interesting thread, and I guess some of my opinions may be swayed not being in the US (I know some europeans have commented)
TBH I follow trucks when on the motorway (I dont draft
) at a set distance. I find it helps me keep a steadier speed, and also seems to make me less of a hazard to other drivers (they see a truck up ahead, they automatically are starting to move over into the middle lane to overtake) rather than assuming Im doing the same 85mph they are (people leave it much later to pull out when there isnt a truck in front of me)
I always thought I was far enough back that I wasnt a problem (a good 4 or 5 car lengths at the very least)
Never had a trucker try to "shake" me. Im at a distance that any stones / etc fall to the ground before they get to me.
If it bugs truckers to have a car close, how come they regularly (and I MEAN regularly) spend their time about 10ft from the truck in front? with another close behind?
Like so....
Very common site in the UK to see a row of 5 or more that close, or very nearly.
I am interested in the lorry tyres ripping off thing. That would obviously be bad, never seen it happen though, and rarely see stripped rubber at the side of the road. Seen plenty with flats / flappy tires, none where they have properly delaminated.
Thing is, people who
arent hypermiling (average joes) have to follow trucks all the time on single carriage ways, at speeds upto 60mph, and it doesnt faze them? Are we thinking about this too much?
I dont think theres anyone here who would agree with sitting 10ft off a lorries bumper!
maybe they keep the motorways cleaner in the UK than the states (easier job, theres a heck of a lot less of them!) so the debris thing isnt an issue here (aside from potential delam)