Do you pass trucks governed 1mph less than you?

You gotta reason to hurry pal ..lol...shrink costs money....

 

I don't get that luxury anymore, speed or the sound of the engine. These newer trucks sound almost the same at 1400 to 1600 rpm. It drove me nuts driving at a set speed at first then one day I just stopped thinking about it and realized I had a lot more energy after a shift and less of a headache from constantly swiveling my head to merge.

 

I wouldnt have moved over. I would have let ups run into me.

 

Well you know me, I always try to do the courteous thing for my fellow trucker colleagues out here.

 

One thing I am always doing as I drive is asking myself, "What does that driver need?"

For example, if I am overtaking a truck as I am approaching an on ramp I keep an eagle eye out for merging traffic. If I see merging traffic I slow and signal the other trucker to get over in front of me. That not only helps the trucker in front of me, it helps merging traffic get on the freeway safely.

Another example is coming up on a slower truck and looking in my rear view and see fast moving traffic coming up. I have a decision to make. Can I speed up to get around the slower truck without impeding traffic, or should I kick out of cruise control and bide my time to allow faster traffic through and pick a better place to pass?

Do I have a tailgater that can't see a road hazard ahead of me? I hit the 4-ways and ease onto the brakes without the Jake to give them plenty of time to notice something is up as they are sending a text message.

Look out for the well being of folks sharing the road with you, especially if they are driving while impaired by alcohol, distractions, or stupidity.

 

Those rental trucks kill me sometimes, I just anticipate some stuff like that, save my rig if it's possible.

 

Speaking of merging traffic, this happened a little while ago.

 

Yeah, sometimes you do everything you can to help other drivers, but you can't help everyone every time. There's a lot of 4-wheelers that are flat out terrified driving next to big rigs and freeze up because of it and create unnecessary hazards. All of us need to bear that in mind.

Edit to add: was that a cell phone in the driver's hand?

 

No, he was just waving "hi" to me with his big middle finger.

 

And some day you can be on the side of the road getting a lecture from the state trooper that just saw you force your way over...just like that truck in Indiana. He got the trooper's attention speeding through a 50 mph town with his foot to the floor, and the speed limit went back up before he could blow my doors off. State Trooper was already in pursuit when I hung him out in the left lane (I would've passed him, but with the trooper coming up, I decided to have some fun...so I hung back barely clear just in case he wanted to force the issue). "Blink blink blink blink blink..." and he took the bait. He moved over a few inches from my hood, and I eased on the brakes just enough to light up my brake lights as I moved across the fog line 1/2 onto the shoulder as my jakes howled, hammming it up for the trooper approaching quickly. He was stopped not even 1/4 mile later.

Your turn signal does NOT mean you have the right to that lane, and you never know who's doing what or why, or who may be watching. That fellow with your "my blinker means I'm coming" attitude bought himself a cite for the unsafe lane change in addition to the speeding he was already going to get.