Observations of a Truck Driver: Tips for Driving Near an 18-Wheeler

To begin with, I'd like to say that I'm not pointing a finger at any one person or place. We all, myself included, do idiotic things, while driving, at one time or another.

Driving an 18 wheeler gives you a better view of whats going on around you. It also affords a birds-eye view of what people are doing in their cars, when they're suppose to be driving.

I have seen men reading newspapers, drinking coffee, talking on the phone all at the same time while supposedly driving. And whats really bad is that they were doing this in rush hour traffic.

I've seen women putting on make-up, styling hair, sewing, reading books and putting on pantyhose while driving down the road. Being a woman, I know we are great multi-taskers, but I also know it takes two hands to put pantyhose on without ripping them to shreds. Now tell me this, what body part is holding the steering wheel? How can anybody control a vehicle safely without at least one hand on the steering wheel?

The majority of people don't realize how easily they're distracted from driving just talking on their cell phones. Its very obvious if you just pay attention. People start slowing down or speeding up; they drift around in their lane or into another lane; they run up on other cars and have to hit their brakes hard; they almost miss their turn-offs and have to brake hard; and other various things.

All of the things I've already mentioned are minor compared to how people drive around an 18 wheeler. Some of these things are done simply because people do not understand what 18 wheelers can and can't do.

First of all, lets banish the myth that since 18 wheelers have air brakes they can stop on a dime. Wrong answer! If an 18 wheeler is driving 55 mph, on flat ground, with the roads dry and fully loaded, it will take over the length of a football field to safely stop. Therefore, if your driving down the road under the conditions listed and cut over in front of an 18 wheeler and instantly stop to make a left turn, your going to get hit.

Imagine this. Your cruising along behind an 18 wheeler at 70 mph., approximately 20 feet behind the truck (You are following him so closely because he has a CB radio and must know where the police are) and suddenly one of the trailer tires blows out and a 8 inch wide, 6 foot long slab of rubber comes flying towards your windshield on the drivers side. one of two things is going to happen. You're going to swerve to miss it and hopefully not wreck or your going to not be able to miss it and its going to come through your windshield. What part of your body do you think you would lose if this happens? You might want to think about that the next time you tailgate a truck. While this may or may not happen, we've all seen the big slabs of rubber laying on the road. . . . . .

Tires are subject to blow at anytime. When they do, its like a bomb going off. I had a tire blow, on a trailer I was pulling, that took the mud flap and hanger, along with the taillight assembly. I've seen trucks that had a front tire blow that took half the truck hood off when it blew. Most people don't think about the fact that trucks are hauling close to 80,000 lbs. With that kind of weight on them it doesn't take much to make a tire blow. Also most trucking companies use recapped tires on at least the trailers to save on cost. In the summer time, recaps blow a lot easier from the road heat or improper inflation. Now tell me, how smart is it to hang right on a trucks bumper or beside the tires?

Another reason for you not to hang out on an 18 wheelers bumper is visibility. If your closely following an 18 wheeler, you can't see the other car that decides to pull out in front of the truck causing the driver to brake hard to keep from hitting them. Do you think your reflexes are quick enough to keep you from hitting that big DOT bumper on the back of the trailer? That big DOT bumper is going to win if you hit it. I know this for a fact, since a Nissan pick-up truck ran into the back of my trailer. He hit the bumper on my trailer hard enough that the front bumper on his truck was about a foot from his windshield. The driver had to be taken to the hospital in an ambulance.

If you'll look on the back of trailers, you'll see a sign on a lot of them that reads, " This truck makes wide right turns." This also includes the trucks that don't have this warning sign on them. If you see a truck with his right blinker on and he's half way over in the left lane, its because he's making a wide right turn. Please don't drive into the crack that he leaves between his trailer and the curb. He may not see you and turn his trailer into your car.

The reason 18 wheelers have to make wide turns is because the trailer does not follow the same line that the truck does. For instance, take a toy car and make it turn right on the dirt. You'll see that the front and back tires follow the same line during the turn. Now, take the same car and hook a trailer to it. Make the same turn on the dirt. You'll see that your car tires and trailer tires are following two different lines through the turn.

Trucks need a lot more room tor turns, whether they're turning right or left. At most stoplights and stop signs, you'll see a white line painted on the ground in all the lanes. The lines may be at different distances from the light or stop sign if theres more than one lane. If you stop behind those lines, 18 wheelers that are making turns usually have enough room. This allows for their trailers, following a different line then the truck, to come past you without running over your car.

!8 wheelers have a lot of blind spots. Drivers have to rely on their mirrors to see whats going on beside and to the rear of them. If your following to close or your in a blind spot beside the truck and the driver has to stop or change lanes suddenly, he could run over you or you could run into him.

Drivers should be checking their mirrors constantly, but at times you have to focus all your attention on whats happening in front of you, if only for an extra 10 seconds. In that 10 seconds a car can move into a blind spot on a truck without the driver being aware of it. If you stay in the blind spot an accident can happen. So please, don't hang out beside a truck. Go ahead and get past them.

I'm sure some of you are thinking, " She doesn't think truck drivers can do any wrong>" Again, wrong answer. I've seen truck drivers tailgate cars and other trucks; change lanes without signaling; speed through parking lots, fuel islands and toll booths; and a lot of other idiotic things. Just because they're truck drivers doesn't mean they can't make mistakes.

The point I want to make with this article is this:

If we all would drive more defensively, be a little more courteous, and use a little more common sense, there would be a lot less accidents on the road.

Here are some do's and don'ts for those that are interested in driving safely around 18 wheelers.

Do. . . . .follow at a safe distance.

Don't. . .tailgate where you have no visibility and are in danger from rubber or other objects being thrown into your car.

Do. . . . .pass trucks quickly.

Don't. . .hang out beside trucks. You could be in a blind spot or a tire could blow out beside you.

Do. . . . .pay attention to turn signals. Its the only way a driver has to signal his intentions.

Don't. . .ignore turn signals and cut around trucks that are turning.

Do. . . . .allow trucks to pass before pulling out.

Don't. . .pull out in front of trucks when there almost to you.

If you do pull out in front of a truck, accelerate quickly. If you accelerate to slow, you could get hit.