Do you have any questions, as to why truck drivers, drive a certain way in the winter?

How do you handle it when some idiot in a car chops you off on a slick road, making the assumption 75000 pounds of truck and trailer can stop as fast as a 3000 pound car. That one boggles my mind when I see it.

@Adirondackwannabe My truck grosses at 135,000 lbs and some times you simply can’t hence one less idiot.

Last night on the way back a farmer pulled out in front of a driver I know pulling a load of round bales behind a tractor,the truck was able to miss the farm tractor but went through the trailer of hay, not pretty.

Most car drivers become obsessed with having to be in front of the big truck at all costs and think of nothing else.

Now I have said this at least a hundred times, by all means if you can pass safely,then do so BUT DO NOT sit in front of us, GO AWAY, when it comes right down to it I will do everything I can to avoid an accident BUT I will not leave the highway so if that means I have no choice but run over the car dead in front of me, guess what is going to happen.
Think about that the next time you see some one do something really stupid in front of a big truck,if our only option is running over the car or leaving the road,the car will be run over every time.

Numerous times, (particularly on I-30 and I-40) I have been blocked by two trucks going almost side by side for miles. The passing truck will inch up on another truck in the right hand lane (who is maybe going 64 mph) until less than a cars length separates them and then the faster truck (going 65mph) will ease into the passing lane but does not speed up to pass, simply maintains the speed limit. This can go on for miles, as I said, and cause the faster car traffic to back up for some distance.
I don’t mind that they cut out directly in front of me as I am trying to pass both going 70 mph; I know that most cars won’t give you a break and let you in, but why not speed up to pass or stay behind the other truck? Are the chances of getting a speeding ticket that bad when obviously passing? Do the consequences of getting a ticket extend far beyond the obvious fine?

@SQUEEKY2 You would like to think a farmer would know better than that. He deals with quipment and closing speeds all the time. I agree with the way you look at it. If some idiot puts both of you in danger, the one in the wrong gets the short end of the stick.

@rojo Glad you brought this up, you probably didn’t know but most( not all) but most are speed governed my truck will only do 110kph so if I have to pass that is all I have and it can take some time,other trucks are set at 100kph or 60mph,they come up against another driver going 5mph slower and want around it can take some time.

Also, what do speed limit driving truckers think of truckers who travel at just under the posted speed limit? Do they express a frustration with them or are the more understanding knowing that there is a chance they cannot afford to get another ticket?

Do you guys still use CB’s? Will you call and say something like “Hey, big blue Freightliner, coming up on your tail and passing you”?

I guess you kind of answered my second question before I got it out! I did not know that.

@rojo here in B.C most of us use VHF radios very powerful compared to a cb.
And some companies set there own speed limits one company here has their guys going 90kph, talk about wanting to rip your fucking hair out, when the government speed limit is 110 on most of our better highways.

Once, coming through the mountains of North Carolina/Tennessee, I noticed that there were road signs requiring all trucks to stay in the left lane, no exceptions. Is this common in mountainous regions with winding roads and limited visibility?

No. I don’t question their actions. I figure they’re trained to do what they do.

I wouldn’t want a truck driver to come to my job and question what I do, and so vice versa.

Another question: There are truck tire parts (Retreads?) all over the highways but I have never, fortunately, see it happen.

What does it feel like when a tire peels off like that? Do you even notice? Does the trailer lurch or do the other wheels take up the slack?

Are there different grades of Diesel fuel or thinner oil that are used in the winter to make the engine easier to start? This winter my old car will have to sit outdoors.

If you have to hit the brakes when accelerating, does it take all the momentum from speeding up to get to the speed limit?

Are big trucks allowed to use tire chains when the road is icy?

@rojo As to tire blow outs as long as they are not the steering tires you feel very little to nothing when they blow,they can do damage though by taking a trailer fender with it, or ripping out air and electrical as well.
Our company has gotten away from using retreads as they can do damage when they blow, our head supervisor wants new tires on the trucks and trailers,exception is winter tires as they don’t heat up and blow and are a lot cheaper to bring in as retreads instead of brand-new .

@majorrich there are different types of diesel ,but they tend to be more for the seasons, example: if you use summer diesel in the dead of winter it can jell up and shut you down.

AS for chains of course, but for things like black ice you really don’t want to,because you will beat the shit out of the chains and you won’t get that far before they start to break apart, you want thick ice or snow to cushin them and not wear them out .

@rojo No I have never seen up here at least big trucks stay left, the only thing I have seen is some is for some of the bridges n the lower mainland they want big trucks to stay right.

Oh, this is good! Thanks for asking this! Watching.

I think I have said this before, but Mrs Squeeky pays attention to what the big trucks are doing in the winter, if they are all driving slower there must be a reason, like the road being very icy, you can’t rely on car drivers to get the same idea because most of them are in a world all to themselves.

It is unfortunate that so many drivers are unconcious of the necessities and consequences of dealing with something as massive and unwieldy as a tractor trailer rig. I’m no sissy, but frankly, you couldn’t pay me to drive one for a living. I think anyone who drives a lot knows to respect big rig drivers and to actually watch them carefully for signs of what waits ahead. I know for trips through the Sierras I’m noticing on the way through the foothills what’s clinging, smeared or covering the rigs passing me. If you want to witness extremes of stupidity, just witness the nightmares of interactions between big rigs and big city drivers. I truly sympathize with anyone pushing a tractor trailer through this town or on the freeways through it in daylight hours.

I’ve told this story before but several years ago I was driving my Pontiac on a busy little two lane highway between two small towns. There was a big rig behind me. Suddenly, coming toward me, was a pick up that was loaded with two of those huge round bales of hay. To my horror I could see he was losing the top one….and there wasn’t a damn thing I could do except hang on and pray. Just as we passed he lost it, right in front of the big rig. That truck just blew that bale of hay to smithereens, like a bomb. I can’t imagine what it would have done to my car….or any vehicle smaller than that big rig.
I know that trucker and I had some sort of survivor’s connection for the next 20 miles, until he took a Wichita exit and I continued on.
One of the scariest driving moments of my life.

Wow!

When you are pulling two smaller trailers instead of one big one, is it possible to back up more than just a little bit? I’ve even seen someone that had three wee trailers all in a row. Are the brakes phased any so that the trailers keep in a row?

@majorrich yes the air brake system is designed to do just that.
and as for backing up it depends on the configuration of trailers, if you are pulling an A type train trailers it is almost impossible to back those units up.
But a B type train trailers can be backed up (the Btrain is the type I pull)

@jca Don’t you ever notice truckers doing something a certain way, and as a car driver it doesn’t make sense to you?

Most car drivers are absolutely clueless when it comes to dealing with transports on both our Nations highways, and if the car driver could become a little more educated as to why Transports do it a certain way, maybe car drivers might give them the room they need, and we could cut down on the accidents involving transports and cars.(maybe)

Q sent to me by @SQUEEKY2

- I’ve never driven in “winter weather” as it were. I have lived in Florida since I was old enough to drive.

I assume whatever responsible truck drivers do is for the ultimate safety of everyone, until someone who doesn’t understand comes around a fraks it up.

@SQUEEKY2: No. I just try to stay out of their way. For the most part, I see them driving safely.

The thing I hate the most is passing those giant trucks, even on a 4 lane. Scares the shit out of me to be along side of them. I flash my lights a couple times during the pass to make sure they’ve seen me. I floor it to get past them ASAP. I _hate_it when Rick passes and just kind of slowly moves on past. I’m looking at those giant wheels right beside me and I just want to scream!

I have to add, and this isn’t just winter for us truckers, on small intersections we a lot of the time have to put the whole unit in the left lane to make a right hand turn, if we didn’t our back trailer would fall into the ditch.

Are all big trucks as sluggish in acceleration as my old Mercedes 4 cylinder Diesel? I feel very safe following the big boys up to speed. Do people see and understand I am doing my best to get up to match the speed they want to go? They have to notice the big trucks.

Try pulling 63.5 metric tonnes and see what your 0 to 60 is.

I’m only moving 2 tons 0 to 60 is 28 seconds. 65 whopping horsepower. Lol. I was curious about unladen performance with the modern diesels (and large I assume)

Empty truck I can easily keep up with traffic, I can take off from a light as quick as most cars.

I just get honked at and told I am number one. Still for a car that big, I’m still getting 27 or so MPG. It will get better when I get my valves adjusted and injectors calibrated.