How many times has a little car zipped around you and then pulled back in front of you only to put on the brakes? They have no idea that they are putting their lives in jeopardy. We all know that a small car is going to come out on the “short side of the stick” in a tangle with a big rig. What we need is better manners on the road! What can RVers do? How about lending a helping hand to those we share the road with?Most truck drivers are appreciative when you help them out. Keep in mind that these folks are on the clock and earning a living. One of the best ways you can help them is when they are passing.
Flash your headlights once when they are well clear of you and it’s safe to reenter the right hand lane. Most of the time they will “flash” you back with their tail lights signaling their appreciation. 
I usually watch the truck driver’s right hand mirror and when he looks in the mirror to see if she is clear, that’s when I flash my headlights. These folks drive hard and they bring us our food, our medicine and everything else, so please be kind to them. 
What to do about the foul mouthed truckers? Turn off the CB or change the channel, what else can I say? That’s an area where truckers need to police themselves. Every profession has its share of bad apples, but overall commercial truck drivers are a good lot! Be safe out there! Jim
10 comments:
I do this an an RV'er and appreciate it when I'm driving a truck. I've even had considerate truckers flash me in my RV when I'm towing my small cargo trailer. There's no reason not to be polite to others.
This is a great idea and many RV'ers have done this when I have passed them. And yes I have returned the favor.
But PLEASE don't flash your high-beam headlights at night!!! 98% of the time the driver of the big truck has his eyes on the mirror when they figure that it might be safe for them to come back over. When you flash your high-beams you are momentarily blinding the driver. Some of the vehicles towing trailers or have slide in campers do not adjust their headlights and they are high enough to really cause a problem at night even on low.
A simple quick off/on flick of your headlights is the very best way to go to let a trucker know that it's safe to move back to the right lane.
There is nothing quite like getting someone's high-beams blasted in the eyes at night when your pupils are wide open because it is dark out.
As to filthy foul mouthed truckers? Shameful to say, there really isn't much to be done except turn a deaf ear or turn off the CB radio. It does no good to say anything. I should know, I'm a trucker. Even worse to be female and try to say something about the language.
I agree, courtesy is contageous and I go out of my way to befriend the truckers.....most are appreciative....but just as they do not like us parking in their areas, I do not like them taking their big rigs into area designated for RVs in Rest Areas...lets all work together.
FLASHING trucks that have passed you is NICE !! But, since I always drive with my headlights ON, I "flash" by turning off the headlights (parking lights come on), for a brief instant. The "dipping" of lights works just as good in day time as night time. High-beam flashes are not good advice, drive with headlights ON/thank you
FYI, it's nearly unanimous, these guys of the road are very friendly! AND, your tip about off-then-on with the headlights is RIGHT-ON; my new tractor even has a steering-wheel button for doing that! (So, you know it's the RIGHT thing to do, along with slowing down abit to let the passer in!)
Since buying our own tractor (to safely pull our new 5/er) I get many inquiring approaches at the fuel islands, many are impressed with the Volvo we got for less than a new F-550, yet all the amenities of self-contained MH.
P.S. They are, without exception, the most courteous drivers we ever encounter -- even their demeanor when the LONG line at the fuel-desk is being manned by just one cashier (that takes 3+ minutes just to handle simple fuel transactions.... they're even patient when they gotta go in line TWICE, once to start the pumps, again to pay with a company check; man, I got new respect for these guys!)
Signed,
Cummins-n-grey
I'm usually driving my 35' class A between 55 and 60 MPH ( My rebellion against the fuel prices ), therefore I get passed by a LOT of truckers. I always give'm a quick flash, and you know what? You'd be amazed how many of them appreciate it.
Sound advice. I'm a trucker and I signal RV'ers and anyone else who looks like they might need a hand, and appreciate the same from anyone no matter who they are.
Since I started in 1994 I swear I must have seen a hundred bad accidents on the road. The times when I've stopped to try to help because the police weren't there yet and had to watch people suffer and die... I don't know how to put this into words. I put these things out of my mind. I look at people as they pass me. They pull into my lane ten feet ahead of me when they could just as easily wait 10 seconds and pull in 100 feet ahead. And the realization that for the next minute while I slow down to open up my following distance again, if the traffic ahead of that guy stops I won't be able to stop, and those people will die. That's when it all comes back on me. It tears me up inside.
My advice to everyone on the road, be courteous, don't take chances, and be late everywhere you go.
Oh, lights.......had my mind in the gutter!
I am seventy-four and i flash my lights at truck,RV's and sometime cars,but most car drivers don't really know what a flash means,sometime they shoot the bird. It would really be great to have courtesy in driving again. Everyone drive in the RIGHT lane except to pass. Maybe one day this could happen if we all tried to think of the other person.
Thanks c.c.elliott
Flashing the lights is definately appreciated by this 33 year veteran trucker. As for cb, I haven't had a cb radio for some 10 or 11 years now. The bad folks have completly taken over cb and I haven't missed it at all. The more I talk to other truckers the more I realize that those without cb radios now far uot number those that use them. In this age of information At the touch of a cell phone button the cb radio no longer is a useful tool to most truckers. Shiny side up brad. Trucker, biker, rv,er.
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