People who drive cars get angry with truck drivers, just as truck drivers get angry with people who drive cars. Most problems, I believe, stem from the lack of knowledge that the general public has as far as trucks are concerned. There are some things that are common in truck driving that are not common in car driving.
1. WIND - the effects of trucks are at least 75% more than cars --- causes trucks to drift from one side of the road to the other
2. DISTANCE STOPPING - the distance is much greater for trucks - cars weigh around 2,000 pounds - trucks 80,000 pounds
3. REAR VIEW - the car has a window around it plus a mirror - the truck driver relies on his mirror and even at that time there are spots that he cannot see
4. PARKING - no comparison at all - the measure itself says it all
Things that need attention will help us all.
1. When you pass the truck, always pass left if possible, passing don't linger beside the truck
2. Don't tail the truck, when you are that close the driver can't see you, and you can't see anything except the back of the trailer
3. Don't try to pass the truck on the right when turning - left or right - the driver can't see your car and might crash into it
4. Parking for trucks is hard to find --- I know there are truck stops and rest areas - DOT regulations require drivers to take a 10-hour break after working 14 hours or drive 11 hours (example: the day starts at 10:00 a.m. at midnight 12 : 00 noon ends) all parking lots are full so where I park this 76 foot animal - wherever I can get off the road safely
5. A hazmat transport truck must stop at all railroad crossing
6. Rubber from exploding truck tires (we call them gators) will tear your car if you hit it, a truck only has 18 tires that only the driver knows when they explode is the front tire, the other 16 may or may not cause immediate problems when they explode
7. Please if you are going to drive 30 mph under the speed limit rather than not getting on the main highway. I see people almost every day on the 65 mph highway driving 30 to 35 miles per hour, not because of slowing down all traffic but a hilltop truck or turning round and there is a slow vehicle, causing truck drivers to react by breaking or changing lanes quickly no good action
8. dim your headlights when meeting an upcoming vehicle, I try hard to look around my truck so that bright lights at night blind me
9. Most drivers will stop to help motorcyclists strike but should only do so when it can be done safely
10. We all have to share the road
Just a side note: there are some states that don't allow trucks to park on interstate ramps, there might be a very good reason not to allow parking there. Most of the same states close rest areas, and have large parking areas on the scale of their country but will not allow trucks to park there overnight (or for their mandatory 10 hour rest when it is time. Kentucky will allow trucks to park in their countries scales, and even provide facilities for truck drivers North Carolina and two or three others only allow parking for 2 hours so how do we obey the law when there are more trucks on the highway than in parking lots? Remember - If you have them, a truck transports them.
Simple driver reviews about the audio book I like and a diary about my trip / work. I drive in all 48 lower states. I have transported many different products to many different locations. At the moment I transport most of the refrigerated food products.
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