Why catch up before passing?

I had that happen just today.
A truck was behind me for miles, right off my bumper. He started to pull out to pass me, then moved back in when the car behind him went to the left lane.
He waited until there was no traffic behind, then started his pass again.
He was barely 1/2 mph faster than me, so it would be a very slow pass. I slowed down to 60 so he could do it faster.

I really don't see why drivers need to be in competition with each other over such small things.
Slowing down to let him by might have cost me 3 or 4 seconds of my precious time - and is that really a big deal?

This isn't NASCAR, it is trucking!
I am not trying to beat the other driver, I am trying to get to my destination on-time and safe. Period.
And I really can't fathom the mindset of a driver that is driving slower, then speeds up to prevent another from passing.

 

@Moosetek13 I appreciate all drivers who back out of it a bit, to let another driver go around.

I do it all day long. I do it for selfish reasons. It's less stressful for me to back out of it and let a driver pass. Another reason I like the Cascadia. Two clicks on the DEC button, then Resume. It's that easy.

 

it is quite amazing and confirms human decency when someone backs it down a hair to let me by. I will do this for others simply bc I know what it feels like to be riding the left lane for miles.

 

Some drivers do not realize that I'm being courteous and kicking the cruise off so they can get by me quicker.

They'll slow down too ( I assume it's because they think I know something they don't.) Then you have two trucks plugging the highway at 58-62 mph.

Now it depends on what kind of mood I'm in if I kick the cruise off.

If you are passing and starring in the mirror you are going to end up in my lane. I hate that.

 

This... So this!!!

 

Ya, running side by side in a "turtle vs tortoise" race for a few miles just ain't worth it. I'll sacrifice a few seconds a day vs doing that.

 

It makes you wonder what part of following too close and a serious violation on your CDL do people not understand

 

They probably won't have a CDL long enough to matter.

 

There's perfectly valid safety reasons for not taking 5 minutes to pass. Those reasons are also perfectly valid for slowing down to let a slow truck to pass. I just don't get why drivers would want to be next to anyone, let alone a big truck, for more than 30 seconds or so. That takes away so many evasive options if something goes wrong.

As for the waiting to pass deal, I don't understand that either except for people who simply aren't paying any attention at all. What really gets me is the people who hit the brakes to slow down behind someone, with no traffic at all around them, then get over and speed up again to pass. What a waste of fuel and brakes.

 

I quit worrying about that trailer a long time ago. They gotta go through all that to get to me.

With that said, I'll knock it down a half a mile an hour to get you by and gone. That way I'll see you at dinner.

I theorize that there is a area of protected air in which you can draft a rig in front and it's like an angel giving your rig a kick in the boost and gain that extra 10 mph you need to finish the pass before it wears off, usually on a upgrade you did not see coming while the entire highway piles up behind you and me.

I pity those who don't have a CDL long enough to matter. Or come here from Overseas and know anything at all about American Culture in Trucking. So they bring their own.