Signaling passing trucks, what to do.. Aviod using high beams!!!
 

DO NOT USE HIGH BEAMS TO SIGNAL PASSING TRUCKS. I have been driving for 6 years now, and have noticed more and more lazy drivers using high beams to signal. Now I know everyone who does it will probably deny it on here, or use the excuse they have daytime running lights. I can see just fine at night time until I have been bright lighted a few times. Then I get massive headaches behind my eyes. To those who use their high beams to signal, I like a lot of other drivers I know and talk to would rather you do nothing than use your high beams. To the rest there are other options if you have daytime running lights. You could use the good old CB. You could flash your clearance lights on your cab. You can shut off your running lights, I can see the difference between daytime running lights and low beams. Also those of you who have fog lights can adjust them properly and use them to signal. Fog lights are intended to shine on the ground directly in front of your vehicle 15-20 feet at most. If it's not foggy you just look like an idiot running them especially when their aimed straight out. You can also use your hazards to signal passing trucks. I mention all these methods because I have seen real truck drivers use these methods to signal me.

:lol: :rofl: :smokin: How did i ever survive 24 years driving a truck without reading this?

BLINK BLINK.... FLASH FLASH..... too FAT to reach the dash !!!!!!

I always flick the lites off/on at night, but during the day I run with the high-beams in the ON position but the headlight switch OFF until I get passed, just makes it easier for the other truck to see them.

But to be honest, I have quit doing ANYTHING for most trucks as they seem to come on over w/o leaving the space to fit a smart car in.
I always signal UPS/Fed-EX and some other specific companies, other than that, they will do whatever they want anyways, especially them damn canadians.

It does seem that trucks don't wait to be signaled. I am amazed at how quickly many come back over into my lane. If you have a problem with drivers using high beams you may want to adjust your mirrors slightly outward. It won't reduce visibility and will prevent direct glare from the high beams. It doesn't take much to offset the glare.

I've already got my mirrors adjusted out and I wait a little while longer now before checking to see if I'm past them. Usually I can use my peripheral vision to see when I'm being signaled and what their using to do it with. However I do have the solution, I'm going to get a custom bumper sticker to place on my trailer. It will read "CAUTION Do Not Use High Beams To Signal This Truck. I am also going to attach a 1 million candle power spot light to the passenger side hand rail. I feel it's the only appropriate way to thank those ignorant truck drivers..

I drove a Pete 387 that had tinted windows. I both liked and hated the tinted glass.
It did help cut down on headlight glare. :thumbsup:
...but it cuts down your vision, when backing at night.
Any tight spot, you'd have to lower the side windows, so you could see better.

I have spotlights mounted on both sides of my tractor facing the rear, they help immensely when backing up and when unloading at night, since I pull a tank, there is nothing in the way of the beam. when a polite trucker flashes me his brights to signal me over, I always return the courtesy by flashing my spotlights.

Originally Posted by freebirdrfd:
:lol: :rofl: :smokin: How did i ever survive 24 years driving a truck without reading this?

I give up.. how??

Most trucks now days have daytime running lights. Might be the reason why some guys hit their brights, instead of the old flashing. Our trucks have daytime running lights. It doesn't do any good to turn off the headlight switch in most of our trucks.

Originally Posted by Jackrabbit379:
Most trucks now days have daytime running lights. Might be the reason why some guys hit their brights, instead of the old flashing. Our trucks have daytime running lights. It doesn't do any good to turn off the headlight switch in most of our trucks.

there is a big difference between daytime running lights and headlights

Yes there is a big difference in DRL and headlights most of the time. There is also a relay in the fuse panel the driver can pull out to disable DRL. Screw the company policy a real driver does what they have to, to avoid blinding passing drivers. I have yet to see a truck that can't shut off their cab clearance lights. That actually works really well also, because if you flash your clearance lights I know you have DRL and enough common courtesy to work around it without blinding people.

I can't shut off my clearance lights by themselves. Mine are wired to my headlights. My only option is to either blink all my lights or blind you but since I rarely drive at night I always blink my high beams. It's easier than reaching for the switch on the dashboard when I can just hit the foot switch without removing either hand from the steering wheel.

Now on my personal pickup, there is zero difference between my DRL and actual headlights, they are the same brightness and I cannot make them cut off and on because they are wired in with my parking brake. As soon as it comes off the lights are on whether I want them to be or not.

Originally Posted by joe:
Yes there is a big difference in DRL and headlights most of the time. There is also a relay in the fuse panel the driver can pull out to disable DRL. Screw the company policy a real driver does what they have to, to avoid blinding passing drivers. I have yet to see a truck that can't shut off their cab clearance lights. That actually works really well also, because if you flash your clearance lights I know you have DRL and enough common courtesy to work around it without blinding people.

What a jerk...

The headlights on my truck come on as soon as I release the parking brakes. This includes the headlights, tail lights, clearance lights, etc. This is ALL controlled via the Body Control Computer. So, should I take a hammer to the computer? After all, it's a company truck, not my own.

Originally Posted by joe:
Yes there is a big difference in DRL and headlights most of the time. There is also a relay in the fuse panel the driver can pull out to disable DRL. Screw the company policy a real driver does what they have to, to avoid blinding passing drivers. I have yet to see a truck that can't shut off their cab clearance lights. That actually works really well also, because if you flash your clearance lights I know you have DRL and enough common courtesy to work around it without blinding people.

I can see Joe is gonna make friends pretty quick around here :lol: :lethimdie: :smokin:

Originally Posted by joe:
Yes there is a big difference in DRL and headlights most of the time. There is also a relay in the fuse panel the driver can pull out to disable DRL. Screw the company policy a real driver does what they have to, to avoid blinding passing drivers. I have yet to see a truck that can't shut off their cab clearance lights. That actually works really well also, because if you flash your clearance lights I know you have DRL and enough common courtesy to work around it without blinding people.

Now thats real professional.

Joe Dirt ???

Alright here's the deal. I've got an arachnoid cyst behind my right eye. It creates pressure between my eyes and causes massive headaches. Which are exaggerated by bright lights. Doctors have tried me on all sorts of trucker friendly migraine meds and nothing helps. I see my eye doc once a year and my eyes are perfect. Bright lights at night time seem to not only be a trigger for these headaches but make them much much worse. Surgery is more risky than just leaving the cyst and monitoring it through ct scans. Now I know most of you don't give a damn about any other drivers on the road but your self. But I have lots of trucker friends all over the country and will help out any other drivers at any time. My cb is always on and although I'm only 27 I only participate in respectful conversation over the cb.

How is saying "Screw the company policy a real driver does what they have to, to avoid blinding passing drivers." Being a Jerk. Most of these companies don't give a damn about what their drivers need. And a real driver will do whats necessary to be courteous to other drivers on the road. Flashing your brights at a passing driver who you know is looking directly at your headlights is being a jerk.

I came here with a major issue I see more and more often. When I drive during the day I look to see how many trucks have headlights on and it's very few. Mostly the company trucks that require their drivers to run with them on all the time. The majority of drivers flashing high beams to signal DON"T have DRL. They are just to lazy to reach all the way to the headlight switch and shut them off. They are the real jerks on the road.
I live in Indiana and we have a law that says you can't use your high beams within 500' of another vehicle. I am going to start e-mailing the Indiana state police and the cmv enforcement division about this issue. Maybe if I'm lucky they will see how unsafe and lazy the drivers that use high beams to signal are and start enforcing this law when they see it.

Originally Posted by joe:
I came here with a major issue I see more and more often. When I drive during the day I look to see how many trucks have headlights on and it's very few. Mostly the company trucks that require their drivers to run with them on all the time. The majority of drivers flashing high beams to signal DON"T have DRL. They are just to lazy to reach all the way to the headlight switch and shut them off. They are the real jerks on the road.

So you are saying that during the daytime it is not OK to flash your brights to signal a truck it is ok to pass?
Because you can't be speaking of at night since you can't tell who has or does not have DRL when everyone has their headlights on......

But anyways, sorry about your condition. Maybe driving a rig isn't a good job for you?

I hate the hi beam flash too and wish drivers would just do nothing instead of blinding me.
Joe, I'm kinda surprised your company even lets you drive at night! I bet if the insurance co found out about your condition that would be the end of that! As far as email the police, come on grow up and don't be a tattle tale.

I'm not being a tattle tale by e-mailing the police. I wont be calling them on drivers who bright light other drivers. However I don't see any reason for them not to enforce this law either. Maybe if it becomes public knowledge that you can get a ticket for flashing your high beams and blinding passing other drivers those who do it will stop.

As far as my "condition" I'm perfectly legal to drive a truck. It is listed on my DOT physical which my company has a copy and so does the state of Indiana. It's not a disability, and while my sensitivity to high beams is probably more severe than most others. I still don't believe there is ever a reason to blind a passing driver.

"Maybe driving a rig isn't a good job for you?"
I'm starting to think your right. Too many a**holes out here. Too many distracted truck drivers. Too much B.S. to have to deal with. I think I'll start studying now for changing my career path. Maybe something in the law enforcement community specifically commercial motor vehicle enforcement division. I could write tickets to those idiot drivers then instead of coming here to talk about it. Hey someone has to do it.

You are a hell of a boy Joey........

Originally Posted by joe:
"Maybe driving a rig isn't a good job for you?"
I'm starting to think your right. Too many a**holes out here. Too many distracted truck drivers. Too much B.S. to have to deal with. I think I'll start studying now for changing my career path. Maybe something in the law enforcement community specifically commercial motor vehicle enforcement division. I could write tickets to those idiot drivers then instead of coming here to talk about it. Hey someone has to do it.

Good luck to ya..... my uncle, cousin and brother were all Indiana Motor Carrier Inspectors, and 2 were laid off back in July when IN decided to cut back it's MCI force. Only my Uncle stayed on and that is becasue he has been doing it for over 30yrs. My brother is awaiting going to the ISP Academy sometime in the next few weeks and my cousin got a job at trucking company as one of their heads of saftey.

I was on the ISP for 2 years then began driving trucks.
My entire family are in Law Enforcement in Indiana, except for my grandmother who was a Homicide Detective in Phoenix. Only person who wasn't was my father, and once I realized (got into a bad situation in Gary one night) that I was risking my life for people who don't give a sh*t and $38,000 a year I decided it was time to change paths. So I bought a rig (I had been driving them since 14 on the farms) and that was the story. Now I'm making great money, relax when I want, and enjoy life (not to mention having a law enforcement background helps on DOT Inspections and tickets.....I can usually talk my way right out or call a family memebr to take care of it LOL)

Originally Posted by freebirdrfd:
You are a hell of a boy Joey........

"how YOU dooin....."

LOL, love saying that.

Maybe joe is related to Kevin.


I just hit that thingy majiggy button on the left side of that steering thing that we were told to hold on to at all cost... and it seems to do the trick.


Timberwolf

Originally Posted by Steel Horse Cowboy:
...... and that was the story.

For me it all started with a toy truck, a sand pile, and poo in my shorts.
I learned all about preventable accidents, and how to tell the boss it's not my fault.
My crashes were always dramatic, and stuff blew up allot.
I think I was yelling "fok me!" from the age of 5.

At that time, I had no idea it would take me the next 45 years, to finally become a trucker.
The things I have seen in life, and stuff I had to do... http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l236/Leland10/wtf.gif to finally become
so jaded, thick skinned and anti-social, to "make it" in this biz.

Now my thousand yard stare is, checking out the buffet from the fuel pumps.


http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l2...10/trucker.jpg

Originally Posted by Roadhog:
I drove a Pete 387 that had tinted windows. I both liked and hated the tinted glass.
It did help cut down on headlight glare. :thumbsup:
...but it cuts down your vision, when backing at night.
Any tight spot, you'd have to lower the side windows, so you could see better.

Hell, I had to do that many times without tinted windows. I found out that cleaning the side windows helps too. :)