Tips on changing lanes

I asked my dad years ago about getting through LA traffic with a 33 foot Silver Streak bumper pull behind a Twin I-beam Ford F250. His answer as a retired truck driver was a bit funny!!! He said "son, I just wiggle the steering wheel a bit and the trailer sways a lot, and everyone gets away from me! I then can change lanes without a problem!"

Chris

I find using the GPS to know what's coming and get where I need to be far in advance really helps. This gives me the margin to make the change when it is safe. Also lane guidance feature helps you to know what lanes are through and which turn off. This is the big challenge as signage is often confusing on wide freeways. GPS seems fairly well sorted on these (never perfect). My big challenge is when cars get up beside my rig in a round about. Really at some point it is up to them to not get crushed.

Cummins12V98 wrote:
Best thing you can do is add LED lights if you don't have them. It is amazing how much better people are at letting you over.

When passing and moving back over to the right I know I am clear when I can fully see the front end of the vehicle in my mirror that I am passing.

Well I can see the full front end of the car I am passing long before I am clear of it! Not a good method!

Back to the OP. How do I know when it is ok to go back to my lane after passing someone??????


wait for it........









Yep, my wife tells me it's ok.

Best thing you can do is add LED lights if you don't have them. It is amazing how much better people are at letting you over.

When passing and moving back over to the right I know I am clear when I can fully see the front end of the vehicle in my mirror that I am passing.

kenn209 wrote:
I too use a hard wired back-up camera that is always on. Works great for lane changing, but what I hate is trying to get off at a cloverleaf exit, man that's a pain, the ones coming on the freeway never seem to give me enough room to exit.

Well four pages on changing lanes, Wow,
1. Backup camera doesn't see the "blind spot" Knowing how to use your mirrors and checking them often, not just when you think about changing lanes.

2. Forcing a lane change is not the correct method either, people don't like being pushed around.

3. Plan ahead, check for a clear spot or nearly clear spot, before using your signal, verify the signal had the desired affect then move over, or don't.

4. NOTHING will drive following traffic nuts than someone that puts on a signal and then takes a 1/2 to 3/4 mile to decide to come over.

Paul Clancy wrote:
We actually had a pretty good experience with LA traffic last season. Drivers were courteous. Motorcycles in Center lanes and legal uturns were scary along with the rough roads in some sections. Otherwise they seemed to give me room.

The motorcycles alone are reason enough to ask for the lane instead of demand it. Regardless of how dumb the motorcycle law is, hitting one is a life changer.

We actually had a pretty good experience with LA traffic last season. Drivers were courteous. Motorcycles in Center lanes and legal uturns were scary along with the rough roads in some sections. Otherwise they seemed to give me room.

Jerrybo66 wrote:
I know this is gonna get flamed but here goes...My right turn signal was my "merging light"...I would turn it on in plenty of time for following drivers to know my intentions.

I'm with you.
I call it "The Law of Superior Mass"

In SoCal, if you put your blinker on and wait for traffic to provide an opening, you'll be stuck in your lane forever.

I put my blinker on to let others know my intentions.
If they speed up to try to close the gap, that's their decision.
I'm getting over regardless.

And no, I'm not saying I purposely move into occupied space and force cars off the road.

I too use a hard wired back-up camera that is always on. Works great for lane changing, but what I hate is trying to get off at a cloverleaf exit, man that's a pain, the ones coming on the freeway never seem to give me enough room to exit.