Sharing the Road with Trucks

When fully loaded, a big rig can weigh 80,000 pounds and require the length of a full football field to come to a complete stop. The more you know about driving with trucks, the safer roads will be for all of us.

Wind Gusts

Trucks create wind gusts that can blow you off the road or out of your lane. Keep both hands on the wheel when you pass a truck or when a truck passes you.

Passing

• Allow plenty of time to pass. At highway speeds, it can take up to 30 seconds to safely pass a big rig.
• Don't continuously drive alongside a truck, because this puts you in one of the truck's blind spots.
• After passing, change lanes only when you can clearly see the truck's headlights or front grill in your rearview mirror.
• Don't speed up when a truck is passing you. Instead, stay to the right and slow down slightly. Let the truck pass you. This will give the truck plenty of room to pass safely and will get you out of its blind spot.

Changing Lanes

If a truck is signaling to change lanes, give it space. An average truck changing lanes at highway speeds needs an eight-second gap (700 feet) - that's the length of 2-1/2 football fields.

Right Hand Turns

If a truck is signaling a right-hand turn, stay behind the truck. Trucks need to swing wide to the left when making a right turn.

Blind Spots

Every truck has four blind spots, or "no-zones," where your vehicle is invisible:

• Front - 10 to 20 feet in front of the truck cab.
• Rear - 200 feet behind the truck (2/3 the length of a football field).
• Both sides - much larger than your vehicle's blind spots.