September 14th-20th is National Truck Driver Appreciation Week.
Should we all go out and honk our horns and wave at passing truckers to honor the occasion?
Probably not. While the sentiment might be appreciated, it’s more likely to distract them, confuse them, or make them wonder if their swing doors have busted open—or worse.
The trucker’s world is a mystery to most of the motoring public. So what is the best way for the motoring public to show their appreciation out on the road?
The drivers’ forums have lots of examples. Flashing your brights at a trucker who’s just passed to alert them it’s safe to pull back into your lane is a good one. It seems like a nice thing to do. But it could momentarily blind them.
Simply turn your lights on then off briefly User PM_ME_UR_GLOVES on Reddit suggests.
It makes you wonder what else the four-wheelers of the world are missing.
National Truck Driver Appreciation Week is the perfect time to learn more about how truck drivers themselves would like to be appreciated out there on the road. Here’s what truckers themselves say.
10 Ways to Appreciate Truck Drivers On the Road
1. Use the cruise
“Foot drivers“ who constantly speed up and slow down are a safety risk and annoyance to truckers. “Use cruise control on the interstate. Maintaining a steady speed makes you predictable,” said karrimycele.
2. Don’t leave them hanging
When a trucker is kind enough to move into the fast lane on the freeway, either speed up or slow down so they can get back into their happy spot in the right lane.
3. Pass like you mean it
When you pass a driver, don’t drop back in front of them at a slower speed than the truck’s driving. “You passed me because you wanted to go faster than me, right?” gfinchster
3. Don’t cut off
Especially in city driving when a trucker is rolling up to a stop light. “We have calculated the room we need to safely come to a stop, and by having cars whip in and steal our room, we are forced to slam our brakes,” said Dangerous_Ingenuity1. They add that a hard stop is of course the best-case scenario.
4. Show your intentions
Use your turn signal, RadicalSnowdude said. Truckers, need more reaction time than drivers of passenger cars. They really appreciate being given a little notice when you’re making turns around them.
5. Don’t tailgate
Be at least 100 feet behind on the highway, Arnhildr-Fang said. Or better yet, don’t be anywhere near the back of a truck. Dangerous_Ingenuity1 added that if you can’t see what is happening in front of the truck, you won’t have enough time to react to things thrown up by trailer tires or maneuver around an obstruction that a truck is able to straddle and drive through. “If we have to stop suddenly and you aren't paying attention, you will likely go under the trailer,” Dangerous explained.
6. Stop behind the line
Intersections that have been properly lined allow enough room for tractor trailers to safely make their turns. When passenger car drivers stop over the line and too close to the intersection, it can make the trucker’s turn impossible. They’ll have to reapproach the maneuver or abandon the turn. Either way they’ll experience the exact opposite of truck driver appreciation.
7. Don’t linger alongside trucks on the highway
“It’s best to give trucks a wide berth, front, side, and back. Pass quickly, on the left where we can see you,” karrimycele said. Truckers have blind spots. Can you blame them for not liking having cars near them? Remember that if you can’t see the truck driver’s face in their side view mirrors, they can’t see you.
8. Don’t pass on the right
The right-hand side of a tractor trailer is a huge blind spot for the truck driver. This is a hot button issue for truckers. It’s especially dangerous in urban driving. If they make a right turn while you’re passing, it’s bad. Best to be patient and pass on the left.
9. Let them merge
It’s harder changing lanes in a tractor trailer. They tend to change lanes out of necessity. “Let me over or pass me. I don’t change lanes for no reason, if I’m asking to be let over, it’s usually because there’s a hazard to my right that you can’t see that I’m trying to get around,” explained Dust_Exact.
The Best Way to Appreciate America’s 3.5 Million Drivers
Showing a little understanding and observing the rules of the road go a long way toward giving truckers the thing they appreciate the most.
Their safety.
Supporting their safety helps ensure that they get back home to the people they love and that they can continue to do the job they love.
