My wife, Mary and I were westbound on I-80 in panhandle Nebraska Saturday afternoon; my wife was at the wheel. We come up on two semis traveling together in the right lane and a semi passing them in the left. Mary slides over into the left lane behind the passing truck. And there he sits. He doesn’t have the speed to get around the trucks in the right lane so he just stays there (did I mention that there’s also a strong S > N crosswind?).

We’re sitting back there in a stalemate when a grey Freightliner comes up fast behind us. He gets behind us and flashes his lights. “He’s not flashing his lights at me, is he?” Says Mary, “There’s nothing I can do.”

He slides up right behind us. Too close. This goes on another minute or two. We’re boxed in with two semis to our right, one in front, and a fourth directly behind.

Mary’s had enough of this, so she lifts and slows down enough to slide in behind the two trucks in the right lane. At that instant, the Freightliner mashes down and comes flying up on the truck in the left lane causing all this shit. He eases off when the nose of this truck is right on the back of the offending truck’s trailer. Honest to God, it was like a car drafting in NASCAR, he must have been within two feet of that truck.

Immediately, that truck puts on its right turn signal. It backs off and slides in behind the two semis in the right lane, in front of us. The grey Freightliner clears, and we move back over into the left lane and get by all of them, including the Freightliner. Kinda funny, when it’s all over, you just drive on, but for awhile there with a pissed off truck driver sitting ahead of 80,000#, so close you can see dead bugs on the Freightliner emblem…

Used to be that people "apprenticed" in such trades as truck driving, and were most professional and aware that those not in the trade, were ignorant of the needs, the energy and the danger of not having control over all of it, and accommodated them as they could.

And those not in such trades, would respect the needs of those truckers, realizing that there was much they knew not of the needs, the energy and the dangers requiring control over all of it, and gave way to them that could benefit, and accommodated as they could.

Then both people became "self aware" and thought of no one else...


I find it regrettable that those who still are considerate, are treated with such inconsideration.

But, more glad, to read your recollection in the first and third person, than to read a news story of the same event.

The days of most truckers on the roads being professionals are long behind us. Glad you made it around those morons safely.

I've noticed behavior like this more and more from truckers in the last 3+ years.

Several trucks in the right lane moving at their max posted speed or a little over. One HAS to pass them and does this at 1mph faster than the trucks in the right lane. This of course causes a nice back up of cars behind them. As soon as the truck clears the line of slightly slower trucks it will move over to the right allowing normal traffic to pass.

Of course then, a few miles later, the last truck in the line has to pass and the process repeats.

This is how traffic that normally would be nicely spread out gets all jammed up together and eventually there will be an accident.

Wait a minute. Your wife was driving?

This is absolutely crazy. A Freymiller rig decides to pass 2 trucks in front of him by getting on the right shoulder and going around them. This is a 2 lane divided highway (interstate), not 3 lanes. The 2 trucks on the actual Interstate are Swift company, they're governed to the same speed and can't pass. Idiots and fools and assholes.

This is beyond foolish.

You are seeing what could have been a multi truck tangle up, it wouldn't take much, and when they tangle up it will take out the following cars.

Witness the cars zooming right up and getting close behind the 2 trucks in the normal and proper lanes of travel.
They are so close, not paying attention, or don't care, and certainly have no regard for themselves or others.

All it takes is one of the 3 big rigs to make contact with another and all 3 will get wiped out, taking out the cars following so close behind.

Disclosure: Once upon a time, many years ago, I worked for Freymiller trucking (twice actually) as a dispatcher, and so I don't have a clue who this idiot driver is, this was years after I left. I'm sure the Freymillers fired his ass quickly and yanked him out of the truck asap. I'd never have left the driver in the truck, there are ways to intercept the trip and grab it.


.
.

All of this is because too many people feel they are entitled to whatever the fuck they want, and screw anyone else.

Both the truck drivers and the folks in the cars.

Just "give up" what you "think" you are entitled to. And all of a sudden, it's not so damned important.


The "precious" seconds you might save by blasting past, or holding others back, contrasted to the many hours on the side of the road "after", and the years of asking yourself, "what if I just let it go...?"


When we all meet at the end of the journey, let's compare notes...

Tom,
Glad you and your wife are safe. Too many people in a hurry.

PC

quote:

Swift company

Sure Wish I'd Finished Training.

NONE of the drivers in that video should have been doing what they were doing.

Regarding the above video, it's funny how fast the truck in the passing lane was able to get past the other two when he wanted to...after holding up traffic for how long?

Jackass.

I drove for 42 years. Training is a problem. They will pass anybody and give them a CDL.
Companies push the drivers to go as fast and far as they can every day.
It's the idiots who tailgate four wheelers that give drivers a bad name.
I gave up getting pissed 20 years ago. Get cut off all the time,just let it go.
LOL, my training in the early 80's consisted of drive the semi around the building
once, ok back into dock # 2, had to correct once. You're good to go. Trained myself.
Last 38 years zero accidents, Zero tickets.

I see the lack of lane courtesy everywhere there is civilization. The left lane cruisers do it to make themselves feel like they have control over other drivers. They get a kick out of it. I do wonder if truckers driving governed trucks can just put the pedal to the metal and stay that way, like cruise control. If that driver approaches another truck who is governed ever so slightly less or carrying a heavier load up a slight grade the bullshit above happens. The guy in the right lane deserves as much blame. He knows what’s going on. Rather than slow briefly to allow a pass he just inflicts himself on the world as well.

My truck was governed at 65. When a truck going 66 would pass I would slow down
so it could get in front of me and the cars that want to go 80 could go.
Then there were the times I would follow a truck going 61 for 5 miles.
When I get in the left lane to pass they would speed up to 65. I would slow back down
but couldn't get back to the right lane because there are cars behind the truck.
Everybody pissed. Sometimes you just can't win.

Yeah training is a major issue. Worked at a distribution warehouse last summer. This was for $1.5 million loads. Routine to have "rookie" drivers show up with zero ability to even back into the dock. Could take them an hour to get backed in.
Several couldn't speak enough English to complete paperwork. We had to us Google translate to get that done.
It's a real shit show out there.

Not just in truckers. I’ve driven back and forth between TX and SC for decades.

The last drive, twice, I had to pass people on the shoulder doing some kind of rolling roadblock. (15-20mph - far too slow to be safe on the interstate)

One of my friends got stuck on 95 last night in Miami, because a group of idiots were doing the same thing/donuts/hanging out of cars, etc.

This message has been edited. Last edited by: Aglifter,

Not last night. A few nights ago

Some of the scariest $#!t like that I've run into has been in those deep valleys on I-81 around Roanoke. Happened more than a couple times. Combination of the up and down grades and two lanes.

quote:

Originally posted by Rightwire:
I've noticed behavior like this more and more from truckers in the last 3+ years.

Several trucks in the right lane moving at their max posted speed or a little over. One HAS to pass them and does this at 1mph faster than the trucks in the right lane. This of course causes a nice back up of cars behind them. As soon as the truck clears the line of slightly slower trucks it will move over to the right allowing normal traffic to pass.

Of course then, a few miles later, the last truck in the line has to pass and the process repeats.

This is how traffic that normally would be nicely spread out gets all jammed up together and eventually there will be an accident.

You should try driving on I95 here in Virginia! North or south makes no difference. I have witnessed MILES of backed up traffic thanks to those truckers.

It does get on one's nerves when semi's are overtaking another by barely being faster than the other.

I would have just stayed where I am and the truck ahead of me would get the hint from the truck behind me. Unless the truck behind me was driving erratic, chances are he wasn't going to hit you.

I drive that stretch of I10 in the video in the OP once a week and I see stuff like this all the time.

It's gotten so bad I take a shortcut through one of the reservations to avoid getting on the I10 more than necessary.