Why do passing trucks blink their lights?

Good-buddy signal.

 

Way back when, the bxxxxxd did not flash me clear, a free blink to him meant ##, Bye. Bye....

And another thing I am curious about. Often on here, there is much made of flashing beams and night vision.
We ran hi beam by ourselves in the open. Lights hove in front view, put to low right then. Light came up behind,
and he eased out to look to pass, lowered mine, held speed. He cleared, blacked my headlights a moment, he drifted
over and blinked me a thank you twofer. 90% of tractors then had trailer lights on a separate push/ pull switch left side of dash.

In reverse, I caught him, came up on lo beam, leaned out to look, if clear ahead, fell out and went.
Kept eyes on approaching lane for oncoming. When he blacked his, my peripheral vision caught it, flicked on turn signal and came back. When in straight, dropped turn signal off and flicked him a 2 blink thank you. So, brights never entered into my progress.

Admitted 6 volts were not blasting, but would hit your night vision if stared at. We tried to avoid direct vision. No interstates or truck on parkways.
We are talking 2 lane roads, no fog line on right edge, stiff curves noted with one arrow, no suggested speed, road speed 58/62 loaded on level.
If someone run up on you, hit the pull, could not progress, he dropped back for better locale or paced along till stop was made. When leaving stop,
we let him go first, save the hassle. It was live and let live, so all of us could get it there.

I have been on 40, east of Jackson TN to Nashville in my pickup enroute to KY. Quit going that way for the idiots governed 2 MPH apart and a 3K load weight variance try to pass each other all the way across. If accomplished; a few miles further, the loser would tie up again for another 5 miles rolling roadblock. Just told me of the mentality and/or stupidity of those 2 drivers. Loved to hit KY line with the 6 lanes. Even then, sometimes a clown at 3 deep.
The art of observing the situation for a few miles; lying doggo behind. Knowing the road/terrain. falling back a bit, winding it up and sacking him as he crested the next top but before he could recover seems to be a lost art. Some can't manage it using the right 2 on a three...

 

I was told that leaving your headlights on while parked was the good buddy signal.

 

Good thing I don’t have a cb radio anymore.

 

It's an old sign of respect / appreciation back from in the day when truckers were professional. Don't worry; like most elements of humanity, it will soon disappear from the industry. no need to learn it.

Well, yeah, that is also a possibility...

 

I do it to give rookie drivers and steering wheel holders something to post up on these websites.

 

I’ve just about given up on dimming my lights to let drivers know it’s okay to come back over. I get a thank you from maybe one in ten.

 

Because everyone loves to look in their mirror about the time they get high beamed.

 

My theory is that maybe in the age of LED’s and projector headlights, hitting a bump in the road or cresting a hill might make it look like I dimmed or flashed my lights if they weren’t staring at their mirrors. I’m the type to run low beams 98% of the time, even when I’m alone, so I think some might think my high beams are still on. The LED low beams on these new internationals are obnoxiously bright, even though they’re adjusted correctly.