Why to truck drivers drive in the middle lane?

Ms patty remember we are profesional drivers and we must think for everybody as we are held to a higher standard at least that's what my instructor told me when I started cdl school.

 

That only. goes so far in my book.You get to the point you're sick of babysitting them.

 

I forgot the exact details of the commercial you speak of, however I remember being offended deeply by such a commercial. Threw stuff towards the TV set too. Now Im not without sin and refuse to live in a glass house, but I would think of all the times Ive made room for cars to come on, even at the risk of my very life or theirs occasionally such as the famous 35 to 30 west flyover ramp incident shows... I would think that there are a certain number of cars who do not feel nicely towards me for some of my actions.

I95 in Western part of Baltimore where it meets 695 merging traffic prior to Jessup and DC is really dangerous. Sometimes I do not move a inch and force you the car to decide between life or death because if I moved 6 more truckers will also have to move and I cannot chance turning the entire highway into a burning pyre just because someone in a little car wants to be a bully today. Or worse, a stupid trucker throwing his weight around. I'll just have to take the trailer hit and bumps keeping the relative speeds to zero as possible. And you wonder why sometimes trailers show up in your yard in the condition that they do.

 

I have that little bit of a streak also. Sometimes even I get tired of babysitting as they put it. Then I get mean. That is usually when I make arrangements with dispatch to take some time off. Maybe go off into the Coctions (Spelling?) north of Frederick mountain range for a while to chill out and reconnect. Dispatch is usually good. Especially when they understand why.

 

I am a truck driver. I operate in the middle lane or just left of right lane if there is 4 lanes. Main reason being i put myself at risk as well as other motorist if i am constantly changing lanes to allow traffic to enter or exit the roadway. Most truck accidents are caused by lane changes. I also operate in the middle lanes for a exit strategy. If a accident was to occur in front of me i have more lane options available to avoid being apart of the accident if operating in the middle lanes. For example, a accident occurs suddenly in the right lane and has blocked the right lane and the shoulder. There is heavy traffic and i cant get over to avoid the accident. Only two outcomes in this scenario, hopefully i come to a stop or i plow through the accident scene. Other motorists as well as seasoned truck drivers cant stand me but i operate middle lane solely for safety. Real life example, I am operating middle lane at 65 mph through a blind right hand curve. A tree line has made the curve blind. Another truck driver blows by me with a middle finger out the window he had to of been rolling 75 mph. On the other end of the blind curve a motorist pulls off the shoulder back onto the roadway. The truck driver had barely enough time to slow down for the motorist but only after leaving a several hundred foot black mark and a cloud of smoke. Lastly i would like to say is do the speed limit and put the phone away. People to often think they need to be going faster than the other guy. Its a ego thing, i get it, i used to be like that. Go the speed limit and see how much easier it is to drive down the road. Then you will start noticing how dumb other drivers are and come to a realization that you were once that dummy. Finally the cell phones. Its a epidemic. I can drive drunk better than texting while driving. Next time you drive down the road look around at the amount of motorist and worst of all truck drivers that are texting or whatever it is they are doing. Its shocking to think out of ten cars around you 4 or 5 drivers are manipulating there phones. At any given time anyone one of those drivers can cause a serious accident. Dont be that guy

 

So for safety you violate state la w i.e slowet traffic right .you also risk additional accidents becsuse traffic doesn't flow . You have zero concern for safety, and you are self centered . Hopefully you will find the right cop to ticket and maybe you will wake up.

 

Times 2.
He only cares about himself and not his fellow Conrad’s... that share the road with him. It’s only about him.

 

Complain to the company! No one respects or gives room to the governed trucks. So, yes I will stay in the middle lane, because blinker doesn't mean #### to most of you .

 

I get annoyed at 4 wheels trying to piss off truckers with their either passive aggressive or distracted driving. This is a truckers job. You #### up and the trucks almost always gets the public blame. A car driving idiot can cost a trucker his license/job/career and peoples lives.

Why do people insist on the playing chicken with 80,000lbs of hot metal and kinetic energy. A truck going 60mph is creating 4,800,000lb of force. Give ‘em some room.

To add...do truckers come to your job flipping burgers and block you when you need to add cheese? Do truckers block you from the milk shake machine? Have you ever seen a trucker interrup your train of thought as you’re trying to remember how to count to eleven-teen to give change back?

Didn’t think so.

 

Just today I had some jack arse 4 wheeler brake check me... HARD. I was maneuvering to my exit lane which also had an on ramp coming into it shortly. I turned my blinker on an slowed ever so slightly as the car beside me got past me, another truck is holding back to let me over. Then I proceeded to change lanes in a nice smooth manner while checking my mirrors again, over half way into my intended lane and all clear. I then quickly glance to the onramp, all clear. Then back to traffic ahead and double check signage that I'm getting the correct lane, I'm good and fully into the lane I need and matching speed with traffic. All of a sudden I hear a car horn... BEEEEEEEEEEEP! I check both mirrors quickly and see a small car over the right corner of my hood driving on the shoulder. "Holy crap did I push him onto the shoulder?" I thought. I slowed and let him in front of me where he immediately slams on his brakes, and I have to stand on mine also as there is nowhere for me to go. After slowing me down by 20 mph he took off... I came within 2 feet of rear-ending him... I took my 30 min break shortly there after and reviewed my dash cam footage cause it bothered me that I hadn't seen him. As it turns out he had been behind me somewhere when I started my lane change, probably about the time I glanced to the onramp and traffic ahead (keep in mind I'm already over halfway into the lane I want by this time) he decides to come flying around me on the right side (I was able to see this in the footage by zooming in on my hood mirror) and goes right to the shoulder to pass me and then brake check me when I let him in front of me... I wonder what could possess someone to drive in such a fashion, and then act like it was all my fault.... I dont know maybe I could have checked my mirrors again between checking onramp and traffic ahead and seen him sooner.