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Part of the blame can be placed on the cut-rate, mega trucking companies that treat their drivers so badly that their turnover is tremendous. Most don't last a year.
They will hire about anybody that can meet the basic requirements. Their training produces "steering wheel holders", not truck drivers. A few will last long enough to move up to better companies and eventually become truck drivers.
That plus people in general aren't as courteous as they used to be, on the road or anywhere...
Whenever I approach an onramp (I'm already on the freeway and in the rightmost lane) and I see a truck on the onramp, I move one lane over, conditions permitting.
Thank you!! We aren't able to accelerate very quickly (because our power-to-weight ratio is vastly lower than that of a passenger car), and this makes it more difficult for us to merge into heavy traffic.
Quote:
Originally Posted by UrbanAdventurer
Don't flash the high beams. Just cut the lows off for a second or two.
I'll second this suggestion. High-beams aren't good for our night vision.
Part of the blame can be placed on the cut-rate, mega trucking companies that treat their drivers so badly that their turnover is tremendous. Most don't last a year.
They will hire about anybody that can meet the basic requirements. Their training produces "steering wheel holders", not truck drivers. A few will last long enough to move up to better companies and eventually become truck drivers.
That plus people in general aren't as courteous as they used to be, on the road or anywhere...
Has nothing to do with the companies the job itself is a rough one most people can't handle. Even if they all increased pay the turnover rate will still be around the same. Living in a truck working 70+ hours a week dealing with everything on the road and being away from family most people can't handle no matter what the pay is. Not being able to take a shower every day, going pee in a bottle, not getting a good sleep, driving in crime ridden areas, truck break downs, sitting at shippers and receivers for hours, dealing with 4 wheelers, dealing with other truckers backing into you or damaging your truck, living in a truck the size of an average house bathroom, eating unhealthy truck stop food, on and on and on. 99% of people can't handle all of that.
And lastly the "new breed" of truckers have to go through more training then the old school drivers did. Back in the old school days there was no rules and regs like today.
Don't flash the high beams. Just cut the lows off for a second or two.
Came here to say this. I'm not sure you're ever supposed to flash your high beams. except maybe to pass - definitely *not* to signal it's safe to cut in.
Passenger car drivers behave badly around trucks. I'm sure it is not anyone here, because you guys know your cars and driving, but a large number of car drivers do foolish and dangerous things around the trucks. I'm sure that has something to do with the truck drivers feeling less courteous about the car drivers when the car drivers seem to intend to kill them.
To be fair, those same self-absorbed drivers are doing the same dangerous things around other cars, but it is even more dangerous around a heavy truck that can not stop in a short distance.
And lastly the "new breed" of truckers have to go through more training then the old school drivers did. Back in the old school days there was no rules and regs like today.
Back in the old school days you didn't just get a truck because you had a license.... There is big difference when you are small owner that is handing your very expensive equipment over to someone or if you are operating yourself. I worked my way up. I started with pickup when I was 14 on private property, then it was moving larger trucks around in the yard, then it was driving on the road with experienced driver, then it was following experienced driver in another truck... last but not least it was taking trips on my own.
I know smaller owner operators in my area if you don't have 10 years experience don't even bother applying. Those jobs more often than not are filled through the grapevine, they pay well but you aren't going to get it simply because you passed some test.
It used to be easier back in the day to be courteous because there were fewer cars on the road and fewer idiots driving them. Today with so many people on drugs, cell phones or texting you have to be so defensive that it has come to be an every man for himself situation.
When I drove a box truck in the 90's I remember all the courtesy and respect I had for the big rigs.
Many drivers don't have a clue about courtesy, it is all about them and a big truck is just a big annoyance for them.
Today with so many people on drugs, cell phones or texting you have to be so defensive that it has come to be an every man for himself situation.
I almost killed a guy on a cell phone once, I was coming down a hill and had the green light at bottom. A guy in a car who had the red light stopped in the middle of the intersection because he was preoccupied with his call. I'll never forget the look on his face when he realized where he was and turned to see that giant grille and bumper coming at him getting ready to T-bone his car. Fortunately for him there was no one coming in the other lane and I had just enough time to safely move the truck into the other lane. If I had been little sooner I probably would not even had tried to avoid it and drove right into him. It would not surprise me at all if he pissed and **** himself.
Don't flash the high beams. Just cut the lows off for a second or two.
More experienced truck drivers use the "marker interrupt" to acknowledge, which is a special button on the dash or steering wheel that cars don't have. When the button is pushed and held it cuts all the lights on the rig except for the headlamps. Usually guys will do a double tap on that.
When I was learning to drive, my mother used to have me take the turnpike so I could get used to driving among the big trucks. At 17, it was quite unnerving, especially in the heavy truck area of northern NJ where I grew up. I learned a lot that has helped me throughout the last almost 50 years of driving all over the country. I still move to the left lane when they are picking up speed on a downhill to let them use that to build speed for the uphill and signal for them to pull in - surprised that many truckers these days don't seem to get that's what I'm doing. Recently, I have often waited quite a long time for the signal for ME to pull back in after passing.
Road courtesy, cars/bikes/trucks, sure does seem like it's going the way of the dinosaur.
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