Everytime I'm coming back up to Olympia from Portland I always get highbeamed by some semi.

Sometimes it's as I'm approaching... I'll get left to pass them, and right as I'm passing their blind spot, (Usually w/ a 10MPH advantage) they'll kick on that reverse flood light next to their cab... The first time it happened I thought i was on an episode of x-files and i was being abducted - because it was so bright, i couldn't see anything, anywhere for at least a couple seconds until he turned it off... I think he did it because he thought my headlights were too bright or something... Which is complete BS cause you've all seen the Stock C5 lighting situation... So far, i'm 5 for 5 on this happening. The 5 times i've came up, i've been flashed like that by at least 1 semi each time...

I don't know what their problem is, but the last one who did it to me, pissed me off so bad, i wanted to sit in his review mirror high beaming him off and on for 30 minutes... But i didn't...

-Dan

 

Tio- you do realize that whenever you change your avatar or profile, it changes all of your posts to the new version? When he started this post, most likely, he did not have New Mexico in his profile..

The only time I have noticed anything like this is if the semi slows down and I don't, often I will soon pass a sitting LEO. Learned this lesson a long time ago, if a semi slows for no apparent reason.... you should slow too.
I always try to give a semi a lot of room, even moving to the left if there is room, going down a mountain so if the driver needs to let it out to maintain momentum to get up the next hill at speed they can. If I see a semi coming up behind me in the right lane, if I can I will move to the left lane so they don't need to shift lanes to pass me. Seems like common courtesy, I am out cruising in my Vette and they are hard at work trying to get a big rig through the same area.

 

WE give a darn, for someone that gives a darn. If you don't respect us how do you expect us to respect you. As I said I have 3 Vettes and travel with all of them. When I'm in my vette it is for fun, A truck driver is in his or her truck to make a living, not put up with some dumb a-- out to have a little fun.

I personally think that it should be a law that in order to get your drivers license you must spend at least 2 weeks in a truck with a truck driver. We might then have less wreaks on the road involving trucks and cars.

 

It simply comes down to common sense and common courtesy—two things many people don't have.

 

Ever been to traffic school? Ever notice who the instructor looks to first for their input?

Answer: The truckdrivers.

Why?: Because they have something called "experience"

10 years behind the wheel can easily equate to 1,000,000 miles... accident free (for some)

Why, exactly are we bashing these guys? Because someone who will only drive a small percentage of a truckers miles in their lifetime is paranoid?

This thread is getting ridiculous.

 

Getting ridiculous you say?

It was ridiculous from the start..

 

"Don't truck with the f*ck drivers"

(a retired USPS tractor driver)

 

Well maybe it's just me, but I would rather have a road that was used by just truckers and me. In general, I find that they are some of the best (no hassel) people to share the road with, it's their job, they're professionals.

As long as you understand what they need to do (by nature of the larger vehicle) they are for the most part as perdictable as clockwork.

They rarely ride the left lane, they dont brake for no reason, they stay in lane, they maintain adequate speed (or they are in the extreme right when they cant), they know how to pass you.

Never drove a truck, but I would imagine that hugging back by their right rear wheels, or passing on the right (if you cant see their mirrors, they cant see you), or passing them then cutting close back into their lane and hitting the brakes are among the things that will not allow you to peacefully coexist with big trucks. Some of them have 24 forward gears, you wanna have to downshift and then shift all the way back up? And they need a larger cusion in front (more space to the next car in lane) to allow them to brake and use the throttle to adjust for tracffic).

You keep that stuff in mind, and you will observe very consistent performance and be able to anticipate exactly what they are gonna do in most situations. Try that with the "Im putting my make-up on and talking on the cell" crowd in the morning :-)

Quite often I find they blip or hit the horn in greeting when they see the vette.

 

 

I might as well weigh in on this one...I dont think truckers are out to get anyone, but the pressures they work under to make deliveries on time with uncertain traffic conditions sometimes get the better of them. They glance to see if someone is in the way, change lanes and run someone off the road...accidents happen, they are as prone to making errors in judgement as anyone. But their livelihood depends on their driving being error free, so I think they try a little harder than most people...lets not even get into the cellphone and driving discussion...yikes! On another note, if you happen to come through Bedford, VA....the unwritten rule is the speed limit + 5 mph....any more than that and you will feed the bears. They take speed enforcement here seriously and set up speed traps regularly. So, whatever you have where you live is probably more lenient than here....also, watch out for the radar detector detectors....I just paid a ticket for that that cost me $115. Ouch....time to buy one that is undetectable!!!!

Hotshoetom

 

just wana give my .02 cents lol cuz my dad's a trucker and ive been on countless runs with him. I know that truckers take great pride in their driving, hell my dad does lol, and from what ive seen while rideing with him is that the 4 wheelers ( i love CB code lol) who lack experince and underrestimate trucks and the load their pulling, are the ones who can cause accidents. Tuckers dont hate vettes, as we read many truckers own them. my dad owns a 78 Formula firebird and he loves vettes just the same. and last time i checked, depending on what cb channerl your on too, truckers have real convorestations and help out one another in different ways. As the old saying goes "With out truckers, America Stops"

 

I just want to say THANK YOU to all of you that understand what us truck drivers go thru and for giving us some respect. Some people only care about themselves and they are just going to do stupid things on the road. Nothing we can do about it except hope we aren't the one that runs them over.

 

 

2 weeks off the pipe

paranoia will calm down lol

when truckers cut you off right as you are about to pass them for no reason lets you know how jealous they may be.

AS we all know it is not just truckers that envy the vette

 

All I can say about the Vette/18 wheeler conspiracy theory is: When I'm "Truckin" in the Z06 and start seeing 18 wheelers slowing down to the speed limit, I know that my Valentine 1 may not have a radar/Lidar target, and its time to slow down. Either danger or a CHP is nearby. Both deserve greater attention and less speed differential.
I treat 18 wheelers with great respect. Hard job, long hours and fools in four wheelers making life difficult. Plus they have weak brakes, and turn plastic cars into junk if bumped into.

 

I personally would never make a blanket statement that all truck drivers are out to get somebody. Can it be a frustrating experience dealing with people cutting you off? Sure.. I know from driving a firetruck with lights and sirens and finding alot of people don't want to yield. Maybe almost getting run over while trying to extricate someone from a wrecked vehicle is frustrating too. Saying "truck drivers" are all this or that is just as ridiculous of a blanket statement. And from my defensive driving classes and such.

-The pressure for speed and efficiency by the trucking companies and the deregulation of the industry are both major factors - 18-wheeler drivers are typically required to work long hours with little or no sleep. Large trucks consistently break the speed limit in order to deliver goods quickly - adding fuel to an already dangerous fire. The sheer size of an 18-wheeler makes for a massive impact and hinders the ability of the truck to make sudden stops. The results are too often fatal.

When I think of what I know about truckdrivers. As anyone would I think of my personal experience...

Being a fireman in Kansas City, we run the grandview triangle interchange of I-435, 71 Highway and I-470. Every accident involving an 18 wheeler I have been to has been the fault of the trucker. Over 8 years.

It's just how it has played out in my own experience so I don't need to think about how a person chooses to work this particular job and how sad it is that they are trying to beat the clock. Not when I arrive on the scene of a car with a grandma, mother, and aunt of a close friend and they are no longer with us because of a big rig taking silly risks.

Having ranted on all that. I am not saying ANYONE that drives a big rig here is a. a bad person, b. has hurt anyone. I am just saying. Though I know there are bad drivers in autos. There are just as many bad drivers in big rigs and when you factor in the size and weight of the vehicle there is a GREATER responsiblity on the truckers shoulders to be safe regardless of any other factors.

Safety first

 

My only feeling about truck drivers is mostly I feel sorry they have to share the road with me (and drivers like me). I tend to put it on cruise between Dallas and Houston, and so I maintain a much more constant speed on up and downslopes than truckers--when I'm going just a bit faster than they are, I'll overtake them on the upgrades and then hit the top of the hill and once we're both over they'll have to brake to not roll over my ***. I'll eventually leave them behind because of a few mph greater overall speed, but they do tend to pick up more speed going down than I do.

So consider this my apology to truckers everywhere. Sorry guys, don't mean to be a bia*!

 

oh bs the wrecks half the time are from the rookies traveling way to fast around corners.

Most truck drivers are good drivers that stay out of the passing lane and respect the road. There are a few out there like anyone else that are still jerks.

The only truckers i realllly dislike are the ones that do not cover their load on I-35 and expect me to stay back 200 feet so they do not crack my windshield.

 

then gthotw

 

I'll append to my post above. I treat truckers like any other vehicle on the road. I don't tailgate, don't cut them off, don't brake check them, pay attention to where they're at, try to anticipate what they need and where they're going. Generally truckers are more reliable, and predictable than any other vehicles on the road. Mostly because they have to plan their lane changes ahead, etc... I'm a defensive driver in that - I assume everybody around me is an idiot, and act accordingly for my own safety, and theirs as well...

However, of all the times I've been High Beamed in my life - I've never had anybody blast a flood light at me, so blindingly bright that I was genuinely scared for a couple seconds... So far - on 5 trips up to Olympia, at least 1 trucker each time has managed to blast me with a flood light... I have stock lighting, and I've adjusted all my beams to the correct height...

No blanket statements here. But the next trucker who does it to me, I'm calling the cops on... cause it's BS

-Dan