When there is vehicle on the side of the road ahead

I didn't read this entire thread just the first few posts and that was my thought exactly. That is not the time or place to be checking pressures. Unless the op works for a turdburger company that will blame him for a blow out if any of the other tires are low on pressure. If that's the case you need to be changing jobs not checking pressures on the shoulder to cover your butt!

 

You dont even know what I'm talking about....with your less than 1 year of trucking and 557 posts.
There is a time to move over and a time to slow instead. My point was that sooooo many drivers automatically shove over a lane no matter what the situation. THEY are the safety problem, not me. My little remark about napping on the shoulder apparently ruffled a few feathers.....good. If your gonna do that, you should be far enough away from the road that no one NEEDS to change lanes. But some will any way, and their cracker jack box is waiting as well.

 

You're yapping at a guy with only a years experience and you've got the mind-numbing total of three whole years of experience? Holy old-timer, Batman!

Not that you'll listen, but let me try to give you a clue: Unless you're a full-fledged, dues paying, high guru of the Psychic Friends Network, you will have absolutely no idea of what's going on with a vehicle ahead of you on the side of the road. What used to be known as common sense dictates that you slide out a few feet, maybe half a lane or so, until you get past the potential hazard. But, hey: WTF do I know compared to an old hand like yourself? Maybe you'll get lucky and have the opportunity to rip someone's door off or actually kill another driver stepping out from in front of his truck. No better safe than sorry for a true, old-time professional like you.

 

Gotta luv the "My years are bigger than your years" thing. By the way, this is my second foray into trucking. Counting my first foray in 1977-1981 I have over 250,000 miles so far, driving bedbugs, flatbeds, oversize specialized (yachts), and now swinging doors. Being 2 feet off the road should be no problem at all, unless folks get all bent out of shape they might miss out on that $0.01 extra income by having to slow down and pull over.

Regarding heavy and wide loads coming through, that would be an issue if nobody gives clearance to straddle the lanes.

Apparently the "he had it coming" crowd are becoming more numerous among truckers.

 

So staying on topic. If you plan ahead. Being that you see the offending vehicle on the side. You merge over give them room , move back to the travel lane you originally were in.

Now I realize some drivers are company. Some are O/O and some oversized.

In the long run, courtesy is a must in our industry. You drive a monster and when he gets away from you he will kill.

Pass it on. Teach the new drivers how your suppose to do it.

 

Amen. Unfortunately the concept of courtesy isn't being taught. During my recent training to get back in the industry my mentor was exhibit A on how not to behave as a trucker and was on my case if I ever slowed down to allow another vehicle room in heavy traffic or to move over for a road side vehicle, for starters... he was saying how his trainer taught him that way (very self centered and aggressive driving).

I proud to say that in my collective truck driving experience I have yet to have anything approaching a "hard braking" incident or an accident of any kind. During my time with my trainer I can't remember the number of times he was standing on the brakes in heavy traffic, trying to defend his space in front so he "wouldn't get cut off" then having to brake hard to avoid slamming into someone, yelling at drivers, etc.... and encouraging me to drive like that so he could "make more money"...

No thanks. I learned a long time ago from old timers that were driving since just after WWII and from my brother. This has certainly become a different, selfish world of drivers.

 

Okay, let me take a shot at interpreting this statement:

You're doing 75 mph in the hammer lane and a trucker ahead of you doing 62 mph makes a left turn signal to move over into the hammer lane to give room to a roadside vehicle. This is "dangerous" because you don't slow to give him room to come over, end up tailgating to "prove a point", have to brake hard to let the point be known, then either pass him on in the right lane or hammer down as you pass him after he pulls back over to the right lane?

Let me know if there's any other reason(s) the truck moving over a lane is a "safety issue"...

 

Sometimes I move 1 lane over, sometimes I don't.Depends on traffic, speed, closeness to edge of road, curved or straight, many factors. I will nearly always move over a foot or so, or what I can safely do, but to just automatically move over a lane will get you in trouble some day.

Circumstances dictate procedure.

 

It's more than a lack of courtesy; it's a lack of common sense. I have found that by isolating myself from the clusters of cars or trucks mincing & dicing for position as if they're auditioning for NASCAR, I can comfortably cruise near the speed limit for my entire driving day without sitting on the edge of my seat, tensed to avoid the next near miss. At the end of the day, I get to the same truckstop occupied by the hammer-down cowboys who passed me six times during the day 15 minutes later than they do. This is just a job; it's not worth the stress & risk-taking to save 15 minutes a day.

 

Blind spots in your vision,speeding car does not see your signal, vehicle switching from inner lane to middle lane as you move from outer lane to middle lane, sliding on slick pavement, many scenarios may arise. Any time you change lanes, you incur a risk of a problem.

Circumstances dictate procedure.