slow trucks in the middle lane
 

whats it going to take to get thease people to step to the right.
the best one is 2 trucks 68 mph becuase one can run 68.3 mph
he can hold up the middle lane for 10 miles sorry guys just venting

Three lane highways the speed limit is usually 55 mph to some @ 65 mph.
So I don't see your point as too emotionlly draining.

Re: slow trucks in the middle lane
 

:roll: :roll: :roll: :roll:

Maybe you should change your name to Billy Big Rigger.

Re: slow trucks in the middle lane
 

Sounds like we have ourselves a supertrucker.

no not a super trucker but i do like some courtesy and by the way the 3 lane on i 75 in fl and ga is 70 you know there is such a law as slower traffic keep right but i guess it dosen't pretain to proffesional drivers
whats wrong with me running 75 in a 70 zone i guess that classifes me as a supertrucker i don't mean to be smart but what is the thought proess
here i would like some logic here

Unless somebody changed the law, you are allowed to pass a slower vehicle. Just deal with it. And the slower traffic IS keeping to the right. If Florida and Georgia would join the 21st century and get rid of those stupid lane restrictions this wouldn't be a problem. Ever notice how much BETTER truck traffic flows in places like Texas where there ARE no lane restrictions? Through trucks aren't forced to constantly duel with merging traffic.

Did you seriously just ask that question?

I cannot figure out why this is so hard. If there are three lanes, there is a entrance/exit lane.. and TRAVEL lane and a PASSING lane.

"KEEP RIGHT EXCEPT TOO PASS" these signs are on most highways throughout the country and for those of you that can't understand the meaning or,just plain can't read it means stay in the right lane until you need to pass.The middle lane is not "the travel lane" it is,for the most part the trucks passing lane,since so many states now restrict us from the far left lane.If you are one of those that hang out in the middle lane for no reason or,you are scared of the guard rail monster or,falling off the world you are part of the problem not part of the solution.Use common sense and tie it together with common courtesy it won't cost anyone a dime.
As far as having to drive 75 to make a living you may need to think about your career choice,you're throwing tons of cash out the window at that speed.

Re: slow trucks in the middle lane
 

No he is right

Now that my memory is jogged....
They do have some 3-laners down there that have signs that tell you Trucks are prohibited in the left lane, and can only use the right 2 lanes.

There are times...I've whipped out in the 3rd lane and put the hammer down...just to get around some slowpokes. But they have to be climbing a grade or really going slow for me to go for it. Much of the time though...I just relax and go with the flow. I seem to maintain better health, and honestly...that extra 5 mph....for me in the overall picture of my day...is nothing. I always seem to find open stretches for better than half of my day which easily lets me lay tracks. All said at the end of the day... I cross territory and Git 'R Done.
I say don't grind your teeth or make an ulcer. That becomes a habit of behavior. I have to check myself up every now and then.

MORON

you call me a moron but how may of you will run about 5 over the speed limit when your truck is able to do it

the "keep right except to pass" signs arent on all highways, there are certain stretches of highways that have that sign up, I-40/85 in NC i run the middle lane doing 68-70 mph...only because i know there is alot of traffic merging onto highway and some drivers dont understand that!

On the 3 lane highways, I typically will drive in the middle lane doing the speed limit, and most cars just file in at a good clip behind me. If I move over to the right lane and cruise, when I come up on a Weiner, or a Swifty and need to jump to the center, people don't mind and will let me over. I've been known to jump to the far left lane and pass traffic, and honestly I have passed several patrol officers and never had them do anything to me yet. If I am passing people, and not "speeding", then I guess they see no harm in it?

The only thing where I agree with the original poster here, is when you have a Werner in the far right lane, and a JB Hunt driver trying to pass him, and they do the 4 mile dragrace. I only see this a problem in either a 75mph state, or where there are only two lanes and they start obstructing traffic. Otherwise, like the other guy said, just go with the flow, you're only going to lose 20-30 minutes at the end of the day.

Wouldn't it be smarter to have through trucks in the farthest 2 left lanes in a 4 lane highway. Most the 4 wheelers don't know how to merge at all forcing me to step on my breaks and creating the caterpillar effect.

Some companies require that drivers use "the lane of least resistance".

This is often the middle lane.

It used to tick me off , but i feel that drivers do this because they don't want to have to keep slowing down/speeding up when traffic merges in.

Or they might be practicing the Smith system.

I just wait until we get to the open road (away from the metropolitan areas) and pass them.

Actually, he's right; A professional driver should stay to extreme right in most cases. If this means the driver has to deal with merging traffic then that is part of trucking and they need to deal with it. That's the price you pay for wanting to go slower.

Whatever the case, i don't lose any sleep over it. That's trucking. Deal with it.

Re: slow trucks in the middle lane
 

The true courteous driver in that situation, if they were the truck in the right lane, would have lifted off the throttle and let the truck on the left go by.

I'm no fan of restrictor plate trucking, but when you're dead-necking for more than 2 miles, you're impeding traffic, regardless of the # of lanes on the highway.

I will not let off Hat Rak. It's their fault for pulling out and trying to pass, not mine. They are the one being discourteous, I'm minding my own business and doing the right thing, holding my speed and staying in the right lane. If I need to merge over for a ramp that is merging in, I will but I will get back over ASAP. If I can't merge, I have no problem slowing down and chilling out. I will only lose about 5 seconds. If it's a real slow merge in, I try to stay ahead of my situation and look hard for a hole to slide over in but again I am quick to get on back over out of the way.

I spend a LOT of time on I-35 (Waco, Austin, San Antonio) and my .02 is that traffic will move much more smoothly around metro areas if the through trucks stay in the center lane (left lane truck restricted). Not only will it give better access to those using the off/on ramps but it reduces the chances for accidents. That being said, I run the center lane at the SPEED LIMIT, but if I see a truck gaining on me from behind, obviously he is moving faster than I am, so I have no problem extending the courtesy of moving to the right to let him pass. 4 wheelers are on their own. 8)

I guess being in my mid 50s and in this game a long time, I have come to the conclusion that a cool relaxed attitude along with common courtesy suits me better than ulcers and high blood pressure. :)

suprising as it may sound there are many 4 wheelers that travel even slower than my swift truck. Most times it's a simple menuver to get around them, then at times you manuver and they all of a suden pick up speed and leave you out in the middle lane to dry.

This is the same thing I do in the Chicago area. With all that merging going on the worst place for a 40 ton missile to be is right in all that mess.

Who do you pull for? I actually live in Waco, Texas. It sucks getting accustomed to the slow pace here, and then heading into LA, Chicago, etc...

My view is that this is trucking---deal with it.

the NJTPK from exits 16 to 10 is notorious for this; I hate the way the drivers just hang around in the middle lane doing 65 like some dumba$$, i hate their trucks and i hate them. It's like they're not going anywhere in life, but why hold everyone else up too?

But think about all times when it's wide open; I would say at least 75 to 80% of all our driving is wide open.


So, we are probably only talking a few minutes delay.

I say, that's trucking---deal with it.

HI MISTERGREEN & TEAL 95 KW.... I drive for an Austin based Co. called Zemog Transportation. You may have seen our red & white Sterling day cabs (former H-E-B Grocery tractors). I live in the Tyler area and all I haul is Ozarka bottled water to the various grocery distribution centers in all the big TX cities; hence, LOTS of city driving. I used to pull chemical tanks in Chicago a lot and I am very familiar with all the craziness there.

Waco is not bad to drive through, but Austin is another matter :shock: :shock: :!:

If I am going the speed limit then I shouldn't have to move. In that area it's either 65 or 55. Why should I have to inconvenience myself just because you want to save 5 minutes on your run and swerving in between everyone.

One reason for moving over, when the flow of traffic is running faster than you are!
Read the signs along the highway that say "slower traffic keep right "
They do not say if you are running the speed limit, stay in the middle lane!!!!
What this poster is saying to you is, be a pal and move over!
Lets say the speed limit is 60 and the flow is running 70, your impeding traffic, so the right lane is where you will be safer!! Why do drivers need to tie up the middle lane anyway?? Remember "keep right, except to PASS" and "DON'T pass on RIGHT" Think about it!!!
Is this what they teach new drivers in school, the middle lane only belongs to you, so screw everyone else???? I hope not!!!

So just because I can't be that a$$ and run at 70+ on a 55mph road, tailgating the 4wheelers to make them get out of the way, I should have to make my life harder by fighting with the merging traffic so you can save 5 - 10 min and waste more gas then me? Try slowing down a bit yourselves, you'll save money, have less stress and get there just about the same time because you don't have to keep speeding up and slowing down.

I'm not saying I'll live in the middle lane no matter what speed I am at, but if I am in an area that I know has a heavy merge problem or I can see from looking far enough ahead and reading the road signs I will not sit in that right lane because far too many people do not know how to merge properly.

Like 294 loop in Chicago area, anytime you are coming to a merge with another freeway or toll plaza there is going to be problems in that right lane.

You are supposed to be the professional, act like it more.

I'll hop in here and get the business too. if I am in a congested city area and on most interstate "loops" (not all and not all times of the day mind you) I will run the limit and I'll do it in the middle lane what is also referred to in most civilizedcountries as the TAVEL LANE. The traffic never seems to be bothered by me at all, the guys who are running fast have gotten used to passing people all day every day chasing the clock and that's just what they do. They never have trouble passing me anywhere else. I'm not going to raise the changes for myself by travelling in entry/exit lane during rush hour.

ssoutlaw, that is what they teach at a CDS school by me. I will see their trucks out on the big road now and then and it's in the middle lane doing 55 in a 65. Not very smart when your trying to teach someone how to drive a truck.

As I said above, I have no trouble finding a hole to slide over real quick to get by an exit/entrance merge. If you have to sit there in the middle lane when nobody is beside you in the right, your not being the professional. This isn't just contained within the trucking world, 4 wheelers love to do 65 when the flow is 70 or more and sit in the middle lane or left lane.

That is the difference between you and the other poster, you will slide over when you can! My post said with the flow of traffic, but the other guy thinks he should remain in the middle lane and screw the flow of traffic. I can tell you 1 thing, the flow of traffic is more than not higher than the posted speed limit!! In the job I have now, I run Chicago every night and I will run the right when I can, then move to the middle lane when needed. What people on this thread are talking about, are the BUMS in the middle lane who think they own the road, and everyone is passing on both sides of them. This is what causes traffic jams. Everyone here knows, and has seen these type of drivers, and this is the Bit#$ we are commenting about

How can someone be causing a traffic jam if everyone is passing on both sides? Either traffic is not moving, or cars are passing.

Who said anything about tailgating?? I will tell you this much, when Chicago is not backed up, the flow is more than not running faster than the posted speed limit!!! If the flow of traffic is running faster than you, and passing you on both sides, then you are the traffic hazard, plain and simple!! If you cant keep up with the flow, then why bring the right lane problems to everyone else, maybe you need to gage the merging traffic a little better then!! You sound like one of these drivers that coming out of the toll booth you take 5 miles to get to speed in the middle lane! Running the with the flow is more professional than running the speed limit in the middle lane and causing everyone around you to change lanes and run around you!!! So I will give you some of your own advice

"You are supposed to be the professional, act like it more"

The other post from me saying about the sign on the road saying " slower traffic keep right " This is the situation this sign refers to!! Now don't read anything else into my post about speed, if your causing a slow down, then move over and let traffic clear and worry about your own driving, not someone Else's. This conversation is not about someone running 80mph, its about people like you who must always block the middle lane. PERIOD!!!!!

Think about what you just said!
Take 3 lanes of traffic, the truck or car in the middle lane is going slower than the other 2 lanes. People are switching lanes on either side of them, they may need to brake a little, or wait before they move over. This has a domino effect to the rest of the traffic behind the slow driver in the middle lane. I know you knew this, you just needed to be reminded.

I did think about it before I typed it.

They also may not need to brake a little. You are painting with a wide brush here. EVERY truck in the middle lane situation does not create a backup.

There will always be slower traffic and someone needing to move around them. If you're in the right hand lane and have to pause because there is no opening to pass, what's the difference between that and a middle lane situation? You're slowing down for both. Traffic backups can happen in a right hand lane slow driver scenario as well.

You guys are all worked up about this and it really does not affect your driving life that much. Try keeping your nose out of other people's business. If they want to run the middle lane (as per some company policy; like I mentioned recently), then go around and let your blood pressure drop.

This is a general message to all, not anyone in particular...

this is a typical misconception, usually believed by inexperienced truck drivers and 4 wheeler drivers. I guess if there are only 2 lanes, then there is no travel lane and you have to constantly either enter/exit or pass.. I noticed most newbies dont have the courtesy to move over. I blame their trainers, teach them to be professional drivers, not just steering wheel holders.. I guess its hard to cover everything in 2 weeks.

sad that there are such unprofessional, discourteous people on the road.

Yeah. Far too much yelling on the CB or giving the finger to slower drivers!

I dont even turn my c/b on anymore unless I need information. then half the time, you just get a smartass answer, but sometimes you actually get some help.

It takes two to argue or fight. You guys who want to dig your heels in and say you have a right to the middle lane as long as you go the speed limit are just as bad as the impatient guy popping his cork trying to get around you. It just becomes a battle of wills. It cant be less stressful for you having him on your bumper and you know damn well what he wants. What's the big deal? Move over at the first opportunity. If I'm being held up I don't like it but I try to chill out until I can do something about it. If I'm holding someone else up I get out of the way as soon as I can. To be honest it doesn't happen much because I see him coming in my mirror and I find a hole before he gets there. It's called sharing the highway and getting along. Dealing with merging traffic isn't that hard if you try. You guys don't want to be inconvenienced so you inconvenience someone else. I say your using safety as an excuse for lazy because you just want to sit in the middle and hold the wheel. Yeah, there's probably more work in the right lane but I think I can handle it long enough for a guy to get around me.