18-wheeler had its trailer lights off on the highway at night

[Slow Car Sport Mode]

Well thought I would double check to see if I did the right thing here... I'm driving on the highway and I passed a big rig and its head lights are on but every other light from the trailer well every light on the trailer is out and everybody on the Cabazon or so it looks like. So I'm wondering if I did the right thing I can't just yell out the window tell the guy has lights are out so this is what I did

First I flipped the high beams a couple of times. Vehicles communicate with each other on the road through lights and signals and I know this gesture is usually reserved for that you are about to pass or that you're allowing someone to pass in front of you but this is the first thing I did to try to get this guy's attention. Pretty sure it wasn't relevant to the situation of having lights out so the next thing I did was

A little bit more involved but again designed to attract attention to the guy that has lights are out... so I passed him and got forward of his whole brake and turn my lights off oh maybe about 5 or 6 times and 30 seconds followed by my blinker sort of like I was trying to point to his truck. Again this is a big wreck 18-wheeler not a truck. So I did that again maybe five or six times in Rapid succession and then I felt like I did all that I could do so I just continued on down the road.

I never will know if my signals cause the trucker to pull over and check his lights he sure didn't appear to do so after I was driving away from my attempt to alert so I never will know what he fixed it but he was driving at night with only the headlights on. Even when I turn my lights off my car has daytime running lamp so my headlights stay on but at least you can see the tail lights going off and on...

I had maybe one more paragraph but obviously this is sent to the auto-text so I will just submit this and check when I get to my destination sometime in the morning. Also there was very little traffic on the road and there was much space given during all of this for those concerned about safety.

Do you feel that I did the right thing here again the big rig was driving with headlights on but every single light from the cab backward off basically a blacked out trailer from the back. I could have done nothing but again I feel like I did what I could do do you agree or disagree....

Paging @TiredTrucker

 

[oldhp]

You saw a danger and tried to signal the truck. Aside from trying to stop him, you did all you could do. Good Job!!!

 

[GON]

Were the lights out trailer lights or tractor lights? Was the truck a major company truck like a Werner, Knight, DOT, Old Domonion, ABF, Schnieder, etc....... or an independent trucker.

If it was just the trailer lights, and an independent trucker, that sometimes equals risk taking in some situations like trailer lights out. With the major trucking companies, issues like trailer lights out don't seem to happen so much.

CDL requirements requires inspections before the truck moves from hooking up a trailer, inspection after so many miles, after mandatory rest times, etc.

Most truck drivers are tuned into things like someone turning their lights on and off. I wonder if the light issue was just the trailer, that the driver may have known it and continued on his way.....

 

[dlundblad]

I remember in drivers education that flashing your brights meant they could change lanes. The teacher gave us several bizarre examples of people flashing their lights only for the semi to change lanes and hit them.

Not saying what you did was wrong. Just something to beware of. Stay behind the trailer if you do this I guess.

 

[BISCUT]

I remember in drivers education that flashing your brights meant they could change lanes. The teacher gave us several bizarre examples of people flashing their lights only for the semi to change lanes and hit them.

Not saying what you did was wrong. Just something to beware of. Stay behind the trailer if you do this I guess.

Yes! You would be surprised how many drivers have no idea of this.

 

[Slow Car Sport Mode]

Were the lights out trailer lights or tractor lights? Was the truck a major company truck like a Werner, Knight, DOT, Old Domonion, ABF, Schnieder, etc....... or an independent trucker.

If it was just the trailer lights, and an independent trucker, that sometimes equals risk taking in some situations like trailer lights out. With the major trucking companies, issues like trailer lights out don't seem to happen so much.

CDL requirements requires inspections before the truck moves from hooking up a trailer, inspection after so many miles, after mandatory rest times, etc.

Most truck drivers are tuned into things like someone turning their lights on and off. I wonder if the light issue was just the trailer, that the driver may have known it and continued on his way.....

Not sure if it was a major liner, it sure didn't seem like it. It was late, after the Bengals loss
.. The rig may have been some kind of older International, though it may have been a Kenworth, not sure if a Peterbilt, I did not get a good look.

It was an older, dirty, red color cab,

Trailer lights or tractor lights

If the tractor is the cab, then it was ALL trailer lights out.

I saw headlights and MAYBE brake lights forward the trailer but nothing on the trailer, which appeared to be a 53' (48's exist but rare! Almost all are 53)

Most truck drivers are tuned into things like someone turning their lights on and off. I wonder if the light issue was just the trailer, that the driver may have known it and continued on his way.....

I did encounter this once a couple months ago, and that trucker DID pull right over. So you may have a point there.

 

[Slow Car Sport Mode]

I remember in drivers education that flashing your brights meant they could change lanes. The teacher gave us several bizarre examples of people flashing their lights only for the semi to change lanes and hit them.

Not saying what you did was wrong. Just something to beware of. Stay behind the trailer if you do this I guess.

Some truckers know this etiquette, you are right, it is kind of like an extra step, usually when a truck in the right lane is thinking about overtaking slower truck in front and you're in the passing lane.. you slowing up a little and flashing the brights once means "Go ahead and pass" or "Go ahead and get in front of me."

I encountered my first trucker that did not know the "pull your truck horn" gesture, I dont know if you have to hold your hand out the window when you do the "pull down" motion but he didn't do it.

This was in West Ohio, on a free and not toll Interstate, if that means anything.

 

[Chris142]

He can see several lights from his mirror. He knew they were out. Or not working. No need to act all weird and try to tell him.

 

[Blinker]

You could have just called 911 and reported it.

 

[Slow Car Sport Mode]

You could have just called 911 and reported it.

Ahhh, about that. Well....

1. In the event the guy didn't know the lights were off (one time I signaled a trucker and they seemed appreciative and pulled over like they didnt kow the lights were off) I thought perhaps I could just be a good and courteous motorist as I passed. I coulda did nothing...

2. Been my experience that they don't come... unless Ohio is different. (Drunks/road rage.. I called about a drunk at least once, not in Ohio. Car description, tag number, I made mention of this in the People Are Driving Like Maniacs! thread. They didn't seem to care.)

(For those reading: it is my understanding that using your phone in an emergency is an "allowed exception," as in not hands free let's say. I have always been skeptical of that but, that is what they say.)

 

[mk378]

"Pull horn" is only for kids. Blinking your headlights at a truck means exactly one thing: "You may get in front of me." This is done in response to seeing the truck's blinker that he wants to move into your lane. At night, turn your lights out and back on, don't flash them on bright. The trucker is looking at you in the mirror to see if there is space, and you're going to blind him.

 

[DriveHard]

I saw the same thing...ONCE in my life, but an obviously different situation.

I was traveling east on I-80 about 20 years ago around the Indiana/Ohio area. It was about 2-3 am, and I was doing well above the speed limit trying to get from Iowa to my home at the time in Canton, OH.

I was around 20 mph over the limit cruising along on what was a nearly empty interstate. Suddenly, three black Suburbans FLEW by me with just headlights, and no running lights. Then a black semi with something on a flat bed trailer fully tarped in black, again with only headlights, and no other lights...then followed by three more black Suburbans. They had to have been going 120+ at least. No way was I going to catch them to tell them to turn on their lights, and I honestly am 100% sure it would have been a possibly lethal event if I even tried. It was one of the top 3 spookiest things I have ever seen in my life...gave me the creeps.

 

[JohnnyG]

Trailer plug prob. fell out, or didn't fit.

 

[skyactiv]

I was on the freeway in the early morning recently and noticed a semi pulling doubles merging on the freeway sparking. I slowed down, noticed the rear trailer dolly legs weren't cranked up. I got where he could see me, rolled my window down, stuck my arm out and gave a crank motion. He knew what it meant and quickly pulled over to the shoulder.

 

[wpod]

You could have just called 911 and reported it.

Why?

 

[earlyre]

I'm guessing the electrical connector was either unplugged, or not seated well enough..

 

[wpod]

I was on the freeway in the early morning recently and noticed a semi pulling doubles merging on the freeway sparking. I slowed down, noticed the rear trailer dolly legs weren't cranked up. I got where he could see me, rolled my window down, stuck my arm out and gave a crank motion. He knew what it meant and quickly pulled over to the shoulder.

That isn't like flash.ng you lights , the driver understood the message

 

[Chris142]

Trailer plug prob. fell out, or didn't fit.

Or the wires got pulled out

 

[Chris142]

I saw the same thing...ONCE in my life, but an obviously different situation.

I was traveling east on I-80 about 20 years ago around the Indiana/Ohio area. It was about 2-3 am, and I was doing well above the speed limit trying to get from Iowa to my home at the time in Canton, OH.

I was around 20 mph over the limit cruising along on what was a nearly empty interstate. Suddenly, three black Suburbans FLEW by me with just headlights, and no running lights. Then a black semi with something on a flat bed trailer fully tarped in black, again with only headlights, and no other lights...then followed by three more black Suburbans. They had to have been going 120+ at least. No way was I going to catch them to tell them to turn on their lights, and I honestly am 100% sure it would have been a possibly lethal event if I even tried. It was one of the top 3 spookiest things I have ever seen in my life...gave me the creeps.

Nothing to see here.Just transporting a ufo.move along.

 

[jeepman3071]

Most people on the roads are clueless and don't check their vehicles. I can't count the number of times I've stopped to tell someone none of their brake lights or tail lights are working and they just say "I know". I find it hard to believe that the trucker didn't have any way to tell if his trailer lights were working from the cab mirrors.