What are your thoughts about big trucks on the highway?

I am a truck driver. Most truck drivers drive slow only in certain states. For instance Illinois has a different speed limit for trucks(55) than it does for cars(60-65).Most truckers will not violate the posted laws because the fines are way too high.In Missouri a seat belt ticket in a car is usually about 25 dollars,in a truck that goes up to 75 dollars(and the driver has to pay the fine,not the company). As far as destroying the roads goes ,I would say the roads are more than fully paid for by the companies that operate the trucks.I pay taxes at the pump when I fuel the truck,then when I am driving I must account for every mile driven in each state so the state can be compensated for road wear. There is dye put into the tax free fuel that farmers use to keep us from cheating,the cops just remove the gas cap and look inside to check. When it comes to the question do we need trucks.I would say we cannot live without them literally.Look around you where you are sitting right now.Virtually every item around you was transported by a truck of some type to get to you. The problem with the whole industry is that our trucks burn a lot more fuel than anyone thinks. A good truck might go 12,000-15,000 miles per month and get 7 miles per gallon. My truck has a refrigeration unit and averages 5 MPG. We in America can solve one hell of a lot of energy problems if we can just figure out how to build an efficient engine for trucks.This is all just one truckers opinion.

I deal with them. They have to be there and provide a vital service in transportation. If we had a better rail system, like European countries, there would be less trucks on the road.

As long as they obey the rules and even if they are moving to slow for you in the slow lane, that's where they need to be. Pass with care and stay out of their blind spot.

If they are doing something unsafe like barreling up the highway and sticking 2 inches from your tail, let him/her pass and call the 1-800 how am I driving number or the company who owns the trailer and or truck.

I respect the job they are doing & that it is vital to our country, moving food to furniture to supply our needs, but...I know some truckers who have had some scary stories to tell about companies that cut corners & driving unfit trailers with brake problems, etc. They have warned me to stay far away from flatbeds with rolled steel (dangerous load, no matter what) and never stay traveling by a semi trailers side because of tire blowouts. I have had truckers tailgate & crowd me, rather than go around when they have had plenty of opportunity, and know several drivers that are habitual drunks that would scare me even behind the wheel of a bicycle! So, just like every other thing, there are good & bad things about trucks & truckers.

Trucks and cars, little boats and big boats, light aircraft and commercial jets, the list goes on. The struggle of the little guy versus the big never ends. The part-time user of the road, or any transport mode, is often at odds with the full-time user and I don't see it ending soon. But I can't resist: one day I am going to have 2 mudflaps made for my truck, one that says "Visualize world peace - stay out of the left lane!!" and the other,"Visualize world peace - use yer freakin' turn signal!"

This endless dichotomy will diminish when we start to consider others before ourselves.

I think that big trucks have a right to be on highways and bi ways and anywhere else they can drive. We as others drivers, have to either speed up or get out of the way. When a person is driving , he or she should look out for other drivers because everyone is not paying attention.

Trucks are important to the economy. The damage they do to roads is more than offset by the taxes they pay. I can understand how they can be frustrating to someone stuck behind them, or in front of a non professional trucker who is tailgating, but those problems also exist with drivers in cars.

I drive (mostly in a car or van) over 1000 miles a week. I see much more stupidity from drivers in cars than I do from truckers!!

Raise their taxes????? Have you ever seen how much the big trucks pay at toll booths???

Give em' a break! I have alot of respect for the men and women that drive those trucks, well, most of em'. they do have some phyco's out there too. But what profession doesnt?

Only thing i don't care for is they way alot of them communicate on the CB

you HAVE to have trucks carrying things, we all must respect them, of course there are always a few bad apples, a FEW truck drivers who will get right on your bumper even though you're going 5 mph over the speed limit, but 98% of truck drivers are just trying to do their job, which sounds pretty hard, if you ever look into doing it for a career.to answer your question, i try to give them room on the road and i NEVER EVER cut right in front of them, because that's suicidal, they cannot stop as fast as you in a small car or truck.

I am an OTR driver myself: 1st - some of us are slow because the tractor is physically govererned. 2nd - we dislike being cut off because when that happens and then the car that cuts off has to stop suddenly, the 18 wheeler well, CANT stop suddenly.

3rd - the great majority (99.9 %)of 18 wheelers are below the max gross vehicular weight of 80,000 lbs proving we dont/TRY not to destroy roads...and finally, yes IMO unfortunately there are more and more careless 18 wheeler drivers.

(tractor governed to 63 mph)

everyone who has something bad to say about any aspect of truck freight should go move the the Midwest and get a fuc king horse and buggy and live off the land. any person in our country who owns ANYTHING owes respect to the big rigs. besides those drivers are just doing their job, how would you like it if someone walked into your cubicle and stood right next to you then starting bitching about what your doing... thats what people are doing when they drive on the routes they drive and ***** about the affects