# Pickup Truck Drivers



## DGS49 (Aug 15, 2014)

My daily commute involves traveling about 25 miles in each direction on a heavily-traveled interstate highway (I-79, if you must know).

As with a lot of such roads, the posted speed limit is 55, but the flow of traffic is 65-70 mph most of the time.  Occasionally there is a bit of congestion, but it normally moves smoothly.

I follow the recommended practice of staying in the right-hand lane unless I am passing someone.  I am a "cruise control" person, and when traffic is relatively light I'll set my cruise at 65 and try to leave it there.  As a result, there are times when I am passing someone going 63 mph or so, and it takes - I don't know - 15-20 seconds for me to make the pass?

When I do this, I frequently end up with an unhappy driver behind me, entirely too close to my back bumper for safety.  Usually they are not flashing their high beams, but by their proximity they are letting me know that I am an asshole for holding up their progress toward who-knows-what?  I will refer to these people as "Asshole Type 1."

There are also times when, in a long line of cars clogging both lanes, someone will quickly pass on the right, even though the right lane is also clogged, then they cut someone off to get back in the passing lane, having moved forward one or two places in the chain of cars and saved themselvs a fraction of a second in their journey to who-knows-where?  "Asshole Type 2," if you will.

In both cases they are compromising the safety of themselves and others in a futile attempt to exceed the speed limit by more than everyone else.

By my unofficial count, both Asshole Types, 1 and 2, are about 95% pickup truck drivers.  And not just pickup trucks; invariably it is a "lifted" 4WD pickup truck.  Occasionally, these appear to be work trucks, but usually not.

This is not to say that every asshole on the road is driving a pickup, or that every pickup is driven by someone like this; it's just that of the drivers who drive like this, most are driving pickups.  And I would also observe that pickup trucks use copious amounts of precious fossil fuels, and the amount of wasted fuel increases dramatically with speed, and with the acceleration and braking that results from driving this way.


So the question for the panel is:  (a) Do assholes buy 4WD pickup trucks, or (b) does driving a pickup truck turn some people into assholes?

NOTE:  A generation ago, the same question would have been apropos for drivers of the original VW "bugs."


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## Ringel05 (Aug 15, 2014)

Uummmm, you forgot Asshole #A1
The driver that goes to pass, knowing everyone else in the passing lane is going faster than he/she/it is and refuses to speed up because he/she/it might be slightly inconvenienced and would prefer to inconvenience others then complain about how they drive........


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## HereWeGoAgain (Aug 15, 2014)

DGS49 said:


> My daily commute involves traveling about 25 miles in each direction on a heavily-traveled interstate highway (I-79, if you must know).
> 
> As with a lot of such roads, the posted speed limit is 55, but the flow of traffic is 65-70 mph most of the time.  Occasionally there is a bit of congestion, but it normally moves smoothly.
> 
> ...



  Would it hurt you to speed up when you pass? And driving in traffic with cruise on is a major no,no.


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## FuzzyCat (Aug 15, 2014)

I'm a nearly 70 y.o. female who drives a big Ram!
If you can't merge with the flow of traffic when passing, then slow down & stay in the right lane!  It is people like you who cause road rage and end up getting hurt in the end!


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## House (Aug 15, 2014)

Not a pickup driver, but the whole "speed up when you pass" thing drew my interest.

I drive a Freightliner that is governed at 68. If I'm in a 75 zone and come up on somebody that is doing 65, I'm not staying behind them just to appease people who don't have the mental faculties to handle the onerous task of raising their right foot half an inch.

Why?  Because quite frequently in that kind of situation, we'll approach a downhill slope.  I'm not trying to be stuck behind pokey riding my brakes when I can let my truck pick up a few extra mph and save fuel at the same time.

So if somebody needs to pass, do try to hold your temper in check for the brief moment it takes them to complete their pass and get out of your oh-so-better-than-them way.


Edit: And FuzzyCat, do try to hurt me with that "big Ram" of yours.  That would be highly entertaining.  I'll even bring flowers to the funeral.


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## koshergrl (Aug 15, 2014)

Best thread ever!


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## Warrior102 (Aug 15, 2014)

DGS49 said:


> My daily commute involves traveling about 25 miles in each direction on a heavily-traveled interstate highway (I-79, if you must know).
> 
> As with a lot of such roads, the posted speed limit is 55, but the flow of traffic is 65-70 mph most of the time.  Occasionally there is a bit of congestion, but it normally moves smoothly.
> 
> ...



Which "Asshole" number are you? 
Get your fucking earth friendly Prius and your Obama stickers out of the fucking way, idiot.


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## Pogo (Aug 15, 2014)

House said:


> Not a pickup driver, but the whole "speed up when you pass" thing drew my interest.
> 
> I drive a Freightliner that is governed at 68. If I'm in a 75 zone and come up on somebody that is doing 65, I'm not staying behind them just to appease people who don't have the mental faculties to handle the onerous task of raising their right foot half an inch.
> 
> ...



Exactamente.  The tailgater behind me who imagines he's gonna dictate what my speed should be, let alone one that expects me to burn extra fuel to indulge his neuroses, he's just gonna git him a lesson in democracy.

Hills are free energy.  Not taking advantage of free energy is just stoopid.

All that said, while I certainly see the asshole techniques describe in the OP, no I don't notice them being pickups.


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## Mr. H. (Aug 15, 2014)

HereWeGoAgain said:


> Would it hurt you to speed up when you pass? And driving in traffic with cruise on is a major no,no.



I use the cruise, Tom. If I'm left-laning and getting tailed then I'll tap up the cruise speed. Once clear, I mosey on back over to the right then tap down the cruise to a just-above match of my rear traffic. 

This isn't a "no-no". Try driving the 80/94 corridor from Chicago to Gary and points east. I've done it dozens of times- on cruise control. Look ahead, plan ahead. 

What IS a no-no is using your cruise control on wet pavement.


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## Ringel05 (Aug 15, 2014)

House said:


> Not a pickup driver, but the whole "speed up when you pass" thing drew my interest.
> 
> I drive a Freightliner that is governed at 68. If I'm in a 75 zone and come up on somebody that is doing 65, I'm not staying behind them just to appease people who don't have the mental faculties to handle the onerous task of raising their right foot half an inch.
> 
> ...



I think he was talking about passenger type vehicles, to include pickup trucks.  Big rigs are a completely different story and I for one treat them differently simply because I have friends who drive em and know what they have to deal with.  I don't get upset over the passenger vehicle drivers who don't speed up when they pass, I just expect those people to be either clueless or control freaks.  The ones who I take issue with are the ones who come up fast to pass then slow down and sit in your rear quarter panel till they wake up and speed back up.  There's also the ones who gradually speed up as they are being passed till they wake up and realize they are driving a vehicle and slow back down.  
I've found most truckers to be respectful and good, steady drivers so I don't have any issues with them.


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## Mr. H. (Aug 15, 2014)

House said:


> Not a pickup driver, but the whole "speed up when you pass" thing drew my interest.
> 
> I drive a Freightliner that is governed at 68. If I'm in a 75 zone and come up on somebody that is doing 65, I'm not staying behind them just to appease people who don't have the mental faculties to handle the onerous task of raising their right foot half an inch.
> 
> ...



As far as I'm concerned, big rigs rule the road and I do not fuck with them one bit. I'll always give them the benefit of the doubt. If I see a left turn signal, I'll slow down and give him the lane. If there's one passing another, I'll leave a full rig's length between us just in case the guy on the right has to make a quick maneuver left. 

You can't see what's ahead and there could be some merging action or a vehicle on the right shoulder. When in doubt, yield. 

Drive defensively, bitches.


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## HereWeGoAgain (Aug 15, 2014)

Mr. H. said:


> HereWeGoAgain said:
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> > Would it hurt you to speed up when you pass? And driving in traffic with cruise on is a major no,no.
> ...



  Meh...try driving anywhere in Texas without it.
There's no law against it although most wont engage below 30mph. The thing is it's dangerous in traffic.


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## Mr. H. (Aug 15, 2014)

HereWeGoAgain said:


> Mr. H. said:
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Below 30 yes, I agree of course. 

In traffic, it has served me well. 

Cruise control on Toyota products sucks ballz. 

Our Jeep, however, handles it flawlessly.


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## Ringel05 (Aug 15, 2014)

HereWeGoAgain said:


> Mr. H. said:
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I use cruise only on the open road with light traffic, in my case it's mostly between Trinidad and Pueblo and again from Pueblo to Colorado Springs.  In town forget it, too much going on and I for one need that extra control without it.  Pretty much the same between the Springs and Denver, most times it's too congested to use cruise control except in certain areas.


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## Mr. H. (Aug 15, 2014)

Most often, I set my cruise a few mph above the speed limit. When I see someone pass me at 90, I tell the Mrs. "I can go that fast, but I don't want to". 

And I can go that fast. But why?

There have been instances when I'm in the left lane, expeditiously passing... when BAM - there's a 500 Series BMW on my ass. Sometimes my  mood strikes, and I leave Mr. Beemer in my rear view mirror. Just because I happen to be pissed off at that moment. 

Fuck you hot-rodders. Poser-bitches piss me off.


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## norwegen (Aug 15, 2014)

DGS49 said:


> My daily commute involves traveling about 25 miles in each direction on a heavily-traveled interstate highway (I-79, if you must know).
> 
> As with a lot of such roads, the posted speed limit is 55, but the flow of traffic is 65-70 mph most of the time. Occasionally there is a bit of congestion, but it normally moves smoothly.
> 
> ...


Oddly enough, I had a VW Beetle when I was a kid, and now I drive a small truck.

 I've always ruled the road.  Life is grand.


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## Mr. H. (Aug 15, 2014)

Ringel05 said:


> HereWeGoAgain said:
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Lightweight.


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## HereWeGoAgain (Aug 16, 2014)

Mr. H. said:


> HereWeGoAgain said:
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 You know nothing about my yotas!!! And our cruise works kick ass on both of them.  JC


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## HereWeGoAgain (Aug 16, 2014)

Mr. H. said:


> Most often, I set my cruise a few mph above the speed limit. When I see someone pass me at 90, I tell the Mrs. "I can go that fast, but I don't want to".
> 
> And I can go that fast. But why?
> 
> ...



  If the road will let me I run around 80 to 90 in the boonies. Closer in I'll run 60 to 70.


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## Mr. H. (Aug 16, 2014)

HereWeGoAgain said:


> Mr. H. said:
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On the open flats of Texas with no traffic. Got it. 

Whatever you say, Tom.


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## Ringel05 (Aug 16, 2014)

Mr. H. said:


> Most often, I set my cruise a few mph above the speed limit. When I see someone pass me at 90, I tell the Mrs. "I can go that fast, but I don't want to".
> 
> And I can go that fast. But why?
> 
> ...



So you're only a part time control freak........  Well I guess it's better than full time.......


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## Ringel05 (Aug 16, 2014)

HereWeGoAgain said:


> Mr. H. said:
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Yup, the wifes' Prius is awesome with cruise control, except on steep hills the variance in mph is + or - 1/4 mph.  With my Ram I have to hit the gas at the bottom of semi-steep inclines to get the accelerator control to kick in so my speed won't drop 10 mph before automatically kicking in.


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## Pogo (Aug 16, 2014)

Ringel05 said:


> HereWeGoAgain said:
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But that costs fuel, since accelerating uphill and starting from a dead stop are the most fuel-inefficient moments in ICE driving.  If I'm running CC I turn it off up the hill and let it slow up (within reason of course).  It's the single best gas saver there is  I'll get all that energy back once I crest the hill anyway -- as long as there's not some bozo in front of me hanging on his brakes to stay within an arbitrary speed number...

More often, in a hilly terrain I'll run without CC and just keep constant throttle, letting gravity have its way.  I save my accelerating for downgrades, when it costs far less fuel, to build inertia for the next one.  There's no particular point in keeping one's speed constant anyway; the purpose of CC is just to relieve the right foot from a constant tension on a long drive.


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## Ringel05 (Aug 16, 2014)

Pogo said:


> Ringel05 said:
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I prefer a constant speed, consistency of driving the eliminates the guesswork in other drivers around me.  They aren't left wondering why I keep slowing down and speeding up.  I'll "suffer" the slightly higher fuel consumption so I don't appear "asleep at the wheel", i.e. distracted.  But more importantly it's the way I prefer to drive.


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## Pogo (Aug 16, 2014)

To each his own. 

I really don't care whether they wonder; if they do they can just figure it out from observing trucks.  Or not, whatever.  But I'll be damned if I'm gonna let somebody else set my speed for me just because they _haven't_ figured it out.  But as I said, 'within reason'.  If it's going to impede the flow of traffic, then that's outside of reasonable.

I know a lot of people drive as if the object is to get there yesterday.  I've tried it but never figured out what the point of arriving 90 seconds earlier is, so the challenge I give myself is getting from point A to point B not in the least amount of time (which is largely out of my control anyway) but with the least amount of fuel consumed -- which has an actual tangible benefit.   The other way costs too much not only in fuel but in physical stress.  Playing the hills (or timing lights, etc) also keeps me creatively engaged; too much steady unchanging routine can become hypnotic.


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## Shanty (Aug 17, 2014)

Ringel05 said:


> Uummmm, you forgot Asshole #A1
> The driver that goes to pass, knowing everyone else in the passing lane is going faster than he/she/it is and refuses to speed up because he/she/it might be slightly inconvenienced and would prefer to inconvenience others then complain about how they drive........



That's why I like the idea of ticketing people who hold up the left lane, like they do on the AutoBahn. 

If you set your cruise control, and remain on it to pass, you're part of the problem. Just assume, that if you have someone gaining on you from behind in the left lane, it's time for you to get out of the way. You have to be the fastest in the left lane to stay there.


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## Pogo (Aug 17, 2014)

Shanty said:


> Ringel05 said:
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> > Uummmm, you forgot Asshole #A1
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Well not quite.  You have to be fast_*er*_ than the lane to your right; obviously if you were the fastest in a given lane it would be impossible for anyone to gain on you from behind.  But yeah, it's astounding people don't get the idea there.


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## DGS49 (Aug 20, 2014)

A few more points:

Yes, sometimes I do accelerate to pass someone more quickly when it looks like I might be holding up a line of cars going 70.

I use the cruise control to keep from going too slow (I'm old and tend to get distracted).  I used to use it to keep from going too fast.

I drive a PT Cruiser turbo and I think I get a little better mileage when I set the cruise on 65.  23 vs 21 on 93 octane.

I don't begrudge 18-wheelers going any speed they want.  They are out there earning a living and that trumps my concerns or desires.


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## ninja007 (Sep 6, 2014)

you guys are forgetting a couple things. Yes, it is tempting to hold up the speeder/tailgater in the left lane, BUT you need to swallow your pride and move over and get out of the way. You are slowing them down. They are not slowing you down.

Second of all- let THEM get the speeding ticket; they are your radar.


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## ninja007 (Sep 6, 2014)

DGS49 said:


> A few more points:
> 
> Yes, sometimes I do accelerate to pass someone more quickly when it looks like I might be holding up a line of cars going 70.
> 
> ...




*wth does this mean? Many motorists are going to or coming home from work. Trucks don't have anymore right than you. *


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## Moonglow (Sep 6, 2014)

Ringel05 said:


> Uummmm, you forgot Asshole #A1
> The driver that goes to pass, knowing everyone else in the passing lane is going faster than he/she/it is and refuses to speed up because he/she/it might be slightly inconvenienced and would prefer to inconvenience others then complain about how they drive........



No, no, no, I prefer the A1+ asshole that speeds up to move over into the speeding  lane in front of you ,,and then slows down! 
Get the .50 cal headlights  ready honey...


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## House (Sep 6, 2014)

ninja007 said:


> DGS49 said:
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Precisely.  Meaning, you're on the road what... two hours a day,_ tops_?

I'm on the road up to 11 hours per day.  While you like to thump your chest about going to work, I'm already *at* work.

No, I'm not claiming "more rights" than your entitled ass.  But at the same time, I do appreciate the respect shown by drivers such as DGS49 who realize that their time on the road is a fraction of mine and afford me a bit of courtesy for it.


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## ninja007 (Sep 6, 2014)

House said:


> ninja007 said:
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you chose your career. That was your decision. I'm on the road all day too, but not in a rig. Don't make ASSumptions about me. In my city, we have more big rigs running through here in ONE DAY than you'll see all MONTH.


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## ninja007 (Sep 6, 2014)

THE BUSIEST corridor in the WORLD. You go figure it out. Lots of 18 wheeler assholes.


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## House (Sep 6, 2014)

ninja007 said:


> you chose your career. That was your decision.



Duh. Was there a point to that drivel?



ninja007 said:


> In my city, we have more big rigs running through here in ONE DAY than you'll see all MONTH.



I have no doubt, which is why I refuse to go to certain areas.  They usually don't pay enough to warrant the stress.


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## ninja007 (Sep 6, 2014)

google Windsor-Detroit corridor. Both sides are about to build a second bridge. We already have an old tunnel as well.


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## House (Sep 7, 2014)

ninja007 said:


> google Windsor-Detroit corridor. Both sides are about to build a second bridge. We already have an old tunnel as well.



That's quite alright.  I tend to stick to the I-10/I-40 corridors (especially in the winter).  Much less stress in the south (aside from DFW & LA), and even those two cities are easy to deal with compared to NYC, Chicago, Jersey, or all points north.

IDK why so many people like living up in the snow.


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## Toronado3800 (Sep 7, 2014)

I try to drive a decent speed and steady.  I view it as a defeat if I have to use my brakes while I am on the highway. 

The fast lane debate is interesting.  In one regard it is for passing.  In another, the frakkin speed limit is 60mph in town and folks who go much faster are taking a risk with my life.  Also, why be a jerk and drive 60 in the fast lane.  Plus you never know when someone is in a legitimate hurry to make it to the hospital or home to catch their wife cheating.

Wonder if I'll drive the 68, the MarkVIII or the Aurora tomorrow.  The Oldsmobeater gets the best mileage but it is going to be nice out...


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## WinterBorn (Sep 14, 2014)

I have put as many miles on the highways as many professional truckers.  And most of that time I was driving a full sized pickup.   I would beg to differ about who the asshole drivers are.  Those little Hondas that are all hopped up to look like the Fast & Furious are more likely to dance from lane to lane like fools.  

Apparently they aren't the brightest either, because they will run up on my rear bumper like they are trying to intimidate me.  LMAO!


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