Drafting a Transport Truck ... Am I Doing It Right?

[cRiPpLe_rOoStEr]

Originally Posted by oldtamiyaphile

I don't draft because I don't want the stone chips.

That's a good point, especially while riding a motorcycle. But anyway, I don't feel so comfortable drafting trucks mostly due to the visibility. Let's say I'm not a big fan of surprises

[teoman]

And another thing to consider, those diesel trucks are not always up to spec, I have seen some spew out black smoke for miles. Would not want to breathe that.

[Xist]

Black Smoke - this is the most common one and is really just an imbalance in the air to fuel ratio - too much fuel to not enough air. This means either too much fuel is being added to the mix or there's not enough oxygen being supplied to burn the fuel. The black smoke is full of particulates that are basically large diesel particles that normally would be burned as fuel. Any way you look at it, a diesel truck emitting black smoke is not going to be getting the optimal fuel mileage it should be getting.

Most common causes of black smoke are faulty injectors, a faulty injector pump, a bad air filter (causing not enough oxygen to be supplied), a bad EGR valve (causing the valves to clog) or even a bad turbocharger. Some of these are easy fixes.

https://www.bellperformance.com/blog...moke-explained

That sounds like they are not being maintained properly.

[JockoT]

Originally Posted by Xist

That sounds like they are not being maintained properly.

You don't need to use the internet to know they are not being properly maintained. Possibly not even maintained at all.

[cRiPpLe_rOoStEr]

Originally Posted by teoman

And another thing to consider, those diesel trucks are not always up to spec, I have seen some spew out black smoke for miles. Would not want to breathe that.

If I were driving in a car with the air-conditioner turned on and recirculating instead of drawing fresh air from the outside, that would be not so likely to bother. OTOH that soot may eventually clog the cabin air filter anyway...

[teoman]

"Fresh air from the outside".

[cRiPpLe_rOoStEr]

Originally Posted by teoman

"Fresh air from the outside".

Oh, come on, you know what I meant (or at least tried to mean )

[JockoT]

The air con on my Volvo only worked when drawing air from outside. If you pressed the recirc button the air con was interlocked out.

[cRiPpLe_rOoStEr]

Originally Posted by JockoT

The air con on my Volvo only worked when drawing air from outside. If you pressed the recirc button the air con was interlocked out.

I once drove a '97 Volvo S40 with the 1.8L engine, and its air-conditioner did worked normally with the recirculation engaged.

[Titanium]

Originally Posted by cRiPpLe_rOoStEr

That's a good point, especially while riding a motorcycle. But anyway, I don't feel so comfortable drafting trucks mostly due to the visibility. Let's say I'm not a big fan of surprises

I have a Class A CDL and I drive the big rigs 5 to 6 days a week. I have been doing it over ten years. I had a line driver I work with tell me a scary story. He said he seen a car follow a truck for thirty miles on a hot day and one of the rear tires blew on the rear of the trailer the semi was pulling. The tire decapitated the driver of the car following the truck. This story shocked me because I am a driver and it is a true story from someone I personally know who has been driving over 25 years.

My wife was driving with me in the passengers seat of our car one day and she was driving by the side on a big rig for awhile. I asked her to get away from the truck and she said "You are a driver". I said, "Yes I am and that is why I am asking you to get away from the truck".

Not all Class A CDL driver are good drivers. Some of these drivers weave out of their lane, tailgate cars like nobody business while hauling 80,000 LBS and pull triple trailers with the heaviest trailer on the rear of a set which causes it to weave like a snake while going down the road.

Many trucking companies do not maintain their trucks very well and they are running OLD equipment with BAD TIRES on the truck or trailer. Everyone has seen truck tires that blew all over the roadway. It happens. My neighbor was passing a truck two summers ago while a truck tire blew and it dented their car. They got lucky that's all that happened.

I stay away from the big rigs. I do not pass a semi in the lane right next to them. I do not follow them either. You do not know what can fall off of these trucks and hit your car. I stay away from the big rigs in my personal car.

If you were to ask me how to draft a truck with some degree of safety I would say do not pick a truck hauling a long box trailer with the tires adjusted all the way to the rear of the trailer. Find one where the tires are adjusted 25% forward of the rear. Long box trailers can have the tires adjusted forward or all the way to the rear so they can pass over weight scales and be legal. Following a big bus would be even safer because of the way the rear tires are mounted on the bus.