Governed Speed, Merging traffic Woes

My truck is governed at 65, I get passed by everybody (Sometimes, even by Prime). I’ll decelerate for Crete to pass me who is probably governed at 66 to not create a long line. I find it frustrating that I don’t have enough speed to get into the left lane approaching merging traffic. I slow down, the merging traffic slows down, repeat, now I’m creating a hazard for those in my lane behind me waiting to pass. What’s a good rule of thumb for this? I’ve read that just don’t match the speed of the merging traffic, either go faster or slower. Accelerating is not really an option.

 

If you run newer equipment, demand they give you something similar to Freightliner's PasSmart. It doesn't cost anything and is a worthwhile option that benefits everyone.

 

If I have to move left due to construction in a castrated 18 wheeler that just cannot do anything at all. I'll just waddle that thing into the left, gently as not to scare the 4 wheelers. But not too gently because people don't see the relative motion near zero. They literally do not notice that nice 18 wheeler quietly edging over 2 inches from their bumper.

What I do is pull the crazy ivan trucker showboat.

I adopt a drunken profane attitude in a bad coat hang halfway out the window babbling while allow the trailer to sway on it's tandems wagging the tractor that suddenly has a BAC .400 driver trying to hold it anywhere on pavement.

Wait a mile doing that.

Cars clear out in a hurry. I stagger her into the left lane. Cell phones come out like a forest up and down both sides of the stupid interstate.

In about 10 seconds I had cleaned up everything, had her stone legal at the limit and running ruler streaight when the bears show up thinking they got a drunken 18 wheeler running wild on their property.

Once in a while I move. Because no one moves.

And that is where I take out cars. I usually adjust the wheel to lay them across the bumper and hold it there to make the stop.

 

In every state in the USA, the ON RAMP YIELDS TO THE HIGHWAY TRAFFIC.

PROCEED AS NORMAL IF YOU'RE ON THE HIGHWAY ALREADY !!!!

IT IS NOT YOUR DUTY TO ACCOMMODATE THE ON RAMP AND THIS NONSENSE IS WHAT'S CAUSING WRECKS EVERYWHERE!

 

If others and you can not figure it out then when the self driving trucks come into play everyone will be happy, no more thinking will be needed, it will all be timed and everything will work smooth after the first few years of carnage and population shrinkage from putting trust into machines.

 

Used to be in New Orleans there were signs telling the interstate traffic to yield to the on ramp traffic, been a long time since I've been there,,

But most cars are driving 85 plus in a 70 and it's still a hassle for the fast trucks to change lanes.

 

Keep plenty of space in front so the merging traffic can wake up and merge in front and maintain your speed to remain predictable. Thats how the system is designed to work. The left lane has the right of way over the right lane and the right lane has the right of way over the merging lanes. Merging traffic needs to yield to you even if there isn't a yield sign on the ramp.

It's what I expect when I'm merging. Please don't slow down for me, i see you coming and will slow to fall in behind you. it doesn't work if you slow down too.

 

Not every motorist thinks that way. Others are aggressive. Others are clueless to what's going on. Others expect others to do whatever to accommodate them. So you have to be ready for anything and sometimes it's safer and easy enough to err on the side of caution, which can vary depending on the situation.

If everybody could be relied on to drive a prescribed way in a given situation, this job would be easy and carefree.

 

You do not slow down for merging traffic, it is up to them to speed up or slow down as necessary to merge. Your already on the freeway do not slow down.

 

That's true, but a lot of 4 wheelers don't think that way. They expect you to get out of their way. Most don't look in their mirror until they run out of ramp. I never ran the right lane near exits, unless I had to, and would usually let off and let them in. It was better than an accident.