Why would anyone want to pull flatbed trailers?

There are vehicles on the shoulder and cars at stop signs, trying to enter the highway one is on, all the time. If you slowed down to 45-50 whenever there is a vehicle on the shoulder or at a stop sign or at a traffic light, it would make one drive 50-100 miles less per shift. My trainer would have gone ape poop if I slowed down whenever there was a car on the shoulder or a car at a red light or a stop sign. So would my fleet managers. I would get fired.

 

There is no difference if you slowed down beforehand in anticipation versus the scenario in which the car does pull out and I have to slam on my brakes. But here's the thing. There is a difference if I slowed down beforehand versus NOT SLOWING DOWN BEFOREHAND and just hoping that the motorist at the stop sign has enough sense to know not to pull out in front of me when I have the right away and I am going 65 mph, and I am 100 feet away. 99.9% of the time, the motorist on the shoulder or at the stop sign has enough sense to know to wait and let me pass when I am going 65+ mph and less than, say, 200 feet away.

When I drive on a highway with a 65 mph speed limit, I usually average around 60 mph. If I drove so conservatively that I slowed down whenever there was a car at an adjacent stop sign, traffic light, or shoulder, I would probably average around 50-55 mph. Some trucking companies would not tolerate that.

 

If I don't say the reasoning was because I might get a few less miles in per shift, then I cannot answer your question.

I am currently a solo driver, but I was a team driver for most of my career. Many of the teammates I have had would also have thrown a fit if I slowed down whenever there was a car on the shoulder or at an adjacent red light or an adjacent stop sign. These same douchebags would throw a fit if I had to slam on the brakes due to a retarded motorist pulling out in front of me when I had the right away though.