Dangerous things you’re doing that really piss off truckers

I will never know how hard it is to be an over-the-road trucker. I got only the slightest hint of it this weekend, yet it was still an eye-opener.

My son needed to move two full rooms of furniture from New Jersey up to an apartment in Vermont he’s sharing this year with college roommates. He’s entering his junior year and no longer needs to be in a dorm. I also needed to move some of my stuff to the new place I’m moving to in Matawan.

The solution was a 22-foot rental truck. A straight box truck with limited visibility, just the two sideview mirrors. This truck was far from the biggest thing, but I can tell you the only problem driving it was other people.

Even a smaller straight truck like this, no one wants to get stuck behind it. I had countless glaring examples of dumb driving moves that I’m sure still can’t hold a candle to the bad maneuvers tractor-trailer drivers have to contend with daily.

The first thing that surprised me was just how many people try to pass a truck on the right instead of the left, even when it’s obvious our range of vision is so limited. I was also surprised by how many people thought nothing of switching lanes right in front of a truck at a red light, not understanding it might take a large box truck longer to stop than a car. When they do this in front of an 80,000-pound semi, I can’t even imagine it.

One weekend and 800 miles in a truck, nothing the size of those big rigs, and I already had a feel for how drivers regard trucks as some enemy. I knew some drivers of passenger cars wouldn’t respect the size or the limitations, but I was surprised by just how many wouldn't.

It piqued my curiosity, so I found a trucker blog with some of the most common grievances real truckers have about the rest of us four-wheelers. That’s what truckers call us.

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Merging

Truckers say too many 4-wheelers are notorious for not even beginning to look over their shoulder until there’s only about 100 feet left of an entrance ramp/lane. These semis are 60 feet long and not as agile as you, so look early and decide if you’re going to get in front or slide behind, then do it with room to spare.

Pacing

Do NOT remain alongside a truck. Stop being oblivious. If something happens, like one of those 18 tires blowing out, you maintaining pace with a truck alongside can cost you dearly. Either pass them or get behind them.

Stop lines

Those thick white lines at intersections called stop lines are there for a reason. Tractor-trailers have to swing wide on turns. If you’re two feet over that stop line, you can bring everything to a grinding halt.

Stay back

Even in my little 22-foot straight box, I cannot see you behind me. I don’t know you’re there unless you keep a reasonable distance. If you can’t see a big rig’s side mirrors they can’t see you. Knock it off.

Braking

Realize you are a different species out there. These trucks are massive with a much longer stopping distance. Truckers hate when you pass them, get in front of them then hit your brakes. Same as cutting into their lane last second approaching a red light. Use some common sense.

I have an old friend from school who became a long-haul truck driver, and he has his own company. I’ve often admired his Facebook posts of a morning sunrise over a Wyoming lake captioned “my office.” I’ve thought that sense of freedom must be tempting. But the long hours remind you it’s hard work, and the hell of other drivers is how you’re really earning your pay.

Opinions expressed in the post above are those of New Jersey 101.5 talk show host Jeff Deminski only.

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