Appreciation From A Four Wheeler

Maybe it's odd to write this here, but I've lurked on this forum for a while and I wanted to just write some words of appreciation.

A few years ago I got into hypermiling. Not drafting or anything dangerous. Basically knowing how to drive efficiently and safely: obeying speed limits, observing following distance as well as topography and, most importantly, paying attention to everything on the road--you know, predicting other drivers' behavior. So I suppose I'm not really a hypermiler--I leave the ice vests at home, thank you very much--but I like the term for its economy (of language). Much easier to write "hypermiler" than "fuel efficient driver," even with its uneasy connotations.

Anyhow, after hypermiling for a sustained period of time, I began to appreciate something I'd ignored in over a decade of commuting: that no one, and I mean no one, knew how to drive. To be fair, I hadn't known how to drive either. In my pre-hypermiling days, I was the jackass barreling down 95 as fast as possible and hopping lanes, your typical gas-pedal-gas-pedal impatient nutjob. Yet now I noticed, for perhaps the first time, that ordinary driving was DANGEROUS--and I'd been in two serious accidents before. Those accidents, I realized, were not what I'd originally interpreted them to be: anomalous, freak, once-in-a-lifetime events. They were the casual yet brutal result of poor situational awareness. It felt like I had woken up to a nightmare where distracted and drunk drivers were out to kill me. It suddenly seemed miraculous that motorists made it to the grocery store without rolling over.

But one class of drivers, I steadily realized, knew what it was doing: truck drivers. In fact, truck drivers were so demonstrably better than everyone else on the road that I started gravitating toward them, and, no, not to draft. To stay safe. Truckers were engaging in the sort of behavior that I had recently discovered to effectuate safe driving. Without question they are a cut above "four wheelers" and consequently I always feel safer around them. When they're behind me in traffic jams they stay at a safe distance. When they're in front of me they don't slam on their brakes. So on and so forth. Obviously some truck drivers are maniacs, just like everyone else, and I get out of their way asap. But the "maniac rate per x thousand drivers" is clearly way, way, way lower than it is with the general masses.

I've found the best "strategy" of safe driving is to predict what other drivers do. For example, some time ago I was in the middle lane passing someone, as I usually drive in the right-most lane around or slightly-below the posted speed limit. I noticed about a mile back some hotshot behind me trying to break the sonic barrier. The left lane was clogged with cars only going, I don't know, 85 mph, clearly not fast enough for his liking. I eased my foot off the gas, figuring that he was the type of driver who'd shoot into the right lane to try and weave between me and the car I was already passing--and sure enough that's exactly what he did. My passenger understood the sin I had committed and asked, "Why did you slow down and let that [insert vulgar term here] pass you? I would've sped up and cut him off." Of course you would have. Anyway, I present this anecdote because I feel like no one pays attention to anything and, when they do, it's to act like my passenger--an [insert vulgar term here]. When riding alongside family and friends they're straight tunnel visioning, at best examining mirrors when crossing lanes; my dad's an exception, but he was not only a lifelong commuter but a truck mechanic who once had a CDL , so I can't really count him. I stopped driving with an old friend in college because he once cut a semi off. Mortified, I asked if he had suffered a traumatic brain injury without my knowledge, and he shrugged it off with typical motorist logic: "If he slams into me, it's his fault." Right. Anyway, this forum contains considerable evidence of truck drivers exhibiting heightened levels of situational awareness. Post after post of drivers holding themselves to a high standard and always trying to figure out, in case of an accident, what they did wrong or could've done better. It's inspiring.

I've developed a great respect for you guys and gals over the years as a conscious driver/hypermiler. So I just wanted to say thanks. Not all of us four wheelers are distracted, drunk, or stupid. Some of us appreciate what you do and how you keep idiots safe from themselves. I shake my head whenever some fool cuts off a semi, as if the truck couldn't smash his SUV into smithereens. Then I remember that he's playing with professionals and they'll keep him safe, even if he doesn't know it.

In closing I'll echo what's been said here many times: that it's not only absurd but disgraceful that you're classified as "unskilled" workers. For those of you going into trucking, understand that it's an incredibly important job and we in this country do a miserable job appreciating it. Well. I appreciate it. Thanks.

Another Lurker comes out of the shadows with a really great post!

Welcome aboard Michael - I'm hoping we hear more from you. It's nice to hear from a sane four wheeler!

Thank you for that post, Michael. A professional driver will be paying attention and doing whatever is possible to operate that vehicle safely in the interest of protecting not only themselves, but other "less than stellar drivers" on the roadways with them.

Are there boneheaded truck drivers who need their CDL revoked? Absolutely, but luckily there are more conscientious commercial drivers, in my opinion anyway, than there are boneheads. Sadly the boneheads just stand out more giving us all a bad rep.

By the way, what you are doing.. situational awareness, always leaving yourself an out, looking well ahead for potential hazards, etc.. that's good driving and what is commonly referred to as "The Smith System". I was taught that as a part of driver's education back when I was 15 getting my drivers permit back in the dinosaur age lol. Many CDL schools and trucking companies teach that even now. It was "developed" back in the 1950's I believe.

Another Lurker comes out of the shadows with a really great post!

Welcome aboard Michael - I'm hoping we hear more from you. It's nice to hear from a sane four wheeler!

Not much else I can add unfortunately. Maybe stories from my dad of driving a rig through downtown Boston in an ice storm. I probably know that story by heart, at this point.

Thank you for that post, Michael. A professional driver will be paying attention and doing whatever is possible to operate that vehicle safely in the interest of protecting not only themselves, but other "less than stellar drivers" on the roadways with them.

Are there boneheaded truck drivers who need their CDL revoked? Absolutely, but luckily there are more conscientious commercial drivers, in my opinion anyway, than there are boneheads. Sadly the boneheads just stand out more giving us all a bad rep.

By the way, what you are doing.. situational awareness, always leaving yourself an out, looking well ahead for potential hazards, etc.. that's good driving and what is commonly referred to as "The Smith System". I was taught that as a part of driver's education back when I was 15 getting my drivers permit back in the dinosaur age lol. Many CDL schools and trucking companies teach that even now. It was "developed" back in the 1950's I believe.

Yeah...that term's vaguely familiar. This excellent post on the site really captures the sentiment, I think, with "forecast driving":

https://www.truckingtruth.com/trucking_blogs/Article-3035/trying-to-teach-proper-driver-forecasting