All Van, SUV, Sedan, this-and-that-kind-of-car drivers, when you are on the road, do you have an idea what truckers see, how fast, which lane they should be driving, how they turn, how they ever keep their lane with such wide loads?
Have you ever ridden in a truck? Everybody should. It would give you a better understanding of these monsters and their drivers so later you would not put yourself into stupid critical situations.
As far as I am concerned (as I drive a van with my family inside, along with it I - sometimes reluctantly - climb up to the cabin and see the world from a different view) truck riding should be a part of driver's ed.
They see you changing while driving, yes, even when your pants are halfway down, when you try to fix your hair or apply your full make up while maneuvering in different lanes.
I will try to update these tidbits because if you are anything like me, You'll find them amusing.
But there is a more serious side to this.
When you have no idea how much space they need while turning left or right, how long it takes to start the truck at the red light when instead just you putting your car into drive they deal with 10, 13 or more gears.
First of all, all well kept companies limit the speed of their trucks.
They cannot go over the speed limit which is as you know only 100 in North America. On the other hand though, if they can go with a hundred then it is their best interest to keep that speed because it is their job. They don't appreciate you slowing them down when you keep at a 90 and when they try to take you over, you keep your 100 so they get stuck. So the others behind get frustrated, they are forced to slow down but nothing can interrupt your cruise on the road!
Another time you get behind a truck and no matter how much you cannot see, you will not get around it.
Or maybe you get next to it but keep the same speed and no matter how scary it is, you just won't get ahead of it. Not even when another truck gets onto your other side and you are boxed in, you will stay no matter what. Isn't it scary or stressful?
You've had the experience to be sucked in by the swirl of the truck and instead of keeping some distance from it you get dangerously close to it?
I am always stunned to see this phenomenon every time.
Have you seen a truck trying to turn right downtown?
Of course you have. You probably never even gave it a thought how much an uncontrollable hazard it is that they are faced with. Pedestrians. They are completely ignorant of cars when they want to cross even though from grade one to grade three they have been taught over and over again not to stay too close to the edge. They not just do but they even step down impatiently as if they could cross any sooner. When they stand too close to the edge, they are simply not seen from up the tractor. There have been accidents this way and as much as we love blaming the driver he, is the least to be blamed.
Cars on the left. The are ignorant of the size so they come close next to the truck leaving no space whatsoever for the turn.
Rule of thumb: a truck always needs two lanes to turn no matter it is left or right so please, don't try to drive up next to it because you make it impossible!
Ever wondered why truckers are almost as pushy as taxi drivers? Because they are never getting courteous thoughtful treatment from "normal" drivers. They have to fight their way into the road, onto the highway because if you see them, you want to get ahead of them no matter what.
Remember, they are working 70 hours a week, sleep in the truck that is their whole house, find few descent bathroom facilities.
So please, let them be descent workers, drivers, people.
Our and other families depend on it.
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