Personal rant---tailgaters when towing trailer...good grief...

[sparc]

I find that bugs me as well. Up here we have a lot of gravel shoulders, and for some reason, my truck and trailer seems to wander off just a little onto the gravel, once or twice, depending if the gravel pinging off there hood and windshield wakes the tailgaters up. For some reason, once they pass, or back off, the fishtailing seems to misteriously end. LOL

I wish we had gravel shoulders here so I could experience this phenomenon.

Part of the problem is lax enforcement. How many times when you are dragging a trailer (or not) do you have someone up your tailpipe and a passing cop (or even one going the same direction) will do nothing, which only tends to enforce the bad behavior.A firend of mine has a good bumper sticker, it reads:

Tailgating, The sport of Idiots

 

[Pitch1]

Works both ways! I was behind a dually hauling a mini-excavator and suddenly there were brakelights,a bang and a cloud of dust. Also a trailer fender that was torn off by a guard rail was skidding across the road ahead of me. Apparently the car ahead of him slowed or stopped to make a left and this fool was going to fast and tried to sneak around on the right. MAJOR FAIL!

 

[dave1949]

I hate tailgaters too, but if towing or driving a large truck, the best thing to do is just worry about what is ahead of you, forget about the idiots and enjoy the ride. In an accident situation, you are in the safest vehicle already and it's not your job to save the idiots from themselves..

If I am out in our Honda Civic, I will slow down gradually until they pass. 20 mph, or whatever it takes, they get the message eventually and usually signal that I'm Number One on their way by.

 

[milkman]

In their mind, they are "great" drivers, so they can drive just like they see on TV.

View attachment 276294

Exactly, and the car commercials are worse.

 

[oliver1555]

Defensive driving courses will tell you to double your following distance when "pursued" by a tailgater.

 

[Todd727]

It could be worse. You could live in the south where everyone gets in the left lane of a freeway and drives 5-10 under. They also don't have a clue why on and off ramps are long enough to accelerate and decelerate.

 

[jpm1]

Well there sixdogs, all i can say is welcome to the world of trucking. I am a driver/ trainer, I drive a semi with an all-terain forklift attached to the rear of my trailer every day and this is an everyday problem. These actions have caused a number of my traines to just plain walk off the job and quit. I have even had Law enforcement tailgating me which use to really PMO ! Finally after 32 years of comercial driving i'm to the point it just doesn't bother me anymore. The way i look at it is if some stupid idiot wants to ride that close to me he's the one needing the body shop not me cause there's a lot of steel between he and me. The biggest problem i have is people aiming for me when i'm in the road with the fork lift unloading my trailer, every one is in such a big hurry to go no where. There seems to be no such thing as courtesy, just speed. I usually cone my lane off when unloading and if there's an person that seems to be in to much of a hurry i just go slower and look them in the eye and make them wait.
A little advise to pass along is " The only actions that you can control are your own." As a person moving tractors, heavy equipment or what ever, your the professional, its your license,and you have to life with the decisions so protect your self and your equipment because no one else really cares. To haul a trailer whether it is a semi or small equipment trailer, its no fun anymore . . . John

 

[Baby Grand]

I see this all the time.
Some "drivers" prefer to put their brain on hold and leave the driving up to you.
Makes texting a much fuller experience.
I don't get it and it makes my blood boil, but John is right:

" The only actions that you can control are your own." As a person moving tractors, heavy equipment or what ever, your the professional, its your license,and you have to life with the decisions so protect your self and your equipment because no one else really cares. To haul a trailer whether it is a semi or small equipment trailer, its no fun anymore . . ."

 

[rtimgray]

My two observations on the subject:

1. Anytime someone sees someone else pulling a trailer, they automatically assume they are going less than the speed limit/normal road speed, even if they're not. They're pulling a trailer, after all.

2. No matter how much we disagree on other subjects, we can all agree that we are above average drivers, and the people following us are not.

Good luck and take care.

 

[sixdogs]

You know, on country backroads I keep slowing down until tailgaters pass and most people eventually figure it out. For some. however, I have slowed and even stopped to wave them on and they stop and wait behind me! Unbelievable and I am a patient and passive driver. All women so far and I don't get it. Do you get on the cell phone and your brain transmits to some other place or do they feel the safety of following someone will protect them?