Semi truck drivers..lack of concern ??

[JCR-1]

Many excellent drivers out there and have safety concerns for others, but I have come across a few AH's from time to time. Most recently crossing the Mississippi River at Memphis the bridge is so old and designed back in the day that the lanes of travel are so narrow that they barely accommodate the width of todays trucks.I was crossing doing about 55mph when a semi decided to pass me doing 65 and the passing wave of wind nearly pushed me into the side railing which is only a foot or two away. No concern for the other rig . On a narrow bridge I would think extra caution should be emphasized and cowboy driving at 65 mph is reckless.If you are one of those take it off cruise and use your head when on a narrow bridge and passing a trailer in tow.

[4X4Dodger]

Consider this: the average long haul truck driver drives about 100,000 miles per year.

He has to pass some fairly rigorous tests to drive that vehicle;

The OP drives MAYBE 2000 miles per year with his trailer if that.

And never had to take a single test or answer any questions about how to do it.

Now which one would you have the most confidence in?

My bet is the Truck Driver is concerned...but more about your ability to handle your rig and not cause him problems.

[K-9_HANDLER]

Sorry if this was already answered but both I55 and 40 bridges have a 55 mph speed limit

[Hannibal]

The ones I feel the most are the box trucks. They're short enough to push and pull at the same time as they pass. Once I got used to it, not a problem, but I understand the apprehension on narrow bridges.

[beemerphile1]

Now this bridge would be scary;
Galloping Gertie Video

[STBRetired]

Maybe you should have your suspension checked. The only semis that move my rig around are old Peterbuilts (70's era? 80's?). And they will only move me about 6 inchecs or so in the lane. Other tractors I can hardly feel that they are there when they pass.

[Heiny57]

Lets check this narrow bridge.

[Lantley]

JCR-1 wrote:
Not nervous just concerned about the idiot drivers that do not understand aerodynamics that will eventually kill somebody because they feel being a cowboy makes them tall when they are short
http://www.wmcactionnews5.com/story/25738017/accident-on-i-55-bridge-shuts-down-northbound-traffic

If you're linking a article from 2014 I'd say your nervous or your moves more that it should when being passed.
Being passed by a semi should not cause you to lose control.
A properly set up rig combo can withstand the forces of being passed by a semi.
Otherwise I-81 through PA, WV and VA would have accidents 24/7/365.

[JCR-1]

Not nervous just concerned about the idiot drivers that do not understand aerodynamics that will eventually kill somebody because they feel being a cowboy makes them tall when they are short
http://www.wmcactionnews5.com/story/25738017/accident-on-i-55-bridge-shuts-down-northbound-traffic

[coolbreeze01]

JCR-1 wrote:
Many excellent drivers out there and have safety concerns for others, but I have come across a few AH's from time to time. Most recently crossing the Mississippi River at Memphis the bridge is so old and designed back in the day that the lanes of travel are so narrow that they barely accommodate the width of todays trucks.I was crossing doing about 55mph when a semi decided to pass me doing 65 and the passing wave of wind nearly pushed me into the side railing which is only a foot or two away. No concern for the other rig . On a narrow bridge I would think extra caution should be emphasized and cowboy driving at 65 mph is reckless.If you are one of those take it off cruise and use your head when on a narrow bridge and passing a trailer in tow.

You have reached a learning curve. If you are afread of being passed by a truck, simply speed up. No wind, no problem.

[RVJimofOregon]

IDoMyOwnStunts wrote:
About the only time I really get POed at a semi is when they are obviously taking the little, curvy 2-lane road near my house because they want to avoid the scales on the freeway. They aren't making a delivery along that road. Those guys are dodging the scales for a reason and that makes me suspect they shouldn't be on the road in the first place. The only big guys that should be on that road are home delivery vans and logging trucks.

But, on the freeway I see far more bad stuff from car drivers than I do from the semis. At least the semis seem to respect my space and I, in turn, respect theirs. I know they are on the job and let them by when I can. And since I am hazmat trained, I know which semis to give a wide berth. Cars just go where they want and are sometimes hard to anticipate. I especially hate it when I'm hauling my horse. If I lock em with my RV, there's nothing in the trailer I can't replace. I can't say that for my horse and I have to really anticipate things. I've seen the aftermath of a horse that got caught under the wall of a trailer (trailer had a weakened wood floor) and it wasn't pretty. Horse survived, thankfully.

X2

[beemerphile1]

JCR-1 wrote:
I guess many of the folks on here do not understand aero dynamics. Just watch a nascar race and you will learn something , I am not talking down to anyone. The bridge is very narrow and just adequate for two vehicles but when a semi truck is doing 65 plus and whips out and passes another box doing 55 there will be a force that pushes the vehicle outward , then a suction pulls it back into the truck. Not about being nervous , not about a woman, its about a courtesy of a truck driver. If I'm driving a truck I will gradually overtake a truck towing a trailer so that my wake does not disrupt anyone radically in my wake. I would be concerned that a novice , ie perhaps a gal might over react and cause a spin out . Now wouldn't that be nice.. A tie up on the narrow bridge during rush hour..just what everyone needs to have. Just a little courtesy and understanding how to overtake another vehicle especially on a very narrow corridor with no escape is what I am referencing. Just as in Nascar racing wind and pressures cause vehicle oscillations.Get it, got it.. Hope so !!!

So, you are saying that either your equipment is inadequate or you have difficulty controlling it and the professional driver is supposed to know this --- how?

[cbshoestring]

cbshoestring wrote:

JCR-1 wrote:

Heiny57 wrote:

cbshoestring wrote:
How can you get a CDL without knowing how to back a rig???

How can you get a class A without knowing how a 5th wheel works, or how to drive a manual transmission??? Truck driving schools taking advantage of high unemployment and the high demand for semi-drivers, that is how!!! By the way, FMCSA (the FED in charge of truckers), has recently caught on, so now those CDL's come with a restriction from driving manual/5th wheel without testing on equipment that has it.

Still wonderig if the OP cares to comment on the posted speed limit???

Just because the OP got nervous, does NOT mean the trucker did anything wrong. Was the truck driving near speed limit? Did the truck stay in THEIR lane. Just because it made you uncomfortable, doesn't mean that driver was doing something unsafe, or something that they were not totally comfortable doing.

You may think it is scary going 3 wide up the curvy hills on the PA turnpike into the Allegheny Mountains....I've done it so many times with a tractor-trailer on either side of me that I barely raise an eyebrow unless there is lane encroachment. I'll share the highway with anyone...I refuse to share MY lane.

You state the side railing was "only a foot or two away". Assuming you where in the center of the lane--you where also a foot or two from the white line that seperates the two lanes. Even if that truck came onto the white line, it was still a foot or two away. Sorry, sounds as if that railing scared you, you were "hugging the zipper"...which put YOU closer to him.

X2

OP never got nervous, and I guess you do not understand aero dynamics when a vehicle (box) overtakes another box at a slower speed there is wave of air similar to a boat wake at the bow. When this wave hits another box it pushes the box to the right and then if there is a trailer there is another dynamic. The cab is pushed outward from the trailer and when the truck passes there is a suction that pulls it back in. This can cause severe wiggle and if there is not enough lane to correct a hazard could be present, especially if an unexperienced woman is driving. Maybe you dont understand the principles of drafting and never noticed. I also know that some drivers are oblivious to the effects of drafting and road aero dynamics. Those drivers scare me because they assume a lot they dont know about.

How does someone ASSUME I "don't understand aerodynamics" when all I did was point out that 1-2 feet is a lot of space? Why can't I say the OP was nervous, based upon THEIR own comments that the bridge is old, narrow and only left that 1-2 feet? Why is the trucker going 65 mph, on a bridge where APPERANTLY he has a foot or two on either side of him (add those lanes together--both driver in middle of lane---truck is 4' away from RVer) at fault for being comfortable, and fully in control of his/her rig?

If the trucker was not speeding, then maybe the OP needs to learn about AERODYNAMICS, cause it would appear that his cautious speed actually caused more stress than it was worth.

For the record...if you are travelling slowly, in a narrow area, where I am afraid that you being scared is going to cause you to do something stupid...I am passing you just as fast as ALL the HP I can muster will sling-shot me past you. Last thing I want is to be beside someone that is afraid to drive in their lane...nor will I patiently wait for you to overcome your fear if BLOWING by you can be done safely. Wiggling you...not a consideration.

I stand by my guess....since the op has not posted the speed limit.

Op was riding the zipper, scared of that wall. The trucker probably had to cheat the lane for on-coming traffic just to safely pass. Best thing that trucker did was....get past as fast as possible, then get far, far away from the person who does not have confidence driving their rig.

[cbshoestring]

Oops 😮

[3oaks]

I never did see the question answered as to what the posted speed limit was. I admit, I didn't sort through all the non pertinent arguments. :R

If it was 65 MPH or higher, the truck driver was within his/her right to pass. If the speed limit was 55 MPH, than he/she was wrong, period! Tight schedule or not, it doesn't give any commercial truck driver a free pass to speed, he/she was breaking the law and you have a legitimate complaint.