Public Service Announcement I "That Sweet Spot"

Ok...it seems as though we get a lot of interesting questions as truck drivers. Me especially since I am a girl. One of them is what is the thing you are most afraid of as a truck driver...that question is easy...killing someone/Randy/and/or the cats.

But as a driver there are things that you folks in cars JUST DON'T KNOW. You folks...we call you "4 wheelers."

This is the first in a God only knows how long series I will be calling "Public Service Announcement."

Because I love ya...and I know that you are clearly UNAWARE of what you are doing.

So this first one is dedicated to that sweet little spot in front of a semi. You know it. It seems as though you are late to God only knows what. You're in a hurry. Ya gotta get the kids. You don't want to sit in traffic. You're late to work. You're just reckless/clueless. Whatever...we all have this issue. And here comes a semi. You know that there will be a "sweet spot" in front of it. Almost like that driver is saying "here...I know ya got stuff to do...come on in, I saved you a spot." It's a nice big space. You might be thinking ((if you even see the driver)) that "wow, that truck drivers letting me in." If you are in California(or Detroit, New York, Dallas, Chicago, Houston, Seattle and the entire eastern seaboard), you especially use this spot as you book across 5 lanes of traffic to get that off ramp that you didn't think about till the last minute. Then you desperately truck hop.

Listen, I am not coming down on you all! I just want you to know what that spot is ACTUALLY for.

TRUCKS TAKE A LONG TIME TO STOP. They are very heavy. They are big. They are heavy. And if that truck driver is doing what a lot of you are doing (texting, makeup, changing the radio station, talking on the phone, spilling coffee...) then he/she has even less time to stop. And we don't want to hit the brakes too hard...because then something else happens...not only would the truck driver take you out...but then the trailer would jack knife, and or roll...and think of how many people are on the road next to the truck...they too would be literally wiped out.

There are many parts of the braking system and it is all about timing. The driver needs to see you. Then (hopefully) they react. Then is the actually stopping of this big heavy mass of metal coming your way. And again hopefully the driver doesn't brake too hard causing a jack knife.

That little spot in front of a truck is a drivers way of being safe. They could tailgate like so many 4 wheelers do...but, that can get messy really quick.

So please...use that spot in front of a truck with care. Know why it is there and pay attention.

Thanks for your time...
Kiss Kiss,
Terrilynn

PS Rule to remember....back in drivers ed we all learned about that two second rule. You know the one for following distance.......Trucks have a 15 second rule. Yes, I said fifteen seconds of following distance.

PPS the following picture is a result of a truck that is unable to stop in time. As far as I know, no one was hurt. However, most drivers would loose their careers, because they were unable to stop in time, no matter if it was the car's "fault" or not. Which really sucks.