The one thing that terrifies me most about trucking

"When a car is on my right side and I really need to get over"..... that usually means you had no business being on the left in the first place.

 

Unless you're blocking a Volvo.

 

Even if you normally stay right, there are LOTS of merges that you have to perform that drop you into a left lane.

 

If you want a low stress ride through high density traffic, this is what you do.
Get in the right hand lane or thru lane and stay there, drive a couple mph under the speed limit or below the flow of traffic, this way you have no need to pass, and don't worry about clowns chanting slow drivers are dangerous because most likely they are speeding as they chant and have anxiety issues.
If they were paying attention they would notice that they're not making a whole lot of time in that density, just wasting fuel, brake linings, beating their vehicles and the infrastructure, and causing a lot potential danger.
When you get out of the clutter or rush hour traffic or whatever, that's when you step it up and do your passing.
A lot of times if I had the time, depending on the city, if it was a s### show at rush hour, I would take a break and grab a meal or a shower or just relax for an hour or so, then jump back on the road at the tail end of it to avoid all the havoc.
If I stopped for an hour, I probably only lost 45 minutes, which is a gain of 15 minutes.
It's stressful out there, learn how to keep it at a minimum because it will kick the crap out of you, if you let it.

 

The word I used was u s u a l l y.
It doesn't mean always.

 

Sometimes I think the people that laid out the national Interstate system was smoking some good dope. I mean in some places it is downright dangerous. I know a guy that has to make the transition from I 285 inner loop to I 20 westbound several times a week. He has been cited several times now for getting in that left lane too early. I have seen many near misses right here in Hampton Virginia. Freeway lane usage when it comes to trucks I guess will be debated for years still to come.

 

Heavy traffic areas are easy, just watch what u do and put ur truck in a spot where u always have an exit plan... The most dangerous interstates are the ones out west like i40 where it's easy driving , ppl let their guard down , next thing u know it's a truck jumping across the median dukes of hazard style coming right at u , with nowhere to go

 

The exit from I-20 East onto I-285 towards Chattanooga is even worse. The lanes are not marked properly, either on the road, or above/beside it. Unless you know the intersection, you will be trapped in the wrong lane and need to make a lane change when you can actually see the intersection.