I just finished a 1200 mile drive, mostly up I-95 and I-81, and kept noticing on two-lane highways (in the same direction) that often two gigantic trucks would be doing 65 or even 60 in a 70 MPH zone side-by-side for miles, backing up traffic behind them. I would see this time and again, and think, “OK, they’ve GOT to be doing this on purpose. Your average clueless dick would figure out that he’s either got to pass the other guy or else slow down and get behind him” but no.
Are they doing this on purpose, for some reason I can’t fathom? Or did I just have an unlucky trip where I happened to catch every asshole truckdriver in the history of the U.S.A.?
There are long stretches of road where the speed limit for big trucks is different from the speed limit for other vehicles. So those trucks going 65 in a “70 zone” might, in fact, be obeying the law. With GPS tracking of trucks these days truckers are cheating less on speed limits because they’re almost certain to get caught.
So… first question - were those places you were observing this behavior the parts of roads with a truck speed limit separate from the one for cars?
Truck drivers are not that different than anyone else. They do not like to back down. They also do not like getting passed. It can take a truck a very long time to pass another truck that does not want them to pass.
4 wheelers are worse about stuff like that, imo. Totally Oblivious, mostly.
My guess is that they can’t go any faster to pass, and neither wants to slow down and lose time - it takes a loaded truck a lot longer to get back up to speed than the average car.
I find truck drivers to generally be some of the most polite drivers on the road, really. I think what you’re seeing is a truck approaching another from behind, decides to pass, and then they get to a hill or something and can’t really get up the speed to pass the other one.
When a truck wants to change to my lane, I leave some space and flash my lights, letting them know they’re good to go. They never fail to give that thank-you flash of their lights.
Trucks use a massive amount of fuel and truck companies want to minimize fuel usage. You don’t get this when you accelerate to pass another truck, thus their policy of a constant speed.
Because otherwise, you don’t “win”! My husband is not and never has driven a big rig, but this is his mentality. It’s a personal failing if another vehicle is in front of him - it was especially bad when he still had his 'Vette. I don’t know if it’s just a guy thing, but I’ve never been with a woman who drove that way. They may exist, but I’ve not encountered one.
Many of the trucks are physically speed governed, the owner, JB Hunt, Swift, or whoever, sets the max speed the truck can go. Blame them. They are the ones not allowing the trucks enough speed to pass.
They are speed governed but also are paid by the mile. They are also limited on how many hours they may drive per day. So, if their truck is just a couple of mph faster they will try to pass. As always it is mostly about money.
This is what I came in to say. I’ve done a lot of highway driving and this has overwhelmingly been my experience, with maybe a couple exceptions. The OP may have just had some bad luck.
1-75 South and where are all the cars? Hemmed in all sides by semi trucks! There are maybe a dozen or more trucks for every passenger vehicle, tractor trailers as far as the eye can see!
More than once I thought of Steven Kings ss Trucks
Ever get tailgated by a semi going 85 mph on a winding mountain road after dark? Spouse was digging it and tailgating himself I was holding on and reciting prayers from childhood.
Return trip home I opted for another route, the WV toll road we had it all to ourselves. One of the best maintained roads I’ve ever had the pleasure of driving and the scenery is gorgeous!
I think vision is a factor. Others have explained why the big rigs are driving at that speed. So the question is why are they doing it side-by-side in both lanes? I think the answer is that it’s easier to drive when you can see the road and traffic ahead of you. So neither driver wanted to give up the good spot and fall in behind the other truck.
Truckers are not much different from other drivers, so there’s a significant percentage of assholes (Knights of the Road they are not, at least for the most part). Add in the (hopefully small) minority of those depending on stimulants and other drugs of choice to get them through their shifts, and you can run into quite a few who don’t belong on the road.
Mostly they’re like baseball umpires - they do their job and you don’t notice them.
They’re just like everyone else. Some good, some bad, some complete assholes. But with a higher percentage of trump-loving librul-hating dickwads.
Let’s talk about “trucker bombs” - pee-filled bottles thrown out windows for someone else to pick up, because truckers’ time is too important to actually stop to use restrooms. Let’s talk about racist CB chatter.
Let’s talk trucker road rage where they’ll pull the fifth wheel lock of someone they’re angry at while stopped at a truck stop, so the trailer drops to the ground when the driver starts again. Lets talk about truckers who can’t park for shit and damage loading docks and other trucks and just drive off.
I once saw a trucker pass on the right - on the shoulder! Impressive!
They’re driving side by side specifically because it pisses off the "four wheelers. They literally do think they own the whole damn road. And yet somehow they forget their families drive these same roads, or they themselves do on vacation in cars.
This has been my understanding, as well. Truck A’s speed governor may let him go a tiny bit faster than Truck B, but only a tiny bit. And, so, when Truck A passes Truck B (because Truck A can go ever-so-slightly faster than Truck B), it takes 3 minutes, because he’s only creeping past Truck B.
And, as you note, truck drivers are under pressure to drive as many miles per day as they can (while being limited by the speed governors), so they will pass another truck that is even just a tiny bit slower.