So how do you merge onto the highway?

by default you start accelerating quickly at the top of the ramp. While accelerating start surveying the traffic coming along. If vehicles are coming

1rst option, continue accelerating and get in front or hope cars coming move over.

2nd option slow your acceleration and get behind them.

3rd option run down the shoulder gesturing wildly for car to get ahead of you or back off.

This is sort of how you do it in a car I guess, but cars have the advantage of being able to accelerate much more quickly or even if they have to slow down or brake they can get back up to speed quick. IDK why they always seem to time it to come out the end of the ramp right beside me even when there's a 1/2 mile ahead of me and 1/2 mile behind me ? In front = good, behind = good, beside = fail

 

I wouldn't know. I went to CDL school. Have to ask someone who paid a lot more than I did.

 

Here's what I do. I drive an automatic and it's a r eal dog. I stomp on it and as it goes through the gears very slowly gaining speed I turn my blinker on and hope like hell everyone gets outta my way. So far they have, and I've only had to flip the bird about once a week or so... I find flipping the bird helps relieve stress. You gotta watch out for the jokers with the smart phones in front of their noses.

 

I don't use the bird.. i use ... merge safely .. trucks are slow to gain equal speed of entry

 

Just had to say something. To Bull Haulers Wife, 1st, you have to remember, you are dealing with truck drivers here, whose motto is, "everybody is stupid, except me", so when an innocent, seemingly simple (to them) question comes along, truck drivers want to compete to have the catchiest response. We're not the most compassionate group. I've always tried to debunk that stereotype, maybe because it's my mom in me coming out, who helped people until the day she died.
To Kevin, remember, on the roads nowadays, it seems it's survival of the fittest. Nobody wants to be behind a truck, and will be defiant right until the last second, until they realize, they have to give in. Merging is a tricky deal, and as someone told me very early on, you have to be aggressive, or you won't get anywhere. People stopping on the end of a ramp is a huge problem, but driving is the hardest thing some people ever do, and are not aggressive and will wait for a good samaritan to let them in, and you have to be ready for that, but the whole point of "merging" is to blend in, and I've found, if it's a choice between getting crunched or letting you in, most people will let you in. Just like trying to cross a busy street where there's no openings, at some point, you have to be a ( insert expletive) and go for it. You are going to inconvenience someone at some time when driving a truck, it's just part of the job.

 

Take the blinders off when you are driving.

Stop staring blindly at the tail lights of the vehicle in front of you.

First when you are driving, constantly keep track of the vehicles that are around you by using those shinny things on the side of the vehicle. When you see an on ramp, do you look at it to see what vehicles are coming down the ramp? Then you need to judge there acceleration to determine if they will merge in front or behind you, if not you need to decide if you can change lanes to let them merge or adjust your speed.

When coming down the ramp you need to accelerate as quickly as possible, and safe, to the highway speed.

Multiple vehicles working together to allow the orderly flow of traffic.

This can all get screwed up by some impatient driver only thinking about himself or an overly cautious Sunday driver.

 

isn't it sad that you have to explain how to merge properly ? It's exactly done as you say. NEVER stop on a on-ramp (unless, of course, there is no shoulder to continue on accelerating).

 

I go straight from the ramp all the way to the left lane, don't even bother looking in the mirror, they'll move...

 

on this continent people don't know how to merge. Period. Except for most truckers, I must say. And you're right that, as a truck driver, you're gonna inconvenience someone, sometime. Most traffic jams (back ups) are the result of 4-wheel-drivers without patience and/or decency to properly merge. Ofcourse, merging requires a small gap, meaning that the flowing traffic should allow for that gap.

 

you cant really tell someone how to merge..that are too many variables that come into play....how long the ramp, what kind of weather, how heavy is the traffic, can you even see the traffic where you are going to merge into...etc etc...