Truck Driving Jobs

terrylamar · #1 11-23-2007, 12:40 AM

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 · #2 11-23-2007, 12:43 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 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.

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 · #3 11-23-2007, 12:45 AM

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 · #4 11-23-2007, 12:48 AM

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 · #5 11-23-2007, 01:01 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 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.

Fredog · #6 11-23-2007, 01:03 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by terrylamar

Quote:

Originally Posted by 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 · #7 11-23-2007, 01:19 AM

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 · #8 11-23-2007, 01:30 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 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.

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 · #9 11-23-2007, 01:34 AM

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 · #10 11-23-2007, 04:35 PM

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!