Old Trucker Etiquette - Is it gone forever?

[trailrydr]

When I drove tankers through Oregon on I5, we called it traffic control
The slow one would back out...eventually. Now a days it seems they keep the stupid pedal on the floor, or miss a gear & make it worse. Oh wait I hear they're automatics now.

Do 'em a favor when traveling at night, turn off your headlights for a second or so to notify they are clear to move over. No need to blind 'em with high beam flashes. I always hated that.

Thats how I have (and still) do it ....including in the day time. However, not many seem to care or acknowledge the courtesy much any more. Suppose it doesnt mean they dont appreciate it... just dont acknowledge in most cases. That, and the lead foot and position driving in busy traffic tells of a different caliber of drivers IMO. Again, no real difference in non-semi driving which probably breeds the whole experience of current highway etiquette.

Note: As a long time off-road enthusiast who trailers a trail jeep to events, I miss the CB conversations with the old-school OTR guys. Would normally ask if they minded if I tagged along in their convoy and then would keep back enough to see their mirrors. Would really get some good chatter going both ways.... made the long drive less boring. Really, the only OTR guys that you had to look out for back then where the "BobTail" (no trailer attached) drivers. They were usually rushing to get home, truck stop to eat, or get to the hub for the next haul.

 

[ajg617]

Seeing the same lower frequency acknowledgement but in fairness if I'm doing 61-62, most of the trucks passing me are doing 80. They are by me so fast, they probably wouldn't notice my flash. If a truck is sitting in an outer lane for awhile passing me leisurely, I'll flash when they're clear in front of me and a lot of them return the thank you blink. I've also cut back on the use of my headlights during the day - they are really bright LEDs and a flash to high beams may not be seen - I wouldn't want to be in a low car with my truck behind and headlights on. So, I'll drive with parking lights/fog lights on unless the weather is really bad.

I will say that the truckers have been really courteous for the most part if I'm caught in a lane closed ahead or stuck in a lane with signs saying all trucks use other lane and that seems to be everywhere. You can kind of tell which ones will let you in and which ones won't - cars won't. I don't draft, but I'll get comfortable following a truck (not close at all) if I find one that drives steady speed.

I miss the CB also - had one in my car and a base in my room as a teen in the 60s and a group that met at the local bowling alley every so often. KALZ-9147 brings back memories.

 

[trailrydr]

Seeing the same lower frequency acknowledgement but in fairness if I'm doing 61-62, most of the trucks passing me are doing 80. They are by me so fast, they probably wouldn't notice my flash. If a truck is sitting in an outer lane for awhile passing me leisurely, I'll flash when they're clear in front of me and a lot of them return the thank you blink. I've also cut back on the use of my headlights during the day - they are really bright LEDs and a flash to high beams may not be seen - I wouldn't want to be in a low car with my truck behind and headlights on. So, I'll drive with parking lights/fog lights on unless the weather is really bad.

I will say that the truckers have been really courteous for the most part if I'm caught in a lane closed ahead or stuck in a lane with signs saying all trucks use other lane and that seems to be everywhere. You can kind of tell which ones will let you in and which ones won't - cars won't. I don't draft, but I'll get comfortable following a truck (not close at all) if I find one that drives steady speed.

I miss the CB also - had one in my car and a base in my room as a teen in the 60s and a group that met at the local bowling alley every so often. KALZ-9147 brings back memories.

Yeah.. I found that these days if they dont want you behind them they will "wag" their trailer in/out of the shoulder a little to get you off their six no matter how far back you are...

 

[ajg617]

Yeah.. I found that these days if they dont want you behind them they will "wag" their trailer in/out of the shoulder a little to get you off their six no matter how far back you are...

I've gotten that message a couple of times and backed off or passed them - usually someone that was close to the speed I was doing anyway. Next up hill, they were by me again - rinse repeat on the down hill.

 

[Captcolour]

Too many drivers assume that the vehicle merging onto the highway has the right of way over the vehicles already on the highway. Not so.

Except in Michigan. Don't know if they are taught that the merging vehicle has the right of way, but sure act like it!

 

[Jims94vmx]

I usually wait for truck to signal then I flash ok. Just curious, what do you do if it is NOT ok?

 

[jmbopp]

Oh wait I hear they're automatics now.

My brother runs a small specialty concrete business, 5 tandems and 3 tractors. He's been ordering new trucks with automatics, he says too many guys applying for driver positions tell him they can't drive a standard.

If I'm going uphill and a truck wants to pass but we're both slowing down I'll back off a few MPH to let him pass.

Many professional drivers are retiring and it's "all about me" for the new crop.

And yes, I'll give a truck 3 quick flashes when he's clear. Most don't respond.

 

[Riverbug]

Except in Michigan. Don't know if they are taught that the merging vehicle has the right of way, but sure act like it!

We noticed in one state on the way south that they had Yield signs for people entering the freeway. It kept messing us up because they would be even with the front of our truck and slow down, problem was we also slowed down to let them in. We finally realized they had Yield signs so after that it was fine. We can't remember which state that was; maybe Kentucky? I had never seen that before.

 

[powerscol]

I usually wait for truck to signal then I flash ok. Just curious, what do you do if it is NOT ok?

Rapid flashing and the air horn while breaking to a safe distance.

Usually its cars that do that though. I don't want to be anywhere near such a drivers. Watch a guy get pushed on the inside shoulder when he tried to cut off a trucker signaling to move over to pass another truck. Truck swerved to move back over, until the idiot passed him. I was in the left lane when it happened and backed off. Once the idiot was clear I signaled the truck driver it was OK to come over. He gave me a wave of thanks. This was near Dallas with a lot of folks staying in the left lane. When I went past he flashed thanks too. Across Louisiana I have had to flash and once the air horns to get cars to get out of the left lane so I could pass. Very common in NM east of Santa Rosa, but that's due to the right lane being so rough.

 

[GoodScout]

I flash too, and get a response maybe half the time.
I don't do it to get validation - I do it to help the driver know he's clear of me.
On rare occasion, Ive had a trucker do the same for me. That's when I know it's gonna be a good day of driving.

 

[lorend]

Yeah.. I found that these days if they dont want you behind them they will "wag" their trailer in/out of the shoulder a little to get you off their six no matter how far back you are...

A lot of the time that "wag" is nothing more than just getting a good look to who is behind them. With a lot of cars following so close that you never see them in the mirrors it is the only way to check if someone is that close. To get you from following so close truckers have been known to put on the exhaust brake with the clutch in and downshift at the same time. When you let the clutch out the rig can really slow down in a hurry and it never shows brake lights. Very effective to getting the tailgaters to back off. After driving semi for 40 years I still use lights to let others know when it is safe and still appreciate it when I am towing my rv.

 

[ajg617]

A lot of the time that "wag" is nothing more than just getting a good look to who is behind them.

Also a good way to throw up some gravel from the shoulder if you don't 'like' the person behind you!

 

[trailrydr]

A lot of the time that "wag" is nothing more than just getting a good look to who is behind them. With a lot of cars following so close that you never see them in the mirrors it is the only way to check if someone is that close. To get you from following so close truckers have been known to put on the exhaust brake with the clutch in and downshift at the same time. When you let the clutch out the rig can really slow down in a hurry and it never shows brake lights. Very effective to getting the tailgaters to back off. After driving semi for 40 years I still use lights to let others know when it is safe and still appreciate it when I am towing my rv.

Would agree - old school drivers do the exhaust brake thing .... but these guys can see me, cause I keep my eyes on their mirror when following so they can see me at all time as per "convoy" etiquette. And, they will continure to do it until I pass or go into the next lane...... so..... I'm thinking its more of a bunghole move by newby "race" truck OTR drivers to get me and others off their tail. Seen it too many times by too many newby drivers.

And BTW... theyre typically the same bungholes who will ride tailpipes to get others who are passing others to cross over to the slow lane no matter if the vehicle infront of them is going the speed limit (plus) to boot. So yeah the Indy truck series has definetly IMO come into its own on the interstate system.

 

[MN-Mark]

A couple years ago in Minnesota many municipalities, especially in the Twin Cities, stopped enforcing traffic laws. When they stopped enforcing traffic laws, many people stopped obeying traffic laws. High speeds, careless, reckless, and dangerous driving seems to have become the norm.

It seems that common courtesy on the road is becoming more uncommon.

 

[Bruce M]

Not to get political, but it stands to reason that common courtesies would follow alongside common sense when it left the building generations ago, ya know defund this and that, bla,bla,bla.

 

[trailrydr]

Not to get political, but it stands to reason that common courtesies would follow alongside common sense when it left the building generations ago, ya know defund this and that, bla,bla,bla.

Yup... agree.

"Confucius believed that a good ruler should lead by example and demonstrate virtuous behavior. He emphasized the importance of benevolence, righteousness, and propriety in governance. Confucius also emphasized the concept of "ren" or compassion, which involves caring for the well-being of the people."

 

[Roll With The Changes]

Old trucker etiquette? Or is it etiquette in general? How often do people hold doors or thank you when you do it?... enough said on that one.

Now the trucker issue. When I first started driving trucks, I asked the guy training me, "What's that big switch labeled marker light's?" It was a toggle switch bigger than the rest and it was "up" with a momentary press down. He explained to me that was the to momentarily turn the marker light's off. "That's your thank you lights." I don't know what came first, (chicken or the egg) but I haven't seen that switch in a truck in 15 years.

I still hold the door for people and thank them when they do. I also pick up my pace and wave to a driver that stops to let me walk across.

 

[kb0zke]

"I don't know what came first, (chicken or the egg) but I haven't seen that switch in a truck in 15 years." Well, I last saw one a year ago, only it wasn't labeled "marker lights" but "ICC." It was on our 1993 Foretravel U300. Haven't looked at newer Foretravels, so I don't know if it is there or not.

 

[100thdeuce]

Do 'em a favor when traveling at night, turn off your headlights for a second or so to notify they are clear to move over. No need to blind 'em with high beam flashes. I always hated that.

Be mindful of this. I always blinked in the past, towing or not. I tried it in one of my cars with automatic-on headlights. What I discovered is that it took several seconds (seemed like 10 or so) for the headlights-on protocol to cycle through on-off-oh yeah its dark-on.

I don't know if this is common, but you may want to figure it out somewhere else first. 10 seconds at 65mph in traffic at dark on the interstate without headlights is a surprisingly unsettling experience.

I still blink, but in that car I go to parking lights, to ON, then to auto-on. Going straight to ON gets me headlights immediately. Then to auto-on does nothing to the lights.

 

[trailrydr]

Be mindful of this. I always blinked in the past, towing or not. I tried it in one of my cars with automatic-on headlights. What I discovered is that it took several seconds (seemed like 10 or so) for the headlights-on protocol to cycle through on-off-oh yeah its dark-on.

I don't know if this is common, but you may want to figure it out somewhere else first. 10 seconds at 65mph in traffic at dark on the interstate without headlights is a surprisingly unsettling experience.

I still blink, but in that car I go to parking lights, to ON, then to auto-on. Going straight to ON gets me headlights immediately. Then to auto-on does nothing to the lights.

Absolutely agree with NO high beam flash when signaling clearance to 18 wheelers. Always physically turned headlights to park and then back on to signal clearance for 18 wheelers to enter my lane infront of me.

When dealing with non 18 wheelers, just use the beam flash to signal allowance of entry for those requesting lane changes into my lane. Usually though when comming up to a lane/on-ramp merge will try to move a lane over to allow others to merge.

Keep in mind that most non-truckers dont undetstand, know about or care when turning head lights to park and back..... just think your telling them to turn on their head lights...