how can a 4 wheeler best help an 18 wheeler?

By keeping the hell outta the way!

 

I remember one time when i let my dad drive my car, he was on an empty interstate (I-196 late at night, northbound near the i-94 junction), doing FOURTY FIVE. "im getting better gas milage".....

let alone the minimum speed limit is 55...

 

Bleueyes, not offended in any way.

We were on a flat stretch of 4 lane interstate. Speed limit is 70, I had my cruise control set at 65. Other than the speeding ticket, I find I get better mileage at 65. The minimum posted speed is 45. There was nothing in front of me for quite a distance.

 

i get better gas milage at 130

 

Ahh..ok teddy bear..Obviously this driver was only going a little faster than you and you were correct to stay in what drivers call the granny lane. Do keep in mind that if for any reason he had to slow down infront of you it takes a little longer for a semi driver to pick up speed because of being much heavier. Sometimes we do need to slow down so that we remain a safe distance from drivers...It's not just semi drivers who need to scan their surroundings but it is 4-wheelers that need to as well. If he passed you it was possible he just couldn't slow down in time but if he had the room in the left lane to get further ahead of you and could so legally he should have done that.

 

First of all, there are many truckers who practice bad driving habits. Because that trucker passed you and moved back in front of you so closely you couldn't see his mirrors, does not mean it is right or safe. I am passed by many many trucks on a daily basis who cut in front of me too closely. I will either move into the left lane if it's clear or slow down until I'm comfortable with the distance between us. I actually haven't noticed much difference in the number of 4-wheelers who cut me off and the number of 18-wheelers who do so. Sad, but true.

If someone is tailgating me, I give them a minute or two to pass or back off. If they persist, I slow until they pass. Sometimes I get a nut who refuses to pass no matter how slow I'm going. In that situation, I wait for a big clearing in the next lane and move over. Once I'm not in front of them, they will finally decide to pass.

I used to move over at a merge whenever I could, but I quit because too many drivers were not letting me back over into the right lane. I'll do my best to help a big towing vehicle (18-wheeler, dually truck and trailer, RV, etc) cause I know we can't get up to speed as quickly and those darn ramps are way too short. 4-wheelers, though, are perfectly capable of merging with the flow without my assistance.

Lastly, you can flash your lights at me all you want to, but I am not changing lanes until I am ready. If you are sitting right off the rear of my trailer flashing like mad, I will ignore you. I am not inviting anyone to tailgate me. I will only change lanes when there is a safe distance between us. Flashing your lights at me will not change my mind.

 

This is really a lot of writing, and most pro drivers know of the info here, but to any 4 wheelers out there that have the time and want to know the facts, here is some good reading that will help you understand what us drivers have to deal with daily...



An Article By Keith A. Hamblin That Anyone Who Drives Should Read...

Blankety Blank Four Wheelers!

I've been asked on more than a few occasions why truckers are so down on those so called "blankety blank four wheelers". The answers are obvious to us because they have such an effect on our daily lives. So obvious in fact that we hardly ever take time to explain anymore. We just hear some trucker yelling on the C.B. and when we inquire about the problem all the trucker has to say is, "blankety blank four wheeler!" and we know.

To our detriment this lack of communication does nothing to improve our situation and in actuality makes it worse.

In an attempt to help any "blankety blank four wheeler" who may stray onto this page better understand, I will endeavor to illustrate a few of the common situations which we face daily and which at best cause us major safety and convenience problems and at worst, get people hurt or killed.

My favorite pet peeve is merging traffic so I will begin there. Let's begin with a little quiz. Don't worry, it's multiple choice and I was trained by the government. Also don't worry if you miss a few. Many people miss all of them.

Problem #1. You have just left (blank) 5 minutes later than you were supposed to. This is a problem because you promised your (blank) that you would be there in 20 minutes and you know how adamant (blank) is about promptness. Lucky for you there are freeway on and off-ramps located strategically near your starting point and destination. Without hesitation you proceed to the nearest on-ramp. Now here is where it gets tricky so pay attention. You start up the on-ramp and then:

(A) Get to the end of it and slow to a near stop and look both ways before proceeding into traffic.

(B) Drive up the ramp as fast as you possibly can, nod your head in excited agreement to what your passenger just said, then dart into traffic as quickly as possible so as not to let anyone get in your way.

(C) Drive up the ramp as quickly as possible then at the very last second look in your mirror; see the traffic, then slow way down to either wait for an opening or force one.

(D) None of the above.

If your answer was A, B, or C then relax 'blankety-blank-four-wheeler' you have scored equal with 85% of your commuting peers and can rest easy in the knowledge that your lack of driving skills will not be extraordinarily noticeable to the general public.

If you answered D then I would like to meet you in person just to shake your hand because you my friend are a definite minority.

When I took drivers' ed., our instructor was very adamant about the fact that the merging vehicle must always yield to the oncoming traffic. Something about this being the LAW or some such foolishness.

The best way to do this is by looking at that traffic well before you are at the end of the on-ramp. To do this properly you must use all available rearview mirrors plus; and this is very important, physically turn your head and look over your left shoulder. Once you have done that the first time then you should be able to not only spot any advancing opening but should also be more able to adjust your speed to match that of the oncoming opening.

After you adjust your speed and check the road in front of you, start the process all over again. Mirrors, left shoulder, accelerator, road. Over and over until you have safely completed the merge. If that seems inconvenient then try to imagine how inconveniencing it is going to be on that inevitable day when the semi which you normally force to concede your incorrectly assumed right of way, doesn't! Either the traffic has him too boxed in or he just plain doesn't 'sense' your approach from his blind side. Can you say, "Look Mom! No head!"?

You see folks, safely sharing the road with big rigs, or with any other vehicle for that matter, does not mean that you do whatever you want anytime you want and leave everyone else responsible to look out for and avoid you. Sharing the road safely means sharing responsibility and doing everything in your power to keep yourself safe as well as those around you. It means not only abiding such laws as "the merging vehicle must yield" but also using a little common sense and respect for the havoc which even a small car is capable of wreaking.

Problem #2. You are traveling down the freeway. You are in the center or left lane of a 3 lane, each direction, interstate. Suddenly just as you begin chuckling again at the hilarious thing your 6-year-old said this morning, you catch a glimpse of heavy traffic in your rear view mirror. Then looking out your windshield for the first time in the last half mile you realize that the traffic is only heavy behind you. Do you:

(A) Shrug your shoulders amusedly at the funny traffic situation then continue happily along your , 'stop and smell the roses' way.

(B) Glance at your speedometer and notice that you are traveling 10 or 15 miles per hour under the posted speed limit then shrug your shoulders and continue plugging along; forcing all other traffic to pile up behind you as they frantically search for an opening to pass on your right?

(C) Glance at your speedometer and notice that you are traveling 10 or 15 miles per hour under the posted speed then let off the accelerator and possibly rest your foot on the brake to get even with all those tailgaters behind you?

(D) None of the above?

(HINT) Ever heard of "slower traffic move right"? In most areas this is another one of those silly laws which were written to help people know how to share the road safely. For further evaluation of your answers please see the end of problem 1.

Well I imagine that by now some of your brains are spewing clouds of smoke from the difficulties of the above test. I know it was difficult but from my point of view I guess a smoking brain is better than a bloody one being scraped off the road. Sorry for the graphic image but some folks just don't get it otherwise.

Here are some other problems which though I won't test you on them just yet, are very important and need to be addressed.

When you are in heavy traffic and see that some semi is leaving a long space in front of it; stop assuming that we left that space specifically so you could advance another 15 car lengths toward your office. You have to remember that though we are quite blind directly to the sides of us we can see miles farther than you can in front. The reason we try to keep that space is not for your convenience but for your safety. When you fill that space with your vehicle then your safety is gone with it. Your car weighs 3,000 pounds. My truck weighs 80,000 pounds. That space is there because I can see brake lights coming on a mile down the road and I need the room to keep from jackknifing my trailer or going over the top of the car(s) in front of me. I appreciate the trust you are placing in me when you take away my safety margin but honestly I don't deserve nor want that trust.

When you are in heavy traffic and for whatever reason are in the wrong lane when your exit comes up you have got to stop specifically looking for a semi to cut in front of. If we have room and time to react then most of us will let you in but when you come flying over at the last second then hit your brakes to slow down for the exit ramp you have taken away our room and time to react. You cannot believe how many of you will cut in front of us so close that we cannot even see your rear signal and brake lights. If you consider Russian Roulette to be a fun game then I guess I can't scare you off but if you don't then I hope you will realize that this is exactly what you are playing every time you do this. God forbid the day you happen to cut me off then hit your brakes just at the time I happen to be checking my mirrors because you will be dead before I even know you cut in front of me.

Well that is about it for now. Until next time try to remember that even though you wouldn't have a job if it were not for the trucks which bring your supplies and pick up your finished products; those same trucks will kill you in an instant if you make one little mistake at just the wrong time.




EXCUSE ME PLEASE
An Article By Keith A. Hamblin

I don't understand something. Well actually there are a lot of things I don't understand but lets take them one at a time..

Why is it such a horrible thing for a big truck to pass you?? I mean, I realize it is a pain to be stuck right behind one because you can't see around the trailer; that is unless you maintain a reasonable following distance which I know is way too much to ask..

What I'm talking about is when I'm driving along some rural freeway and the traffic is very light. Now I'll be the first to admit that I have a lead foot. Luckily the trucks I drive all have cruise control. This is why I have only had one speeding ticket in the last 12 or 13 years and I got that one in my pick em up truck..

I always set the cruise control right at the speed limit or even a little less to protect my livelihood. It never fails, I always come up on someone who is driving just a little slower than I am.. This doesn't bother me at all. In fact I wish I had time to slow down and see the sights a little bit myself but that is a luxury truckers do not have..

It would be no problem at all for me to change lanes and pass you. I don't expect you to slow down either, heck I'll even speed up a little just to get it done quickly and get out of your way. This is where the problem usually arises. I don't know what it is but almost invariably, whomever I am trying to pass will speed up about the time their front bumper is even with the middle of my trailer.

I can understand that someone might be embarrassed that an 80,000 lb. truck could pass their pride and joy. Let me assure you right now that showing up your pride and joy is the last thing on my mind. The average day for a truck driver is 3 to 6 hundred miles long and we are not out there to race or play games..

Maybe the people who do this just like the shade that the trailer provides. That sun can get awful bright and it strains the eyes looking at all those pretty sights. Well friend, you would be much safer sitting under a 50-year-old willow tree in a wind storm than you are rolling next to a truck.

I'm no mathematician but I figure if my truck is rolling 65 miles per hour, then it stands to reason that my tires are spinning at a pretty good clip. Now if I throw the tread off one of those tires, which is fairly common, and it hits your windshield, it is not even going to slow down before it is well behind whoever WAS sitting in the front seat. Furthermore if we top a hill and find a stalled vehicle parked in my lane, you are blocking my escape route. Now I wouldn't intentionally hurt you or anyone else but if I have to choose between going over the top of a stalled car or side swiping one that is rolling along beside me, I'm pushing you out of the way. This is not out of cruelty or a desire to get even. It is just that you have a better chance of surviving than the people in and around that stalled car. Not to mention the fact that I have a better chance also...Please don't force me to make that choice...

The thing that bothers me the most when this happens is that if I slow down to my original speed and fall back into place behind you, then you immediately fall back to your original speed and I am left standing on the brake.. This really amazes me. We are not in a contest. You don't know me and I seriously doubt that you are concerned about my safety or the well being of my kids after I am gone. If you are suicidal then please get help or atleast go home and use drugs or something that will not endanger the lives of other people. You see, I am worried about the well being of my kids after I am gone...

I know those trucks look big, slow and dumb but believe me, even with the best of professionals behind the wheel, that truck can turn into a killing machine instantly, without warning, prejudice or remorse. Your best bet is to stay away from it. If you want to go, then go! If you want to see the sights then relax and see them. I'll be around you and out of your way in no time if you'll just let me...

I am really not as bitter as I sound.. For the most part, the drivers out on the road are safe and courteous. To read my articles, one might think that all DOT officers are bad, all shippers are uncaring and all trucking companies are dishonest... None of the above is the rule. It is just that there are enough of the bad ones out there that It can make a truckers' life very difficult. Sure we get ornery and this causes people to dislike us. My whole purpose for any of my articles is to show that our side of the coin has its merits too. No one that I know of has ever been forced at gun point to drive a truck for a living.. The life is one we chose but if we do not do everything in our power to make that life better, just the same as you do in the career you have chosen, then we are no better than sheep.. The trucker is always on the road. He has no time to make changes or express his opinions like much of the rest of the world does.. His load is hot and if he don't stay on schedule he might not get another load. This would make anybody ornery and I hope you will consider these things when you are dealing with the people who have brought you every single thing you own. The lumber for your house. The wire for your phone line and yes even the seed for those vegetables you are eating from the garden.. As you should already know,
IF YOU'VE GOT IT
A TRUCK BROUGHT IT....

 

Tailgating is not a big problem to me. Sure it can be annyong when somone is right up your ###. But I have little concern for them. The way I see it, if I have an emergency stop, Well that turns into more of there issue then mine, and they might learn a lesson. Yea kinda heartless, But I have just given up on these people. As for myself I dont tailgate. Infact even in heavy traffic I leave a good open spot infront of me. You see I usualy choose the slowest lane, So it amuses me when those lane hoppers jump out infront of me, Only to get stuck in the slow lane.

These days there is really only two things that upset me. Passing on the right, And slowing down, then speeding up. I really hate when somone passes me on the right. I will get over, just me, it feels uncomfortable tobe out of the right lane. (although becouse you see drivers, 4wheelers and 18, sitting in the center lane going 2 miles under the speed limit, when they should be in the right lane, I understand why so many pass on the right). And then the whole slowing down and speeding up thing. I set my cruise 2 miles over the speed limit. If I catch up to you. I am going to pass you. I am not going to slow down and wait for you to speed up, its a waste of fuel and time. Might not seem like allot of time. But even loosing 2 or 5 minutes a day can add up quickly over a year. A half hour per week is 2 hours a month, 24 hours a year. Thats two days worth of drive time wasted each year. I would much rather have those 2 days off thank you. Basicaly if your speed is flucuating, and a truck passes you, dont hop back in front and then slow down again.

 

my dad always thought it was cool to just slam your brakes and hope people hit you when people tailgate you