Ask a professional truck driver questions.

[agentsteel53]

I don't consider it cutting you off If I immediately move back.

it's the move over that defines it, not the move back.  if you step in front of someone with a speed differential of ~15mph and cause them to need to slow down, then you are, by definition, cutting them off.

[empirestate]

I don't consider it cutting you off If I immediately move back.

it's the move over that defines it, not the move back.  if you step in front of someone with a speed differential of ~15mph and cause them to need to slow down, then you are, by definition, cutting them off.

And it might be a perfectly appropriate thing to do in some circumstances.

Another form of cutting someone off would be his original example, where you signal a lane change and someone in the left lane speeds up to block you–cut you off–from changing lanes. (And of course, that's not limited to truck-car interactions, either.)

[agentsteel53]

signaling a lane change does not entitle you to that lane.

[corco]

There's a balance there- if I'm in front of you and approaching a truck and you come up behind me going faster than me but not faster enough than me that I'm going to have to jam my brakes as I approach the truck so you can get around, I'm pulling into the left lane even if you have to brake. You should have sped up more to get around me before I had to jam my brakes.

I wait until the very last second before pulling that shit though, and will throw my left signal on as you approach to tell you to get the fuck out of the way because I'm approaching a truck before you'll pass me at the speed you're going, so either speed up or slow down. 95% of the time, the car in the left lane gets the point before it comes to me cutting them off.

I generally yield to the car in front of me- if you're in front of me and I see you'll need to get over before I can completely finish passing, I'll slow down or move right so that you know you can pass first. If I have to slow down to accommodate that, that's fine. It's the passing lane, not the fast lane- if other vehicles are using that lane to legitimately pass, and they are in front of me, they have a right to be there and to get into it even as I approach.

Obviously there's some common sense to use there- if I'm going 38 approaching a truck going 35 and you're going 75, I need to wait for you to get by so we don't all die even if I have to slow down, but when we're talking a safe distance to slow, yield to the car in front.

This is easier and safer than doing it in reverse where the slow car in front yields to the fast car behind- the back car can see two cars forward far better than the front car can see two cars back, and it prevents cars from getting stuck behind slow moving vehicles and having to accelerate an assfuck into a tiny gap to get up to the speed of the vehicles in the left lane

[empirestate]

signaling a lane change does not entitle you to that lane.

Indeed not; it would be something else entitling you to it, such as a deer that just jumped into your original lane, or simply the state law compelling you to move over for a stopped emergency vehicle. Or even more simply, your right-of-way on a public thoroughfare. The signal is used just to tell others what you're about to do, it's not for claiming title.

[Scott5114]

I'm pretty sure that every state with a "move over" law provides the option to slow down as an alternative. After all, sometimes you can't get over.

[Crazy Volvo Guy]

signaling a lane change does not entitle you to that lane.

In the same step, is it really the end of the world to show some courtesy and slow down to let a left-signalling truck in?  Speed is just a number, and those of us in trucks governed to the low 60s often have a very good reason to be signalling left, since we rarely pass.

My observation is that the number of people who are completely self-absorbed in their driving on the roads today is absolutely astounding - in both cars and trucks.  We really have a problem here, folks.  I'll say it again: speed is just a number, so calm the fuck down.

[vdeane]

Personally, when I'm on the interstate, I don't want to take off the cruise control for anything or have a larger vehicle in front of me obstructing the view (since I drive a Civic, "a larger vehicle" describes just about every vehicle on the road).

[corco]

Personally, when I'm on the interstate, I don't want to take off the cruise control for anything or have a larger vehicle in front of me obstructing the view (since I drive a Civic, "a larger vehicle" describes just about every vehicle on the road).

Oh God, are you one of those people that passes others at .2 MPH faster than the car parallel to you because you don't want to turn your cruise control off?

[agentsteel53]

Oh God, are you one of those people that passes others at .2 MPH faster than the car parallel to you because you don't want to turn your cruise control off?

I'm one of those that doesn't want to take the cruise control off for anything ... so if I'm approaching a car ahead of me with a tiny speed differential, I'll just add another 5-6mph of speed and pass them in an efficient manner.

[corco]

Oh God, are you one of those people that passes others at .2 MPH faster than the car parallel to you because you don't want to turn your cruise control off?

I'm one of those that doesn't want to take the cruise control off for anything ... so if I'm approaching a car ahead of me with a tiny speed differential, I'll just add another 5-6mph of speed and pass them in an efficient manner.

Yeah that's fine- I usually do that too with the cruise unless I'm slowing to let somebody in as I stated above.

[Crazy Volvo Guy]

Personally, when I'm on the interstate, I don't want to take off the cruise control for anything or have a larger vehicle in front of me obstructing the view (since I drive a Civic, "a larger vehicle" describes just about every vehicle on the road).

Well, I don't want to hold doors for people when it's cold or raining, etc. out...and I don't have to...but I do it anyway. *shrugs*  What's the difference here?

It's a truly strange phenomenon.  The nicest, most curteous person, in-person, can get in a car and become the rudest, most aggressive, selfish prick...truly boggles one's mind.  It's not universal...but I do know people like that.

[Roadrunner75]

What's cruise control?  Being from NJ, I rarely ever get an opportunity to use it, since I'm going to have to shut it off in a half mile anyway when traffic grinds to a halt.

[roadman]

What's cruise control?  Being from NJ, I rarely ever get an opportunity to use it, since I'm going to have to shut it off in a half mile anyway when traffic grinds to a halt.

Had cruise control on my last two cars (88 Prelude and 99 Contour).  I always called it my "traffic generation" button.  Because, no matter how empty or free flowing the highway is when I engage it, I'll have to shut it off within two miles due to a sudden increase in traffic or decrease in average speed.

This is one of the reasons I decided cruise control wasn't a necessary requirement when shopping for my present car (which doesn't have it).

[J N Winkler]

Had cruise control on my last two cars (88 Prelude and 99 Contour).  I always called it my "traffic generation" button.  Because, no matter how empty or free flowing the highway is when I engage it, I'll have to shut it off within two miles due to a sudden increase in traffic or decrease in average speed.

This is one of the reasons I decided cruise control wasn't a necessary requirement when shopping for my present car (which doesn't have it).

I have had three cars:  1978 Chevrolet Impala, 1986 Nissan Maxima, and 1994 Saturn SL2.  All but the first have had cruise control.  I missed it so much on the Impala that I considered installing an aftermarket cruise control system, in spite of the many limitations associated with those.  I would even go so far as to say that total failure of the cruise control system ranks with complete failure of a major powertrain component (engine or transmission) as one of the few reasons for me to junk a car.  I would never consider buying a car without cruise control, and I have accepted rentals without it only because I felt coerced by circumstances.

I routinely use cruise control on city streets, in heavy traffic, and even occasionally on residential roads.  Unless the level of service is really bad (say LOS D or thereabouts, which is pretty typical for the five PM rush in these parts), there are extended periods of time when my speed is not limited by vehicles in front and cruise control is a very useful speed limit compliance tool.  I want to pay attention to the other traffic, not to whether there are police cruisers in it, I don't want to be looking down at the speedometer all the time, and I think people fool themselves when they insist they can gauge their speed accurately by looking at how fast the scenery moves past.

I tend to oppose initiatives to reduce the general speed limit within cities from 30 MPH to 25 MPH--not because I prefer 30 MPH as a default cruising speed, but rather because most cruise control systems won't accept set speeds below 25 MPH.

I have to say, though, that newer cruise control systems with a hand-operated cancel function have an advantage over older ones in moderate to heavy traffic, largely because following drivers treat a brief flash of brake lights (to disengage cruise control) as a signal to change lanes and cut you off.

[formulanone]

I don't like using cruise control, it makes me feel disconnected from the driving process, for some reason. I'll use it if my foot becomes slightly itchy or legs need a quick stretch but ten seconds later, I'm usually turning it off. The only exception is if I'm driving through some stupidly low construction speed limit, for which I know I'd never be able to maintain for several miles, for fear of a costly citation.

I'm pretty slow to wrath behind the wheel. Only twice have I been cut off by a truck to the point where I was going to get hit by the last third of a trailer. And no, it wasn't because I was "hanging out in his blind spot", it's because that driver apparently thought his truck wasn't 48-53 feet long.

Still, I've been cut off dangerously by more G35 coupes and BMW 3-series drivers in an average week in South Florida than by all trucks (or any other makes and models) put together.

[hbelkins]

Cruise control is a blessing from God if traffic conditions allow its use. It's hard to use on some roads (such as the stretches of I-64 I typically drive at the times I drive them) but it's wonderful on less-busy roads like the Mountain Parkway. I wouldn't have a vehicle without it now.

[Brandon]

I have cruise control in my current vehicle (2011 Dodge Caliber), but not in my previous one (2002 Chrysler PT Cruiser).  I tend to use it only in lighter traffic on flat rural interstates, and the occasional two-lane.  Being as the Caliber is a manual transmission, it will not automatically downshift on cruise control.

[jeffandnicole]

I absolutely love cruise control.  I'll use it whenever I can. I used to use it to/from work, but traffic volumes are too heavy now to use it then, but on any trip involving the highway and light traffic, I have it engaged.

[vdeane]

Personally, when I'm on the interstate, I don't want to take off the cruise control for anything or have a larger vehicle in front of me obstructing the view (since I drive a Civic, "a larger vehicle" describes just about every vehicle on the road).

Oh God, are you one of those people that passes others at .2 MPH faster than the car parallel to you because you don't want to turn your cruise control off?

I usually add a bit of speed if it's close, especially if there are people behind me.  Often I have to because many drivers start going faster when being passed (of course, the don't ever make the pass unnecessary by keeping that speed up!).  It appears to happen less often now that I have my new car with a digital speedometer and have subsequently adopted my family's practice of driving 72 on the Thruway.  Between my old analog speedometer reading high and keeping it at 70 on the old car, there are fewer people near my speed now.

I have to say, though, that newer cruise control systems with a hand-operated cancel function have an advantage over older ones in moderate to heavy traffic, largely because following drivers treat a brief flash of brake lights (to disengage cruise control) as a signal to change lanes and cut you off.

That was actually an annoyance for me when I got my current car.  Honda disabled the ability to turn off the cruise control with the clutch and I had to re-learn everything.

[6a]

Dumb question time. The way I understand it, triples are allowed on the Ohio Turnpike and Indiana Toll Road, but neither bordering state allows them. Does this have any real advantage? How do you get them *on* the turnpikes? Is it just to ferry shit around between the two states?

[agentsteel53]

most cruise control systems won't accept set speeds below 25 MPH.

definitely a flaw.  I'd love to set it to 22 and parade down the main drag of some small town, looking out for actual road hazards as opposed to revenue generation points.

my current car doesn't have cruise control but it's also a very noisy little manual transmission vehicle.  I can tell how fast I'm going based on engine sound.

[Crazy Volvo Guy]

Dumb question time. The way I understand it, triples are allowed on the Ohio Turnpike and Indiana Toll Road, but neither bordering state allows them. Does this have any real advantage? How do you get them *on* the turnpikes? Is it just to ferry shit around between the two states?

There are staging areas at every interchange on those roads for hooking up to or dropping the 3rd trailer.

Popular on the NY thruway are the "turnpike doubles" - legal also on the Ohio Turnpike and ITR, but nowhere near as popular - this is two 48' or 53' trailers.  And because each axle is a tandem axle in this setup, they track much better than the standard doubles and the triples, which are nicknamed "wiggle wagons" for good reason.

[empirestate]

Popular on the NY thruway are the "turnpike doubles" - legal also on the Ohio Turnpike and ITR, but nowhere near as popular...

Would that be because they are illegal in Pennsylvania? (I don't know that they are, I'm just speculating.)

And then the corollary: do you get a black market of sorts for truckers trying to sneak a turnpike double through Erie County without getting into a bear trap?

[PColumbus73]

signaling a lane change does not entitle you to that lane.

True, signaling a lane change does not entitle you to that lane, but if the person changing lanes gives plenty of warning, there should be no problem with others letting them in.

One of the things that have irked me the most recently are people going slow or stopping in a merge/accel lane. Once, I was on an entrance ramp and the car in front came to a complete stop!

1.) Have you all ever had the issue of cars/trucks/etc. creeping or stopping on an onramp/merge lane/etc.?

2.) Also, I was wondering how truck drivers feel about roundabouts in general. Do you all have trouble making the turns, or cars not giving you space?