Quote:
Originally Posted by MazdaMatt
I'd say that I feel safer 3 feet beside a truck than 15 feet behind.
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Then don't follow that close behind. At 60 mph a 2 second following distance is 176 feet. At that speed at 150 feet following distance you will be receiving some benefit via drafting. Probably about as much or more as you would see riding beside the truck. I won't draft anybody closer than 1 second and try to exceed 1.5 seconds. On the 65mph roads I travel that's 143 feet (and +~20% on my overhead instant MPG) and I do get people cutting in. My truck is longer than most passenger vehicles on the road and it's shorter than 20 feet (by inches).
In a side draft you do have to be behind the front of the vehicle to the side to receive benefit. The closer to the rear of the trailer you are the more benefit you'll see, but you should at least be behind the tractor (nose even with or behind the tractor's rear wheels).