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Driving Etiquitte

dabluzman1

dabluzman1

Veteran Expediter
Retired Expediter
OntarioVanMan said:
BTW using cruise is not fuel efficient on hilly terrain Turtle said so in another thread....
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Cruise works okay in hilly terrain, for the most part. All you have to do is add a little to the pedal just before starting your next climb so that your speed and rpms dont drop and put you into passing gear. Yeah, it aint automatic,but some of the old timers might even commend ya on really being a truck driver and driving, almost.:D
 
cruzer

cruzer

Not a Member
I can agree with staying in the left lane and let them pass on the right but some TT drivers are just cowboys and you can't make them happy.I do have a CB,I want to hear them and I give it right back.They think it's ok to pull out on me when there going a 1/2 mile faster than the truck in front of them and I have to slow down 10 or 15 mph and follow them all the way up the hill so If I were you flattop I wouldn't sweat it.
 
flattop40

flattop40

Expert Expediter
For the most part I agree with most of these posts. In the middle of the night I will do like turtle suggested and run in the left lane if need be but this was in the day traffic with more cars and of course they have to go 75 so that was not an option.

As stated in the opening I only had a 200# load so there was no worry of trany downshifting. I have driven both with cruise and without and yes there might be a slight mpg difference but not noticable so it is less stressful on me to just set the cruise. In hind sight should have done just what OVM suggested is speed up and get far enough ahead to avoid the situation. But I thought this would be a good topic for both new and old drivers.
 
ebsprintin

ebsprintin

Veteran Expediter
If you do stay in the left lane it is a good idea to make use of a cb too. Everyone isn't going to be comfortable passing on your right if they aren't sure what you're doing.

Yes, this is a good place for this kind of discussion, because it helps people to see how each other is thinking about how we behave. The cb is as valuable or more so, because you get immediate feelback even if you aren't the subject at hand. And sometimes if you are the subject at hand, you might be surprised at the support you get from other drivers if you aren't the one at fault--without the cb you only see the jerk.

eb
 
BillChaffey

BillChaffey

Veteran Expediter
Owner/Operator
US Navy
I try and maintain 62- 63 MPH in my Van. When ever a larger truck, tractor or straight comes up behind I try and slide over and let them pass. Then get back in behind them. Doesn't cost me any time or effort. It's just a courtesy.
 
pelicn

pelicn

Veteran Expediter
cruzer said:
I can agree with staying in the left lane and let them pass on the right but some TT drivers are just cowboys and you can't make them happy.
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Left lane is for passing. It's inconsiderate for a driver to just "cruise" in the left lane.

If you have 3 lanes of travel, most times trucks are restricted from that far left lane. The driver in the center lane, going slower than the flow of traffic, is dangerous. Trucks have that lane for passing and most won't pass on the right.
 
cheri1122

cheri1122

Veteran Expediter
Driver
Either DOT never heard that rule, or their bias against trucks is clear, because vehicles exiting the truck part of rest areas must yield to the four wheelers.
As far as watercraft, many of the folks on the lake don't seem to be aware that there even ARE any rules. [Like Lake Erie wasn't scary enough already!]
 
nightcreacher

nightcreacher

Veteran Expediter
It happens to us tt drivers too.What i do is just slow down,you know while going up hill,that really makes them mad
 
B

Big Al

Veteran Expediter
Charter Member
Make an attempt to stay out of there way; however, in the event that doesn't work, just hum the old Ricky Nelson song "Can't please everyone"!

Big Al
Branson MO
Retired Navy
 
M

movercash

Seasoned Expediter
I saw a driver using a phone to take a picture the other day. It didn't seem very safe to me. Having driven big trucks and straight trucks I know distractions cancause accidents.
 
moose

moose

Veteran Expediter
movercash said:
. Having driven big trucks and straight trucks I know distractions cancause accidents.
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no they dont !
it's like saying : GUNS KILL PEOPLE,AND PENCILS MISSPELL WORDS,CARS MAKE PEOPLE DRIVE DRUNK AND SPOONS MADE ROSIE O'DONNEL FAT

About 3 years ago i happened to attend a safety course ,
one of the items was recognizing distractions -and how to make your driving safer when a distraction happened .
i can honestly say that my driving is more safe -when distracted ,
because i recognize it instantly and responding automatically .
i get the big pictures , and way more aware of what is going on around the truck .
trained drivers are safe drivers .
it's all come down to driver training .
4 example : if you are talking on the phone when driving in work zone - that"s because you wasn't trained of hanging up when entering a work zone .



Moose.
 
Dakota

Dakota

Veteran Expediter
I just wish that when I was in the passing lane and am coming up on a car(when going uphill)that they would either speed up or pull over. Once I lose my speed I'm stuck going 45. But, Oh well I'll still get there.
 
greg334

greg334

Veteran Expediter
Just to throw this into the mix, Hypermilers are ones who are dangerous because of their speed - slow.
 
Yesteryear

Yesteryear

Expert Expediter
I have to agree with PJJJJ on this one. I drive a straight truck. When faced with this situation, as we all are at one time or another, I will speed up, or in some instances, slow down a little to get away from the leap-frog truck. I am sure it is fustrating for the TT to slow to a crawl when going up the hill. On instances where I can't seem to get away from the 'leap-frog' I will just make it a little game and smile and wave as we pass each other, it is kind of amusing. I personally find most truckers to be courteous. Never had another truck make an issue of it either. No sense in getting up-set over something that can't be helped. Life is to short just . . . . . go with the flow! :D
 
inkasnana

inkasnana

Expert Expediter
I've even pulled into a rest area and taken a little break to give the leap-frog game time to get down the road far enough to no longer be a problem. (providing I have some extra time on the load) The "game" is annoying to me, so I'm sure it's annoying to the T/T drivers as well, and they are much bigger than me so I really don't want them annoyed with me. lol

One of my biggest annoyances is the four wheeler that is driving slower than me, so I pull in the left lane and start to pass, and then the four wheeler speeds up. I pull back in behind it, and not long after they have slowed down again. Rinse and repeat. I went through that for about 10 miles one time. That was VERY irritating.
 
Yesteryear

Yesteryear

Expert Expediter
inkasnana said:
I've even pulled into a rest area and taken a little break to give the leap-frog game time to get down the road far enough to no longer be a problem. (providing I have some extra time on the load) The "game" is annoying to me, so I'm sure it's annoying to the T/T drivers as well, and they are much bigger than me so I really don't want them annoyed with me. lol

One of my biggest annoyances is the four wheeler that is driving slower than me, so I pull in the left lane and start to pass, and then the four wheeler speeds up. I pull back in behind it, and not long after they have slowed down again. Rinse and repeat. I went through that for about 10 miles one time. That was VERY irritating.
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Yep, know what ya mean, then 4-wheelers is got to be the BIGGEST thing that irratates me. Funny how I find I have much less patients with the 4-wheelers then with other trucks or expedite vans. Just no patients at all for them 4-wheelers. Don't know how some of them ever even got licensed to drive a car! :rolleyes:
 
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