When light load meet heavy load...

keep passing them, it's the way it goes.

 

I'm a heavy driver. Pass me all you want. Of course, I don't let my rig "runaway" on the down slope.

 

I'd say it depends on the situation. If I'm light I gladly ease off for a bit to stay behind the faster but heavier truck unless we're talking about long climbs with big differences in speed.

If you're continually playing leap frog with the same truck just easing off for a minute or so will usually let them get far enough ahead that you can stay behind without having to catch them at every little hill.

 

If it is moderate to heavy traffic, it will not matter to me. Otherwise Ill bump up my cruise, usually I am the one who passes anyways in the end. Something else that I do often - as long as I drive speed limit I will drive in the left lane till I leave a nice folowing distance for the truck being passed. I could care less if somebody begins passing me on the right, it is beyond my control.Once I leave a quarter of a mile and merge back it will take a really long hill for us to meet again.
I think it is mostly the concern of governed below the limit trucks as they tailgate before beginning to pass , play cat and mouse for miles then cant get away from another truck , cut back into the right lane too early= hence the road rage from the other trucker,too late= brake checking from fourwheelers, etc. One of the obvious examples how a governed vehicle can endanger public safety.

 

I haul heavy in Ontario.. 5 axles trailers... It happens all the time and not much you can do about it... When I am going up the skyway bridges in St.Catherines and Burlington I am always in the far right lane because my speed drops from 105km to 50-60km by the time I reach the hill crest.. Then onces I am over that crest the truck picks up speed quickly... So the leap frog thing happens but usually I am going faster then that truck in the first place so they don't usually catch up to me until I hit another hill.... It''s just the way it is for heavy loads.. What goes up slow comes down fast...

The problem with heavy loads is people don't understand how much it brings your speed down... Anything from hills to tapping your breaks slows you down... I could be cut off by a car and hit my breaks to back up.. I lose major speed and momentum especially when it happens while climbing a hill... The other issue is if I am passing a car but then that car decides to speed up and I am approaching a hill I will lose speed big time and now I look like the a-hole sitting in the middle lane.. Reason I am in the middle lane still is cause both the car and TRUCKS (yes I did say trucks) are so kick to jump in the right lane and pass me that I can't even get over to the slow lane....

You would think the more axles a tractor-trailer has the less a person would want to get too close to the front end of that truck... I mean I would automatically associate more axles must mean more weight...

 

Ahh .. but all those wheels on the ground means you should be able to bring that, oh I don't know, 140,000 pounds or something, to a stop in like 35 feet, no?

If you are coming up on a heavy truck near the top of a hill and you know he is going to speed up more than you on the way down just back it down a bit. If you can pass and fly right by then go for it. Just use your best judgement.

You could try not driving at the absolute max of 105 that Ontario has decided is the best for everyone. Try putting it on 100. My truck is on the rewards program and it will run more than the great province of Bantario approves of. I feel it is a safety thing to be able to hammer it when you need to. Slower is not always the better option for every situation. When in Ontario I usually put it on 100 or so, I don't want to be part of the race of the people that do the steady 100 mile passes.

 

what pisses me off. are the trucks that have the speed and the power., but wait till i get along side or in front, to put the hammer down.

and yeah. the hill game sucks too.