Has anyone noticed, or is it just me

[Peter Aawen]

.......and not just in the US, Brucie. Sure, the vast majority of truck drivers are good, courteous drivers, especially if you extend courtesy to them, but there are an ever increasing number of ratbags appearing.

Pete

I gotta with this - only it's something that's not just restricted to truck drivers!! It seems to be becoming more prevalent amongst ALL types of road users, including the increasing numbers of apparently suicidal cyclists who try to force their way (right-of or not withstanding! ) regardless of the fact that due to the so far immutable laws of physics, in any potential collision, they will ALWAYS lose!

Like Steve said:

It's easy to remember, ... "it's not the right of way, it's the right of WEIGHT".

[seaweed]

Courtesy is a two way street!!

What do you do if you approach a 4 way stop and you see that there is a semi-truck with turn signals on indicating that they want to turn towards you? Answer, stop way back from the stop sign to allow the trucker plenty of room to make the turn. You might even get a friendly wave!

What do you do after passing a truck? Answer, allow plenty of room between you and the truck before cutting back into the trucks lane.

What do you do if you are merging onto a highway and a truck is in the outside lane where you are headed? Do you hit the gas and hope to get in front of the truck or back off a bit and allow the truck to be ahead of you. Answer, you are safer off by allowing the truck to go ahead and not having the driver to hit the brakes.

I could come up with many other question/answers but I will let you think of many more.

No I am not a trucker nor ever have been!

[barbarosa]

Always yield the right of way to the vehicle that weighs 10x or more than you. And takes a lot of room to stop.

[Possible]

Might makes right? Submit to the bully?

[bigbadbrucie]

In my original post, the truck was not moving. He was at a STOP SIGN. I was travelling on the highway (not the Freeway, just a 2 lane main road) and he looked in both directions and then pulled out. I might add that in addition to my LED highbeams on, I was wearing a high viz. safety vest and my RTS colour is cognac, so it does NOT blend in with the background. There was no obstructions to impair the truckers vision, and NO, I’m not picking on truckers per se, but on the so called professionalism that they now seem to receive. As far as I know, I had the right-of-way as he was at a stop sign and if I had been the police, would have been remiss in my duty if I did not ticket him.

[IdahoMtnSpyder]

In my original post, the truck was not moving. He was at a STOP SIGN. I was travelling on the highway (not the Freeway, just a 2 lane main road) and he looked in both directions and then pulled out. I might add that in addition to my LED highbeams on, I was wearing a high viz. safety vest and my RTS colour is cognac, so it does NOT blend in with the background. There was no obstructions to impair the truckers vision, and NO, I’m not picking on truckers per se, but on the so called professionalism that they now seem to receive. As far as I know, I had the right-of-way as he was at a stop sign and if I had been the police, would have been remiss in my duty if I did not ticket him.

Here are a couple of comments I've made in previous discussions about this issue.

https://www.spyderlovers.com/forums/...=1#post1549039

https://www.spyderlovers.com/forums/...=1#post1408350

[askitee]

Has anyone noticed that there seems to be an influx of NOT PROFESSIONAL DRIVERS. It used to be that the semi truckers were “professionals” but now it seems that their only concern is to get from point A to point B in the shortest possible time, and to heck with the other highway users. I was out for a short ride today, my headlights on highbeam, headlights LED’s, driving lights on, clear sunny day. Came up to a side road entrance, truck pulled up to it stopped and then swung out onto the roadway. He was a tandem trailer semi with a lumber load. I had nobody behind me, nor did he. By the time he was on the roadway and totally in his lane, I had to brake. Had he waited 30 seconds, I would have been by him and he would have been clear to go, and had he been a PROFESSIONAL DRIVER, that’s exactly how it would have been!

There....RANT over, and I feel better.

I had hoped this was a problem unique to Australia - appears not

[Peter Aawen]

Might makes right? Submit to the bully?

It's not that at all!! . It's more a matter of any/all drivers/riders of a smaller vehicles being smart enough to try and avoid forcing the heavier vehicle driver to hafta argue with those STILL so far immutable laws of physics!!

Heavy vehicles have a HELLUVA LOT of momentum to overcome just to change speeds, let alone STOP to avoid the idiot who cuts in front without leaving enough space; or to GET MOVING again once they've been forced to slow to avoid driving right over someone who cut things just a little fine, and all that also applies if they've just started moving again!! Sometimes, their best and safest course of action is to continue on with the action they commenced somewhat before you as the approaching driver even saw the heavy vehicle start moving again, cos if they try to stop something they've already started, they'll likely end up smack in your way or blocking the whole intersection or maybe running over you as you try to squeeze thru the rapidly closing gap before they physically can stop again anyway!!

The 'real' professional drivers of heavy vehicles out there know that their rigs just don't simply get straight up to freeway speeds in seconds once they put their foot down; just like they don't just stop on a dime if they lift their foot off the gas or stomp on the brakes either - all those actions take quite a few seconds to show any noticeable results, and the smaller vehicle that gets too close in any of those instances WILL LOSE if it comes to a collision!! So regardless of who you are or who 'technically' might have right of way, as a competent driver/rider of a smaller vehicle, then YOU really NEED to give them a WHOLE LOT MORE SPACE and LEEWAY to do anything, or YOU'LL LOSE if the driver of the heavy vehicle can't suddenly produce a miracle and avoid you - it really doesn't matter too much if they're a ratbag incompetent or the most courteous of skilled professional drivers!! If YOU (or me; or someone else?!) puts yourself in harms way by not giving them/their vehicle enough space or leeway to do what they've already started doing (even if you can't see it yet cos it's taking seconds to produce any results!! ) then YOU stand a good chance of paying the penalty..... and there's an equally as good chance that they might not even feel the little bump that was their heavy trailer flattening you into the deck!!

So if/whenever anyone is driving/riding a smaller vehicle, if we're smart, we'll give these heavy vehicles more space than we think they might need; and cos there does seem to be an increasing number of 'less than professionally competent' drivers than was formerly the case, then we should probably give them even MORE 'I.D. 10. T.' space too!

[Possible]

My all time pet peeve: two trucks on the interstate, with one trying to pass the other. One is doing 65 mph, the other is doing 65.1 mph. Do they do the considerate thing and
move over? Surely you jest, they just ramble on down the highway letting huge lines of traffic back up behind them. I see this all the time.

There's lots of bad drivers out there, and semi drivers have their fair share. I've been motorcycling for over 55 years, and never had a motorcycle accident on the street. I know how
to avoid these guys, but I don't like their attitude one bit.

[IdahoMtnSpyder]

One time, in Kansas I think, traffic was heavy and not quite the speed limit. I was in the left lane and a FedEx semi pulled up in the right lane alongside me. I got his attention and waved him to back off. He did, but I could tell he was not happy. But at least he was courteous enough to give me space. When traffic freed up I left him well behind.

[guzzihack]

A couple observations as a "semi" retired driver. Not trying to make an excuse for a stupid move. The mirrors on a truck are large and are at the same height as a driver's eyes and so are stop, warning signs at corners. I have on several occasions thought the road was clear only to start pulling out and see a vehicle approaching even though I looked several times. And once committed, by the time I bring 80K lbs to a stop, I've blocked the intersection. It will take a loaded truck almost a mile to get up to speed. Sometimes have to weigh the lesser of 2 evils.

Trucks now using a computer to track his driving and stopped times. In the real world these electronic log devices hamper a driver's efficiency and have the side effect of making drivers have to hurry to complete their deliveries. Also there now is a shortage of drivers which means there are more newbies out there with less experience. Yes, I've done stupid things and been a recipient of driver stupidity too. In conclusion, ride smart, ride safe, pretend you're invisible and enjoy the ride.

Not trying to make excuses for dumb drivers, bet there's a lot going on in truck cabs and still trying to be safe so he/she can get home in one piece. Every truck driver like a motorcycle rider was a beginner at one time.

Coke

[wyliec]

Thank you Peteoz. Today at the gym, I'm going to try and use the "new word of the day".

[2dogs]

.......and not just in the US, Brucie. Sure, the vast majority of truck drivers are good, courteous drivers, especially if you extend courtesy to them, but there are an ever increasing number of ratbags appearing.....

Agreed, but you can't fix stupid! Cruising down the freeway one day I came up behind a small group of M/C riders who appeared unwilling to pass a semi with a trailer that was swaying back and forth over 1 and 1/2 lanes. Can't say that I didn't blame them as I watched what was going on in front of them. I hung back until the 2 lane section of the freeway turned into 3. At that point, one of the group and I sped past the swaying truck and as we passed the truck's cab we could see the driver reading a magazine he had laying on his steering wheel. WHAT THE HELL!!

[missouriboy]

Yup. Years ago, friend-o-mine told about hitch-hiking and a semi driver picked him up. That driver would read a paperback novel as he drove...

[Peteoz]

Might makes right? Submit to the bully?

Yep.....that is correct, Possible If I am about to step onto a pedestrian crossing, and I see a vehicle coming at a rate of knots, I will definitely step back and make way to the “bully”. Same thing applies to a b-double heading toward my car/bike. Fat lot of good being in the “right” will do me when I have been sent to meet my maker.

[Peteoz]

Thank you Peteoz. Today at the gym, I'm going to try and use the "new word of the day".

glad you liked it, Wylie

[Peteoz]

Not trying to make excuses for dumb drivers, bet there's a lot going on in truck cabs and still trying to be safe so he/she can get home in one piece. Every truck driver like a motorcycle rider was a beginner at one time.
Coke

Yeah, I agree completely, Coke. There is far less going on in a car than a truck, so you wonder what reason car drivers have for poor driving. It all boils down to the individual. A ratbag is a ratbag.... they will act the same way whether they are driving their car, bicycle, truck or Spyder. It’s just that we appear to be seeing a higher percentage of ratbags appearing in the truck driving profession all over the world.

Pete