Tips on changing lanes

thank you all for your advice and permit me one small story.

Time: 1972
Place: One of the Southern California freeways - somewhere within 100 miles of LA.

I'm towing a Skamper popup and see a little old lady (hey - I was younger then!) in a pill box hat and white gloves driving a 62 or 63 Chevy BelAir comes up the entrance ramp. I pull to the middle lane to give her room and pull back once I clear her.

About 45 seconds later she blows by on the left doing at least 75 and went right on out of sight. I then realized that traffic patterns were somewhat different in LA!

hmknightnc wrote:
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

good one!
I'll file that one away with looking at the telephone wires on curves at night to see if a vehicle is coming.

I installed mid-turn lights on my last rig that I got at a truck stop, replacing a pair of the side markers. The continue to work as running lights but have a brighter filimant that flashes for turns just like a brake light. Those were some real traffic movers when you needed to grab a lane.

When I started out, I put a reflector on the rear bumper on both sides, just far enough out to be able to see them in the rear view mirrors, which turns out to only be a couple inches. I found that I wasn't as 'long' as I thought I was. I probably don't need them anymore, but I broke one off and I replaced it anyway. It's a quick and easy reference to glance at.

What I am using is those reflectors that are on the end of about a 3 ft. fiberglass rod that people often use to mark their rural driveway entrance. Lumber yards have them, and they don't cost much. You'll find them around where the signs, mailboxes, etc are located. I just cut it down to about 6-8" shaft and mounted them with plastic electrical cable supports, whatever they are called, the ones that are molded to fit TV or network cabling.

Good mirrors so you can see well behind your trailer. :)

In addition to relying on experience to tell me when I'm clear, I try to give the daydreaming, cell-phone talking, unaware drivers as much warning as possible.

I have added high intensity LED clearance lights down low on each side, mounted on the wheel skirts and a "pickup truck light strip" sold by JC Whitney across the rear below the big window. All are wired into the L&R turn signals at the regular tail lights. I try to put on a turn signal as early as I can, and when I do I have lights flashing in unison all over the back half of the trailer.

ACZL wrote:
Shadows???? Now that's a new one! If you're passing someone, take a look at what type of vehicle it is while passing it. As you get ahead of it, LOOK IN RIGHT MIRROR and if you see BOTH headlights of slower vehicle, then you are passed it. Your truck should be equipped with blind spot mirrors on both sides and though you have your L/R turn signal on, check the blind spot 1st, then the big mirror, THEN pull over.

What good are shadows going to do for you if the sun is behind you? A driver's ed course teaches (or at least used to) that you don't pull back into the lane you want UNTIL you see both of the headlights of the vehicle you're overtaking.

Last resort, have the blinkers blink 3 times and start moving over!

Yes, shadows can be your friend. As a semi driver I use shadows when ever I can. I don't believe anyone said to only use shadows, that is just another way of watching out. Drivers ed courses don't teach you how to drive big rigs or how to pull trailers, so you figure out what works best for you.

PA12DRVR wrote:

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're absolutely correct.....you'll get flamed. As you should. It is not the responsibility of everyone else on the road to make sure they're not in YOUR blind spot before YOU pull into another lane.

I drove truck myself, only for a couple of years, but I was taught that one uses blind spot mirrors, that one speeds up or slows down so that the view of the blind spot changes and you can see who/what is in the blind spot. The idea that a trucker can just pull into a lane and, by virtue of lights and a turn signal, not have to take responsibility to ensure the lane is clear is irresponsible.

You can do everything in your power to clear your blind spot before you move, and there will almost ALWAYS be some butthead who decides he needs to be in your spot when you decide to go. My hubby's driven OTR for over 10 years, and if you waited for everyone to clear, you'd never get moved. You pick your spot, give them fair warning and go. Time is money. I've seen people fly past us to swerve in at the end of a lane, I've seen people who have merged into us (that one cost the girl's insurance a big chunk of money because she hit the steps around the fuel tank), those who despite your best intentions will sit in your blind spot and not move. You do your best. A driver cannot take responsibility for the others who are eating, drinking, texting, talking, fighting, etc...when they should be driving! You take responsibility for yourself, and you drive as defensively as possible.

Slightly off topic but worthy of mention are those guys behind you who try to speed up and block you when you signal you want to move to the left lane to pass.

I'll usually let one or two go on by, but after that I figure I've done my part for courteous driving and I start moving to the left. Most get the idea but some insist on going to the median to pass me, honking, pointing where I should go with one finger, etc.

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're absolutely correct.....you'll get flamed. As you should. It is not the responsibility of everyone else on the road to make sure they're not in YOUR blind spot before YOU pull into another lane.

I drove truck myself, only for a couple of years, but I was taught that one uses blind spot mirrors, that one speeds up or slows down so that the view of the blind spot changes and you can see who/what is in the blind spot. The idea that a trucker can just pull into a lane and, by virtue of lights and a turn signal, not have to take responsibility to ensure the lane is clear is irresponsible.