how often do people try to cut you off?

Agreed, it's really stupid to cut off trucks. I'm not a trucker and I can tell you that! I can't imagine a fully loaded truck can stop very quickly. Are there any video cameras available for a reasonable price so you can prove you were cut off?

 

I will never swerve to avoid someone, I will always make sure I get a peice of him, that way at least I have proof, if I end up in the ditch because I tried to avoid someone and there is no car around I am going to have a hard time trying to prove it to my insurance company that someone cut me off.

Also if you have an accidnent you better believe that the first thing they are going to check is your logbook and it better be up to date, if you happen to kill someone and that book is a minute out of date you better be prepared to go to jail, your responsibility of hauling 80,000 (or in my case more) lbs safely down the road is one that should not be taken lightly. Some people think that trucking is all fun and games but you have a lot of responsibility. In most jobs if you screw up the worst that will happen is you get fired, in our job, you may just end up in jail.

 

Two words - photon torpedos!

 

I can't tell ya how many times I've been cut off by a trucker because they didn't want to wait behind me to get to the exit...so they passed me and then cut me off to get off on the next exit...some truckers drive like they are still in their car and forget about that 53' of metal dragging behind them.

 

You will NEVER see someone get 100% at fault. Even if you are parked you get a small % just for being there. I have only seen 1 time someone got 100% and that person was drunk, ran a stop sign and T boned another car.


Be aware and prepared for everyone to cut you off. As you drive more you will be able to anticipate which drivers will cut you off, I make it like a game to see if I get it right. LOL.

You received a lot of good advice. The de-stressing is an excellent point. You do not want to bring that stress to bed with you or to your customers.

Good luck!

 

I'd like to share my story even though I was in a 4 wheeler......
I was going 55 down a two lane highway and this guy pulls out in front of me from the left. As he is pulling out, all of this is going through my head.... oh no he's not doing this I have 3 kids in the car there's no where to go oh sh%% oh sh%% c'mon girl THINK!!
I STOOD on the brakes and my Buick was locked up and left tire marks for
20 feet. I started toward the right shoulder and there was a ditch and I was NOT going to flip over with my kids in the car for some idot. So I had no choice, I hit his back right bumper with my front left bumper. Minimal impact to the other driver and more important to my kids. Everyone was uninjured and the state boys let me go and charged the other driver.....
100%.