Driving around large trucks can be intimidating, but truck drivers have their own frustrations when it comes to sharing the road.
For this week’s What’s Driving You Crazy?, I wanted to hear from a trucker about what drivers can do to make the road safer for everyone.
For truck driver Landon Faulkner, it starts with giving trucks enough room to stop.
“Maximum load 80,000 pounds, 40 tons rolling 55, 65 miles down the road,” Faulkner said. “We don’t stop like the cars can stop. That’s first. So when you cut over in an emergency, that makes an emergency 10 times worse for us driving.”
Visibility is another challenge. A tractor-trailer can stretch more than 70 feet, creating blind spots around the truck. Faulkner said drivers should avoid lingering beside a trailer, leave space when moving in front of a truck and avoid tailgating.
“We need to be able to see out beyond our hood,” Faulkner said. “We need that 10 to 15 ft of space to see you properly. Our mirrors cover a lot of space, but they don’t cover all the space.”
Faulkner said one of the simplest things drivers can do is give truckers room to work.
“Go on down the road and we’re all happy,” he said. “We just, we’re trying to do our job. When you’re trying to rush to get to work, we’re at work. This is what we do.”
Truckers and other drivers both have a responsibility to share the road safely. For truckers carrying thousands of pounds and spending hours behind the wheel, a little extra space and awareness from other drivers can make the road safer for everyone.
