Trucking Pet Peeves

I'm just going to list some of the pet peeves that I've been experiencing while driving. I'm going to rate these from 1 (😡) to 5 (😡😡😡😡😡) on a frustration level. As a base line, I would consider someone blocking the fuel island a 3 (😡😡😡). A lot of these are why I can't be more than a month on the road or I'd end up going mad. Feel free to list your own pet peeves.

-Trucks going slow (not accelerating or cresting a hill) then speeding up and matching your speed when you try to pass them: 😡😡😡😡

-Cars / trucks going slow on two lane / undivided highways for dozen of miles, speeding up in the passing lanes so you can't pass them and then slowing down when then passing lanes end: 😡😡😡😡😡

Lines of cars all tailgating each other for miles that won't ever let your merge over: 😡😡😡😡

Trucks parking on highway shoulders: 😡😡

Drivers double / triple parking trailers in small sized dropyards: 😡😡😡😡

I would have to agree about trucks blocking fuel lanes. Some drivers just weren’t raised right.

Oh, boy. I haven't even started driving trucks yet (Start school Monday), and this ****es me off in a heartbeat in my own car haha! I always let trucks in, though. Where I grew up, we had a lot of 2 lane highways. The shoulders were large enough that when trucks drove head on while passing, we would just get on the shoulder and keep on driving. But, with the current state of things, we just can't have nice things. No etiquette anymore.

I'm just going to list some of the pet peeves that I've been experiencing while driving. I'm going to rate these from 1 (😡) to 5 (😡😡😡😡😡) on a frustration level. As a base line, I would consider someone blocking the fuel island a 3 (😡😡😡). A lot of these are why I can't be more than a month on the road or I'd end up going mad. Feel free to list your own pet peeves.

-Trucks going slow (not accelerating or cresting a hill) then speeding up and matching your speed when you try to pass them: 😡😡😡😡

-Cars / trucks going slow on two lane / undivided highways for dozen of miles, speeding up in the passing lanes so you can't pass them and then slowing down when then passing lanes end: 😡😡😡😡😡

Lines of cars all tailgating each other for miles that won't ever let your merge over: 😡😡😡😡

Trucks parking on highway shoulders: 😡😡

Drivers double / triple parking trailers in small sized dropyards: 😡😡😡😡

Without a doubt, the one thing that still upsets me more than any other is to see a big rig tailgating anyone, even another truck. Tailgating is the clearest sign of a person with a very tiny brain. It's all risk and no reward. It creates a dangerous situation while giving you no advantages over someone who keeps a proper following distance. That's a tiny brain decision right there.

Keep a proper following distance.

The false alarms from the "safety" features in the cab. We're slip seat, there's no other equipment to use. Unless I smell smoke, I'm not stopping for a dashboard light or chime. Wake up a manager or a mechanic but leave me alone, I'm driving. (Of course it would be different were it not for the constant false alarms.)

For me, as a newer solo driver, without a doubt, they are:

- Blocking the fuel island/washing your windshield AFTER you’re done fueling. Do this WHILE you’re fueling. If you’re running inside, pull forward. Also, someone taking their 30 minute break after pulling forward. I witnessed someone pull forward after fueling and then sit there to take their 30 minute break which blocked in two trucks behind them in Olympia, WA just last week.

- Easily as frustrating, blocking the scale. Don’t pull onto the scale until you’re ready! The amount of times I’ve had to wait behind someone who’s just sitting on the scale because they can’t figure out how to use the “Weigh my Truck” app, they don’t know their max weights so they trying to figure it out while sitting on the scale, etc. Scaling should take no more than 2 minutes tops. And yet, I’ve had to wait 10 minutes behind someone who can’t figure out how to scale. Don’t pull onto the scale until you know you’re ready and it’s only going to take you a few minutes tops.

- Drivers texting and driving. We are all CDL holders and are held to a higher standard. The amount of CDL drivers I see on a DAILY basis who have their face buried in their phone is appalling to say the least. I can always tell who they are when I’m coming up behind them or they’re coming up behind me in my mirrors. Because they’re all over the road. The ones that really get me are the ones who pass on the left with their phone in their hand and then get in front of you, barely leaving enough room and causing you to have to hit the brakes to create your 7-14 seconds of following distance again and then often times, can’t keep a constant speed so your cruise control is constantly adjusting because they’re more focused on their phone.

- Where drivers chose to park. I mean, in areas not designated for parking, even if it’s for a short period of time. This is especially bad at customers and makes it impossible for me to back into a dock because they’re blocking the room I need to maneuver. Or at truck stops. Blocking trucks in spaces or blocking spaces so you can’t park. And, parking in areas making it very difficult or impossible to maneuver so you can park. The last thing you want rolling in at the end of the day when you just want to shut down and rest is someone being inconsiderate and parking in an area making it impossible for you to move. Use some common sense!

I haven’t been driving long but it doesn’t take long to figure these things out I listed above, especially when I’m putting in almost 2,000 miles, 6 days a week. A lot of this job is common sense and I’m in a way shocked at how many professional drivers, a lot of which who have been doing this much longer than me, lack basic common sense. You learn very quick what annoys you on a daily basis. I’m sure I’m forgetting some things, too.

For me, as a newer solo driver, without a doubt, they are:

- Blocking the fuel island/washing your windshield AFTER you’re done fueling. Do this WHILE you’re fueling. If you’re running inside, pull forward. Also, someone taking their 30 minute break after pulling forward. I witnessed someone pull forward after fueling and then sit there to take their 30 minute break which blocked in two trucks behind them in Olympia, WA just last week.

- Easily as frustrating, blocking the scale. Don’t pull onto the scale until you’re ready! The amount of times I’ve had to wait behind someone who’s just sitting on the scale because they can’t figure out how to use the “Weigh my Truck” app, they don’t know their max weights so they trying to figure it out while sitting on the scale, etc. Scaling should take no more than 2 minutes tops. And yet, I’ve had to wait 10 minutes behind someone who can’t figure out how to scale. Don’t pull onto the scale until you know you’re ready and it’s only going to take you a few minutes tops.

- Drivers texting and driving. We are all CDL holders and are held to a higher standard. The amount of CDL drivers I see on a DAILY basis who have their face buried in their phone is appalling to say the least. I can always tell who they are when I’m coming up behind them or they’re coming up behind me in my mirrors. Because they’re all over the road. The ones that really get me are the ones who pass on the left with their phone in their hand and then get in front of you, barely leaving enough room and causing you to have to hit the brakes to create your 7-14 seconds of following distance again and then often times, can’t keep a constant speed so your cruise control is constantly adjusting because they’re more focused on their phone.

- Where drivers chose to park. I mean, in areas not designated for parking, even if it’s for a short period of time. This is especially bad at customers and makes it impossible for me to back into a dock because they’re blocking the room I need to maneuver. Or at truck stops. Blocking trucks in spaces or blocking spaces so you can’t park. And, parking in areas making it very difficult or impossible to maneuver so you can park. The last thing you want rolling in at the end of the day when you just want to shut down and rest is someone being inconsiderate and parking in an area making it impossible for you to move. Use some common sense!

I haven’t been driving long but it doesn’t take long to figure these things out I listed above, especially when I’m putting in almost 2,000 miles, 6 days a week. A lot of this job is common sense and I’m in a way shocked at how many professional drivers, a lot of which who have been doing this much longer than me, lack basic common sense. You learn very quick what annoys you on a daily basis. I’m sure I’m forgetting some things, too.

The worst one that I've seen blocking the fuel island was a driver that sat at a fuel pump for at least 30+ mins. It was a busy Pilot where trucks back up into the street and it took me about 20 mins to get to a fuel pump. I fueled up in about 10 mins and after I finished, I saw the driver in question just sitting in the driver’s seat on their phone. When I got there 30 mins ago, he wasn't even fueling to begin with.

I tapped on their window with the squeegee to gesture them to pull forward and he had a baffled look on this face... They were just totally clueless.

And I'd just like to add other truck drivers tring to race ahead of you at the scales where the speed limit is usually 20 - 40MPH.