be the cause of a jackknife or your own accident. Once you have decided to pass and see that the way is clear— don’t hesitate. Declare your intention to pass by signaling and follow through quickly and safely. Before re-entering the lane, wait until you see both of the truck’s headlights in your rear-view mirror. This will ensure you are an adequate distance from the truck. Lastly, be sure you maintain your speed when you are in front of a truck. When a truck is backing up, stay away from it Don’t sit there and wonder why that trailer is swinging toward you. Even though they have very large mirrors, there are all kinds of blind spots during a backing maneuver. Be patient and never cross behind it, or pass anywhere within the arc of a backing truck. Trucks turn differently than cars—the rear wheels of the trailer tend to cut the arc of a turn shorter than the steering wheels. That’s why you’ve seen trailers climb curbs. The only way to avoid this is to exaggerate turns, by either moving to the left before turning right or by driving very far into an intersection and then turning into a wide left turn. Sometimes as the truck moves left, a narrow, temporary lane is created to its right. If a car moves up on the right side of the truck it could get “squeezed” when the truck swings into its right turn. Always pay close attention to truck turn signals. The center lane on multi-lane highways is the trucker’s passing lane. On major roadways transport trucks are not allowed in the high speed (far left) lane. That means
they rely on the center lane to pass slower traffic. If you travel in the center lane, be aware of trucks attempting to pass each other. At least be sure you are traveling at the posted speed limit. A truck following you downhill will gain speed; it has no choice because of the weight it’s carrying. The speed the truck gains on the downhill will scrub off as it climbs the next hill. This is how trucks manage their road speed; but this speed up, slow down form of driving makes some RVers crazy. Well that’s understandable, but what’s interesting is that RVers (particularly with bigger rigs) have the same problem. Not only do they get push going downhill, they need that extra speed to climb the next one. The alternative is to brake on the way down and then have to crawl up the next hill with their four- way hazard lights flashing. This is one time that RVers and truckers should agree wholeheartedly—braking and crawling are bad for the rig. So again be aware of the trucks around you and know that on the downhill you will have to accelerate or move over, it’s not fair to make that truck brake and then have to limp up the other side in low gear. Always keep a large space cushion around your car or RV—you do not have to drive beside a truck. Increase or decrease your speed, change lanes, and be vigilant— maintain your space cushion. Don’t begrudge the space that trucks need, accept them, understand them, and be safe.
UNDERSTANDING TRUCKS
COAST TO COAST FALL MAGAZINE 2017
33
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