Something needs to be done with truckers

[ZeeOSix]

Originally Posted By: dlundblad
Originally Posted By: HerrStig
When's the last time you flashed the high beams to let a trucker know you were about to pass and got a blink of the hazards back? Attitudes have changed. Why I don't know.


I never understood this concept.


What's the use of letting a semi know you're gonna pass ... just pass if it's safe to do so like you would any other vehicle on the road.

I thought the courtesy was to flash your lights if a semi passes you to give him a signal that he has enough room to get back in his lane in front you.

 

[dishdude]

Originally Posted By: CT Rob
ask most truck drivers if they like you flashing your high beams and blinding them especially at night,just flash your lights on and off
Originally Posted By: HerrStig
When's the last time you flashed the high beams to let a trucker know you were about to pass and got a blink of the hazards back? Attitudes have changed. Why I don't know.


I don't even know what this procedure is. I often see truckers turning their running lights off and on after passing each other, is that the thank you flash?

 

[ZeeOSix]

Originally Posted By: dishdude
Originally Posted By: CT Rob
ask most truck drivers if they like you flashing your high beams and blinding them especially at night,just flash your lights on and off
Originally Posted By: HerrStig
When's the last time you flashed the high beams to let a trucker know you were about to pass and got a blink of the hazards back? Attitudes have changed. Why I don't know.


I don't even know what this procedure is. I often see truckers turning their running lights off and on after passing each other, is that the thank you flash?


The truck that got passed flashes his lights on/off to give the signal to the guy who passed him that there is room for him to get back in the right lane. The truck who passed flashes his tail/running lights to "thank" the other trucker.

 

[dlundblad]

Originally Posted By: ZeeOSix
Originally Posted By: dlundblad
Originally Posted By: HerrStig
When's the last time you flashed the high beams to let a trucker know you were about to pass and got a blink of the hazards back? Attitudes have changed. Why I don't know.


I never understood this concept.


What's the use of letting a semi know you're gonna pass ... just pass if it's safe to do so like you would any other vehicle on the road.

I thought the courtesy was to flash your lights if a semi passes you to give him a signal that he has enough room to get back in his lane in front you.


Actually I think you're onto something.

I recall in driver's ed that you should give them the clear by flashing your brights. The instructor gave us the example of a lady doing that to let him know she was going to pass.. only for the semi to come over onto them in their lane.

I still dont deal with this though. Stay where you can see their mirrors and you wont have an issue.

 

[BRZED]

The real question is, do you trust a truck driver who is signaling you to pass him?

 

[dlundblad]

Originally Posted By: BRZED
The real question is, do you trust a truck driver who is signaling you to pass him?

As long as it's not a rusty Peterbilt, you should be good.

 

[dishdude]

Originally Posted By: dlundblad
Originally Posted By: BRZED
The real question is, do you trust a truck driver who is signaling you to pass him?

As long as it's not a rusty Peterbilt, you should be good.


Even if you're driving an overheating Valiant?

 

[eljefino]

Originally Posted By: HerrStig
When's the last time you flashed the high beams to let a trucker know you were about to pass and got a blink of the hazards back? Attitudes have changed. Why I don't know.


I always thought the high beam flash meant, "you pull in front of me". It would send a mixed signal to get in the next lane, flash, then overtake.

 

[grampi]

Originally Posted By: Clevy
What an absurd comment. You're trashing truckers as though they are all the same.
Consise that basically all goods found in every store arrived there on a truck and you quickly realize there are 10s of millions of them on the road every minute of every day.
So using that figure exactly what percentage do you think are the doing what your whining about.
Don't buy any goods then if you've got such a problem with them. Simple.
The trucking industry is extremely competetive and a lot of these guys can't afford a motel for the night. So of course they have to sleep in their trucks.
Then consider they might be in the middle of nowhere when they reach their driving hours limit,so do tell grampi where exactly would you like them to park to sleep. They are hardworking guys who are just trying to make a living and the industry is cutthroat and the law is always right behind them.
If you don't like their practices complain to the proper authority. Maybe you can get the entire industry to change so they don't have to work their butt off to make a living.
Expect to pay more for those products you use though. Because if their costs go up by sleeping in hotels and renting a lot to park in that cost gets passed on to the consumer.
Whining about it isn't going to make it better however maybe you need a hug


What does any of this stuff have to do with the cowboy truckers who drive like they own the roads? Are you trying to justify this behavior because these guys sleep in their trucks? Nobody's forcing these guys to do this profession, but if they choose to do it, they need to follow the laws. Don't give me this garbage that everyone drives poorly to justify the actions of cowboy truckers...wreckless drivers in passenger vehicles aren't nearly as dangerous as wreckless drivers in semis...

 

[gman2304]

The brief flash of headlights is to let the passing vehicle know they have cleared the vehicle being passed and it's safe to come over in front of the vehicle being passed. If a passing vehicle sees that a vehicle in the right lane is in need of pulling out to pass a slower vehicle, the same brief flash means it's safe to pull out in front of the passing vehicle to prevent a potential logjam in the lane being passed. The blinking of the marker lights is a 'thank you' for giving them a break. Did I explain that right? For 4 wheelers the flashing lights could mean something entirely different, LOL!

 

[Ratchetgrinder]

Originally Posted By: eljefino
Originally Posted By: HerrStig
When's the last time you flashed the high beams to let a trucker know you were about to pass and got a blink of the hazards back? Attitudes have changed. Why I don't know.


I always thought the high beam flash meant, "you pull in front of me". It would send a mixed signal to get in the next lane, flash, then overtake.


Quick flash or two of high beams is appropriate car to car communication. It generally means to go ahead, get in front of me. I do it all the time to police when I otherwise have the right of way. It is usually accompanied by the driver of the other car putting their hand up as if to wave, like a thank you gesture, if I can see them, or high beam flick back or horn toot.

Not sure why it would be the different for truckers?

 

[eljefino]

Originally Posted By: gman2304
The brief flash of headlights is to let the passing vehicle know they have cleared the vehicle being passed and it's safe to come over in front of the vehicle being passed. If a passing vehicle sees that a vehicle in the right lane is in need of pulling out to pass a slower vehicle, the same brief flash means it's safe to pull out in front of the passing vehicle to prevent a potential logjam in the lane being passed. The blinking of the marker lights is a 'thank you' for giving them a break. Did I explain that right? For 4 wheelers the flashing lights could mean something entirely different, LOL!


You explained it exactly right.

I encountered a guy at a 4 way stop who thought his flashing his high beams was some sort of "optical horn" and that everyone else should "look out, it's (his) turn!". Needless to say everyone else was confused, and the high beam guy, an old man, looked like he was about to have a stroke.

 

[dlundblad]

Originally Posted By: eljefino
an old man, looked like he was about to have a stroke.


Speaking of dangerous drivers...

I know quite a few old folks that are as sharp as razors, but you do see quite a few old folks on the road that shouldnt be driving. Just last week, I saw a LEO had an older gent pulled over in an east bound lane of a highway, but his car as well as the police cruiser was facing west.

This is sad really. Not only for the safety of others, but the older person too. I get the impression their SO has likely passed away and they have no local immediate family, but what do I know.

 

[SeaJay]

Originally Posted By: NJC
I'd say the truckers are probably the best drivers of the batch ... it's usually cars and light trucks that are causing them trouble. Not letting semis change lanes ... cutting in front of them when leaving space in traffic etc. This is my experience in the Greater Vancouver area. On the rare occasion I've seen a few go too fast for the conditions, but otherwise a decent lot of drivers.


This is more or less my experience driving in the greater New York City metro area.

 

[HerrStig]

Originally Posted By: Ratchetgrinder
Originally Posted By: eljefino
Originally Posted By: HerrStig
When's the last time you flashed the high beams to let a trucker know you were about to pass and got a blink of the hazards back? Attitudes have changed. Why I don't know.


I always thought the high beam flash meant, "you pull in front of me". It would send a mixed signal to get in the next lane, flash, then overtake.


Quick flash or two of high beams is appropriate car to car communication. It generally means to go ahead, get in front of me. I do it all the time to police when I otherwise have the right of way. It is usually accompanied by the driver of the other car putting their hand up as if to wave, like a thank you gesture, if I can see them, or high beam flick back or horn toot.

Not sure why it would be the different for truckers?
To repeat, the custom USED to be to flash your high beams before moving into the truck driver's blind spot as a courtesy to the truck driver and he/she would respond with a c light blink to indicate that the flash was understood. As to flashes for other purposes, the comatose, texting, makeup applying female SUV driver doesn't have a clue, but they are not professional drivers.

 

[440Magnum]

Originally Posted By: CurtisB
Once I see the predictable idiot passing, I drop my speed a bit to help...


A very heartfelt THANK YOU!!!

 

[440Magnum]

Originally Posted By: MrQuackers
One thing that really irks me is the ones that hold up traffic for miles and miles when you can't pass, and the moment there is a passing lane they can magically drive 10 miles per hour over the limit and you only have a limited time to pass them. Are they that bored?



There's that... but one that annoys me even more is someone (usually a passenger vehicle) pulling into the left lane to pass a truck, and then slowing down as they pass the truck rather than maintaining speed, causing the left lane to stack up. One of the mantras that was pounded into my head in drivers' education was "maintain your speed during a pass."

Actually, failure to maintain a steady speed is one of my biggest beefs about drivers in general, and no I'm not talking about trucks that can't pull a hill as fast as I can. I'm talking about driving the table-flat expanses of I-10 and coming up on a driver running a little slower than me in the right lane, so I pull left and pass... then 3 minutes later the same driver flies by me on the left... then 5 minutes after that they're running slower than me and I have to pass them again. Last summer I counted *four* cycles of this with a particular car over about a 50 mile stretch, and we were practically the only vehicles on the freeway at the time!

 

[doitmyself]

I tend to appreciate truck drivers and the difficult and thankless job they perform, as described by others above. Bad apples aside, I try to drive in a manner mindful of the challenges truck drivers have.

Regarding flashing your brights, it is illegal to do so within 500ft. of any vehicle in Michigan. We have an on-going case here where highbeam flashing resulted in the shooting death of a teen by a police officer, a really bizarre and tragic case.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/the-...p-killing-teen/

 

[wander2039]

Originally Posted By: 440Magnum
Originally Posted By: MrQuackers
One thing that really irks me is the ones that hold up traffic for miles and miles when you can't pass, and the moment there is a passing lane they can magically drive 10 miles per hour over the limit and you only have a limited time to pass them. Are they that bored?



There's that... but one that annoys me even more is someone (usually a passenger vehicle) pulling into the left lane to pass a truck, and then slowing down as they pass the truck rather than maintaining speed, causing the left lane to stack up. One of the mantras that was pounded into my head in drivers' education was "maintain your speed during a pass."

Actually, failure to maintain a steady speed is one of my biggest beefs about drivers in general, and no I'm not talking about trucks that can't pull a hill as fast as I can. I'm talking about driving the table-flat expanses of I-10 and coming up on a driver running a little slower than me in the right lane, so I pull left and pass... then 3 minutes later the same driver flies by me on the left... then 5 minutes after that they're running slower than me and I have to pass them again. Last summer I counted *four* cycles of this with a particular car over about a 50 mile stretch, and we were practically the only vehicles on the freeway at the time!



lol The unsteady speed really started to erk me this weekend. I maintain 65 in the RV and don't care to push it up to 70+ even though it can. Had it 5 times this weekend pass and then bounce 60-65 grrr.

Just don't bring this trucking conversation among family you might loose respect for one. Had a truck almost push us off the highway last year. Grandpa was driving a steady 65mph with cruise and instead of the truck waiting a couple extra seconds just got right over. Ticked my grandpa to no end.. hard to miss a gigantic white RV but I understand it happens. He mentioned it to his brother in a law just in passing and he said he'd do the same.. say what? Pretty sure the other 2 in the family wouldn't do it. Hot heads have no place on the road regardless on what they're behind the wheel of.

 

[440Magnum]

Originally Posted By: doitmyself
I tend to appreciate truck drivers and the difficult and thankless job they perform, as described by others above. Bad apples aside, I try to drive in a manner mindful of the challenges truck drivers have.

Regarding flashing your brights, it is illegal to do so within 500ft. of any vehicle in Michigan. We have an on-going case here where highbeam flashing resulted in the shooting death of a teen by a police officer, a really bizarre and tragic case.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/the-...p-killing-teen/



Truly bizarre- and maybe (hopefully) the end of that law. Local laws like that which fly in direct opposition to the norms of the rest of the country are pretty much doomed to go away.


In south central Texas where there are a lot of 2-lane roads with wide paved shoulders through rolling terrain with short passing zones, its long been a common courtesy for slow vehicles to pull to onto the right paved shoulder (when they can see far enough ahead to be safe) to allow faster traffic to overtake. Its technically illegal since its 'driving on the shoulder' but its very safe since the shoulder is as wide as a travel lane. The car that does the overtake usually blinks his flashers 3-5 times as a thank-you after completing the pass. I grew up doing that and saw it constantly... But it rarely happens anymore, people from the rest of the country (rightly, by the letter of the law) think its illegal to drive on the shoulder and won't move right if they're the slow ones, and won't take the pass if they're the fast one (they wonder [censored] the guy in front is doing). Its become a sort of native-Texan roadway identifier to see people do that. ;-)