Did I do the right thing?

From your post, I understand you were passing an 18-wheeler on the right. Personally, I'd feel you're at fault regardless of if the class B CMV was "legally" at fault. Chances are you changed your speed while that class B CMV was merging. It's not easy for us to get up to speed, and slamming on the brakes on the ramp isn't safe for anyone. He probably adjusted his speed to merge, and you adjusted yours to make it problematic for him. There's a reason 18-wheelers usually ride the middle lane of a 3-lane highway.

 

I specifically said "jack-knifed semis." You cannot prevent an 18-wheel semi from jack-knifing, if you don't understand the laws of physics, and why keeping the tires turning at a speed that's consistent with the vehicle's speed prevents loss of traction, which results in jack-knifed semis. In a car, it results in a spin out when all four tires looses traction with the pavement. When you ride out with a trainer, test his knowledge in preventing a jack knife by asking him, "What exactly is stab-braking ??"

Stab braking is when you brake hard, then momentarily take your foot off the brake pedal to allow the wheels to re-establish traction with the pavement. I've met quite a number of driver trainers who had never heard of "stab braking." This technique is how you prevent a jack knifed rig in an emergency. When you see the trailer, or your tractor beginning to go into a jack knife, release the brakes for 2 seconds, and the tires will re-establish traction with the pavement. The vehicle begins to straighten out, and that's when you brake hard again, while watching your mirrors to ascertain the trailer is not going into a jack knife.

Being a professional driver means exercising "defensive driving" skills at all times. This means anticipating the "natural human error" of other drivers, taking corrective evasive maneuvers, and keeping a calm demeanor to avoid road rage. It's immature and childish to find fault on who's to blame. As I've stated, and Ahutchi1 had confirmed, driver fatigue may had likely been a contributing factor.

You've confirmed driver fatigue was the likely cause. Furthermore, the other driver had failed to check his blind spots. Some of these companies are too cheap to equip the proper convex mirrors on their trucks. The proper blind-spot mirrors should be at least 10 inches in diameter. Instead, companies will equip their trucks with small 6-inch convex mirrors meant for pickup trucks, just so they can save a few dollars. They don't realize spending the extra $15 dollars to buy large blind-spot mirrors means a savings of at least $10,000 in preventing a chargeable accident. Even if the trucks had the proper sized convex mirrors, the driver is negligent if he fails to adjust them properly, or if they're loose and he doesn't carry pliers to tighten his mirrors, then adjust them properly to see his blind spots.

I've heard rumors Jews are notorious for being cheapskates. You suppose the managers, or people in the procurement department who order these small blind-spot mirrors attend a Jewish temple on Sundays ??

 

I understand what you said, I was simply stating that the poster you were replying too seemed to be speaking of the 4-wheeler braking, not the truck. It's one of those "pen is mightier than the sword" type comparisons. The brakes are more powerful than the engine. The 4-wheeler should have braked and given way, thus not involving the tractor-trailer at all.

 

Thank you, mighty one, for teaching me what it means to be a "professional driver". He came here and asked for an opinion, and I gave it. Four-wheelers need to quit passing on the right and accelerating when we're trying to merge.

 

2 or 3 lanes on the left you can use to pass, and you used the right. Fatigue was probably a huge player, but he may have seen he was going the same speed as (or faster than) you, was ahead of you, and thought it was safe to assume the four-wheeler wasn't going to accelerate to try passing him while he was merging on the highway.

 

He specifically stated that he was passing on the left, not the right

 

Then perhaps I misunderstood.

 

In another thread I posted this:

You might be a 4-wheeler if you are willing to risk life and limb just to get to your destination 3 seconds sooner.

I think it's applicable here too.

 

I've often said that I am not a truck driver, but instead a proffesional babysitter. It looks like this is another case of a bad four-wheeler. Whatever happened to common courtesy? What do you gain by pulling a stupid move like this? You get the opportunity to say that you did it and gloat about it on the internet? But, on the other hand, what could you have lost, or cost the others that you were unwilling putting in danger? As for your question, you were in the wrong, period. The next time that you are faced with this same situation, slow down and wait until it is safe to enter the roadway and proceed.