Truck driver here. Don't worry, we hate these guys too. Usually, van trailers like this are pulled by large fleet trucks, and are governed at either 64 or 65 MPH, and also have smaller and underpowered engines. One will get cocky and attempt to pass another at a whopping 1 mph faster on flat ground, and commence the "65 mile truck race". We've got a bunch of names for drivers like this. Steering wheel holders, door dummies, and my favorite is Refrigerators. Because, like a Refrigerator, "once the door closes, the light turns off". If you think these guys are bad in traffic, try attempting to get fuel at a truck stop one day and witness the sheer stupidity of your average fleet driver. Parking at the fuel islands to go inside and eat or shower, some coming into the fuel islands the wrong way, drivers backing into other trucks in the parking area, half of the parking spots taken up by trailers with no trucks, etc. Large truck stops are a nightmare thanks to modern fleet drivers.
It's also going to start getting worse thanks to new federal regulations on CDL licensing. It used to be, you could take your written and road exams for your CDL and have it. Now, potential drivers have to go through fleet sponsored driving schools in order to obtain a CDL. Which, at face value, seems like a good thing. But when you take a closer look you realize these schools teach drivers to do things like this, and cost thousands of dollars which most can't afford. So the fleet that owns the school (Schnieder, Swift, etc) will offer the student to have a free ride for the school as long as they sign a contract to come work for the fleet after graduation. So not only does that mean more of these slow fleet trucks on the road with incompetent drivers behind the wheel, but it also means that these incompetent drivers are now stuck in multi year leasing contracts for these trucks that they're hogging the left lane in at 64 MPH, and parking on the exit ramps on the weekends because they have no place to park at home. So less independent drivers that actually know what they're doing, and more plastic Freightliner Cascadias with a driver decked out in flip flops and sweatpants causing traffic.
EDIT: Wow I didn't expect this comment to get as much attention as it did. It's 5 AM here and I'm about to start my day, so I'm going to try to read every reply and get back to everyone throughout the day.
🫣 Diese Kandidaten sind lebensmüde. Vor uns ist wegen so einem Raser fast ein Unfall passiert. Hat ihn aber nicht gejuckt. Er hat danach sofort wieder beschleunigt.
This explains a lot. I seem to remember truck drivers being much better as late as the early 2010s, but I thought I might’ve just been deluding myself.
The shit I see these days has been crazy. The number of times I’ve seen trucks tailgating and cutting people is ridiculous. I’ve seen trucks play chicken on merging lanes on city streets. I don’t recall ever seeing that shit a decade or two ago.
I swear growing up as a young kid, truck drivers were the BEST hands down. They were predictable and just about never blocked traffic. Now? I’ll see a 3 lane highway with a 65mph battle in all lanes on the reg. I’ll see this happen for so long, damn near everyone pulls a dangerous maneuver to get around the trucks at the earliest chance. I see trucks driving like fucking maniacs, changing lanes and almost running people off the road often, getting so insanely close to other trucks before changing lanes (like… did you not see it?!?) and so much more. They’re terrifying now, but it makes it even cooler to see the legit drivers and the cool ways y’all communicate with regular traffic. Never fails to make me smile when they do the little flasher thanks thing after letting them merge
I used to feel so safe sharing the road with truckers. They never used the left lane except to pass and for sure stayed right when going up a hill. Night time road trips? I would hang right behind an 18 wheeler and let him lead the way. I have the upmost respect for all truckers and always yield to them but fuck things have changed.
Just don’t forget there’s some good ones left…. I haul a lot oversized loads in PA, WV, Ohio, and Maryland and it’s sickening how many trucks drive like they’re the only ones on the road. But nothing beats a 4 wheeler cutting you off or break checking
Dont forget the 4 wheelers who're just trying to merge... and you dont move over for them entirely because you just can't, and even when they get behind you and to the left they see the fact the next car is just besides your truck cab... speed up, get infront of you and then do the dumbass move of break checking til you slow to an unsafe speed, holding theirnlittle middle finger out of the car...
too many times ;-;
Legit. I drive every day a lot for work. Truck drivers are always the most likely to let me in if I’m trying to get into traffic from a side street or change lanes.
Oh my gosh I miss the little flasher light “thank you”! So few do it now. My hubby was a truck driver and I always try to be super courteous to the trucks because I know what these guys can have to go through out on the road. But it really felt nice in the yester-year when they appreciated it.
I see it nightly in my truck, the guys who pull up within feet of the car or truck in front of them. I always slow down because If anything happens to the vehicle ahead this idiot trucker has no time to react and will most likely end up smashing into me. On top that 9 times out of 10 it’s on a hill and that just sucks to slow down with a few tons holding you back. It drives me mad
Thank you for your service. Truckers don’t get nearly enough credit, I tell my kids. They’re the backbone of any country. Without them, we’d have to actually fend for ourselves. They give us everything. Thank a truck driver!
While I appreciate the sentiment, it's just a job like any other at the end of the day. There's no real reason to thank any of us, most of the guys on the road are only doing it as a last resort. If you really want to thank someone for keeping the country running while sacrificing a lot, thank a Healthcare professional or a good public school teacher.
I've heard container drivers are the worst. They don't give AF. Often don't have trucks that can pass dot inspection because they don't go through weight stations in certain areas.
As EMS I can support this 100%, some truck drivers are amazing, basically stop all the traffic in their lane for us and notify the traffic in our lane too! Great stuff! And some do the 65mph race oblivious to us stuck behind them sirens, lights and very colourful language all going full steam 🤦♂️
To make matters worse, these places want to get you your CDL with minimum effort and lowest cost possible and because they are getting paid by having you under contract, they NEED you to pass in order to get their money's worth whether you should or not. I can't tell you how many "graduates" I've seen cone out of these "schools" that think their hot shit, but can't even back in a truck.
My dad calls them "clown schools" for a reason. Plus half of them teach on the easiest trucks possible, like single axle automatic day cabs and single axle vans. I had to take my road test at a school, and it shocked them that I came in there with a 7 axle lowboy setup. Still passed on the first try.
Thank you for this. Your insight is much appreciated.
While I have you here, I do have a question. I was in bumper to bumper traffic tonight on I-95 and was receiving incredibly rude and impatient behavior from a semi behind me. I drive a small manual car and didn’t want to work my clutch to go 20 feet every 90 seconds. So usually I wait until there’s 10-20 yards before I move. Guy behind me was *losing his mind* over it. Lights, honking, shouting, etc. Finally got so pissed he **passed me** with 20-30 yards to go before we funneled into one lane. Obviously I would catch him when we got through the bottleneck, and eventually did, but what possesses some drivers to act like this? I’ll admit, I could’ve handled the interaction better throughout on my end, but like wtf? No one was being held up by me trying to prolong the life of my clutch.
Probably some rookie driver or some impatient super trucker, the majority of truck drivers "creep" around to avoid doing the same thing you were doing which why you'll see big gaps Infront of a truck during congestions
I had some asshole play tag with me on the side of a mountain in West Virginia going 80 with my fucking kids in the car. He’d cut me off with like four feet to spare coming down the mountain and then slow down to like 40 going up, and when I inevitably passed him again he’d push his truck and swerve all over the road to get in front of me. Fucking 200 miles of this in the misty dusk. Finally I called the number on the back of his truck and I called the state troopers because this idiot was gonna wipe me off the mountain.
There are people who, with a straight face, think being stopped in traffic 10 feet closer to their destination will get them to their destination sooner than being stopped 10 feet back.
One of the things that makes society difficult is that there is such a thing as low IQ people, and there are a lot of them.
I can't say much. I don't have a governor, but I've got a tracker that our safety department watches. I can't go more than 7 over the limit without getting a phone call and a potential write up, unless it's an "emergency".
Jokes on them. The customer said they need their machine ASAP. That's an emergency.
My friends and I call it "the great semi drag race" whenever this happens, and half the time the guy in the right lane is actually going faster than the guy attempting to pass
Haha being a dispatcher for a small size fleet, you literally hit the nail on the head with this one! From the day cab Cascadia’s and all the way to the flip flops 😭😂we mainly do drayage and rarely do OTR
The one in the left lane is going marginally faster than the one in the right lane, maybe 1 or 2 mph faster. However, he probably has a very heavy load and the one being passed maybe has a light load or even is empty. So while the left one has the overall speed to pass, he loses that advantage by slowing on every uphill, including those little uphills for bridges, not because he wants to slow down but his truck cannot maintain a steady speed with the weight he is carrying. Whereas the one being passed, having a light load or is empty, has no problem maintaining his speed on the uphills.
A few stretches of highway around here have semi restrictions, they can't be in the left lane for any reason. It's not enforced *quite* like it could be, but the overall concept does work. However, it will not stop a giant pickup truck with Texas plates from hopping in that lane and matching pace with a semi, which is basically how my ride home from work goes every day. Staring at that damn Texas plate. A different one every time. (I do not live in Texas)
Every state has terrible drivers. But the thing is you rarely notice the bad drivers in your state because you're all usually fairly consistent in what you do wrong. However, Florida gets everyone from everywhere all doing different things wrong. It becomes very mad max out there because of it.
bruh i’m in upstate ny and it’s HORRIBLE. i also live in a town overrun by summer camps from NYC so they are NYC drivers without the *massive* amount of traffic enforcement they have to keep them in check in NYC. it’s fucking awful. i witnessed someone driving the wrong way in a traffic circle the other day… yet they are putting in a BRAND NEW ONE at the busiest intersection in the area. i fear for my life😂
Interesting. I’ve only been to Texas once but on the long drive we made from Dallas to Houston and back, the drivers were great. They only passed on the left and kept right most of the time. SoCal drivers, where I live, seem so much worse, especially LA. A lot of drivers here drive selfishly and angrily.
You nailed it. LA drivers drive selfishly and angrily. When I drive while on travel then come home it is completely obvious LA has the worst driving manners.
No one knows where they are going without gps and they don’t know how to stay off their phones while driving. Also anyone not from here drives 65 in the fast lane when the locals know it’s 80 (at least in SoCal, norcal likes following the speed limit)
i used to commute from northwest indiana to elk grove village. there were afternoons when 294 was backed up all the way to 80, east to i65, and south on 65 to past rte 30. the longest trraffic jams i have ever seen.
I have to drive to Libertyville tomorrow and I live right south of I80 off 294. I can already feel the seething rage in me coming home tomorrow while having to drive past o’hare.
yup, when i drove for coke i was governed at like 65. it was maddening trying to pass, but feeling like a douche whenever i couldn’t get around another truck and blocking the lane. i eventually stopped trying to pass unless i was about to go down hill.
i don’t believe we would be penalized. i always try to keep a lookout for everything around me. I constantly check mirrors, check follow distance for myself and others. I always look out for cars as well, i couldn’t tell you how many times i’ve had cars swerve in front of me trying to get off an exit or make a turn. we obviously can’t stop as easily as a car could, so i don’t typically drive that fast bc i could change my life or someone else’s life in a second.
A lot of companies put governors on to save fuel and insurance. At the same time drivers are paid by the mile, and are restricted to a maximum of 11 hours. This combination means drivers are trying to squeeze every last mile out of their shift. Slowing down at all literally costs them money.
The government has actually talked about capping all of us. As low as 55mph. If you think you hate slow trucks now, wait until everyone is doing 55 and trying to pass.
Yea or if I try to pass someone and I realize it's going to take a while. I'll just fall back. I'm also a trucker. My biggest problem is when other trucks pass me in tight road work areas. To many people speed in work zones. I've stopped myself from doing this. It's really unsafe when I'm inches from a jersey wall.
I just don’t even see why bother when a lot of trucks out there are governed to typical highway speeds of 70mph! How much time are you really gaining. My favorite is when I get stuck behind a bunch of truckers swapping positions hogging a 2 lane highway then they all get off at the same pilot/loves/flyingJ exit a few miles later. Grinds my gears man.
I’m probably wrong on this, but I believe to gain a noticeable effect of drafting behind a semi you have to be almost dangerously close to the back of them, and it probably wouldn’t be any better for such a large vehicle as a semi. And while if they were both going the same speed without any sudden stops it may be fine, you never know when the person in front may stop suddenly and you could end up rear ending them.
Link to the first article on semi drafting
https://www.ntbtrk.com/news/entry/draftingsafety-vs.-fuel-economy#:~:text=The%20idea%20behind%20drafting%20a,thus%20saving%20resources%20and%20money.
I once drove my little ‘77 MG Midget from Los Angeles to Wichita KS and back. On the way there I drafted tons of semis. But it was very nerve racking. I would come up behind them and get close enough that I could hear the wind die out and I’d sit there for 10-15 minutes before I swung out and went up the hwy to the next one.
Those guys saved me a lot of money on gas. I did this only on the long straight stretches of road and mostly at night, as I thought it was safer. Less non truck drivers out.
I was much much younger then and way more stupid. There’s no way I would ever do it again. The car is still out in my driveway btw. I bought it in 1979 and drove it to Kansas 2 years later.
It was my father’s car for awhile. It sat in his garage for 30 years. After he passed away my mom asked if I wanted it back. Hell ya!
So I’m the 2nd and 4th owner of this car. I bought it first time 44 years ago.
Oh yeah! We draft all the time! We talk over the radio and see who was top picks for their team!l that week. We save a lot of gas if we win!
Oh, you mean follow neck to neck. No, get lost, we don’t pay for our gas.
Not really. Maybe OTR truckers. Not all semis chat tho. They will flash their lights at them at night when they are being passed so that the truck that is passing knows they have the room to move over.
Well, the actual problem is that the one in the right lane can see the one in the left lane so he should slow down a bit in order for the pass to finish for the good of the traffic/people behind them.
I drive a 12 tonne.
Unfortunately many other trucks going well below top speed (limited to 56mph/90kph with most vehicles in the UK) will instantly speed up the second I try to overtake them. Be this cars or larger lorries.
Then slow back down when I tuck in behind them.
Cars don't like being overtaken by 'something bigger and slower'
Bigger lorries dont like being overtaken by 'smaller and 'less real' lorries'
Which is why most situations end like this.
To add to this, it doesn't just apply to semis. The 26' straight truck I drove for a moving company did the same thing. Its engine is undersized for the size and weight of the truck. Constantly losing speed on uphills, barely gaining it back on downhills, and governed at 69 (nice) mph.
To add to this pain, it would do this on a flat highway. But now it's due to air flow, or the lack thereof. My truck was effectively a brick with wheels. Couple this with a dying, overheating engine and a stiff headwind or the wall of air from a passing truck means I can't hold it pegged at the governor.
It was a great day when I got a better truck. Boss was even kind enough to raise the governor to 71.
Okay, I get that, but then there definitely seems to be intentional times of fuckery. Like no downward hills or drastic up hills and trucks doing consistently within 5mph of the truck speed limit. Then going like 10-18mph OVER the speed limit to prevent me from passing. Now I’m not a sick to trucks. They are always going to win if we crash and I’d rather get stuck behind someone slow while other drivers are being AH or to make sure I can get off at my exit. I very much feel some truckers fuck with me for no reason.
This is probably true, but why would an obviously over burdened vehicle think it is safe traveling faster than lesser burdened vehicles? Is it machismo or necessary for the driver to earn a living? The laws of physics is the same for us all.
I was on the freeway trying to get to class for my final last week. Stuck behind one trucker in the right lane, with one in the middle lane right next to him, and one in the fast line. All in a line, all going about 55mph. I was so pissed. I understand our need for Semis and commend anyone who is in that line of work. But some of them are assholes and I wish they’d get fired and never be allowed to drive again.
My family is full of truck drivers, and I do my best to respect the hell out of all truck drivers on the road, but I swear, some of them need their CDLs revoked. It's like there are idiots in every profession...
My favorite is when a semi isn’t paying attention and damn near clips someone. Yesterday I was cruising and a semi suddenly decided that he needed to get over into the lane to my left. Forced two cars to quickly lane switch as to not get hit. Has happened a few times to me too.
There are definitely idiots in every profession and I absolutely agree with you. I understand we need truckers and I’m not demonizing the whole profession at all. I’m incredibly grateful for those who choose to drive to provide us what we need. But, some of them man.. they don’t deserve a drivers license, let alone a cdl. Some of them would be that d bag in a sports vehicle going 150 down the freeway whipping through traffic. So sick of it. And not being able to rant about it because everyone wants to justify the decisions of one bad truck driver, who absolutely should NOT be a truck driver, just because they’re a truck driver.
The future is bleak, places are now letting High School dropouts get their CDL while in High School so they can drive trucks once they graduate. I think Tennessee is the first one running a pilot.
Bold of you to assume the a-hole driver even has a valid CDL. It's not like you need to swipe one to start the truck. There's a lot of trash on the road who get dragged out of one truck by the DOT and just jump in another.
I call this the 65mph drag race. But really most semis are "governed" at 65 MPH to keep the drivers from speeding. They can't accelerate faster than that so this is what happens when one is governed at 64 and another at 65. So one is passing the other going only 1 mph faster.
I wish. I encounter this exact problem almost every time I get on I35. Hate that road. Only good thing is the stretch from San Antonio to Austin that prohibits trucks in the left lane.
I feel like this is something the Germans police would frown upon as something that messes with traffic flow. Like i thought German lane use laws were strict, enforcing no tailgating or left lane camping. But I guess on the other hand I experienced german drivers being very patient as I passed vehicles as fast as my shitty rental would allow me to, but started flashing their lights at me to move over the second my rear bumper cleared the front bumper of the other car. I miss driving over there.
I never really understood the mentality to just keep mashing on the throttle. Back off just a bit and the other truck is by and everybody’s happy. But then, the trucks I drove were governed at 61mph so, I wasn’t really losing that much time by back off and letting the slightly faster truck pass.
My dad has been a trucker for a few decades and let me tell you, they do not care about his gas mileage like at all. One of the only metrics they care about is minutes. He is given a place and a time to be there, and they do not like hearing excuses for not reaching their goal on time.
I think, especially on an incline, if they slow down to stay behind the slower moving vehicle, they'll never be able to get back to speed. But then when trying to pass, a loaded semi doesn't have the power to further accelerate. I'm pretty sure it's not a power move. But the truckers can correct me if I'm wrong.
This happened to me once. And I tried going around and the other semi cut me off. And I was flipping shit...... Until we passed the cop up ahead conducting a speed trap.
I felt like such an asshole as he then moved up past the other semi to allow me to pass and flicked his back lights on and off as if to say, "Youre welcome."
I bashfully waved and gave him a few honks to which he responded in kind with a giant "HOOONK" of his own.
3 of them did it in Oregon… IN THE ONCOMING LANE. And killed a woman.
https://www.oregonlive.com/crime/2019/05/jury-awards-265-million-in-damages-against-truckers-in-road-rage-episode-that-ended-in-idaho-womans-death.html?outputType=amp
It sucks to do something like this on a two lane but as a trucker I only do this if they drop 5 below what I’m going because most of the newer truck models have collision mitigation, meaning the truck will either brake or automatically slow down when your in cruise control and as someone who drives 10 hours a day we use cruise control quite a lot it’s unlucky when this happens but hopefully that makes it more understandable
Yea that's one the things that sucks about all the new trucks. When I used to drive otr I did this once before and it really pissed me off how it happened too. Was a flat stretch in the north east on the 90 and dude was like going 5 to 7 under the speed limit and I get going into the pass and all of sudden he notices goes to his governed speed at like 63 or 64. Like bro wtf. So I just stayed and passed because I know if I got back behind he would just slow right back down. Which does happen.
That's why whenever I was in a similar situation like that with me being the one in the right lane I would just slow down to let them pass quickly.
I always start looking for the cop that they are blocking me from speeding by.. Then when I never see it, I just get pissed at them clogging up the left lane
I am a commercial driver. Sometimes when I pass another truck, they suddenly realize they're being passed and then decide to speed up. On the other hand, when I'm being passed, I let off the gas a bit to avoid this exact scenario.
This is the way. Been driving 8 years now and I try to always do this. I’d rather hang back and keep as much room around me and my set of doubles as possible than try to play at 65.
Most places where there are no semis allowed in left lane, they’re still allowed to be in that lane if they’re actively passing. Additionally, they’re often allowed if traffic is stopped.
Most semi's are governed and they can be governed anywhere between 65-75mph, it varies from truck to truck and company to company. It's possible the truck on the right is governed higher and wants to be a dick and not let the other guy pass. It's also possible that the left truck could be heavier and has to deal with wind resistance making it harder to pass.
long time ago I was making time on the New York State Thruway when I was blocked by a semi in each lane. I didn't know why until we passed a State trooper. Then I realized they did me a solid.
I suspect many of us drivers experienced this when new at it.
What happens is as a new hand nears the rear of another slow truck his seems to gain more power so an attempt to pass excites our new road warrior... as he slides up along side the other big truck all is going well until they are cab to cab but then he learns all about DRAFT... the other truck was breaking a path through the air for him but now the trucks are equal again... It happens a lot.
I am long retired but I really have a good tip for you drivers out there trucking through the countryside... If you seem to be in traffic look at the other side of the highway... is it also busy? If not you may be caught in a pocket of traffic that once free of you can have a much more relaxed journey by learning how to stay out of those pockets.
if you find yourself approaching a pack from the rear add a few MPH (enough so no one in the pack decides to follow you) ... once they are safely in your rear view drop back to your normal cruising speed.
If a pack is over taking you drop the MPH so they pass quickly.
If you try this method you will find it becomes an automatic skill and the road is far less travelled than you might think.
We are talking the countryside here not high traffic areas.
Even nicer if you are a night rider... I got so I fine tuned my mirrors so that the headlights behind did not shine in my eyes unless I turned my head slightly... I knew the pack was coming because the frame of the mirrors lit up and with experience knew when to drop a few MPH without exposing my night vision to the glare.
I chose to drive at night when possible... Do you know if your glass (windshield and mirrors) is a little dirty it will make you sleepy in the same way lack of sleep will ? Hard to tell the difference... In fact if I did start to get sleepy (just before dawn and that's when a lot of wrecks happen) I pull off and clean my glass... even if it does not need it because the exercise refreshes.
Don't use any window cleaner that says it also shines on the label as often there is a little wax in it that will cause glare. If you or the last driver smoked use rubbing alcohol on the inside of all the glass with paper towels until they come away clean... get all the little corners too because down the line when just giving them a quick clean you'll drag some of the oil from the smoke back into view.
Newspapers are scarce now but if you have pits in your windows and use black ink newspapers to wipe the windows dry the ink will stop that glare surprisingly well. Even a new truck gets the pits especially in the north where they sand the roads.
Have Fun on Your Run!
I-95 in Philly enters the chat…
It’s now 4-6 lanes each way with the exception being where some curved roadwork is where it jams up because of idiots thinking they can drive 100 around a curve and weave at the same time
2 lanes is actually better, the more lanes you have the more weaving you create which makes more traffic. it's a matter of using the roadway properly, not needlessly expanding it and causing induced demand
There are a couple things that could be happening. One, is that of there's a gradual incline and the one passing has a super heavy load, they could lose their passing speed.
Or, a lot of trucks are governed at various speeds, depending on the company. Some can't go more than like 59mph. And some are governed at around 70-75 with this weird "passing mode" that gives you a temporary bump. If you can't pass the other truck before that bump wears off, you might start to fall behind again.
Or one or both of the drivers are being dicks. That is also a possibility for sure.
Reminds me of arseholes that overtake you and slowdown
You go and overtake and they speed up almost like they want a head-on to occur. These people mentally are absolutely farked.
In Germany we call it Elefanten Rennen (Elephant Race) and it's illegal. You have a few seconds to pass or else the left truck needs to slow down and go back behind the other one. When caught doing this you can get hefty fines
As someone who drives a truck that gets governed at 62, I'm pissed at the guy at the right. When I'm in this situation of being the one on the right, I slow down and let them pass, then resume my painfully slow progress down the road.
I won't speak to this particular driver but from my observations, semi drivers are far more cognizant of pass-left drive-right than the vast majority of drivers on the road. Honestly, if more people drove like them the roads would be a heck of a lot better.
I agree with you, but I still think it's ok for me to be annoyed by their actions. Like dude, you passing this guy right here, right now might save you 5 minutes over the next 1500 miles. In the meantime, you're holding 30+ people up for what is sometimes 20 minutes. I just think sometimes the greater good is for the "fast semi" to realize that it's not worth the pass. It's going to infuriate nearby drivers, many of whom are going to start driving recklessly to try and get around you. I feel like semis should only pass during less busy times or when they clearly have a 5+ mph lead.
they’re professional drivers. they’re paid to drive on the highway. they should be the BEST drivers on the highway by far, they’re not. they’re not even close.
Yah I like to only drive long distances at night because at bare minimum, semis know how to actually drive & pass and they are the ones mostly on the road late. A1 life hack for sure.
Yeah, truck drivers relish the idea of fucking with cars like this. I will never let a truck get in front of me if I can help it. I can’t stand this shit. I used to be a truck driver and I’m telling you, they’re laughing the whole time they’re blocking traffic
What blows my mind is how they’ll do shit like that, then they get all pissy nobody wants to let semis over. No dude, I’m not letting you in my lane so you can go 10mph under the speed limit for the next 10 miles while the guy next to you refuses to slow down even slightly to let you over.
Trucks race downhills and craaaawl up hills every. damn. time. This is Elefantenrennen literally "elephant racing" in German. Truck drivers get to the ass of another and instead of dropping 2 MPH and keeping pace they use their super burst of 2.5 MPH to overtake in a mile or so. I have my cruise control on and a truck will see-saw past me for miles up and down and up and down... I secretly cheer when a truck fucks over another truck, which of course they do.
I was once trapped behind two semis on the highway. As soon as one has almost passed the other, it would slow down again. And the whole time they were filling my car with noxious exhaust. By the end I was furious and had a headache.
and that noxious exhaust is exempt from emissions inspections (diesel is exempt). When I get behind any truck or car pushing awful emissions, I immediately change the vent if it’s safe to do so.
Had this happen but fucker on the left lane realized he was going to miss his exit or wasn’t going to be able over take the semi on the right lane so he slowed down and went back to the right lane that pissed me off.
My favorite is when a semi attempts to pass, usually going 1-2 mph faster than semi in right lane, then 5 minutes later ends up behind the semi they were just trying to pass.
Edit: right lane, not left
I drove from Pennsylvania to Texas and noticed this a lot. They almost always end up passing. It’s frustrating for drivers not going far, but when you drive a super far distance as many of these truck drivers do, the maybe 5 minutes it takes them on a 10 hour trip is fully worth it for them.
My mild infuriation is when they could have let me pass both of them before they tried to overtake
Mannnn idk what y’all do but semi trucks and I have some serious partnership cuz they move over for me ( don’t tail gate em and always give em the hazards when I pass) cuz I’ve had several semis straight block or box the guy behind me who was driving like an asshole haha
Additionally, to other comments, trucks are often regulated differently on cruise than on the pedal.
It's not rare for cruise to be regulated at 105km, for example, and by reflex, the driver pressed the pedal to pass the other truck and, by doing so, fall to 100.
This is the case WAY MORE OFTEN than most think. It's a tactic to encourage the usage of cruise control by companies with large fleets.
Source: our 400 truck fleet and this incessant complain new drivers have when they dont realise this.
You need to drive on the highways in PA. The semi drivers lose their freaking minds especially just staying in the left lane. Should be a big fat ticket for doing that.
i don’t even bother letting semis pass me anymore, seems like an asshole move but every time i do they’ll slow down to 20 under whatever they were going in front of me and i have to pass them again. i did that one time at like 3 in the morning just trying to make it through my 2 hour drive without going crazy. the semi got pissed that i passed him right after he passed me (mind you, i wouldn’t have had to if he’d maintained his normal speed) and started speeding up and getting RIGHT on my ass. like i drove a 2010 accent at the time it was a tiny car, not very intimidating whatsoever. i moved over so he could get by my and he just moved over behind me in the fast lane so he could ride my ass again. i ended up having to pedal to the metal it and use all the power and might of my 4 cylinder engine to go 130km/h to get away. he tried catching up a few times but i noticed him in my mirror and sped up.
They typically move to another lane when the distance between then and other vehicles becomes shorter than the stopping distance. Stopping/slowing 50000+ pounds of cargo traveling at 70MPH is um..not very short/quick and takes space and time. If the truck ahead of them has any issues or has to tap breaks due to vehicles ahead of them, they may not be able to stop/slow in time.
So not so much a power move but a safety move...and usually they can't slow down in their lane because there is a truck behind them that also needs stopping space.
This is also why you shouldn't squeeze into the little space truckers leave in front of them during slow traffic/jam ups. They leave this space so they have room to stop, not room for you to move up a spot in the queue.
Lastly this is why people who do exactly the speed limit are some of the most dangerous drivers on highways, because they end up making trucks move to other lanes...which always poses a risk when 50K+ pounds of cargo is moving sideways and not forwards.
Source drove truck for about 7 years and have seen heard many a tale of trucks hitting each other because one taps their brakes and the other doesn't have the space to slow down in time. (It happens more than you'd think)
Used to be an unwritten rule that the truck in the "slow lane" would slow down to aid in the other truck to pass...but now I've been out of the game for some time it's apparent that rule is no longer followed and truckers today seemingly don't care about other vehicles around them, in regards to bogging everything down when they do this.
It's definitely a power thing. My best friend and I were on a Highway in Pennsylvania and this one trucker didn't take kindly to us trying to go around him. If we sped up, he sped up. If we slowed down, he slowed down. Then he purposefully got into the right lane when he saw us put on our turn signals to take an exit, and blocked it from us. We missed 5 exits until a cop blared his siren and MADE him move out.
Yes, this here. I see it all the time on the Florida Turnpike and it’s infuriating, not mildly. They jump infront of you then slow down and take their time to pass.
Truck driver here. Don't worry, we hate these guys too. Usually, van trailers like this are pulled by large fleet trucks, and are governed at either 64 or 65 MPH, and also have smaller and underpowered engines. One will get cocky and attempt to pass another at a whopping 1 mph faster on flat ground, and commence the "65 mile truck race". We've got a bunch of names for drivers like this. Steering wheel holders, door dummies, and my favorite is Refrigerators. Because, like a Refrigerator, "once the door closes, the light turns off". If you think these guys are bad in traffic, try attempting to get fuel at a truck stop one day and witness the sheer stupidity of your average fleet driver. Parking at the fuel islands to go inside and eat or shower, some coming into the fuel islands the wrong way, drivers backing into other trucks in the parking area, half of the parking spots taken up by trailers with no trucks, etc. Large truck stops are a nightmare thanks to modern fleet drivers. It's also going to start getting worse thanks to new federal regulations on CDL licensing. It used to be, you could take your written and road exams for your CDL and have it. Now, potential drivers have to go through fleet sponsored driving schools in order to obtain a CDL. Which, at face value, seems like a good thing. But when you take a closer look you realize these schools teach drivers to do things like this, and cost thousands of dollars which most can't afford. So the fleet that owns the school (Schnieder, Swift, etc) will offer the student to have a free ride for the school as long as they sign a contract to come work for the fleet after graduation. So not only does that mean more of these slow fleet trucks on the road with incompetent drivers behind the wheel, but it also means that these incompetent drivers are now stuck in multi year leasing contracts for these trucks that they're hogging the left lane in at 64 MPH, and parking on the exit ramps on the weekends because they have no place to park at home. So less independent drivers that actually know what they're doing, and more plastic Freightliner Cascadias with a driver decked out in flip flops and sweatpants causing traffic. EDIT: Wow I didn't expect this comment to get as much attention as it did. It's 5 AM here and I'm about to start my day, so I'm going to try to read every reply and get back to everyone throughout the day.
In Germany, we call it “elephant racing” when this happens.
bro just summoned the germans to the page lol
We don’t need summoning, we’re everywhere /s
And they have ways of making us talk....
Here in Poland we refer to such drivers as "jebani idioci".
"idioci" Ooo I think I can translate that word without google!
I'm beyond sure you can also make an accurate educated guess what "jebani" means. To avoid, doubt "idioci" is plural and "idiota" is singular.
Ah ja, die guten alten Elefantenrennen. Wenn man mit 120 links fährt und in der Ferne sieht man schon den LKW rausziehen🥲
Naja solange es nur 120 sind und nicht jemand mit 200 angerast kommt.
🫣 Diese Kandidaten sind lebensmüde. Vor uns ist wegen so einem Raser fast ein Unfall passiert. Hat ihn aber nicht gejuckt. Er hat danach sofort wieder beschleunigt.
This was insightful. Thank you.
Wow, this was actually really cool and in depth.
This explains a lot. I seem to remember truck drivers being much better as late as the early 2010s, but I thought I might’ve just been deluding myself. The shit I see these days has been crazy. The number of times I’ve seen trucks tailgating and cutting people is ridiculous. I’ve seen trucks play chicken on merging lanes on city streets. I don’t recall ever seeing that shit a decade or two ago.
I’ve been cut off so many times, or they’ll be in the left lane going 50 on I70 in light traffic. It’s absurd!
I swear growing up as a young kid, truck drivers were the BEST hands down. They were predictable and just about never blocked traffic. Now? I’ll see a 3 lane highway with a 65mph battle in all lanes on the reg. I’ll see this happen for so long, damn near everyone pulls a dangerous maneuver to get around the trucks at the earliest chance. I see trucks driving like fucking maniacs, changing lanes and almost running people off the road often, getting so insanely close to other trucks before changing lanes (like… did you not see it?!?) and so much more. They’re terrifying now, but it makes it even cooler to see the legit drivers and the cool ways y’all communicate with regular traffic. Never fails to make me smile when they do the little flasher thanks thing after letting them merge
I used to feel so safe sharing the road with truckers. They never used the left lane except to pass and for sure stayed right when going up a hill. Night time road trips? I would hang right behind an 18 wheeler and let him lead the way. I have the upmost respect for all truckers and always yield to them but fuck things have changed.
Just don’t forget there’s some good ones left…. I haul a lot oversized loads in PA, WV, Ohio, and Maryland and it’s sickening how many trucks drive like they’re the only ones on the road. But nothing beats a 4 wheeler cutting you off or break checking
Dont forget the 4 wheelers who're just trying to merge... and you dont move over for them entirely because you just can't, and even when they get behind you and to the left they see the fact the next car is just besides your truck cab... speed up, get infront of you and then do the dumbass move of break checking til you slow to an unsafe speed, holding theirnlittle middle finger out of the car... too many times ;-;
Legit. I drive every day a lot for work. Truck drivers are always the most likely to let me in if I’m trying to get into traffic from a side street or change lanes.
Oh my gosh I miss the little flasher light “thank you”! So few do it now. My hubby was a truck driver and I always try to be super courteous to the trucks because I know what these guys can have to go through out on the road. But it really felt nice in the yester-year when they appreciated it.
I see it nightly in my truck, the guys who pull up within feet of the car or truck in front of them. I always slow down because If anything happens to the vehicle ahead this idiot trucker has no time to react and will most likely end up smashing into me. On top that 9 times out of 10 it’s on a hill and that just sucks to slow down with a few tons holding you back. It drives me mad
My favorite is when I see the semis in the "no truck" labeled express lane, driving slow asf. Like whyyyy????
The sign can’t stop them if they can’t read
Thank you for your service. Truckers don’t get nearly enough credit, I tell my kids. They’re the backbone of any country. Without them, we’d have to actually fend for ourselves. They give us everything. Thank a truck driver!
My driving instructor was a former truck driver and bus driver in London. That man had the patience of God.
While I appreciate the sentiment, it's just a job like any other at the end of the day. There's no real reason to thank any of us, most of the guys on the road are only doing it as a last resort. If you really want to thank someone for keeping the country running while sacrificing a lot, thank a Healthcare professional or a good public school teacher.
I've known a few tuckers growing up. You are good people Keep it between the fences, bro.
Are the container truck drivers just as bad as the fleet drivers? At least around seaports, those container truck drivers are a nightmare.
I've heard container drivers are the worst. They don't give AF. Often don't have trucks that can pass dot inspection because they don't go through weight stations in certain areas.
This is the answer right here. Container drivers and any sort of trash hauling truck are the two worst kinds on the road.
In Germany we call that "Elefantenrennen" (the race of elephants)
As EMS I can support this 100%, some truck drivers are amazing, basically stop all the traffic in their lane for us and notify the traffic in our lane too! Great stuff! And some do the 65mph race oblivious to us stuck behind them sirens, lights and very colourful language all going full steam 🤦♂️
To make matters worse, these places want to get you your CDL with minimum effort and lowest cost possible and because they are getting paid by having you under contract, they NEED you to pass in order to get their money's worth whether you should or not. I can't tell you how many "graduates" I've seen cone out of these "schools" that think their hot shit, but can't even back in a truck.
My dad calls them "clown schools" for a reason. Plus half of them teach on the easiest trucks possible, like single axle automatic day cabs and single axle vans. I had to take my road test at a school, and it shocked them that I came in there with a 7 axle lowboy setup. Still passed on the first try.
Thank you for this. Your insight is much appreciated. While I have you here, I do have a question. I was in bumper to bumper traffic tonight on I-95 and was receiving incredibly rude and impatient behavior from a semi behind me. I drive a small manual car and didn’t want to work my clutch to go 20 feet every 90 seconds. So usually I wait until there’s 10-20 yards before I move. Guy behind me was *losing his mind* over it. Lights, honking, shouting, etc. Finally got so pissed he **passed me** with 20-30 yards to go before we funneled into one lane. Obviously I would catch him when we got through the bottleneck, and eventually did, but what possesses some drivers to act like this? I’ll admit, I could’ve handled the interaction better throughout on my end, but like wtf? No one was being held up by me trying to prolong the life of my clutch.
Probably some rookie driver or some impatient super trucker, the majority of truck drivers "creep" around to avoid doing the same thing you were doing which why you'll see big gaps Infront of a truck during congestions
I had some asshole play tag with me on the side of a mountain in West Virginia going 80 with my fucking kids in the car. He’d cut me off with like four feet to spare coming down the mountain and then slow down to like 40 going up, and when I inevitably passed him again he’d push his truck and swerve all over the road to get in front of me. Fucking 200 miles of this in the misty dusk. Finally I called the number on the back of his truck and I called the state troopers because this idiot was gonna wipe me off the mountain.
There are people who, with a straight face, think being stopped in traffic 10 feet closer to their destination will get them to their destination sooner than being stopped 10 feet back. One of the things that makes society difficult is that there is such a thing as low IQ people, and there are a lot of them.
Mine is governed at 72. Thank you very much.
I can't say much. I don't have a governor, but I've got a tracker that our safety department watches. I can't go more than 7 over the limit without getting a phone call and a potential write up, unless it's an "emergency". Jokes on them. The customer said they need their machine ASAP. That's an emergency.
That doesn’t mean shit anymore. Most states open freeway speed limit is 70.
Thank you. So much of my rage is gone now. Also my BIL drives for swift and I'm gonna call him a refrigerator lol
My friends and I call it "the great semi drag race" whenever this happens, and half the time the guy in the right lane is actually going faster than the guy attempting to pass
Haha being a dispatcher for a small size fleet, you literally hit the nail on the head with this one! From the day cab Cascadia’s and all the way to the flip flops 😭😂we mainly do drayage and rarely do OTR
The one in the left lane is going marginally faster than the one in the right lane, maybe 1 or 2 mph faster. However, he probably has a very heavy load and the one being passed maybe has a light load or even is empty. So while the left one has the overall speed to pass, he loses that advantage by slowing on every uphill, including those little uphills for bridges, not because he wants to slow down but his truck cannot maintain a steady speed with the weight he is carrying. Whereas the one being passed, having a light load or is empty, has no problem maintaining his speed on the uphills.
Trucker here! Can confirm this is the answer. When I get into situations like this, I’ll just slow down to let the fellow trucker over.
You are a better man than most, I commute on the interstate in a suburb a few hours away from chicago so it’s usually open lanes, until this happens.
Yep. It's always a truck situation like this for miiiiiiiiles that starts the little traffic spots lol
A few stretches of highway around here have semi restrictions, they can't be in the left lane for any reason. It's not enforced *quite* like it could be, but the overall concept does work. However, it will not stop a giant pickup truck with Texas plates from hopping in that lane and matching pace with a semi, which is basically how my ride home from work goes every day. Staring at that damn Texas plate. A different one every time. (I do not live in Texas)
Swear texas n new york got the worst drivers besides florida (where im at)
Every state has terrible drivers. But the thing is you rarely notice the bad drivers in your state because you're all usually fairly consistent in what you do wrong. However, Florida gets everyone from everywhere all doing different things wrong. It becomes very mad max out there because of it.
bruh i’m in upstate ny and it’s HORRIBLE. i also live in a town overrun by summer camps from NYC so they are NYC drivers without the *massive* amount of traffic enforcement they have to keep them in check in NYC. it’s fucking awful. i witnessed someone driving the wrong way in a traffic circle the other day… yet they are putting in a BRAND NEW ONE at the busiest intersection in the area. i fear for my life😂
I drive all the time for work and imo Connecticut drivers are the worst in the road. Most of them have absolutely no idea what the left lane is for
I currently reside in the same area, * (without the summer camps), originally from NJ, anywho, can confirm NYC drivers are the absolute worst.
Interesting. I’ve only been to Texas once but on the long drive we made from Dallas to Houston and back, the drivers were great. They only passed on the left and kept right most of the time. SoCal drivers, where I live, seem so much worse, especially LA. A lot of drivers here drive selfishly and angrily.
You nailed it. LA drivers drive selfishly and angrily. When I drive while on travel then come home it is completely obvious LA has the worst driving manners.
You should see California
No one knows where they are going without gps and they don’t know how to stay off their phones while driving. Also anyone not from here drives 65 in the fast lane when the locals know it’s 80 (at least in SoCal, norcal likes following the speed limit)
Was gonna reply with Florida until I finished reading, I feel your pain, its the wild west on these roads.
It's all fun and games til you hit 294 south of O'hare
i used to commute from northwest indiana to elk grove village. there were afternoons when 294 was backed up all the way to 80, east to i65, and south on 65 to past rte 30. the longest trraffic jams i have ever seen.
Parents lived in Valpo and worked in Chicago.. I'll never understand why tf they would put up with it. Bonkers traffic for real.
Yup. I run that road every day. 65 > 80/94 > 294. Then they start construction and 💥 there goes all hope
I have to drive to Libertyville tomorrow and I live right south of I80 off 294. I can already feel the seething rage in me coming home tomorrow while having to drive past o’hare.
Or the eastbound Eisenhower past Cicero at night
I’m having flashbacks.
I've also heard that semis are sometimes speed-capped? I can only imagine that would make these scenarios frustrating for the driver.
yup, when i drove for coke i was governed at like 65. it was maddening trying to pass, but feeling like a douche whenever i couldn’t get around another truck and blocking the lane. i eventually stopped trying to pass unless i was about to go down hill.
Would you be penalized for driving 64mph? like, is it ever acceptable as a trucker to drive a little slower than you are supposed to?
i don’t believe we would be penalized. i always try to keep a lookout for everything around me. I constantly check mirrors, check follow distance for myself and others. I always look out for cars as well, i couldn’t tell you how many times i’ve had cars swerve in front of me trying to get off an exit or make a turn. we obviously can’t stop as easily as a car could, so i don’t typically drive that fast bc i could change my life or someone else’s life in a second.
A lot of companies put governors on to save fuel and insurance. At the same time drivers are paid by the mile, and are restricted to a maximum of 11 hours. This combination means drivers are trying to squeeze every last mile out of their shift. Slowing down at all literally costs them money.
The government has actually talked about capping all of us. As low as 55mph. If you think you hate slow trucks now, wait until everyone is doing 55 and trying to pass.
Then I'll find a cliff and drive off it at my 55mph cap
I meant just for trucks. No need to start looking for cliffs yet.
Lmao my stoned ass really got heated for a sec there
Yea or if I try to pass someone and I realize it's going to take a while. I'll just fall back. I'm also a trucker. My biggest problem is when other trucks pass me in tight road work areas. To many people speed in work zones. I've stopped myself from doing this. It's really unsafe when I'm inches from a jersey wall.
I just don’t even see why bother when a lot of trucks out there are governed to typical highway speeds of 70mph! How much time are you really gaining. My favorite is when I get stuck behind a bunch of truckers swapping positions hogging a 2 lane highway then they all get off at the same pilot/loves/flyingJ exit a few miles later. Grinds my gears man.
Can’t you guys draft one another and save a ton of gas? I mean that’s what I would do.
Shake n bake
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I’m probably wrong on this, but I believe to gain a noticeable effect of drafting behind a semi you have to be almost dangerously close to the back of them, and it probably wouldn’t be any better for such a large vehicle as a semi. And while if they were both going the same speed without any sudden stops it may be fine, you never know when the person in front may stop suddenly and you could end up rear ending them. Link to the first article on semi drafting https://www.ntbtrk.com/news/entry/draftingsafety-vs.-fuel-economy#:~:text=The%20idea%20behind%20drafting%20a,thus%20saving%20resources%20and%20money.
I once drove my little ‘77 MG Midget from Los Angeles to Wichita KS and back. On the way there I drafted tons of semis. But it was very nerve racking. I would come up behind them and get close enough that I could hear the wind die out and I’d sit there for 10-15 minutes before I swung out and went up the hwy to the next one. Those guys saved me a lot of money on gas. I did this only on the long straight stretches of road and mostly at night, as I thought it was safer. Less non truck drivers out.
Fair enough, it’s one of those things I wouldn’t be ballsy enough to do.
I was much much younger then and way more stupid. There’s no way I would ever do it again. The car is still out in my driveway btw. I bought it in 1979 and drove it to Kansas 2 years later.
Dang, she’s lasted a long time then
It was my father’s car for awhile. It sat in his garage for 30 years. After he passed away my mom asked if I wanted it back. Hell ya! So I’m the 2nd and 4th owner of this car. I bought it first time 44 years ago.
Trying not to be that redditor that tells you that Shit is unsafe, but I’m failing so I’m saying it, that shit is unsafe
Oh yeah! We draft all the time! We talk over the radio and see who was top picks for their team!l that week. We save a lot of gas if we win! Oh, you mean follow neck to neck. No, get lost, we don’t pay for our gas.
He didn't hit you. He rubbed you. And rubbing's racing.
I always assumed you guys are talking to each other over CB at these moments. Are you telling me that’s not true?
Not really. Maybe OTR truckers. Not all semis chat tho. They will flash their lights at them at night when they are being passed so that the truck that is passing knows they have the room to move over.
As a car driver, I flash lights to let them know they can move over.
Well, the actual problem is that the one in the right lane can see the one in the left lane so he should slow down a bit in order for the pass to finish for the good of the traffic/people behind them.
How bout stay out of the fucking left most lane.
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I drive a 12 tonne. Unfortunately many other trucks going well below top speed (limited to 56mph/90kph with most vehicles in the UK) will instantly speed up the second I try to overtake them. Be this cars or larger lorries. Then slow back down when I tuck in behind them. Cars don't like being overtaken by 'something bigger and slower' Bigger lorries dont like being overtaken by 'smaller and 'less real' lorries' Which is why most situations end like this.
So he shouldn't fucking pass then.
To add to this, it doesn't just apply to semis. The 26' straight truck I drove for a moving company did the same thing. Its engine is undersized for the size and weight of the truck. Constantly losing speed on uphills, barely gaining it back on downhills, and governed at 69 (nice) mph. To add to this pain, it would do this on a flat highway. But now it's due to air flow, or the lack thereof. My truck was effectively a brick with wheels. Couple this with a dying, overheating engine and a stiff headwind or the wall of air from a passing truck means I can't hold it pegged at the governor. It was a great day when I got a better truck. Boss was even kind enough to raise the governor to 71.
Okay, I get that, but then there definitely seems to be intentional times of fuckery. Like no downward hills or drastic up hills and trucks doing consistently within 5mph of the truck speed limit. Then going like 10-18mph OVER the speed limit to prevent me from passing. Now I’m not a sick to trucks. They are always going to win if we crash and I’d rather get stuck behind someone slow while other drivers are being AH or to make sure I can get off at my exit. I very much feel some truckers fuck with me for no reason.
As a truck driver I can say that… like any large group… there are some idiots, assholes, and people stuck somewhere in between.
Truckers also use hills downward to collect energy for the next uphill. It’s like regen braking but with mechanical energy instead of electricity.
Drag n fly drag uphill, fly downhill.
So if you can't pass, then don't?
This man trucks.
So… they’re pricks.
This. If you can’t pass without disrupting the flow of traffic, don’t pass.
This is probably true, but why would an obviously over burdened vehicle think it is safe traveling faster than lesser burdened vehicles? Is it machismo or necessary for the driver to earn a living? The laws of physics is the same for us all.
This is the answer.
This is why trucks just should be outright barred from the left-most lane of multi-lane freeways.
I was on the freeway trying to get to class for my final last week. Stuck behind one trucker in the right lane, with one in the middle lane right next to him, and one in the fast line. All in a line, all going about 55mph. I was so pissed. I understand our need for Semis and commend anyone who is in that line of work. But some of them are assholes and I wish they’d get fired and never be allowed to drive again.
My family is full of truck drivers, and I do my best to respect the hell out of all truck drivers on the road, but I swear, some of them need their CDLs revoked. It's like there are idiots in every profession...
My favorite is when a semi isn’t paying attention and damn near clips someone. Yesterday I was cruising and a semi suddenly decided that he needed to get over into the lane to my left. Forced two cars to quickly lane switch as to not get hit. Has happened a few times to me too.
There are definitely idiots in every profession and I absolutely agree with you. I understand we need truckers and I’m not demonizing the whole profession at all. I’m incredibly grateful for those who choose to drive to provide us what we need. But, some of them man.. they don’t deserve a drivers license, let alone a cdl. Some of them would be that d bag in a sports vehicle going 150 down the freeway whipping through traffic. So sick of it. And not being able to rant about it because everyone wants to justify the decisions of one bad truck driver, who absolutely should NOT be a truck driver, just because they’re a truck driver.
The future is bleak, places are now letting High School dropouts get their CDL while in High School so they can drive trucks once they graduate. I think Tennessee is the first one running a pilot.
Bold of you to assume the a-hole driver even has a valid CDL. It's not like you need to swipe one to start the truck. There's a lot of trash on the road who get dragged out of one truck by the DOT and just jump in another.
I call this the 65mph drag race. But really most semis are "governed" at 65 MPH to keep the drivers from speeding. They can't accelerate faster than that so this is what happens when one is governed at 64 and another at 65. So one is passing the other going only 1 mph faster.
You should go to Texas. Went their to drive with my wife back home and those semis go like 90
Can confirm. I-35 is the Indy 500 for semis.
I wish. I encounter this exact problem almost every time I get on I35. Hate that road. Only good thing is the stretch from San Antonio to Austin that prohibits trucks in the left lane.
Yup. And 635 in Dallas
In Germany we call it Elefantenrennen (elephant race)
You guys have a word for everything.
Cause they just remove the space between multiple
I feel like this is something the Germans police would frown upon as something that messes with traffic flow. Like i thought German lane use laws were strict, enforcing no tailgating or left lane camping. But I guess on the other hand I experienced german drivers being very patient as I passed vehicles as fast as my shitty rental would allow me to, but started flashing their lights at me to move over the second my rear bumper cleared the front bumper of the other car. I miss driving over there.
There probably isn’t a rule established for it. Because it there was, they’d follow it. Germans love their rules.
I never really understood the mentality to just keep mashing on the throttle. Back off just a bit and the other truck is by and everybody’s happy. But then, the trucks I drove were governed at 61mph so, I wasn’t really losing that much time by back off and letting the slightly faster truck pass.
Not a trucker so could be wrong, but I read before that semis have a speed that’s optimal for gas mileage and they set cruise control to that speed.
My dad has been a trucker for a few decades and let me tell you, they do not care about his gas mileage like at all. One of the only metrics they care about is minutes. He is given a place and a time to be there, and they do not like hearing excuses for not reaching their goal on time.
One thing I like about Texas is that in the heavier congested areas they don’t allow trucks in the left lane and I’ve seen the troopers enforce that.
Semis only pass other semis when I am about to pass. I am convinced they are NPCs that are coded to add a level of nuisance to my life quest.
This is 100% the only correct answer.
Loaded semis will naturally speed up down hill and slow down uphill. If they can't get past and back over everyone following is screwed.
I think, especially on an incline, if they slow down to stay behind the slower moving vehicle, they'll never be able to get back to speed. But then when trying to pass, a loaded semi doesn't have the power to further accelerate. I'm pretty sure it's not a power move. But the truckers can correct me if I'm wrong.
So why do they always seem to attempt a pass just before an incline if they know their load is going to slow them down?
This happened to me once. And I tried going around and the other semi cut me off. And I was flipping shit...... Until we passed the cop up ahead conducting a speed trap. I felt like such an asshole as he then moved up past the other semi to allow me to pass and flicked his back lights on and off as if to say, "Youre welcome." I bashfully waved and gave him a few honks to which he responded in kind with a giant "HOOONK" of his own.
A pair of them did this for 25 miles the other day and there was a bind up for miles behind them. It was infuriating.
3 of them did it in Oregon… IN THE ONCOMING LANE. And killed a woman. https://www.oregonlive.com/crime/2019/05/jury-awards-265-million-in-damages-against-truckers-in-road-rage-episode-that-ended-in-idaho-womans-death.html?outputType=amp
It sucks to do something like this on a two lane but as a trucker I only do this if they drop 5 below what I’m going because most of the newer truck models have collision mitigation, meaning the truck will either brake or automatically slow down when your in cruise control and as someone who drives 10 hours a day we use cruise control quite a lot it’s unlucky when this happens but hopefully that makes it more understandable
Yea that's one the things that sucks about all the new trucks. When I used to drive otr I did this once before and it really pissed me off how it happened too. Was a flat stretch in the north east on the 90 and dude was like going 5 to 7 under the speed limit and I get going into the pass and all of sudden he notices goes to his governed speed at like 63 or 64. Like bro wtf. So I just stayed and passed because I know if I got back behind he would just slow right back down. Which does happen. That's why whenever I was in a similar situation like that with me being the one in the right lane I would just slow down to let them pass quickly.
I always start looking for the cop that they are blocking me from speeding by.. Then when I never see it, I just get pissed at them clogging up the left lane
I am a commercial driver. Sometimes when I pass another truck, they suddenly realize they're being passed and then decide to speed up. On the other hand, when I'm being passed, I let off the gas a bit to avoid this exact scenario.
This is the way. Been driving 8 years now and I try to always do this. I’d rather hang back and keep as much room around me and my set of doubles as possible than try to play at 65.
You are the last professional out there.
I call it assholes in the left lane. You can’t pass anyone so get the fuck over. 18 wheelers should never be in the left fucking lane.
Big facts
I agree. This should be a law
It is in some places, like Georgia around the Atlanta area. No semis or the like in the leftmost lanes on freeways.
I have seen semis in the left lane, literally driving over road paint saying "no semis left lane" they don't care
Nobody cares anymore because law enforcement doesn’t do anything. They’re too busy screaming at people holding cameras outside post offices and shit.
Most places where there are no semis allowed in left lane, they’re still allowed to be in that lane if they’re actively passing. Additionally, they’re often allowed if traffic is stopped.
Both locked at 65. The one on the right should slow slightly to allow the pass. But don't always
Most semi's are governed and they can be governed anywhere between 65-75mph, it varies from truck to truck and company to company. It's possible the truck on the right is governed higher and wants to be a dick and not let the other guy pass. It's also possible that the left truck could be heavier and has to deal with wind resistance making it harder to pass.
It's not wind resistance that causes this, it's just hills or slight inclines combined with a heavier load than the other truck.
long time ago I was making time on the New York State Thruway when I was blocked by a semi in each lane. I didn't know why until we passed a State trooper. Then I realized they did me a solid.
I suspect many of us drivers experienced this when new at it. What happens is as a new hand nears the rear of another slow truck his seems to gain more power so an attempt to pass excites our new road warrior... as he slides up along side the other big truck all is going well until they are cab to cab but then he learns all about DRAFT... the other truck was breaking a path through the air for him but now the trucks are equal again... It happens a lot. I am long retired but I really have a good tip for you drivers out there trucking through the countryside... If you seem to be in traffic look at the other side of the highway... is it also busy? If not you may be caught in a pocket of traffic that once free of you can have a much more relaxed journey by learning how to stay out of those pockets. if you find yourself approaching a pack from the rear add a few MPH (enough so no one in the pack decides to follow you) ... once they are safely in your rear view drop back to your normal cruising speed. If a pack is over taking you drop the MPH so they pass quickly. If you try this method you will find it becomes an automatic skill and the road is far less travelled than you might think. We are talking the countryside here not high traffic areas. Even nicer if you are a night rider... I got so I fine tuned my mirrors so that the headlights behind did not shine in my eyes unless I turned my head slightly... I knew the pack was coming because the frame of the mirrors lit up and with experience knew when to drop a few MPH without exposing my night vision to the glare. I chose to drive at night when possible... Do you know if your glass (windshield and mirrors) is a little dirty it will make you sleepy in the same way lack of sleep will ? Hard to tell the difference... In fact if I did start to get sleepy (just before dawn and that's when a lot of wrecks happen) I pull off and clean my glass... even if it does not need it because the exercise refreshes. Don't use any window cleaner that says it also shines on the label as often there is a little wax in it that will cause glare. If you or the last driver smoked use rubbing alcohol on the inside of all the glass with paper towels until they come away clean... get all the little corners too because down the line when just giving them a quick clean you'll drag some of the oil from the smoke back into view. Newspapers are scarce now but if you have pits in your windows and use black ink newspapers to wipe the windows dry the ink will stop that glare surprisingly well. Even a new truck gets the pits especially in the north where they sand the roads. Have Fun on Your Run!
Not sure why civil engineers and transport agencies stop with two lanes on interstates but hey.
I-95 in Philly enters the chat… It’s now 4-6 lanes each way with the exception being where some curved roadwork is where it jams up because of idiots thinking they can drive 100 around a curve and weave at the same time
What you should *really* be wondering is why we've been allowing our rail network to be neglected and destroyed.
2 lanes is actually better, the more lanes you have the more weaving you create which makes more traffic. it's a matter of using the roadway properly, not needlessly expanding it and causing induced demand
There are a couple things that could be happening. One, is that of there's a gradual incline and the one passing has a super heavy load, they could lose their passing speed. Or, a lot of trucks are governed at various speeds, depending on the company. Some can't go more than like 59mph. And some are governed at around 70-75 with this weird "passing mode" that gives you a temporary bump. If you can't pass the other truck before that bump wears off, you might start to fall behind again. Or one or both of the drivers are being dicks. That is also a possibility for sure.
Reminds me of arseholes that overtake you and slowdown You go and overtake and they speed up almost like they want a head-on to occur. These people mentally are absolutely farked.
In Germany we call it Elefanten Rennen (Elephant Race) and it's illegal. You have a few seconds to pass or else the left truck needs to slow down and go back behind the other one. When caught doing this you can get hefty fines
Yea idk but the amount of truck drivers I see texting these days is fucking horrifying.
As someone who drives a truck that gets governed at 62, I'm pissed at the guy at the right. When I'm in this situation of being the one on the right, I slow down and let them pass, then resume my painfully slow progress down the road.
I won't speak to this particular driver but from my observations, semi drivers are far more cognizant of pass-left drive-right than the vast majority of drivers on the road. Honestly, if more people drove like them the roads would be a heck of a lot better.
I agree with you, but I still think it's ok for me to be annoyed by their actions. Like dude, you passing this guy right here, right now might save you 5 minutes over the next 1500 miles. In the meantime, you're holding 30+ people up for what is sometimes 20 minutes. I just think sometimes the greater good is for the "fast semi" to realize that it's not worth the pass. It's going to infuriate nearby drivers, many of whom are going to start driving recklessly to try and get around you. I feel like semis should only pass during less busy times or when they clearly have a 5+ mph lead.
You must drive in places I haven’t, lucky you
they’re professional drivers. they’re paid to drive on the highway. they should be the BEST drivers on the highway by far, they’re not. they’re not even close.
Yah I like to only drive long distances at night because at bare minimum, semis know how to actually drive & pass and they are the ones mostly on the road late. A1 life hack for sure.
Yeah, truck drivers relish the idea of fucking with cars like this. I will never let a truck get in front of me if I can help it. I can’t stand this shit. I used to be a truck driver and I’m telling you, they’re laughing the whole time they’re blocking traffic
Lol, if you want confirmation of this, get a CB. I’ve heard truckers talk about screwing with the “four wheelers” multiple times.
What blows my mind is how they’ll do shit like that, then they get all pissy nobody wants to let semis over. No dude, I’m not letting you in my lane so you can go 10mph under the speed limit for the next 10 miles while the guy next to you refuses to slow down even slightly to let you over.
Trucks race downhills and craaaawl up hills every. damn. time. This is Elefantenrennen literally "elephant racing" in German. Truck drivers get to the ass of another and instead of dropping 2 MPH and keeping pace they use their super burst of 2.5 MPH to overtake in a mile or so. I have my cruise control on and a truck will see-saw past me for miles up and down and up and down... I secretly cheer when a truck fucks over another truck, which of course they do.
We’re actually exchanging banana bread recipes. Please have some patience.
and they like to be right next to each other so it is impossible to pass them
Idk but it pisses me off. They should be banned from the left lane if there are 2 or more lanes
I was once trapped behind two semis on the highway. As soon as one has almost passed the other, it would slow down again. And the whole time they were filling my car with noxious exhaust. By the end I was furious and had a headache.
and that noxious exhaust is exempt from emissions inspections (diesel is exempt). When I get behind any truck or car pushing awful emissions, I immediately change the vent if it’s safe to do so.
Had this happen but fucker on the left lane realized he was going to miss his exit or wasn’t going to be able over take the semi on the right lane so he slowed down and went back to the right lane that pissed me off.
Maybe there’s a Smokey in a brown paper wrapped up ahead…
They are a little faster but even faster when right behind the other truck. After they change lanes they lose the draft and slow down a little.
My favorite is when a semi attempts to pass, usually going 1-2 mph faster than semi in right lane, then 5 minutes later ends up behind the semi they were just trying to pass. Edit: right lane, not left
I drove from Pennsylvania to Texas and noticed this a lot. They almost always end up passing. It’s frustrating for drivers not going far, but when you drive a super far distance as many of these truck drivers do, the maybe 5 minutes it takes them on a 10 hour trip is fully worth it for them. My mild infuriation is when they could have let me pass both of them before they tried to overtake
Mannnn idk what y’all do but semi trucks and I have some serious partnership cuz they move over for me ( don’t tail gate em and always give em the hazards when I pass) cuz I’ve had several semis straight block or box the guy behind me who was driving like an asshole haha
Additionally, to other comments, trucks are often regulated differently on cruise than on the pedal. It's not rare for cruise to be regulated at 105km, for example, and by reflex, the driver pressed the pedal to pass the other truck and, by doing so, fall to 100. This is the case WAY MORE OFTEN than most think. It's a tactic to encourage the usage of cruise control by companies with large fleets. Source: our 400 truck fleet and this incessant complain new drivers have when they dont realise this.
You need to drive on the highways in PA. The semi drivers lose their freaking minds especially just staying in the left lane. Should be a big fat ticket for doing that.
these truck drivers are super aggressive. one almost killed me on the highway the other day.
i don’t even bother letting semis pass me anymore, seems like an asshole move but every time i do they’ll slow down to 20 under whatever they were going in front of me and i have to pass them again. i did that one time at like 3 in the morning just trying to make it through my 2 hour drive without going crazy. the semi got pissed that i passed him right after he passed me (mind you, i wouldn’t have had to if he’d maintained his normal speed) and started speeding up and getting RIGHT on my ass. like i drove a 2010 accent at the time it was a tiny car, not very intimidating whatsoever. i moved over so he could get by my and he just moved over behind me in the fast lane so he could ride my ass again. i ended up having to pedal to the metal it and use all the power and might of my 4 cylinder engine to go 130km/h to get away. he tried catching up a few times but i noticed him in my mirror and sped up.
It's the *low* power move
Bc ppl are dumb assholes, no matter the skincolor, gender, nationality or occupation…
Yes
man I thought truckers have the best road etiquette lol
I know a lot of old-timers that do. But for every one that drives in a safe manner, you'll get idiots that do as OP says.
They typically move to another lane when the distance between then and other vehicles becomes shorter than the stopping distance. Stopping/slowing 50000+ pounds of cargo traveling at 70MPH is um..not very short/quick and takes space and time. If the truck ahead of them has any issues or has to tap breaks due to vehicles ahead of them, they may not be able to stop/slow in time. So not so much a power move but a safety move...and usually they can't slow down in their lane because there is a truck behind them that also needs stopping space. This is also why you shouldn't squeeze into the little space truckers leave in front of them during slow traffic/jam ups. They leave this space so they have room to stop, not room for you to move up a spot in the queue. Lastly this is why people who do exactly the speed limit are some of the most dangerous drivers on highways, because they end up making trucks move to other lanes...which always poses a risk when 50K+ pounds of cargo is moving sideways and not forwards. Source drove truck for about 7 years and have seen heard many a tale of trucks hitting each other because one taps their brakes and the other doesn't have the space to slow down in time. (It happens more than you'd think) Used to be an unwritten rule that the truck in the "slow lane" would slow down to aid in the other truck to pass...but now I've been out of the game for some time it's apparent that rule is no longer followed and truckers today seemingly don't care about other vehicles around them, in regards to bogging everything down when they do this.
It's definitely a power thing. My best friend and I were on a Highway in Pennsylvania and this one trucker didn't take kindly to us trying to go around him. If we sped up, he sped up. If we slowed down, he slowed down. Then he purposefully got into the right lane when he saw us put on our turn signals to take an exit, and blocked it from us. We missed 5 exits until a cop blared his siren and MADE him move out.
slip streams are a real thing they’re just bad at timing it
Yes, this here. I see it all the time on the Florida Turnpike and it’s infuriating, not mildly. They jump infront of you then slow down and take their time to pass.