ZJ, thanks for your patience [and grace] with my soapbox bit.
My son is about to graduate college, and these things have been on my mind for several years.
(Sorry I missed that about the ZJ; old, getting tired and missing stuff . . . It's simply what I've been teaching my son on our drives back and forth from Dallas to Chicago. Plus, having spent way too many years keeping old cars alive [a 1977 Impala wagon I finally sold in '95 at 240k; now a 1971 Chrysler] I've had to make hard choices to keep them reliable. First is tires, then brakes, and suspension/steering tie for third.)
A true old time truck-driver said it this way: "Up to 70 mph, you're driving the rig. Past 70 it's driving you". Very pleased you appreciate that difference, and that you know your vehicle has its' own sweet spot. Wish that more did.
The rest is just for your enjoyment, FYI: A bit of repayment for the soapbox (and for your folks).
Going back to the 1950's studies have shown that people prefer driving 72 mph (corrected). One's vision hasn't yet narrowed to eliminate peripheral engagement, and the speed generally is one which can quickly be backed down from. It has held true for fifty years.
As to big trucks, never get stuck next to them in traffic. Watch his steer tire for what the driver is conciously or unconciously doing. He may be fighting a crosswind you're barely aware of (Why you want a good head of steam up to pass, and to pass through his bow wave which you'll meet at about the steer tire.
Let the cruise control morons ahead of you get well out of the way before taking your turn. I hold off the port stern while the guy ahead gets around, and if I have a crowd behind me, I try to subtly slow them down so that, once the coast is clear, I can give the Jeep a slight shot of fuel and pass with no one [relatively] ahead or behind me.
Enter the passing lane with your signal on (turn it one before you start moving out of your lane and leave on until after you have straightened out in the other. [This is not only the law, it allows plenty of time for the truck driver to interpret your actions]) and pass him, preferably, at least 5 mph more than he is doing. On an upslope is good, on a downslope, don't . . until the road levels out. Best not to return to the right lane until you are 75 yards out ahead of him. (Really). In hilly terrain, watch those mirrors closely. It's ****ed hard to keep a truck at a good speed, and doubly frustrating (and dangerous) because some moron in a car is either oblivious to the flow pattern, or is just a smug a-hole. Let them get on around you, or jack the speed up for more than two miles before you slow back down.
As to the hard-to-shake tailgaters when passing a big truck [herd mentality], I find that a variation in speed and well-timed use of the turn signal will usually keep them in the left lane until I'm actually ready to move back over to the right. Ideally, I've ****** them off enough that they shoot past me (I keep up about the same speed as passing) until we are well clear of the big truck.
Conversely, when I'm heading thru a metro area with heavy traffic I usually try to let a local big truck overtake me and I slide in behind him (okay as long as you can see his side mirror); most folks don't want to get behind aslow truck, yet with practice you'll learn to spot the guys who are A] local, and know the best lane for moving along (maybe empty and able to move quickly); or, B] owner-operators who can hustle a shiny KW and reefer thru any traffic.
Kind of a stress-reliever. (And you'll be surprised at how often a good driver can leave you in the dust. Slow truck, my *** ).
They're pro's . . and being paid for it. Which, believe me, is an entirely different perspective on what is happening on the road. Some company drivers are as good as the other old timers (even better), so keep your eyes on trucks in your rearview that somehow seem to gain position every time traffic moves.
(I wouldn't bother to try and signal trucks in and out around you; drivers are wary of 4-wheelers for good reason. Just move over in your lane a little; or, if he's not passing you with much leeway, drop off the cruise rpm so he can get back over pronto.)
The economy is pushing these guys way too hard. Keep your eye out for dilapidated rigs and stay away from them. Watch out, too, for the Mexican rigs. A lot of truck driving is culture, and unless the local CB has other Spanish speakers able to help a non-English speaking trucker, I'd give them the leeway. (Although I don't imagine it to be much of a problem, still . . . )
And, more than once I have refused to drive anywhere with folks who haven't a clue of what to do behind the wheel.
I drove solo up to Chicago just a little while back in the Cherokee to get the college boy. Stopped every two hours for a break, had to hit the brakes only once in rush hour St Louis traffic . . . and made 700 miles in a little over 9-hours driving time. Never had to make any sudden lane changes, etc. (Health going, so it may be the final ride of that type for this not-quite-old geezer).
Experience can make you an excellent driver, but only good habits will keep you (as it has me), accident and moving-violation free for over twenty years. Never used a detector, and learned to use the CB a long while back. I stay out of the way of others, I don't crowd, and I calculate chances based on a helluva lot of factors. Drive as far ahead as you can, never let the vehicle "get ahead" of you.
Take good care, and thanks for your patience with me.
[ June 13, 2004, 11:19 PM: Message edited by: TheTanSedan ]