechanic check your car over before going.

Not necessary but nice. A small hydraulic floor Jack with wheels and and a small sheet of 3/4 inch plywood to put it on (for gravel or sand shoulders). Star lug wrench for lug nuts. Small 12volt air compressor, hey the tire could just be leaking! Fix a flat? I just find the factory Jack and wrench on most cars these days worthless.

If you are stuck on the side of the road in the middle of nowhere and a stranger stops to help. Stay in the car. Lock the doors. Crack the window to talk. Let them know you have called the highway patrol and tow truck and they are on the way. If no reception ask if they could drive on and notify the highway patrol for you. Having a cb and asking another driver to do that should not be a problem. I would hope.

Find mom and pop places eat and not chain places. You want local as much as you can! Maybe a start a thread here and tell us of your trip? Or come back and let us know when the book is being published! Most of all. HAVE FUN!