Correct etiquette for passing or indicating a truck in front of you can change lanes

Not every truck has the ability to dim the lights, or shut them off either. My truck is one of those trucks. Besides, flashing someone over isn't needed anyway, so I'll agree with you there. The ONLY time when it would be appropriate to flash another truck over is when you're on a 2-lane road where you have to get into the oncoming traffic lane to make a pass. It's not needed on a multi-lane highway.

 

I don't do it at all at night anymore. I do not have an interruptor for the headlights on my current truck. I had an International that had one prior to this Freightliner. In daytime, I flash the high beams. I don't turn the switch on/off anymore because I burnt out a headlight lamp that way. At night I will either flash the marker lights or I will let them know on the radio they are clear to pass. If they don't have a radio on, oh well.

 

I'll disagree with you here. Take the instance of a Swift truck at 63MPH trying to pass a Schneider truck at 62MPH. You have a turtle race until Swift can clear him. When traffic starts to back up in the hammer lane, I promise you, Swift will appreciate the flash to let him know he's clear. Its not the safest passing technique, but it allows one truck to clear the passing lane faster than would be possible by himself.

Or....they could use radios as I've said before, but chances are neither has a radio on as their phone calls or Satellite radio are too important.

 

It's called using your mirrors, or do bottom feeders not teach that anymore? When you can see both headlights in your flat mirror (if your flat mirror is adjusted properly), you have the space to change lanes. You are responsible for your truck, the driver your passing is not. And since were talking about passing etiquette, I think the Swifty would appreciate it more if the Schneider truck let off the fuel and allowed them to pass instead of holding up traffic anyway.

 

Lepton I hate to be the bearer of bad news but the etiquette of old seems to a thing of the past. I to came back to trucker after a hiatus to a whole new world. Now days it's all about "me me me" instead of "let me help ya hand."
When I came back in 2011 I proudly dusted off my old Cobra 29 hooked it up to hear nothing but dead air. I seriously thought my CB was busted from sitting in a box for a few year so I took it in to get checked out and the guy said: Workin just fine what did you say the problem was.
IMO a big part of the problem is all the "30 year" drivers out there that have never made a mistake and do nothing but trash talk rookie drivers instead of passing on exp. Granted if someone, rookie or otherwise, does something boneheaded or just plain unsafe I might have heated words for em but when its a rookie mistake I try to politely tell them "Hey hand next time you might wanna (fill in corrective action needed.) We are all human and foulable.

 

Yes, my headlights are always on when the parking brake is released while the engine is running. And no, I'm not going to set my brakes to dim my lights at 60 mph. LOL

 

Answer is dont do nothing. Just let them or me get over. Im going to install laser beams with eye find technnology in back of the trailer so whe I get blinded Im going to turn it on and blind these guys permanently. Im not but thats how upset I get.

 

I feel ya Rage, that and the oncoming out of adjustment/high beams. "###### I wish I had 50 million candle power flood lights on this thing, #### you Kenworth!"