lewie

When you are riding on roads generally speaking how do 18 wheelers treat cyclists?

Sledbikes

theyre not all the same theres a difference between OTR,local and load per day haulers.


as local in the summer ive only had a few run ins from roadies riding 3 abreast on the left lane, the ones you should worry about are Jits,Gravelers and Loggers

cudak888 

About the same as auto drivers treat cyclists, pedestrians treat cyclists, and other cyclists treat cyclists:

It all varies depending on the individual controlling said object of motion.

-Kurt

CommuterRun

I think CDL drivers, as a group, are the most professional and courteous drivers on the road.

bigpoints

timely topic...i just came back from a long ride. on my last half hour, guy in a rig invited me (tooted the horn and gave me the nod) to motorpace. if i was fresh, i would have gone with him, but my ride was kind of spirited and i was a little cooked, so i had to wave a decline.

In general, though, can't say the treatment i get from them is any different.

limeylew

After cycling in Texas for almost 30 years, I feel safer around 18 wheelers than I do around SUV's and pickups.

10 Wheels

Same here.... They always move to the left when they see us riding on the shoulder.
The small cars that worry me. Had two pass me yesterday in the same lane. They gave me about 24 inches of clearance....

bakerjw

Truck drivers get as much respect as cyclists. The only difference is that the penalty to a cager for not getting out of their way is much higher.

If I am riding on a 2 lane and a semi comes up from behind, I clearly make every effort to accommodate them as they pass me. It is not only for my own safety, but because they deal with the same idiots that we see every day.

WPeabody 

The driver of a big rig was getting ready to pull out of the driveway of a business the other day and we were still about 50 yards away, but he waited, and then waved for us to go ahead, so that he wouldn't block us on the bike lane as he slowly moved out. Very considerate of him, we thanked him.

Then not too long after, another big rig winged by us at about 45 just outside of town, his right wheel about an inch to the left of the inner bike lane line, and I probably could have touched the truck if I reached sideways, even though he had plenty of room on a very wide lane and plenty of time to see us. So, in the space of a few minutes, we encountered one driver who cared, another who did not.

gcottay

At least some gravel haulers in our do not seem to hire from the pool of competent professional drivers for their big rigs. Other than that, 18 wheelers are not a problem expect for their size. At highways speeds they do throw a far amount of wind, dust and road debris even when passing with more than adequate clearance.

Sledbikes

Gravelers get paid by how many loads they do in a day so they tend to not be in their best behavior

markf

Most commercial drivers and trucking companies have a lot more to lose than the average motorist if they have an accident or even get a ticket or a verifiable complaint from the public, so they have good reason to be extra careful.

Most of the commercial drivers around here are very courteous to cyclists and everyone else, although the fuel tankers deadheading back to Denver are notoriously aggressive to everyone on the road.

Sledbikes

i hate deadheading i would try and get there quick to get rid of it too

powerhouse

I don't understand the mentality of many truckers. Like those who transport gravel, truck drivers drivers hauling pulp and paper goods to and from the mills are paid by how many loads they can haul.
Unfortunately, this has meant disrespect toward human life.

I've ridden treks on a route along the Androscoggin River Valley in Maine. Along this route, truckers haul pulp and paper to and from mills in three different towns. With their overloaded trucks, the drivers came barreling along the narrow roads and practiced their techniques of "fly-swatting". This brought their trucks so close to bicyclists that some riders were forced off the road.

But not all truckers are bad. As the years passed fewer and fewer truckers played their dangerous game. But we still must be vigilant.

fordmanvt

We pay our longhaul drivers by the mile, and the shorthaul and local drivers by the hour. The longhaul drivers definitely run harder, but the limitation of appt times keeps them from running too hard.

StrangeWill

This.

Though I always wonder if they feel uncomfortable with me around them.

JeffB502

I deal with truck drivers frequently on a trip to one of my work sites (a cooler where trucks pick up produce). Usually they're coming up behind me on a 1 mile stretch of my commute that consists of a 2 lane 55mph road where I have to take the lane. A large percentage of the time they simply slow down to my speed and follow, or pass if it's safe. If they're going full speed they almost always go into the other lane. Sometimes they'll get behind me and lay on the horn. Usually I just wave. The percentage of aggressive driving/honking seems to be about the same as people in normal cars.

Almost all of the trucks I deal with are full size 10 wheel tractors with sleeper cabs, and 53' 8 wheel refrigerated box trailers. Many of them are owner/operators, so if you call the phone # or look up the name on the side of the truck and call that company you're not gonna get anywhere. I'm thinking the people that are driving for a company and don't own their truck would try to be less overtly aggressive since you can complain to the boss. On the other hand the drivers that own their truck aren't going to want to run you over because it would increase their insurance rates, lol.

ghettocruiser

Average to poor.

There has been pronounced downward pressure on wages and ages of truck drivers here, and it shows.

tomg

i experience many 18 wheel trucks and their drivers on my commute.

generally, the professionalism is easily noticed, they pass and maneuver much better than the car/pick-up/box/suv drivers do sometimes.

i live in the industrial park of our city, 1/4 mile to limited access hi-way so truck volume is high. i feel verbal and non-verbal exchange with 18 wheelers is a notch above general public road user interactions!

Hickeydog

I prefer 18 wheelers over the 4 wheelers. They are VERY, VERY curtious. They always move all the way over into the other lane before passing.

oakback

18 wheelers cannot change direction quickly. They can't swerve without you noticing. They're slow off the start, and predictable. I prefer riding by an 18 wheeler than a car, truck, or SUV.