RANT: Stupid Semi Trucks

[MustangPaul]

Short story: Driving in Baton Rouge today and one log truck wouldn't get over and let the semi ahead of me merge on to the interstate. Semi ahead drives on the shoulder and kicks up a rock that bounces on my hood, off my windshield and over. I have a nice 3 part chip in the middle of my hood and a chip in my windshield.

I hate those damn things.

Sigh. Off to get the touch up paint.

--P

 

[Ozsum2]

Merging vehicles alway have to yield. The log truck may have not been able to move over. Sorry about the glass. How close were you following?

 

[WORTH]

Merging vehicles alway have to yield. The log truck may have not been able to move over. Sorry about the glass. How close were you following?

Bingo

 

[skywalker]

oz: you're correct that they have to yield. However, it is common practice among semi drivers to allow people to merge in front of them by slowing down or getting over to the left for reasons such as this. Also, I'll bet both mustangpaul and that semi were speeding which is what kept the semi from being able to merge: he simply couldn't get up to speed fast enough.

 

[Ozsum2]

oz: you're correct that they have to yield. However, it is common practice among semi drivers to allow people to merge in front of them by slowing down or getting over to the left for reasons such as this. Also, I'll bet both mustangpaul and that semi were speeding which is what kept the semi from being able to merge: he simply couldn't get up to speed fast enough.

Then he should have slowed down and not hit the shoulder. Wait your turn.

 

[skywalker]

hey ozsum, agreed, but that semi already on the freeway can slow down alot easier. I don't know about Colorado our your previous place of residence, but here in ATL, you can't always see the freeway until a hundred feet before you merge. In order to merge safely you'll need to be going AT LEAST 55-60 mph, going down a hill. Imagine being in a semi, going down a hill at 60 mph, and you've got 100-200 feet to slow down or merge...that semi already on the freeway, which is basically level, can change lanes or slow down a heck of a lot easier than the semi going down the hill.

The semig oing down the hill is technically the one who should...but that isn't always the safest way for things to be done hence the term defensive driving: you should be aware of what is going on around you and watch out for situations such as this...or for guys doing 6 lanes sweep to get off the interstate... or people slamming on the brake sin the middle of ruch hour traffic and sitting there for 10 minutes putting on make up int he middle lane of the freeway (yes, i saw this, I was the driver behind her who could change lanes due to the congested traffic and had to wait for her to finish!)

Rules such as the merger always yields are there for the purpose of assigning blame in accidents and making life easier on police officers. This doesn't always make them the best thing to do in a given situation.

 

[D.Hearne]

Sorry to agree with y'all, but the semi does NOT have to yeild to merging traffic. On the contrary, the merging traffic is the one to yield. I've driven semi's off and on for 25 years. Been there-done that, seen it all. That log truck may or may not have wanted to yield, or may not have been able to, which is MOST likely the case with B.R. La. traffic. Sorry about your windshield Paul, but the Yay-Hoo driving the truck ahead of you is the one who's responsible here. And you are also responsible for not following so close as to be subject to flying road debris.

 

[MustangPaul]

Also, I'll bet both mustangpaul and that semi were speeding which is what kept the semi from being able to merge: he simply couldn't get up to speed fast enough.

Wrong. I was merging behind the truck that dinged me. The log truck had a complete empty lane to move over. He was simply being a jerk.

I wasn't speeding--I was trying to get up to speed to merge on the interstate.

I was also about two and a half car lengths behind the semi that dinged me. I watched the rock bounce down the road that did the damage. Try to swerve to miss the rock left puts me into the log truck. Right puts me down an embankment. I had to take it on the chin.

 

[MustangPaul]

And you are also responsible for not following so close as to be subject to flying road debris.

D--how close are you to the vehicle ahead of you when you merge on to the interstate? That far back, really?

--Paul

 

[skywalker]

Sorry to agree with y'all, but the semi does NOT have to yeild to merging traffic. On the contrary, the merging traffic is the one to yield. I've driven semi's off and on for 25 years. Been there-done that, seen it all. That log truck may or may not have wanted to yield, or may not have been able to, which is MOST likely the case with B.R. La. traffic. Sorry about your windshield Paul, but the Yay-Hoo driving the truck ahead of you is the one who's responsible here. And you are also responsible for not following so close as to be subject to flying road debris.

I never said he had to, i just said it is common practice. Come on, how often do you not slow down or get over unless it is jsut impossible when you're driving a semi?

 

[D.Hearne]

Well, I would LIKE to be back as far as necessary, but that ain''t always possible. Like I said before and from what youy say now, every one there was at least partly at fault, including either the State of La. or the gravel truck, that left the rock, or whoever left it there to be kicked up. At 55 mph, safe following distance behind another vehicle is more than 2 1/2 car length's. Sure the log truck probably should have moved over for no other reason than to be polite, but he's not bound by law to do so. When driving a truck, and trying to yeild to merging traffic is a catch 22, you're damned if you do (by the A'hole screaming up the left lane doing 75) And Damned if you don't ( by the guy trying to get on the freeway. I've had it both ways, no matter what you do and how polite you are in a truck, SOMEBODY isn't going to like whatever you do, so it's sometimes best to let the other guy do whatever he can. Then again, how do you know the log truck driver was payin attention to what was going on? He may have been focusing on something going on 1/2 mile down the road.

 

[D.Hearne]

I never said he had to, i just said it is common practice. Come on, how often do you not slow down or get over unless it is jsut impossible when you're driving a semi?

When driving a semi, I NEVER slowed down for merging traffic, unless they parked their fat asses in the right lane ahead of me. Why should I have to slow down for someone else's convience? They're sure as hell ain't going to do the same for me. Merging traffic is supposed to speed up to match the flow of traffic, not the other way around.

 

[skywalker]

I see trucks do it(slow down) all the time.

I slow down to allow other people on. I also allow anyone with a blinker to change lanes in front of me in bumper to bumper traffic (i use a rule that each person should allow one person infront of them when a lane is blocked or there is heavy traffic on an off ramp.)

Slowing down for merging traffic is rarely necessary, but I've seen more than one car, tractor trailer pair/combo try to race to get in front of the other when one is merging. I've also seen this lead to SUV's rolling over in the middle of traffic and tractor trailers jack-knifing. Saw one a couple of weeks ago.

If you're not able to get over, and at your current speed you'll get to the end of the merge lane about the same time as the merging car, the safer thing to do is to slow down and just let them in front of you, regardless of what they would do for you. They can't see your situationa nd they're almost always going to speed up.

 

[MustangPaul]

When driving a semi, I NEVER slowed down for merging traffic, unless they parked their fat asses in the right lane ahead of me. Why should I have to slow down for someone else's convience? They're sure as hell ain't going to do the same for me. Merging traffic is supposed to speed up to match the flow of traffic, not the other way around.

D--

Are you far enough south to have played with the Cane trucks? I had never seen one of those until a couple of years ago. Cane was flying out the back of the truck and onto the highway.

In Natchitoches, the Cotton Gin trucks are crazy, too. One in particular springs to mind--a early 50's Mack, I think, with a HUGE bail of cotton on the back whizzing through downtown Natchitoches at 40 MPH. That guy needs a kamikaze headband!

Didn't mean to start a disagreement. I was just upset as the ONLY pristine panel I had--my hood--was now dinged. Well, I guess if you drive them, they get dinged.

Got it touched up and feel better.

--P

 

[MustangPaul]

You should have backed the heck off when you saw truck in front of you headed toward the shoulder.

And get rear ended by the cars behind me on my tail?

What I need is some James Bond front mounted missles. Or a laser with a 360 degree field of fire. ZAAP!

 

[MustangPaul]

.

Really sorry about your car though. Live and learn.

Thank you. Maybe I could encase it in a giant Nerf ball?

 

[71vert-pga]

Highway traffic always has the right of way. And it is the law that merging vehicles will yield the right of way. Try telling your friendly neighborhood state trooper something different and see what his comment will be.

It would have been great for you if he had gone out of his way to be extra polite but he owes you nothing. You should have backed the heck off when you saw truck in front of you headed toward the shoulder. Learn to drive defensively and be prepared.

Really sorry about your car though. Live and learn.

 

[Ozsum2]

If the legal truck were up to highway speeds, which he was, there is no way the log truck was going to overtake him. The logger should have simply backed off a tad and whipped in right behind him The logger screwed up, you were following too close, and there is debris on the road all the time.

 

[D.Hearne]

D--

Are you far enough south to have played with the Cane trucks? I had never seen one of those until a couple of years ago. Cane was flying out the back of the truck and onto the highway.

In Natchitoches, the Cotton Gin trucks are crazy, too. One in particular springs to mind--a early 50's Mack, I think, with a HUGE bail of cotton on the back whizzing through downtown Natchitoches at 40 MPH. That guy needs a kamikaze headband!

Didn't mean to start a disagreement. I was just upset as the ONLY pristine panel I had--my hood--was now dinged. Well, I guess if you drive them, they get dinged.

Got it touched up and feel better.

--P

Don't EVEN get me started on Cane trucks or cotton bale trucks. But I will let you in on a little secret....... both are piloted by THE most inexperienced drivers in trucks today.....neither requires the license that all other trucks do to operate. Most today are driven by , non citizens of the USA. ( I'll let y'all guess their nationality ) And the trucks they drive are also not subject to the same regulations the over the road trucks are ( Feel Safer Now? ) Not also trying to start an argument here either, just wanted y'all to hear the "other" side of the story. Not all truck drivers are A'Holes, just as not all "4 wheelers" aren't A'Holes either. There's bad apples in every bunch. And as I said before, sometimes no matter what a driver does to be polite or otherwise, he many times get's the blame or the "finger"

 

[MustangPaul]

I couldn't even give the finger as my son was with me. I was totally hobbled!

Why aren't cane/gin trucks not subject to the same laws? I always wondered how the Natchitoches Gin truck could pass inspection, but who knows. . . .?