Truckers Reveal What You Can Do On The Road To Make Their Lives Easier (16 Tips)

If you’ve ever passed by a truck carrying a tank that says “flammable,” you know the experience can be a bit nerve-wracking.

Folks reached out to truckers on Reddit to find out how they can make trucker’s jobs easier when traveling.

And how we can all stay safer on the road.

Turns out there are a few good rules of thumb to remember when you’re sharing the road with big rigs—including giving them plenty of room and never cutting them off. Oh, and if you do see a truck—feel free to do the air horn thing. It’s always fun for everyone.


1. Flash Your Headlights

“We always flash our headlights to signal that it’s safe for a truck to merge in front of us. They often reciprocate with a return flash of 4ways as a thank you.” — twstrchk

2. Don’t Park In No Parking Zones

“Don’t park in no parking zones…They may look like an empty spot marked off for no reason, but they are often there to give the trucker room to back in his very long trailer in what is probably already a tight space. If you park there, they cant get in.” — cpersall

3. Stop At The Light Where Indicated

“Stop at the stop light where indicated. Sometimes the line is far back from the intersection to allow trucks to make the turn.” — tardissomethingblue

4. Watch For Wide Turns

“I drive for Amazon and I once had to take a right turn into a gravel lot to drop off a trailer. When turning you have to slow down A LOT and make it a wide turn so your trailer doesn’t hit the curb or ditch on the side. Well this turn had a ditch and the fellow driving behind me was tailgating and was also impatient. He misread my wide right turn as me turning left (for some reason?) and then proceeded to speed up around me which would have him heading directly towards my cab. So when he realized he effed up he swerved into the ditch and his car bounced back out of it totaling his car. All while this was happening I was just hoping he didn’t hit me. I pulled into the lot all the way so I wasn’t blocking the road and then got out and asked him if he was okay and all he did was yell at me and curse and then called the police. When the police got there and heard both sides and realized that he did it to himself because of his reckless driving and that we didn’t actually make any contact they let me go about my day. The wife of the dude actually called me later and apologized for her husband which I thought was hilarious. So yeah don’t tailgate a semi people.” — rickybubash

5. Don’t Drive Next To The Truck

“From back when I was driving, pass quickly and only on the left. If you camp out on my side, you’re sitting next to tires that have a pressure of 100 pounds per square inch. Never had a tractor tire blow, but when the trailer tires went it shakes the truck like a grenade went off. Don’t sit there waiting for the grenade to go off.” — 64645

6. Be Predictable

“I say this as a former trucker and as a regular driver. I appreciate the gesture but please don’t be polite. Be predictable! Follow all the rules of the road as written and there won’t be as much confusion.” — mrbones59

7. Do The Air Horn Thing

“My dad was a trucker and I rode with him for years and years. Please do the air horn thing with your arm. It makes their day.” — Reid_James

8. Don’t Pass Just To Slow Down

“My dad was a trucker for a while and would always complain about people who would pass just to get around him then slow down to a speed slower than he was going in the first place.” — jrhawk42

9. Never Cut Off A Truck

“I own a trucking company, here’s some things we would love the public to practice. Keep in mind, this is for the large sleeper bunk with 53′ trailer. The guys who live on the road. Never get in front of a truck when you’re approaching an amber light or a red light. That truck may weigh up to 80k and you’ve just reduced his stopping distance. You can out run him when the light turns green and get in front of him after. Tankers are dangerous, especially if they don’t have baffles. Don’t make any erratic moves around them because if they have to suddenly stop, Newton’s first law will f*ck you up. If you’re changing lanes in front of a driver, signal and slowly merge. Most driver’s are trained to look several vehicles ahead and they have a better view. Just give them space, they could already be adjusting for a situation that’s out of your field of vision.” — ZergrushLOL

10. Do Not Brake Check

“Do not brake check. Stopping an 80,000+ pound vehicle is a lot harder than you might think.” — Superman11011

11. Do Not Merge Onto The Highway At 40 MPH

“Please do not merge onto the highway at 40 MPH, you are putting yourself, me, and everyone around us in danger when you do this. If I move over to the left to let you merge, either speed up or slow down so I can return to the right lane. Depending on where we are, I can get a ticket for hanging out in the left lane for too long. Can’t tell you how many times I’ve sat with my turn signal on while the driver I just let merge just hangs out beside my trailer. When you’re going to pass me and there is 300′ of space ahead of me, there is no reason you should be merging in front of me 20′ from my bumper. If you use your turn signal, I will let you merge. I don’t mind that you’re going 5 mph below the speed limit if that’s what you’re comfortable with, but don’t speed up when you see me trying to pass you. If you’re going to pass me, I’m not going to speed up, because not only am I governed at 65 mph, I actually want you to be as far away from me as possible…one less hazard I have to keep an eye on. If you’re going to drive 5 mph below the speed limit, please stay in the right lane.” — 0100100012635

12. No High Beams

“Don’t drive behind us with your high beams on. We might not have rearview mirrors, but we do have giant side mirrors that shine your headlights directly into our goddamn faces.” — remotetissuepaper

13. Don’t Text and Drive

“Don’t text and drive. My dad is a trucker and was hit head on by someone who was texting and driving. His semi dragged her car. He was so scared she had died, but she was okay. This was only two weeks ago. I see ppl watching videos while driving. Didn’t know driving was so boring you HAVE to be on your phone.” — CruddierMouse

14. Assume The Trucker Can’t See You

“Not trucker, but was taught to drive by one. Biggest rule I’ll always remember was more for my safety, but Dad said, ‘Always assume we can’t see you.'” — KickAstley

15. Some Trucks Can’t Move Over For You

“If we don’t move over for you to get on, it’s because we are unable to. I have been given the bird so many times and it ruins my day. When I’m carrying a tanker of flammable material boxed in by other cars I cannot move.” — UnderstandingKind757

16. Give Them Truck Tons Of Space

“For the love of all things kind and generous, please wait until you’ve got at minimum 4-5 car lengths of space before returning to my lane after passing. Cutting back into the lane immediately is dangerous and completely unnecessary. If there is no traffic behind you, 50 car lengths is better. Just give us some space please. Same for vehicles towing a boat or other trailer. Provide those drivers the same courtesy that you’d give a trucker. They’re often not very experienced with towing and space is free to give.” — Nearly_Pointless

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