Semi's Tailgating

[Bobby Winds]

Originally Posted by Bakefish

No excuse for tailgating. None. If the truck was 2 car lengths behind your son and a deer crossed in front of his car there is no chance the truck could stop in time to avoid hitting the car. Too many cowboy truckers use their trucks as offensive weapons, or for intimidation. How many times have you heard a truck driver lament..the 4 wheeler cut me off and I had no chance to stop. Most of the time I call BS. When I'm hauling my boat with my pickup I am fully aware that people act like I'm a semi without the ability to accelerate or keep up speed like the rest of them. It's dumb, but I get it. I adjust my driving habits to account for others stupidity. Meathead drivers keep the peddle to the metal and claim their place in traffic regardless of congestion or conditions.
I drove I80 through NW Indiana for several years. Truck traffic in this stretch is incredible. Car traffic heading to and from Chicago (NW Indiana has become a bedroom community of Chicago) has exceeded the capacity of the road. I can honestly say that every, and I mean every time I got held up because of an accident it involved either a truck/car or a truck/truck. These guys drive at either the speed limit or above without regard to stopping distance. They don't account for stupidity of drivers who aren't aware of their stopping distance. I drive the same road while I'm hauling the boat...I make adjustments. If I'm on a road and conditions blow and I have to slow it down, I slow it down. If I am going 45 in a snowstorm and a truck gets on my tail I will gently slow down to 40. If he stays on my tail he will be going 35 in time. If that doesn't work I'll go down to 30. They usually get the message, back off, and I'll go back up to 45. If they don't get the message they will after I call the staties on my cell.

[cclawman]

Originally Posted by That Minnesota guy

Tell your son next time to pull into the left lane and let the semi go when it's safe to do so.

Thats about the dumbest advice I've heard!

[That Minnesota guy]

He merged onto the freeway and a semi rode is butt for about 5 miles (he was in the right lane) and THEN the semi moved over to passed him!!!



So, it was a 4 lane freeway so my advice wasn't the dumbest thing you have ever read. However you might want to brush up on your reading skills anyway.

[WALI4VR]

I wonder if the boy merged just in front of the semi??

[fishin10]

It's easy to blame BIG TRUCKS and the drivers, unless you have spent time behind the wheel of one under varying conditions, you really have no idea what your talking about. I've experienced many BUTT SUCKING moments over 25 years, when mindless drivers of 4 wheeler's and Jacked Up pickup trucks do things that cause many accidents!

[Bobby Winds]

Originally Posted by cclawman

Thats about the dumbest advice I've heard!

I don’t think so........go back and read some of his other posts and you will see what I’m talking about....

[Rockbass]

Originally Posted by WALI4VR

I wonder if the boy merged just in front of the semi??

He said the semi was quite a ways back, and came up on him and stayed there.

[Bakefish]

Originally Posted by fishin10

It's easy to blame BIG TRUCKS and the drivers, unless you have spent time behind the wheel of one under varying conditions, you really have no idea what your talking about. I've experienced many BUTT SUCKING moments over 25 years, when mindless drivers of 4 wheeler's and Jacked Up pickup trucks do things that cause many accidents!

Of course you have. Anyone who has spent any time on the highway encounters idiots driving like they own the road. What has happened recently is the influx of poor, inexperienced truck drivers with no common sense, or just rude and uncaring. Just minutes ago i had to pass a truck on the right because he decided that he owned the left lane. Yesterday I was behind a tandem trailer that was weaving all over the road because he something going on in his cab that was more important than driving. Right now, this moment, I'm looking out my office window at a truck that's parked in a fire lane, on a concrete apron with a 45,000 lb load of beams, channel and tube. Clueless.

[REW]

From the description of the situation, I am guessing that the semi driver was just waiting for the right time to have a better section of cleared road to make the pass. If there is a lot of slush and fresh snow, it is often much better to stay in a lane than to try to move into another more poorly maintained lane and possibly get thrown into the vehicle that you are trying to pass. If there would have been a convenient off / on exit, the best choice would have been to get off the freeway for a bit to let things settle down a bit.

Best wishes

[YATYAS]

When I am in this situation, I slow down until the vehicle behind me passes. No sense in letting that vehicle put me or my family in danger for 5 miles.