I thought we would try to start 2011 off the right way.

The Department of Transportation (DOT) and the Federal Motor Carrier Association (FMCSA) along with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) all seem to think that adding more regulations to the already very long list in trucking are needed.

These people who work at these jobs don’t have an inkling of what needs to be done. So they do the only thing they know how to do – add more regulations.

DOT, FMCSA, and NHTSA seem to think that because there were 5,500 deaths supposedly caused by distracted driving, that the most safest group of drivers on the highways are to blame – truck-drivers. So, the DOT, FMCSA, and NHTSA are all trying to abolish the use of cell phones in tractor-trailers. Cutting the sometimes only way of communications a trucker has with his company about his job. The fines are unbelievable for cell phone usage that they have set forth on the trucking industry – but allow the general motoring public minimal fines.

DOT, FMCSA, and NHTSA seem to be ignoring the fact that tractor-trailer crash-related fatalities are down by one-third from their 2003 levels, and that fatality and injury crash rates are at their lowest level since the DOT began keeping records. In the “real facts” that the DOT, FMCSA, and NHTSA tend to over-look, 80-percent of tractor-trailer Vs general motoring public accidents, the truckers are NOT found to be at fault.

With that being said, I want to do the DOT, FMCSA, and the NHTSA’s job for them and try to educate the general motoring public with some tips for driving in and around tractor-trailers.

Before I start with some tips, let’s look at a tractor-trailer. They are very big and long, nearly 75-feet or more in length, generally speaking and legally they can weigh up to 80,000-pounds, but some states allow for more weight but generally speaking 80,000-pounds is the limit. Most tractor-trailers have five axles that means on each axles wheel there is a brake that’s two sets of brakes per axle, BUT this doesn’t mean tractor-trailers can stop on a dime.

During normal weather and with a fully loaded tractor-trailer traveling at 55-mph it will take approximately 400-feet to safely stop – to picture what 400-feet is look at a football field that is 100-yards long or 300-feet. Add bad weather and this increases dramatically. So, the old saying that the trucks have more wheels, and brakes they should be able to stop quicker – is NOT TRUE.

• TIP#1: Do NOT pull out in front of any tractor-trailers just sit and wait that extra couple of seconds – it won’t kill you – but pulling out in front of them could.
• TIP#2: Do NOT dead stop in front of any tractor-trailer – or you could be dead.

While driving around within cities were there are turns to be made, a lot of accidents occur when tractor-trailers try to make turns – especially right turns. Most tractor-trailers have to make very wide right hand turns – so generally they will move over to the left to make right hand turns. The accident occurs when impatient people try to go around the truck on the right hand side and try to make the turn before the truck. The right-side of a tractor-trailer is the hardest side for the driver to see.
Here is an example of a right hand accident while making a turn:


• TIP#3: Do NOT attempt to go around a truck on the right-side ever – more accidents happen on the right-side of a tractor-trailer because of blind-spots located around the truck. Do NOT be impatient – or you could become a doctor’s patient.

Speaking of blind-spots around a truck this brings me to tip#4 but first let me explain what a blind-spot is. A blind-spot in a vehicle are areas around the vehicle that cannot be directly observed under existing circumstances. Blind-spots exist in a wide range of vehicles: cars, pick-up trucks, tractor-trailers, buses, motorboats and aircraft.
For tractor-trailers here is an example – stay out of the NO ZONES:


• TIP#4: Do NOT drive in or around the NO ZONES located around tractor-trailers. This tip will save your life – learn it and obey it.

This brings me to talking about driving in and around tractor-trailers while on the interstate. In the many years I was out on the road I have seen many accidents and many “near misses” and usually it is some simple mistake that causes the accidents. First off I would like to say that NOT ALL tractor-trailer drivers are perfect drivers the trucking industry is full of nitwits who drive for a living. But the majority of all the truck drivers are professional and drive really well.

While traveling on interstates I have seen cars that want to ride right beside tractor-trailers this is a very dangerous act and should be avoided when you can do so safely. See a lot of people ride in that lane right beside the tractor-trailers and never think of a tire exploding on the truck or a brake drum disintegrating on that truck. Where do you suppose when the tire explodes the pieces of the tire go? Where do you suppose when that brake drum explodes the “shrapnel” goes?

A average tractor-trailer 18/32″ rib tire in the 295/75R22.5 size, would have an overall weight of around 110 lbs. So, jetting along at 65-mph a tire weighing 110-lbs blows out and a huge piece called a “gator” flies off – if it hits your car – trust me it will cause damage if not kill you if it came through a windshield.

A brake drum can weigh more than 100-lbs. when it explodes and they do “shrapnel” is sent out from under the truck in all directions. What causes brake drums to explode? When a tractor-trailer driver applies the brakes this causes friction between the brake pad and the brake drum. Friction or heat can cause the drum to crack which in turn would cause a drum to explode. Does this happen very often? No, but it is a possibility, just the same as a dual set of wheels can and have come off tractor-trailers before.

• TIP#5: Do not ride beside tractor-trailers or right behind tractor-trailers, pay attention at all times while driving around tractor-trailers.

Example of what happens when a tractor-trailer tire explodes and you get hit by the “gator.”

Example of what happens when a wheel assembly comes off a tractor-trailer and you happen to be the one that gets hit by it – unfortunately a person was killed in this example.


I want to end this post by saying that these are just a few of the tips for driving around tractor-trailers hopefully some of the truck drivers who read this post will chime in on some more good tips for the general motoring public. I would have to say that these five tips I have given you will help you to avoid from getting into life threatening situations. If more truck drivers don’t chime in with more tips in the comment section, then I will write a follow-up article containing more tips.

I am pretty sure that educating the general motoring public will have more effect towards reducing accidents than adding more regulations. I would hope that the DOT, FMCSA, and the NHTSA would give more thoughts to preventing accidents through educating instead of by adding more non-needed regulations. To sum it up what I have written today:

• TIP#1: Do NOT pull out in front of any tractor-trailers just sit and wait that extra couple of seconds – it won’t kill you – but pulling out in front of them could.
• TIP#2: Do NOT dead stop in front of any tractor-trailer – or you could be dead.
• TIP#3: Do NOT attempt to go around a truck on the right-side ever – more accidents happen on the right-side of a tractor-trailer because of blind-spots located around the truck. Do NOT be impatient – or you could become a doctor’s patient.
• TIP#4: Do NOT drive in or around the NO ZONES located around tractor-trailers. This tip will save your life – learn it and obey it.
• TIP#5: Do NOT ride beside tractor-trailers or right behind tractor-trailers, pay attention at all times while driving around tractor-trailers.

© 2011, Truck Drivers News Blog. All rights reserved.

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