The Truckers Place/Class A Truckstop
How to share the road with a truck
Best viewed at 1024 x 768

Exit behind trucks. Slowing down and exiting or turning behind a truck
 - or any other vehicle - won't increase your drive time by
 more than a few moments. Speeding up to make  it to an exit first might
 save you a few seconds, but that action increases
the probability of an accident. It may force you
  to cut off the other driver, removing his or her
 cushion of safety - and your own.

Always pass a truck on the left side. Passing
any vehicle - especially a truck - on the right is
like asking for an accident.

Don't linger while passing. If you don't pull ahead
quickly when passing, your position makes it impossible for a trucker to take
 evasive action if an obstacle appears in the road ahead.

Realize that large vehicles may be moving faster than they appear. Many accidents
 occur at intersections because a car driver
underestimates the speed of an approaching truck.

When a truck passes you Stay to the right and slow down just a little. Truckers
 often do this when they are being passed. It helps the passing vehicle to complete the pass safely.
Never speed up when a tractor-trailer passes as this can cause a very dangerous situation,
especially in heavy traffic.

Oncoming trucks:
If there is an oncoming truck approaching you on a two-lane highway, it is a very good
idea to keep to the right side of your lane and slow down a little. This will help avoid the
 chance of a sideswipe, and also reduce the effect of the wind turbulence
as the truck passes you. Remember wind turbulence pushes vehicles apart, not together.

Respect a trucker's blind spots. Many motorists falsely assume that truckers
 can see the road better because they sit twice
 as high as the driver of a car. While truckers do
 enjoy a better forward view and have bigger mirrors, they still
have serious blind spots. A car can disappear from view up to 20 feet in front
 of the cab, on either side of the tractor-trailer (particularly
alongside the cab), and up to 200 feet in the rear. Remember that if you can't
 see the truck driver in his or her side mirror, the driver can't see you.

Don't tailgate. Tailgating takes away your own cushion of safety.
Never follow a truck too closely. Not only are you not visible to the truck driver, your view ahead is also blocked by the rear
of the trailer. If you cannot see the trucker's side mirrors, then they cannot see you either. You are now traveling too close,
so slow down to maintain a cushion of safety between you and the truck ahead. A greater response time is needed to
maneuver around any large vehicle such as a tractor-trailer. Other hazards include tire blowout or flying debris stirred up on
the roadside by the truck.

Be careful near weigh stations:
Trucks will be slowing down when entering or exiting weigh stations.
They will also be traveling slow when reentering the
highway from weigh stations. Always be extra alert when near these areas.

Observe a truck's turn signals. Due to the length of their vehicles,
 tractor-trailer drivers must often swing out to the left
as the first step in making a right turn.

Remember that it takes truckers more time to
accelerate, to brake, and to change lanes. A
loaded tractor-trailer with hot brakes that is
traveling 55 miles per hour may need up to 430
feet to come to a complete stop. A passenger
car needs less than 200 feet to do the same.
And a car can complete a lane change in mere
seconds, while a trucker must employ a more
detailed and time consuming lane change
 process.




The Class A Truckstop
( Women in Trucking ) ( Trucker Slang ) ( More Trucker Slang ) ( Pre-Trip Study Guide )
( Banner & Misc. ) ( National 10-Codes ) ( National Highway Conditions ) ( Truck Pic Gallery )
( Trucking on the Radio ) The Truckers Place Chapel )( History Page ) ( Awake at the Wheel )
 ( Links Pages ) ( Drunk Driving Info. ) ( Height, Weight, & Length Reg. ) ( Info on jackknives)
( Web rings) ( HOME ) ( Awards )( Tire Chain Info )( Theft Prevention )
 ( Alphabetical State Trucking Associations) ( U.S. State Speed Limits )
( HAZMAT Placard Chart ) ( Do's & Don'ts of an Owner/Operator ) ( Site Map )
( Trucking Stats and Q&A ) ( Rail Road Safety ) ( KidsZone )
( Local Info - Milwaukee ) ( FCC Rules ) ( Fuel Tax 4 each State )



1