Recent interactions with Truckers

I thought of calling this Courtesy to Truckers -- and it is,
but it is much more than that. It is also safety for yourself, the truckers, and all others on the road.

1.  Driving down the highway preparing to turn left onto a side road.
         I recognize that a truck is heavy, it is going 55 miles an hour.
         It will be difficult for the driver to slow it down.  It will be a pain to then regain speed.
So I turn on my turn signal far sooner than I ever would under regular circumstances.
This lets that trucker know he is going to have to slow down and gives him more time to do so.
If he slows down sooner, I will be finished with my turn and he would be able to accelerate from a slow speed instead of from a near dead stop. 
Much easier on the truck and on the driver.  Also safer for all involved so there will be less chance of an accident.

2.  When sitting at an intersection and a truck is turning onto my road.
        I know that a trailer requires more radius when making a turn.  Often the road space is not enough for them to avoid a curb.  Often truckers must turn extremely sharply to fit into the lane.

If I see it soon enough, I will stop well ahead of the red light or of the stop sign.  I will give them plenty of room to swing around for their turn.
If I don't see it soon enough, I may consider backing up if it's safe to do so--there's not any traffic or vehicles behind.  This allows that extra space to make the turn more easily and safely.

3.   When driving down a freeway and a truck passes me
          I realize that a semi trailer is long and even with mirrors, it is difficult for the driver to judge distances.
So as soon as his rear bumper is clear of the front of my vehicle, I flash my lights to let him know it is safe to go back over to the right lane. This is a courtesy because they often wait an extra long time to go back over to the right lane to assure that they have not cut off the distance too short.

4.  When pulling out in the roadway ahead of a truck
          I know trucks are heavier than cars, react mechanically slower than cars, and require more time and distance to maintain safety.
So I never pull out even close to in front of a truck.  It may have a lot of weight and if so, cannot stop as quickly as you may think. 

Be informed.

Be considerate.

Be safe.