I see this all the time on a long drive. I’ll be on cruise control overtaking a couple of trucks. There’s no one behind me. Just as I get to the back end of the rear truck, he decides to change lanes to pass the truck in front of him. I have to slam on my brakes to avoid a collision. If he would stay put for another ten or twenty seconds, I’ll be past him; but no. He has to change lanes right now, in front of an overtaking vehicle. After braking hard, I’m stuck behind him for a long period as he creeps past the other truck.
Now, I know that trucks don’t accellerate very well. I know that they want to conserve their momentum. But this is just rude. Are they not paying attention? Do they think it’s funny to make people stomp on their brakes, something to break up the monotony of a long haul? If it happened rarely, I could understand that the driver may have had a brainfart; but since it happens so often, I think there might be something else afoot.
On a little tangent: I see signs on some trucks that say, ‘This truck pays $xx,xxx in road taxes.’ Is that supposed to justify their driving habits? ‘We pay five figures in taxes, so we really do own the road!’? Hey, they’re on the road for commercial purposes. They should be taxed. Not only that, but heavy trucks damage roads much more than a light passenger car. If you don’t believe me, try driving in the right lanes of the 5 south of downtown Los Angeles. Roads need to be maintained, and heavily laden trucks cause the most damage. Therefore, they should be taxed to help defray the costs of the damage they cause.
But I’d really like to know why some truckers (note: ‘some’ – I’ve seen some very coureous drivers as well) feel the need to cause a dangerous situation by pulling out in front of overtaking traffic at the last second.
SOME truck drivers are just plain nutjobs. I had one follow me HOME one time. He thought I cut him off or something, so he kept getting right on my rear bumper. Followed me off my exit ramp and into the parking lot of a shopping center. I knew by then it wasn’t a coincidence. So I started circling the parking lot, and he followed along. Knowing he couldn’t make sharp turns with the truck, I started going up and down the aisles. He eventually parked the truck, jumped out of the cab, and started running after my car like a madman. I imagine he was hopped up on speed or crack or something.
I suspect he’d had a lot of complaints, as he had one of those stickers about “Call about my Driving” but the numbers were scratched off so you wouldn’t know where to call.
You give yourself too much credit in thinking he noticed you enough to want to deliberately screw with you. IME, truckers on the interstates just don’t acknowledge the existance of any vehicles smaller than their own.
You know? I have the same problem on the motorcycle. But I expect car drivers to be clueless; truckers are supposed to be professionals. (Don’t they have to have a DoT license, just like a pilot?)
Yes, they do have commercial driver’s licenses which are subject to stricter laws than regular ones. However, they spend so much time on the interstates that truckers have come to have an almost proprietarial attitude about those roadways.
Nothing much to add, just chiming in that yea, it happens to me all the time too and thanks for reminding me. I’m driving down the 5 tonight back to L.a
Because cars ride so close to eachother that you have no choice but to cut off someone when no one leaves the proper distance. Additionally, no one wants to yield and get ‘stuck behind a truck’.
When a truck does it, it is big time noticeable and just on a grander scale - and people rememeber it. But anyone who drives in regular traffic knows that you almost have to cut someone off each day because no one will give you room to merge or make a simple lane change.
Even the ‘safe’ distances people leave between themselves and the car in front are woefully short. Rarely is there 2 car lengths so that someone else can make a safe lane change.
I blame the demon-posessed hellspawn that drive large trucks )not a generalization, no matter how much it may sound like one). I had a logging truck hit me onetime because he was driving on the wrong side of the road. Not only did he not have insurance, he wasn’t even properly licensed (California Class C - you need an A).
[Trucker]
What are these “smaller vehicles” of which you speak?
[/Trucker]
What he said. I spent a few days in a truck about a year ago. How those guys do what they do without going postal is beyond me. I think I’d last about four days before I drove over someone’s Toyota. Those of us in four-wheelers are freakin’ idiots.
There’s something really wrong with some truckers. I’ve been in the situation described in the OP more times than I care to remember. But I’ve had much worse.
I was once driving on a three lane highway at 3 AM. I was doing maybe 80mph. And I get behind a largish group of trucks, distributed on all of the lanes. I started to negotiate a slalom between them to pass the caravan. So they “regrouped” and caught me in a box. There I was, at 90 mph, stuck between four “walls” of trucks. I nearly freaked out (try and imagine the situation). Luckily, my car is pretty sporty and at some point I caught a small opening when the truck on my right decelerated slightly. I floored it, and took off like a bat out of hell through that opening (the car fit within a couple of inches or so). I kept flooring it until I could not see their headlights in the rearview mirror anymore. Believe it or not, at that time I was wishing a cop would appear even though I was doing… well, a lot.
The truckers were also doing 90?? I seem to remember a posted speed limit of 55 for trucks on most highways I drive. I’m sure they were opating totally within the limits of the law. :rolleyes:
[QUOTE=Philster]
Because cars ride so close to eachother that you have no choice but to cut off someone when no one leaves the proper distance. Additionally, no one wants to yield and get ‘stuck behind a truck’.
[QUOTE]
On the 5 truckers will do this and I literally have no one behind me for over a mile.
I always give trucks more space that I give cars and I am often more courteous to them. I see lots of people that will not let trucks pass or merge due to the fact that they are slower. I try to look at it as if I was walking down the street would I take on an elephant? No, I would give him clear distance to do what he has to do in the best possible way as to no inflict harm on myself or them.
I also do the same with people on motorcycles. I have ridden on the back of several and I will tell you it is scary to have a car riding on my ass (literally). When following a motorcycle I am at least 2 car lengths behind them. If god forbid they lose control and bite the rode I do not want to be the person that runs over them with my car because I was following to close.
OK, there are jerks among truckers as much as anyone, no argument.
But say both trucks are loaded, and lead truck is going 51 mph, and 2nd truck is going 53 mph. 2nd has now crept up to where he can pass, signals and does so. If he waited for you he would have to brake, and later spend the gas to accelerate his weight up to 53 mph again, which he wants to avoid (owner-driver or corporate). He’s responsible for himself rather than for you (barring violations).
Johnny, I’ve like your postings, especially the driving ones, and sympathize with you, but also admit I sympathize with folks who drive for a living.
Here’s a fun one. Highway 92 is one-lane-each-way over the Coast Range, with some passing stretches where one of the lanes goes to two for a mile or so. So the rig & trailer takes the right lane of course, the red car behind him takes the left lane, and I’m third in line. Red just perceptibly begins to creep up on the truck. As third I’m hoping for the pass opportunity but it doesn’t seem likely. Red is almost to the tractor when the “Lane Ends, Merge Left” sign appears. Red does not accelerate. I’m staying behind the truck as everyone is clearly going to need all the space they can get. Red continues beside the tractor right to where the two lanes pinch off and I’m waiting to see whether Truck steers into Red, Truck hits hillside, or Red panics and brakes the same moment Truck does, when Red gets ahead and it’s all OK.
Betcha Johnny doesn’t drive like Red, but too many do.
I’ve talked to many and many truckers in my day, family and friends, and here’s what a lot of them say about this kind of thing.
Too many yahoos drive big rigs these days. Freddie loses his job making widgets and decides to hit the road. Freddie doesn’t care about anything but getting his load to destination as fast as he can.
Trailers are heavily loaded, fuel expensive, trucks not maintained, etc. As the highway miles roll by, many truckers try to hit the brakes as little as possible. Some even make a game of it, a way to stay awake. Less use of brakes means less loss of speed means less fuel used to get up the next hill. Also, many short haul trucks are self maintained. Meaning the less wear on the brakes, the fewer times you have to replace them. Also, fleet tractors: you have a different rig every day. Some good, some bad, and none exactly the same.
People are idiots. (Present company excepted.) People don’t pay attention or care. More and more people are used to driving around city streets in the Ford Extrusion, or what have you. They are the biggest thing on the road; what can hurt them? “I have the right of way. That trucker should make way for me!” If it’s bigger than you, it has the right of way. Period. What good is knowing you have superior driving skills if you have become one with the pavement?
I was taught to never trust a big rig. Drive defensive all the time, but be extra careful with the big ones. Assume that the driver is sleepy, angry or high. Assume you can’t be seen. Assume that the rig isn’t well maintained and pieces are going to come flying off. Read the situation and avoid conflict. When passing, pass quickly; don’t linger beside. Either adjust your speed to stay behind or increase so that you will be well past.