how can a 4 wheeler best help an 18 wheeler?

A lot of what was mentioned are good points to consider but my main request is when you are merging onto the highway, whether it be a freeway, interstate or any other multi-lane highway with on and off ramps, don't lolly gag when merging. Most of those highways have the right of way to an on ramp, altho at one point, I read on here that someone said that in Missouri, the highway has to yield....not so sure I believe that but thats beside the point since in most states, the on ramp has to yield. But anyway, most trucks will try to move over but when its rush hour, or just plain being passed by another vehicle at the same time you are merging on to the highway, either get on the gas or hang back until you can safely merge onto the highway. I see way more people taking their sweet time getting up to speed to match the highway traffic speed when its completely unnecessary and most of all, unsafe. Get on that gas pedal. It ain't gonna hurt it. Oh and trust me, it ain't gonna hurt your precious gas mileage near as much as getting tangled up with a truck because they think trucks are just supposed to magically move out of the way regardless of the situation.

 

I am from MO, but haven't seen where highway traffic is supposed to yield. However, I have noticed over the years that "Yield" signs have disappeared in the state from most highway on ramps. Also, if you are on the highway and approaching an on ramp, generally you can look ahead and see if there are vehicles preparing to enter the highway. If so, plan ahead and if able to move over, do so before you get to the ramp.

One last thing, even as a 4 wheeler, when I'm kind enough to let you in, be it a 4 wheeler or otherwise, don't trap me in and not allow me to get back in to the lane I was in to let you enter. When I turn my signal light on to indicate I want back in that lane, don't speed up or pace beside me.

 

Well, as i said, I read it mentioned on here some time ago. But then again, a lot of people say some crazy, ****ed up stuff on here from time to time.

 

Some things require sifting through to find the truth, but hopefully there is some good to be found. Don't want ya to think I was offended in any way.

 

its all good.....

 

One of the biggest troubles is that 4 wheelers have all that acceleration and just refuse to use it. It takes an 18 wheeler up to five miles to get up to 60 mph and it is fun when you have to nearly come to a stop to let a car in when they are getting onto the interstate. Once they are in the right hand lane, they gas it. You might say to just get in the left lane and let them in but when you have a $1500 pickup to your left with $3500 worth of chrome wheels talking on the cell phone to his girl/partner/feller, it makes it kinda tough to do that.

Like I say, make a reality series out of a truck driving school and I will be glad to point this out to the viewers.

 

My pet peeves from four-wheelers:

• Not using the on-ramp (also known as the acceleration ramp) to get up to highway speed
• Not using the off-ramp (also known as the deceleration ramp) to slow down upon leaving the highway
• Hanging out in the left lane of a highway for miles on end with no intent to pass, and then cutting me off when I need to get around a slower vehicle in my lane!!!
• Cutting me off while changing lanes to make the off-ramp for the exit that was signed a mile back down the highway
• Not stopping at the stop line of an intersection, but rather over or even past it (it's that wide white line painted on the pavement prior to the intersection)

I think that if four-wheeler drivers can remember to avoid the above five "sins", then I know I'd be a lot happier!

 

Umm, yeah. This is a truck board. You want to hear the other side, go to clubSi, VWvortex, Subaru-net, and all the other non-truck sites on the web. Duh!

Right, so in essence you've got no idea what you're talking about,,, but you will learn young Jedi, you will learn.

Yeah but "share" is a relative term, we take up 4 times the length, 20 times the weight, and god knows 200 times the STOPPING DISTANCE!!!
So the laws of physics demand we get a bigger "share" of the road. Sorry if that offends your everyone is equal philosophy.

Nobody's perfect. I'm sure that driver was a tool. But do you really want to be the one in front of the one guy who's lost it? Pretty much in every aspect of driving, you've got 3 options: 1.) lead 2.) follow 3.) get out of the way. Really does it bother you that much to pull over for a minute and let the psycho go? You can always point and laugh when you find him in a ditch later.

As for the on ramp thing, well you'll find out. Some ramps aren't adequate to get up to speed. (gotta do 20 on them to avoid flipping but be up to 60 by the end? notgonnahappen.com) Just use your 4wheeler brakes to scrub off 20-30 mph (cause it couldn't possibly be more than that RIGHT?) and make it up in the next 1/4 mile.

Like I said, there are plenty of jerks running big-rigs too *raises hand* and nobody's perfect. Personally I try to run my rig in the right as much as possible. Sometimes you just get stuck in the left when a pass takes a little longer than you thought (not 5 miles ferchissake of course).

I'll give you a for instance: I spent the better part of 3 hours reeling in a slower truck. (It's given me something to occupy my mind on an otherwise boring 8 hour run) I've got about 4-5 mph on him on uphills because he must be running heavier than me. I get to within the "safe following distance" on the top of a hill, I'm going to pass him soon. Do I go out in the left lane even though I'm more than 100' behind him on a downhill or do I tuck in and gain momentum?

One way or the other I'm now even with him in the flat going maybe 1mph more than him. There's an uphill in a little over a 1/4 mile at speed it's 15 seconds away. Cars are starting to gather on my 6. Hit the brakes and wait for another passing oppertunity?

Grade increases, either I've got the better climb, or this guy backed off, I see him falling back in my mirror, I'm waiting untill I can at least see both of his headlights in my mirror before I signal over. Then 2 4 wheelers shoot into the hole. I've got to wait untill they shoot though, now what? I signal right for my intentions to come in.

One guy flies though, the other makes it to about my drive wheels then kinda loitters there. My signal has been on for about 15 seconds now about a 1/4 mile. Now what?

Turns out 4wheeler #2 was getting off at the next exit, 2 miles away. So he sits in my blind spot for 2 minutes, after the exit ramp (he gets off) I'm scanning the on ramp for cars comming down. Yup, here's granny doing 45 on the ramp and,,, brake lights. yup, glad stayed out in the left. (oh I'm sure I would have turned off my right turn signal by now)

1/4 mile past the onramp, I finally get back to where I wanted to be, the right lane. The other truck is about 1/4 mile behind me. and I've been in the left lane for about 4 miles. I'm doing about 60. If a car was doing 75 and I held him up. he's only 1 minute later and he could make it up with a 2 minute run at 90. (hey that's his decision) or a 4 minute run a 82.5.

I'd prefer it.

He can go find all the cops for me.

 

I drive Seattle I-5 where the drivers (4 wheel) rarely look before merging on the freeway. Often I would be trapped in the granny lane with someone aiming at my passenger door as the merge spot while yapping on the (handheld) cell phone. I find the double tap on the air horn to be a great wake up for the aforemeantioned suicide jockey.

4 wheelers, if you hear a quick tap of an air horn, we're not angry with you. We are just getting you to look at (AND SEE) us. Now if you hear LOOONG blasts however...... you've probably just done something suicidal.

As for braking distance, I totally can totally agree. If you think it's bad at 80k lbs, try it at 105k. You tankers with those weights and liquid surge (4 wheelers: thats when the vessel stops, but the liquid keeps moving) have my complete respect.