Tips on changing lanes

Jerrybo66 wrote:
I know this is gonna get flamed but here goes. I owned and operated an eighteen wheeler for over ten years. Not long for most drivers. Most posts here put the responsibility for lane change on the lane changer but nothing about the spaced out driver cruising in the blind spot oblivious to the danger he is causing.. My right turn signal was my "merging light". I would turn it on in plenty of time for following drivers to know my intentions. Lights were displayed the full length of the rig. Sometimes I would see brake nose dives and sometimes horn blasts but I would merge and hopefully wake up zombie drivers that they need to pay attention.. What the truck drivers of today have to put up with is unbelievable. I couldn't do it. They are Saints...As you may imagine, I cut the road warriors every break I can... :). Yes, I still have the same attitude..

You are absolutely right, there is a limited amount of awareness out there. Uneducated drivers will do anything to get in front of a MH, I can't imagine what truck drivers experience every day.

I do think that the quality of "Road Warriors" has decreased recently. They are underpaid, and some are now probably untrained and unqualified. A local Seattle newspaper did a investigation with many trucks especially those from north of the border that were unsafe, and the drivers were untrained, and forced to meet schedules that were unreasonable.

We did recently lose a bridge on I-5 in our county due to commercial truck driver error.

I know this is gonna get flamed but here goes. I owned and operated an eighteen wheeler for over ten years. Not long for most drivers. Most posts here put the responsibility for lane change on the lane changer but nothing about the spaced out driver cruising in the blind spot oblivious to the danger he is causing.. My right turn signal was my "merging light". I would turn it on in plenty of time for following drivers to know my intentions. Lights were displayed the full length of the rig. Sometimes I would see brake nose dives and sometimes horn blasts but I would merge and hopefully wake up zombie drivers that they need to pay attention.. What the truck drivers of today have to put up with is unbelievable. I couldn't do it. They are Saints...As you may imagine, I cut the road warriors every break I can... :). Yes, I still have the same attitude..

Good stuff here. I generally will watch when someone gets in behind me to get a feel for where they were in my mirrors/how big their headlights were/etc. to judge when I can get over in the next situation.

The shadows thing- I wouldn't have thought to say it, but you're sure right. I do that.

All of the above are very good tips. One I learned as a Paramedic driving ambulances thru heavy traffic is to be sure and telegraph your moves well ahead. Do things like when you plan a lane change start easing over well before the actual change, use your turn signal a little further away than you might normally, move at a pace that keep YOU in control of traffic. DO NOT be afraid to take the space you need. If you let traffic know ahead of time your intentions, they will give you the room. ALWAYS be on the lookout for the one who's job it is to piss you off just because he wants to be an a$$

All of the above. After a few miles/trips you will get the hang of it.
In the meantime,the practice sessions are a great idea.
Congratulations on the new fifth wheel!

Signal early, nudge yourself over into an open space without actually committing yourself to signal your intent.

Correctly adjust, and trust your mirrors. I have my wife look down to the blind spot below where she sits, which seems to be the only real blind spot. I glance at the side cameras, but they don't show much that is useful.

I tend to drive in the right lane on a 2 lane highway, and in the middle lane on a 3 lane highway. Follow the commercial truck drivers, and let them blaze the trail. They will often signal you when it is OK to move over, and I will also do that for them. When I pass a vehicle, I carefully monitor my mirrors to confirm that the space is still available when I need to move over.

I start signaling way ahead of time. When it looks like I am clear of the vehicle in my mirrors, I accelerate and give it another 10 seconds while watching so I am sure I'm clear. I try to find pockets of sparse traffic and try to avoid getting boxed in while traveling. Can't always do that, but I constantly check the traffic around me so I know where to go if I need to make evasive maneuvers.

My hubby drives long haul, and he says he looks for shadows in his mirrors, as well as the actual vehicles. Often you can't see vehicles from the semi mirrors, but you can see shadows. The more practice you get, the better you become.

2005 GMC 2500HD 4x4 6.0
1998 Jayco Designer 2930RKS

The trick I used in the beginning to figure out how long I was when pulling back in was to look for the shadow. If it's sunny out, most of the time you can watch the shadow cover the vehicle you are passing. When the vehicle is no longer under the shadow...you are passed.

Practice and use the shadows. generally you can see the shadow of the car behind you and the shadow of the FW. Judge distance from that