Most trucks are governed between 62-70. These would be the company trucks of which the five largest companies are---J.B. Hunt, Swift, Werner, U.S. Express, and Schnieder. Some of their trucks may go faster as some are "owner-operators". This is, of course, on a flat land. Going uphill or downhill will depend upon if they are loaded and how heavy that load may be. For the issue of semis "tailgating" you... I'm ashamed of them as they should know better! My point is just that "tailgating" isn't safe for anyone. The question about rain and snow. We, also, have to deal with that from each other. Yes, it happens to me and I hate it! The snow on top of trailers problem is being addressed but as of yet there has been no feasible answer for it. All I can say is please be very careful when driving in those conditions.

Please understand that I don't believe each of you draft. I just read the article and I wanted to put in my "two cents worrth" on that bit.

Thank you and please drive safely!

You won't find me drafting, either. I will follow a slow-moving rig at a normal distance (at least a few seconds) for the same reason as Bob: because approaching drivers will spot the trailer and move over rather than fly up to my bumper. Without that aid I'm not inclined to drive below the prevailing speed of traffic regardless of the limit.

Please note: When on the 15 or 80, with lots of room to change lanes, tailgating is an act of intimidation. No, not all truckers do it, just as not all hybrids draft.

My rule of thumb is to allow enough to allow anyone passing me to be able to move into my lane comfortably ahead of me.

It's not your fault that people do stupid things.

In a typical urban area of 500,000 or more - traffic is going to allow at most a one second gap between any vehicle - probably only half that. Where are the screams about that tailgating? Granted, 4,000 pounds is not like a big rig, but it's still strange the people ranting about tailgating out of principle are not limiting the arguement to only big rigs.

61.5mpg lifetime - 82mpg in recent months

Best Run >
www.cleanmpg.com

"fanatic" is what the lazy call the dedicated

In LA, DC or anywhere. I'll slow down, or change lanes if I find I'm tailgating.

But what could possibly be the reason for tailgating in open country? Sorry DF - no excuse for tailgating.

Drafting's a drag (pun intended.) Lousy view, and I can read "This truck pays $XX,XXX in road taxes' only so many times. Everybody must share the road, ya know? My hybrid has made me a much more relaxed driver.

By the way, I've seen many more rude, dangerous, obnoxious car drivers than truck drivers. A car will always lose to a truck. http://www.komotv.com/news/7749297.html

Not just Super White...Super Duper White...

First of all, Tristan, I think it's way cool of you to go to the trouble to create a login and make a post just to increase awareness of the truckers. That's a point of view we don't often get.

But my question is, why does it appear that semis draft each other on the open road? Is it just because it takes them so long to pass each other, and they get "stacked up" waiting for an opportunity? Or is that you guys are allowed to draft each other because your vehicles are all about the same weight?

Best trip: 48.9 mpg over 17.9 miles (scangauge)
Best tank: 40.7 mpg over 606 miles (calculated)

If you read my past posts, you would realize I'm not defending tailgating, but some people get pleasure shooting up a dead horse.

The obvious point is tailgating is a fact of our life in the largerst US metro areas, cars feet if not inches behind. It happens to me daily - don't like it. In the big picture it happens a lot more than close drafting a big rig. It's suspicious that the common tailgating is being ignored while a rare one is. And it's interesting Brady mentions truckers draft each other....

61.5mpg lifetime - 82mpg in recent months

Best Run >
www.cleanmpg.com

"fanatic" is what the lazy call the dedicated

Right. SUV's are likely to do the same crap. Tailgating.

Thank you for the question of "stacked up". That happens for many reasons that I can't even begin to name. One is, of course, most "big company" trucks are governed so close in speed that it begins the fact of who is lighter in load. Most truckers, if they are paying attention (we do have our idiots), will slow down to get away from that. When we do try to pass each other then it slows down other traffic who is moving faster than we are. We are most certainly not allowed to "draft" each other. In fact, we are to keep a greater length of distance between us in that it takes us the length of a football field to safely stop. Our rule of thumb is 1 1/2 sec. for each 10 miles per hour that we are doing. Can we always achieve this? Of course not. However, that is what we strive for.

Delta Flyer, you are right in that in metro areas "tailgating" is very common. We ALL need to be vigilant on this and try to maintain a safe distance.

Thank you so much for your interest in our posts. If anyone has any more questions, we'll be happy to answer them.

Drive safely!!