Thread: Caa Racing
View Single Post
Old Jun 20, 2010 | 10:58 PM
  #86 (permalink)  
SRT SIX's Avatar
SRT SIX
Senior Member
Joined: May 2006
Posts: 3,027
Likes: 5
From: Folsom, CA
Default Re: We're on our way to CAA
Ole Doc,

As part of my work team, I have a companion driver that hauls my equipment around the states. Working with him has given me a whole new perspective on the industry as a whole. I have nothing but respect for those do this for a living. In fact my guy owns his own tractor and probably keeps it cleaner than I keep my Crossfire.

I have been driving for a couple years now myself and I have to say I have not seen this behavior executed this often. When the speed limit is 70 and the trucks are doing 50 with the trailing one doing 51, it is hard to see that the one following is actually going faster than the one in front (I am not exaggerating much on the speeds).

On this trip through AZ and NM this happened multiple times. I was approaching the trucks at the speed limit only to have the rear truck suddenly turn into my lane while simultaneously turning on his turn signal forcing me to brake very hard. Had he signaled his intention ahead of time, I would have lifted off the throttle to let him pass. In each case where there was a clearly marked trailer always signaled their intention. Only the "plain wrapper" trucks seemed to just pull out..

In my experience this has happened only a few times over many years. On this trip it was fairly consistent in its occurence. Interestingly we drove across the TX panhandle and across Oklahoma to OKC and did not experience this at all. In fact all the drivers seemed to stay at least 1 to 2 MPH below the speed limit all signaled their intention in advance..

I have to believe that what we experienced the first two days was not the norm. It was just surprising.

One more day and we are there!



Originally Posted by oledoc2u
OK Six...since you are coming into my work environment while you are vacation...let me somehow try to explain why these idiot truckers display this lack of respect for you...since I live on both sides of the fence. We pull a load...sometimes grossing close to 80K lbs...with usually only 400-550hp to make this happen...acceleration comes slowly, most of the good ones are on cruise letting the computer do the driving for best fuel mileage. Oh, if all trucks would just pull those loads the same, but no, all loads, and weights aren't the same, so every truck cruises differently, all trucks pull hills differently. Anyway, here's the rub, for instance, I am cruising, slowly approaching other trucks who are moving slower than me, my approach is slow, right when I need to move out to get around the slower trucks, here comes a little XF hauling butt, do I let him cut me off, lose my momentum, and take miles to get back up to speed, or do I exercise my right to get out and pass, my office, my work environment, I'm passing, he can wait...he can accelerate a heck of faster than I can...to regain even 5 mph loaded can take 2-3 miles according to terrain I am on...mountains, hills, all can kick you in the butt if you don't maintain your speed and get a run at it...cars on the other hand can just pick it right back up, especially a high performance car like ours...no cars ever slow down to let us out, they just want to get by us...welcome to our world, a little respect...next time you approach a group of trucks, and you see one gaining on the others, and you slow to let him get out and pass, see if he doesn't thank you for it after he gets out, or gets back over...all the good ones will...have a safe trip my friend, yours is for fun, theirs is their everyday work...not much fun for them...sorry, this isn't personal at all, but I deal with getting cutoff by cars everyday, and it isn't pleasant for us either....