Why the middle

I agree 100% with ya man. If its heavy with lots of merging traffic then fine. But heck last time I went through chicago it was 1 am on 80 right where 294 an 80 connect. No traffic but trucks all in the middle or what would be the truck passing lane cause we cant be out in the left any further. All of them are going 58 to 55 mph and me coming up 65 on em I usually wait a minute behind em to give them the chance to scoot over. But nope they stay put dead locked in that lane cause they think thats where they should be. So ya get inpatient and pass em on the right, yeah nono I know but 1 am no traffic and people going a little slow for me.

 

I was climbing a mountain pass early one morning last week. There was no traffic at that hour. The interstate is 5 lanes wide in that location (4 lanes plus a truck climbing lane.)
Four of us drivers passed a Werner truck on his right because he was climbing the hill about 45 MPH in the number 4 lane. Maybe he couldn't read the signs over the truck climbing lane that said Truck Lane--Slow Vehicles, or the Slower Traffic Keep Right signs. Maybe the driver thought it was ok for everybody to pass on his right because he was driving up the hill with his flashers on.

 

last minute, are you talking about I-30 and I-440 in Little Rock? Sounds like it to me. Doesn't really bother me, I'll go around them however I can, and save the hostility.
OldTradition, that is just wrong man. I'll never understand a truck struggling to get up a steep incline, in any lane other than the far right. Where he should've been.

 

There is nothing wrong with passing on the right with multiple lanes. It is not advised simply because the "passing" defense is not recognized on the right when exceeding the speed limit to do so.

If I'm faster than the cars in the right lane, I'll be in the middle. There's nothing worse then getting up to speed then having to jam the brakes for the guy going slow then have to wait for 10 cars to go by on the left before you can get back over... rinse and repeat all day long. Waste of time and fuel. If I'm already doing the standard 5 over that any reasonable person will do over the limit, then whomever wants to blow-off the speed limit completely can pass me on either side they want. It's not my job to help out with that.

You can never figure what pet-peeves people have. They are too wide and varied. I'm never surprised anymore when I hear a new one.

 

Actually, middle lane is best for the slower trucks. Thats where the slow cars also sit. If you are driving along in moderate traffic, you will without fail have several 4wheelers trying to match speed with your trailer. You come up on a slow truck in the right lane and the 4wheelers speed up to sit alongside your tractor and block you in. You will have to slam on your brakes anyway.

But if that slow truck is in the middle lane...you go right, the fast cars go left, and that idiot thats matching speeds with you suddenly realizes that hes about to hit an ICC bumper. Problem solved. Advantage= RightLane!

 

Well i run whatever lanes are open. If i come up on a slower vehicle i'll pass them in whatever lane i have available and yes sometimes that means the left lane where i know i am not supposed to be ( depending on where i am ), but mostly try to stay to the right because i know that i don't drive as fast as alot of other drivers where i run. But if you are not going to at least do the speed limit then stay to the right like the LAW says.

 

Yeah middle lane would be ok in traffic, but he was talking about at 1 in the morning with not much traffic why sit in the middle if theres no reason to, especially if your not doing the speed limit.

 

"There is nothing wrong with passing on the right with multiple lanes."

Wrong.. I say.. You arew suppose to pass on the left.. It is safer by far.. The right side has too many blind spots..

Years ago you used to get yelled at by other drivers if you passed on the right.. They would always curse you out and yell at you for not giving them the time to "get right" and pass them on the left..

People just don't care any more, they simply think they're the only ones that matter. They wern't tought to check their mirrors and if they saw someone approaching from the rear faster than themselves to pull to the right! (The law and every drivers manual I've seen says for slower traffic to keep right).

Maybe if we went back to the days of having 290 Cummins, and the like, people would realy appreciate it when you got out of the way.. (with these motors, you had to get them going and if you let off the fuel.. you had to basicly start over and get your momentum built back up..) Maintaining a constant speed is better for fuel economy.. With everyones truck governed at right around the same speed these days.. It's practicly impossible to get around some of these company trucks.. They just have to pass because their truck will do .0001 mph more than the other guy.. so they play "turtle races" down the interstate. Taking 2 miles to pass someone.. (stupid)..

Just another reason why driving today is NO fun anymore.. Everyone is out for themselves and trying to screw their "buddy".. I hate my job now.. It won't be long and I'll be hanging up my hat and getting out of this business.. There are just too many jerks, rate cutting, don't give a crap drivers out there now...

 

Many people are just plain stupid, and all truck drivers are people. Do the math.