Please give advice for the RV community

Robin is NOT A TROLL. I've watched several of her videos. One video about getting fresh water she makes a huge effort and says several times how important it is for RVers to not cause problems for truck drivers and various other comments on how RVers can stay out of the way of severely time-limited truck drivers.

 

Robin I've watched several of your videos. I know you are genuinely asking questions. I've driven 25 years in trucks. I've NEVER heard of any procedure for signalling to an RV or any other vehicle to move left so the truck can pass on the right. The vast majority of truck drivers don't even signal each other when passing using headlights. It was very common a couple of decades ago when I started. Now, I might see a couple of trucks per day signaling a passing truck. Typically, the truck being passed would turn off their headlights for a moment once the passing vehicle is far enough in front the passing vehicle can return to the right lane. The passing vehicle would then blink his running lights off/on to say "thank you". Most car drivers, if they know ANYTHING about using lights to signal trucks, they only know to flash their moutherfracking high-beams. NEVER FLASH HIGHBEAMS at night except to be a jerk.

As others have said the best thing RVers can do that helps trucks, is stay in the right most lane on the road. Not hang out in the left or the middle-lane cruising. In many states trucks are prohibited from certain traffic lanes. Commonly they must use the right 2 lanes. In some places they must stay out of the farthest left lane, sometime 2 left lanes. When RVs, or trucks, hang out in the middle lane they force faster overtaking traffic to pass in the right lanes, which is bad practice, and mix with slow merging traffic. If RVers keep to the right lane and NEVER EVER take up a truck parking space at a truck stop that is the best anyone can ask.

The rare problem I see with RVs at truck stops is, like many of the newer truck drivers, they will block the fuel lane FOREVER. Mostly these RVers are the giant Prevost Princes & Princesses. Truck fuel lanes are meant to have one truck fueling. After fueling the truck/RV pulls forward and then can spend a brief time inside getting drinks, using restrooms, etc. The amount of time trucks or RVs should be in the "pull forward" position is approximately the amount of time it takes to fuel a truck. If the RV/Truck needs to be inside more than the 5-10 minutes get a parking space. Even parking in a truck parking space for 30-60 minutes is being a better neighbor than blocking the fuel island while someone stretches their legs, examines all of the restaurant options, uses the restroom, shops for souvenirs, etc. While fewer and fewer truck drivers observe what was once the iron law of trucking, it's never cool to park AT THE FUEL PUMP except while fueling. The roads and truck stops are crazy busy. I never saw traffic on the roads or at the truck stops 20 years ago like I see almost everywhere these days.

I almost never have any problems with RVers on the road. I seldom have a problem at truck stops. I used to have a regular run between Nashville and Alabama on I-65. Twice a year in Talledega, AL they have a big NASCAR race and the associated RV traffic. Those RVers are the one trip a year RVers that are pulling giant travel trailers and doing it with their aggressive "me first" SUV habits. I called it the NASCAR Semi-Annual Talledega RV 800. RVs would be passing other RVs and 4-wheeler traffic doing 80 plus MPH and cutting in/out of traffic if they were paying attention, or more likely just doing the 800 miles in the left lane NO. MATTER. WHAT. Those weren't the typical RVers who keep right and go about 60 mph.

 

So much misinformation here.

First off,.. rest areas I can understand the larger RV's (40ft+) pulling trailers parking in the semi spots. Small SUV's and cars pulling popup trailers have no business over in the truck parking. The only thing we really ask is that they pull in straight and do not open their slides robbing us of the room needed to negotiate into the spot next to them. And,.. if there is room over in the back of the car area (Robbing 4 - 5 car spaces) then do so over there instead of the truck area.

The other terrible notion is your idea that trucks pass to the right. The proper road etiquette is to pass on the left. Slower traffic keep right. Thats why we call it the passing side (Left side) and the Suicide (Right side or blind side). I see RV'rs who run slow in the middle lane and refuse to use the slow/truck lane to the right. I can not begin to explain how aggravating and frustrating this is.

If this is the information you are passing along to novice RV'rs then now I understand why there are so many idiots on the road.

The biggest issue I have with RV'rs the guys pulling travel trailers with smaller pickups that have no mirror extensions and can not see what is coming up or who is behind them. And they ride slow in the left lane. If a semi is coming up on you in the left lane,.. especially before a hill,.. he's typically trying to get up enough speed to make it up that hill with out blocking traffic behind him. Unlike the moronic guy with improperly equipped tow vehicle in the left lane,.. now blocking everyone coming up the hill.

Hurst

 

As long as rv’s are taking up one spot they have just as much right to park at a truck stop as trucks do. Just don’t open your slide outs and take up two spots. They are a customer just like truck drivers. First come first serve.

 

I’ve rarely had problems with RVer’s.

RV’s in a truck stop can be annoying, much more so than a rest area spot. In rest stops you are pointed in the same areas and have just as much right to be there as the truck. Don’t use your slide outs if they impede others space.
I would prefer you to take up a space then to be a danger to yourself, others and me.

 

You want advice, everybody passes on the left, if you're going slow enough in the left lane that somebody is passing you on the right, it's time for you to get back in the right lane. Don't flash your brights coming up behind people, flick your lights on and off instead.

 

My advice to truckers who think they need a truck stop for parking,.. Sorry fellahs,.. Gals,.. but you need to learn that rest areas and truck stops are not the sole propitiatory refreshment and stop center for semi trucks. They are there to make money from who ever stops there. Nothing else. RV'rs can, do and will stop there and will park where ever they see fit. You do not own the truck stop. First come,.. first serve. They call them Travel stops now,.. Truck stops are lost to history.

Learn how not to rely on truck stops and rest areas for your sole parking needs. If this is all you know,.. then do not consider yourself a profession driver. You have a long way to go and a lot to learn.

Hurst

 

Agreed,.. save the high beam flash for the 4 wheelers. Blind them instead. Most of them have windows tinted so dark they cant see the flash anyway.

Hurst

 

Truck drivers in the US are time-limited in 3 different ways.
They have an 11 Hour Clock which is the llimit of their driving before taking a 10 hour off-duty or sleeper break. At which point they can drive another 11 hours.

They also have a 14 hour Clock. 14 hours after your first work-related activity each day you may not drive, even if you have any of your 11 hour drive time available. To drive again, you need an 8 hour or 10 hour rest break.

Weekly you have a 70 hour Clock. All of your work and drive periods for the last 8 days cannot exceed 70 hours. Once your drive/work reaches 70 hours you need a minimum of 10 hours off-duty or sleeper. At which point you "earn" back the work/drive time you spent on the day 8 days ago. You may elect to take 34 hours off-duty/sleeper and that gives you a brand new 70 hour total.

Mostly what is limiting the driver every day his his 11 hour drive clock and hs 14 hour work clock. If a customer says be here at 6 am, and you are, your 14 hour clock starts ticking. If the customer takes 4 hours to load/unload you, those hours are gone and are likely to cause you to "run out of hours" later in the day, even if you have drive time available. Some runs your company will dispatch you on assume the shipping and receiving customers will take no more than 30 minutes to load/unload you and traffic between A and B will AVERAGE the speed limit for the entire trip. Traffic jams, slow customers, and jerks blocking the fuel pumps while they eat a leisurely lunch or take a shower in the truck stop are very aggravating. Some days you can feel every minute ticking by like a wisdom tooth being pulled without anesthesia.

 

That's what I thought! One of my viewers thought otherwise, so wanted to clarify. Thanks!