Topic: Too many lights on transport trucks

[KD]

I could live without them driving 140 through Jasper on highway 16 relying on massive push bumpers to deal with wildlife strikes.

I know the majority of trucking companies around here are moving to a govern system that limits speed to 100km/h max.  It saves a huge amount of fuel and I'm sure it also reduces accidents.  Some of the private ones are real assholes though, especially the logging trucks!  But for the most part most have figured out they can save fuel by slowing down without any loss in time.

Maybe this is why they block the rare double uphill passing lanes on a lot of highways, because they can't go fast enough to pass on the flats.

Possibly.  You can't govern bad driving unfortunately!

[Seafoam]

I could live without them driving 140 through Jasper on highway 16 relying on massive push bumpers to deal with wildlife strikes.

I know the majority of trucking companies around here are moving to a govern system that limits speed to 100km/h max.  It saves a huge amount of fuel and I'm sure it also reduces accidents.  Some of the private ones are real assholes though, especially the logging trucks!  But for the most part most have figured out they can save fuel by slowing down without any loss in time.

Alot of the general public could learn from this also.

[Railton]

And while we're on the topic; there should be a law that regulates the 18 wheelers off the metro Toronto 400 series highways between the hours of 6:00 AM and 9:00 AM and 3:00 PM and 6:00 PM. Have them parked at rest stops.
Railton

Thinking about this a little more - I think it's only a matter of time (say the next 5-10 years) when we see things like automated trucks on the highways and they can be more easily regulated off 400 series highways and in rush hour as there won't be human drivers driving anymore... Juts imagine, no more truck drivers. I suppose it will extend to taxi drivers as well, not to mention valet parking. I wonder what career will back fill for those three jobs?
Railton

[random006]

And while we're on the topic; there should be a law that regulates the 18 wheelers off the metro Toronto 400 series highways between the hours of 6:00 AM and 9:00 AM and 3:00 PM and 6:00 PM. Have them parked at rest stops.
Railton

Thinking about this a little more - I think it's only a matter of time (say the next 5-10 years) when we see things like automated trucks on the highways and they can be more easily regulated off 400 series highways and in rush hour as there won't be human drivers driving anymore... Juts imagine, no more truck drivers. I suppose it will extend to taxi drivers as well, not to mention valet parking. I wonder what career will back fill for those three jobs?
Railton

Shades of the movie Duel, Maximum Overdrive ... and other "animated" truck stories.   

[Rupert]

   What a load of 'old codswallop'. I find it is more likely that car drivers display bad behaviour...sometimes very bad...than truckers, who are just going about their business. Banning from the highway is total rubbish. Driving your car with a due understanding of the truckers rig size and the responsibilities that are entailed in operating the same...should be the mantra of personal transportation users. If a long rig passes you; give the driver a headlight flash when he is clear so that he will know when to pull in again. Often you will get a curteous double tail light flash as a thankyou.
   It's a long drive across Newbrunswick/Nova Scotia and also Newfoundland. Some speed limit's there are 110 and the truckers like to use that speed and tollerance to get it over with. I always try to stay out of their way. I don't like to drive just behind a truck though...can't see the road ahead...and fumes and on the long stretches you do keep catching up to the truck that passed you a while back, on upgrades. Heck, what's the problem. If close to the top of the passing lane side, I just hold back knowing that the truck will accelerate past the top of the hill and will soon be further ahead. Why make the truck driver pass you again. Sometimes it does not work out that way...then give the truck driver the opportunity to pass you further along on a straight. It's not a competition and being curteous makes you feel good...especially when you get the double blink.
   One time on the long climb up the hill out of Rivierre du Loup; I was pulling back onto the highway from a side road and saw a truck coming up the hill from my right. He was a good distance away and I could easilly have made it...but mindfull of the truck drivers desire to keep his revs up...I waited till he had cleared the intersection. Got a double pull of gratitude on the hooter and a wave. We just tagged on behind and pulled into the Irving station for a nice breakfast. Life is too short to forgo little opportunities to be nice to each other.
   I don't understand the problem with lights. Some are lawfull requirements. Three adjacent lights at each end identify the vehicle width and then the extreeme outer are another two. No doubt there are other requirements also...so probably these are not the ones referred to here. A lot of the time there are too many lights on cars and SUVs. I have no idea why the so called fog lights are used...like a four pronged attack...what for; especially so when there is no fog anywhere. Mine have never been used.
   Drive safely with regards to the well being of others.

[blotter]

If a long rig passes you; give the driver a headlight flash when he is clear so that he will know when to pull in again. Often you will get a curteous double tail light flash as a thankyou.

 



an interesting observation...   drove from Niagara to Etobicoke a few Wednesdays ago.
I think we can all agree that Wednesdays are truck days... it seemed the right lane was just filled with truck after truck after truck.   My trip to Etobicoke was uneventful.  A short jam up around Oakville and a few jerks driving in the car pool lane.   Most offensive drivers:  small and full size pickup trucks.

the drive back, no jam up.   The traffic wasn't really heavy but looked worse than it was as drivers just spread themselves out in all the lanes.   This create various small pockets of clogs.  Strangely, I didn't see too many trucks.

Once I cleared the Burlington skyway going home, it was all trucks in the right hand lane.  I'll give them credit, they all went about their business.   I hit a small pocket of traffic... two trucks in the middle lane, a few in the right.   The two trucks were working at passing a few peers but got stuck behind some slow moving idiot (car) in the middle lane how would NOT move.   I had to feel for the truckers as they attempted to move between two lanes (kudos for not using the left, because I've seen them use it in frustration)   The scene was repeated every 15km as people didn't move back into the far right lane (staying in the middle)...   this always created mini jams.   

I think if a real crack down on middle lane hogs was done, our highways would all flow so much better!