Road Rage

I encountered my first road rage driver this week. I left a truck stop and there was another truck right behind me. I needed to make a left at the light to get back on the interstate so I got into the turn lane. My mistake was not to notice there were 2 lanes so I got in the wrong lane. I realized this when the truck behind me pulled up even with me to my right. I look over and the young driver was making hand and facial gestures designed to communicate to me his contempt for my stupidity. When the light went green he was off like a shot. I started out slowly because I knew we weren’t both going the turn simultaneously. So I stopped and let him go. If I hadn’t his trailer would have taken out the front right of my tractor. Ok, no big deal at this point. Then we get on the highway and he tops off at 60 and I get up to 63. Not much traffic, I’m on cruise control so I pull into the left lane and start to pass him. No one behind me. As I pull even with him he starts to swing towards me so close I have to take the left shoulder. As I look over, he’s got those gestures on steroids. And he’s still trying to run me off the side. I look back and several cars have come up behind me, so I keep going and get ahead of this guy. I decide to hold my lane until I’m well ahead of him. Then I get a blinding blue light in my eyes and I’m being lasered in my right mirror by a high intensity laser or LED light. I look back and it’s coming from his windshield. I kept going until this guy was well behind me a didn’t see him again. But I did get his tractor number when he started his lane intimidation. I talked to my manager about this and was advised I should have called the State Patrol. So I’m supposed to call his company tomorrow and lodge a complaint. Any thoughts? This is my first experience of this nature.

Wow Bruce, truly awful behavior making an honest mistake like that. Then having the nerve to think about lodging a complaint against the guy for trying to laser guide you in the most efficient lane for travel?

I spent some years doing patrol in the east at a police department that had I 81 running through it, near VA tech. I am appalled that any driver even carries a laser because I can't think of any good it would do them. Seems he has it readily available and is probably not new to this behavior.

Unfortunately the law isn't helpful at this point because it's all "alleged" in the legal sense so the company complaint sounds like the only option. But this is likely better anyway, perhaps leading the company to receive not the first but the third or fourth time this particular driver has been called out and they can take action. Certainly more than a trooper could realistically do out at the time.

In my humble non driver opinion, I am FOR your complaint to the company. These roads are travelled by all of us and people like that put other people in the obituary section on a daily basis.

Drive safe and let us know what you ultimately end up doing so others may learn.

Spaceman, I’ve only been driving solo for a little over 2 months and I find 99.9 per cent of drivers safe and courteous and I try to be the same myself. What I have to say to guys like the one I encountered is this: Don’t try to be the “enforcer” on the highway. When a rookie makes a mistake, he probably knows it at the time or soon after. And we all make mistakes so don’t try to teach me a lesson by retaliation. It’s super dangerous not only to me but to you as well and anyone traveling behind us as you execute your revenge. Get some anger management or get off the road.

Encouraging to hear, keep the positive and all. I definitely agree we don't hear much of road rage being posted here (to my knowledge lately).

I start next Monday for orientation then will be amongst you all on the road by Thursday or Friday hopefully. Plenty of mistakes to make and learn from without needing a laser in my eyes from an industry acquaintance.

So I’m supposed to call his company tomorrow and lodge a complaint. Any thoughts? This is my first experience of this nature.

Absolutely call his company and ask for the SAFETY SUPERVISOR/ MANAGER. That drivers (yes, lower case d) actions were completely uncalled for and extremely dangerous. That D Bag needs to be taken off the road permanently!!!

What Company was he driving for?

Inquiring minds want to know

This was a TMC driver. I’ve seen TMC trucks a lot. Never had a problem with them before. Great equipment and I’m sure every company has a rogue driver.

This was a TMC driver

Good. They are a large Company with a Safety Department. At least it wasn't "Billy Bob's Trucking". Follow through with the phone call. They will be glad to hear from you. These Safety Department guys/gals take their jobs seriously, they have to! Good ol' "Road Rager" will be looking for a new job after your phone call, I guarantee it!

Hey Bruce - email me at brett@truckingtruth.com - I can help with filing that complain. I know some people over there and they would absolutely want to know about this.

Spaceman is dead on with this... it was my belief that if you are going to become a commercial driver and call yourself a "professional" (note I did not say expert, huge difference between the two ) you deserve a formal complaint when it comes to bad behavior behind the wheel. You have your company name and sometimes phone number all over your rig, and with the internet so prevalent in our lives today it's not hard to figure it out.

Way to keep your cool out there, Bruce. This annoys me even though I wasn't involved like you were. I only had one incident I can think of.

I was in the center lane and a car was zooming up in the right lane which was about to end. I didn't spend up or anything and the car got past me before the lane actually ended. When he pulled into my lane in front of me he slowed down. I moved into the left lane to pass and he quickly darted over in front of me. I moved into the right lane and again he moved over in front of me. I just dropped my speed and soon he was far enough ahead that I could resume driving the speed limit. Crazy people out there!