Passing and Flashing

[terrylamar]

How do you experienced drivers do this. A big truck passes you and you flash your lights to let him know he can come back over. Do you flash as soon as he clears or do you wait until you think he has enough safe distance in front of you. This would be subjective and the other driver may come over before you are ready for him too, with him thinking you aren't going to flash him. This happen to me many times.

Now what I do is flash as soon as the trailer clears plus about 10 feet. When I am flashed I flash thank you back and come over when I clear him by a distance I would be comfortable with and flash thanks again.

I guess what I am saying is the flash is to tell the passing driver that in an emergency he can come over.

[Fredog]

How do you experienced drivers do this. A big truck passes you and you flash your lights to let him know he can come back over. Do you flash as soon as he clears or do you wait until you think he has enough safe distance in front of you. This would be subjective and the other driver may come over before you are ready for him too, with him thinking you aren't going to flash him. This happen to me many times.

Now what I do is flash as soon as the trailer clears plus about 10 feet. When I am flashed I flash thank you back and come over when I clear him by a distance I would be comfortable with and flash thanks again.

I guess what I am saying is the flash is to tell the passing driver that in an emergency he can come over.

clear plus 10 feet sounds about right, but at night, turn your lights off and back on, flashing your brights blinds the driver if he is looking in the mirror

[mapleleaf_1]

I usually wait till the truck has some room between it and my truck. There are times when a driver will begin to move over and he's hardly past my bumper. To me that's not safe to begin with and if it's raining it makes it difficult to see when they move over that fast.
When I move over I wait till there is some distance between the truck I've passed and mine.

[Uturn2001]

I wait until there is somewhat of a safe distance in most cases....about a truck length.

Now if there what appears to be some impatient 4 wheelers I will flash shortly after the truck clears my rig.

[terrylamar]

... at night, turn your lights off and back on, flashing your brights blinds the driver if he is looking in the mirror

By flashing, and I just wanted to rhyme with passing, I mean I dim my light severl times. Pete 379s multi function swithch combination high/low beam and dim, windshield washer control, turn signal and marker/clearence lights interrupt. In other words I do not flash my high beams or turn off my head light, but dim them.

[Fredog]

... at night, turn your lights off and back on, flashing your brights blinds the driver if he is looking in the mirror

By flashing, and I just wanted to rhyme with passing, I mean I dim my light severl times. Pete 379s multi function swithch combination high/low beam and dim, windshield washer control, turn signal and marker/clearence lights interrupt. In other words I do not flash my high beams or turn off my head light, but dim them.

My Pete is older ( 2000) it just has low beam, high beam, and off

[BIG JEEP on 44's]

I drive a truck set at 65MPH , So I flash only when the other driver seems to need it at night , As other wise either my light switch is falling off or my finger will by the end of the week .

[TK THE TRUCKER]

I wait until there is somewhat of a safe distance in most cases....about a truck length.

Now if there what appears to be some impatient 4 wheelers I will flash shortly after the truck clears my rig.

Same for me too. I really don't like when drivers cut back over too soon. I wait for at least 1 truck length even a little more unless like you said there's some 4 wheelers messing it up. 8)

[Drew10]

Flashing is can mean 2 different things to the 2 trucks involved. Does the flash mean you have cleared my truck and its OK to return to the travel lane or does it mean you have cleared my truck AND established a reasonable safe following distance?

I generally do not flash because in most situations the truck passing me is coming back into my lane before Im ready to flash them back. If I think it is necesssary for the truck passing to come back ahead of me before a safe following distance is established, and this would occur if the passing truck is being pushed by a line of traffic behind him/her. Then I may flash when clear plus "10 feet" or so. This should tell the driver that it is OK to return to the right lane, and I will back off alittle to reestablish the safe following distance.

If traffic is light, though, I generally will not flash. The exception may be at night when it is a little more difficult to determine a safe distance my the passing truck.

Flashing should NEVER occur using the high beams especially at night. I would wager that every driver on this forum has been looking in that right mirror exactly at the time the passed truck flashes the HIGH BEAMS.

[One]

What yo uneed to do it to either a) dim lights at night or flash them days or b) tell him on the cb that hes clear.
You do this once he is past you far enough to where you are comfortable w/ him to come over. Calculate in that if there is a hill to climb he might slow down to where you have to pass him again, so dont be too quick about it unless you are sure he'll outpull you. Keep the traffic conditions in mind and your FOLLOWING DISTANCE. If you are too quick to let him over you might be setting yourself up for rear-ending him. Communicate w/ your neighbor!

[rubberducky]

my truck has daytime running lights, in other words you can't shut them off without shutting the truck off.

[inmate1577]

For safety reasons I dont flash lights for other drivers. Too much liability if the other driver screws it up.
I'm not saying nobody else should do it, I choose not to.

[Colts Fan]

I don't think showing my boobs to anybody is appropriate no matter what the situation.

[headborg]

15years experience + former trainer

You count 7 (1001,etc) seconds after the truck has cleared in good weather..and you flash(off/on) no High beam! you allow more distance for bad weather..so you're not blinded by spray, etc.( unless you're out of washer fluid and need a window washing.

in the old days, it was custom for a truck to start to signal their intent- when their trailer started to pass you( so you would see all the signal lights + any 4-wheeler behind would know not to try to cut around as soon as they cleared you)

If you're the one doing the passing...you don't whip 'er over as soon as someone "flashes" you...you wait until you can see the entire truck "the picture" in your mirror. And you return to that lane by drift...not an abrupt
"turn" ie...your tractor/trailer should be straight.
With all trucks governed today by the same speed...many large companies
have started to tell their drivers not to "flash"...it wares out lights faster.

Remember you can use your shadow of your trailer to tell if you're clear of another truck too.

too many trucks these days are "whipping' back over without giving enough "following distance" these days.

[ben45750]

For safety reasons I dont flash lights for other drivers. Too much liability if the other driver screws it up.
I'm not saying nobody else should do it, I choose not to.

I don't either. About the only time I do is if they are another tanker or someone from my company.

[ben45750]

[quote="ben45750"]

For safety reasons I dont flash lights for other drivers. Too much liability if the other driver screws it up.
I'm not saying nobody else should do it, I choose not to.

I don't either. About the only time I do is if they are another tanker, someone from my company or a truck with a WOW or O&A sticker.

[One]

my truck has daytime running lights, in other words you can't shut them off without shutting the truck off.

They can be disabled by pulling the DRL fuse.

[Fredog]

I don't think showing my boobs to anybody is appropriate no matter what the situation.

STINGY!!

[golfhobo]

Drew10 said:

Flashing should NEVER occur using the high beams especially at night. I would wager that every driver on this forum has been looking in that right mirror exactly at the time the passed truck flashes the HIGH BEAMS.

Sorry.... you lose the bet! I NEVER "LOOK" in my mirrors when passing another truck at night! I use peripheral vision to "catch" the flash out of the corner of my eye, while keeping my eyes focused on the road ahead of me.

I also, calculate time and length, to KNOW when I am WELL clear of the other truck, and I SIGNAL my intention (as someone said) so cars will not dart between us.

If a truck "flashes" me over when I KNOW I am not a safe distance ahead of him, I will flash my markers to thank him, then continue on until "I" am ready to move over.

As for BEING passed (which is rare,) I will NOT flash another driver over to USURP my "right of way," until he is a SAFE distance ahead of me (at least one trucklength.) I'm NOT getting another ticket for following too closely for something that was NOT MY FAULT!

IF he starts over before I am ready, I MAY flash him to let him know he hasn't caused an ACCIDENT, but then..... if there is no traffic following him, I will IMMEDIATELY put on my left turn blinker, and pull into the left lane! This tells him he has PISSED ME OFF!! (and I WANT my "space!") .... and keeps me from getting a ticket or being in an accident (should he suddenly brake because he's obviously an idiot and may have just missed his exit.)

I am aware that some drivers DON'T flash, so he might have thought I wasn't going to.... but, there is NO EXCUSE for not leaving the driver you passed a SAFE distance when you are taking over HIS "right of way!"

I'm not going to make matters worse by putting my brights on..... but, they usually get the message when I have to change lanes behind them! If they've got the juice, they usually pull away quickly!

This feeds into my biggest pet peeve..... a truck that closed on me (and passed me) doing a good 5-10 mph faster than me..... THEN slows down and hangs off my front bumper EXPECTING me to invite him over!!! If you've got the juice to PASS me..... keep the pedal down and keep GOING!! :shock: :evil:

Now, before some of you get all high and mighty and jump on me..... I also have NO PROBLEM with occaisionally dropping back a mph or two to help someone out! Many times a LIGHTER truck passes me on a hill when I'm heavy, but can't finish the job at the top of the hill because HE is governed below what MY truck is! I don't ask this guy to go back and get behind me (usually) I just back off and let him in, then pass him back.

I am a VERY courteous driver, both to trucks AND 4wheelers. But, I believe that one of the most UNSAFE conditions on the road is two trucks playing the Elephant train game! I didn't get into trucking to stare at your back door, and be whipped about by your "prop wash!"

I won't Tailgate you.... and I won't let you "bumpergate" ME!!!

I ALSO want to show my agreement with the driver/poster who said "move back over gently" and not WHIP it in there! I've seen so many drivers do that, and usually whip their tandems right off the side of the road! Who the HECK taught you to drive??? Not only do I NOT need rocks in my windshield..... but I don't need you "losing it" and wrecking right off my front bumper!!!

I don't flash anyone and I don't pull in when flashed either unless it's safe.