5 Highway Travel Tips For Sharing the Road With Big Trucks
Many people seem to be overly cautious or maybe even downright frightened when having to share the road with Big Trucks. If you plan on traveling on the highways this summer these 5 highway travel tips should serve you well by helping you behave more relaxed, more sensibly and more safely. Most importantly you may even save yourself some time and well you may save yourself!1. Don’t slow down to pass a slow moving truck. They don’t know of a highway patrol up ahead- just keep moving.When you see trucks going slower than posted highway speeds, no need to assume that he or she knows of an accident or hidden highway patrol that you aren’t aware of. This is very seldom the reason the truck is driving slow. Usually it means that the truck is governed so that it will not go faster than it is traveling. Different companies have their trucks set at different speeds usually between 60mph and 70mph. The way to get a pretty good idea that they are not going slow because of a police or accident is to pay attention to the traffic up ahead. If you don’t see the brake lights on up ahead there is nothing up there and the truck you are about to pass is simply governed. Please do not slow down, go ahead and pass and don’t ride beside the tuck.
2. When approaching oversized loads, look ahead and if no hazards just keep it moving. Never pass a truck in slow motion.When you see oversized loads you should not slow down to pass. Hazard lights and yellow banners do mean to be cautious but they don’t mean panic now. They are bringing your attention to the size or slow speed so that you are simply proactive in your approach and passing.For instance, an oversize load may be riding very close to the white line or even partially on the shoulder. As you are approaching look ahead of the oversize load for any vehicles on the shoulder, bridges close to the highway or any other object that would require the oversized truck to have to move closer to your lane. If you don’t see anything up ahead please go ahead and pass him so that you will not be in the way if something was to happen and he needs to come over. If you are coming on a curve, don’t ride beside him because you don’t know what’s around the curve. If you go ahead and pass then that won’t be a concern. 3. Cutting Trucks Off or Riding Just in Front of Big Trucks is Dangerous, Don’t Do It.I see people often passing the truck only to slow down to the same speed or even slower than the truck. The more the truck slows down to create an open space for a safe following distance the car slows down too. If the truck gets into the left lane to pass, the car will speed up just enough to keep the truck from passing. If you are exiting the highway the reason you are slowing down, just let the truck pass. Never race pass a truck then jump in the lane if front of him to exit. This is dangerous for you because if something happens to your car like the tire blows, the truck won’t have time to stop. It is also just down right stupid. No offense.4. Weigh Stations are for big trucks. Hit the left lane and maintain your speed.When you see the weigh stations that trucks drive into, you don’t have to slow down below the speed limit no matter how many police cars you see in the weight station. Simply jump in the left lane because if the scale is open more than likely trucks will be entering the highway. They will not be coming all the way over to the left lane so there is no need to panic. Pay attention to what’s going on and proceed. Usually there is absolutely no reason for you to slow down. If the sign says weigh in motion do not ride in the right lane on a truck’s bumper or slow down to cross the platform, this throws the scale off and it won’t be able to tell what kind of truck is crossing the scale which throws off the weight. 5. Trucks slow down going up hills because of weight. You don’t need to. Keep it moving.Sometimes you waste time slowing down because a big truck is slowing down. Usually this happens while you are going up a hill. Most loaded trucks will slow down going up a hill at least a little. No need for you to slow down beside him. Continue to do the speed limit if you see nothing up ahead to give you a reason to slow down.Sometimes I see you get in the left lane anticipating the truck will slow down and it never does slow down but you don’t want to go any faster to pass. You then sit out in the left lane riding beside the truck. Let me help you to avoid this.If you are approaching a hill and a big truck, take notice of the truck’s trailer. If the trailer seems to bounce up and down with every bump in the road in a rigid fashion then it is likely to not be loaded which means it will not slow down much going up a hill.If you notice that the trailer does not bounce much or bounces but more fluidly or less rigid while going over bumps in the road, it is likely that the trailer is loaded heavy and the truck will slow down considerably going up that hill ahead, so hit the left lane go ahead.These 5 highway tips if used in a proactive way as you travel on the highways with trucks and other traffic should help you get around much better and with greater confidence in how you drive. They should even help you save time and gas and be much safer on this holiday season.