How many draft behind a big truck?

[TruWrecks]

My father used to drive trucks. He's told me about blowing a recap. The worst one he remembered was a biker in the "sweet spot", of a nearly empty 48' box, was killed by the mud flap that was ripped off by the blown recap. He said the bike was in his mirror. He said he felt the tire blow, then looked back in the mirror to check for the bike. It was gone. He thought the bike may have passed him, but he didn't see it. He pulled over to change the tire and a few minutes later a state trooper pulled up to tell him what happened. The mud flap slammed into the rider knocking him off his bike, and into the path of another car. The car couldn't stop in time.

Give trucks respect, and room. Yes, riding has risks. Not giving you junk about it, but why increase those risks exponentially?

 

[tyronewildman]

Yep, been there, done that when I was young & stupid. It was the only way my 1963 CA200 Honda 90 could keep up with them. Now I'm older & wiser and have a faster bike & the big trucks are way behind me INSTANTLY....Later,,, De

 

[bluesfool]

Good way to get killed.
I'll pass (literally).

Agree...too many things could happen such as an exploding tire; something laying in the road that the truck can and will pass over easily, but which you can't; trailer tires kicking something up into you (and by you, I mean right into your chest or face); can't see what's in front of the truck that may make him stop/swerve suddenly, etc, etc, etc. Any one of these things don't give a rat's ass about whether or not you're cold or low on gas...you're only asking for trouble by following so close.

 

[dean]

like bluesfool said (and i don't think i saw anywhere else in the thread), you can't see shite when you're drafting behind a big rig. i'm all about visibility, both seeing and being seen, and i can't see down the "channel" if i'm drafting.

 

[brazos parker]

like bluesfool said (and i don't think i saw anywhere else in the thread), you can't see shite when you're drafting behind a big rig. i'm all about visibility, both seeing and being seen, and i can't see down the "channel" if i'm drafting.

Add me to the list of those that get all "freaked" when I can't see down the road. And, I don't draft big rigs because I never know what or when something is going to come flying back in my direction. Leave the drafting to the NASCAR boys.

 

[Toecutter]

I've found that drafting is pretty much unnecessary on the FJR. It has plenty of passing power over most other vehicles encountered on the road. Track conditions may be different.

 

[LiquidSilver]

I guess it's all been said... :dribble:

Somebody said 'bomb going off.' No shiite! Last fall, wife and I in a rented Ford Taurus... truck 150 yards ahead blows a tire at 70 MPH. It sounded like a gunshot inside our vehicle, and the car was pelted by rubber chunks. All we could think of was the severity of our bruises had we been on a bike.

Trucks - bad. Close following ANY vehicle with four or more wheels - bad. Truckers in AL - not sayin' nothin.

 

[JimLor]

I'm with FJRinFl Dale - Hell no!

 

[teerex51]

I'm with FJRinFl Dale - Hell no!

From a European perspective FWIW: nope, never. Beaucoup deadly.

Some truckers are as reliable and as predictable as trains and you can temporarily tag behind them before passing (hoping nothing rolls off the truck bed or blows up).

Others swerve and slide and shed parts and fluids. When you see a Rumanian, Polish, Bulgarian, Turkish or Russian truck just get TF out of the way.

I wouldn't mind drinking a glass of vodka, slivovitsa, raki or even 7-Up with the driver and exchange war stories but you won't see me "drafting" behind them.

Stef

 

[Bounce]

Stay out of the No Zone!

 

[GalaxyBlue]

Stay out of the No Zone!

WORD...

https://www.sharetheroadsafely.org/noZone/noZone.asp

 

[Scoot]

Ok, plenty has been said. But, I just gotta tell my story. Not to further prove the point, but to just have a moment to tell my story, if you'll indulge me. I'm in Dayton, OH and I took a trip to my sister's in St. Louis one time on the bike I had at the time which was a 1980 Suzuki GS1000G. I stayed on Rt. 40 for most of the trip, but got on I-70 through Indianapolis since 40 is city driving through that fine metropolis. Coming home, I was riding right through the middle of downtown Indianapolis, on I-70 and there was a flatbed about 3 cars ahead of me carrying a load of "PVC PIPE".....AHEM. All of a sudden, one of the comealongs gave way and the entire load of pipes, which I believe were about 4" diameter, came off the side of the bed and began dancing around the highway just like so many pick-up sticks. To this day, I have absolutely no idea how I managed to NOT hit one, but they were friggin' everywhere. I wore my heart in my throat for the remaining 2-hour ride the rest of the way home. No sir, ain't no way I'm gonna draft off one of those puppys. Noooooo way! M'kay, I'm done, thanks for induging me.

 

[LiquidSilver]

The "No Zone" in front of the truck is pretty easy to avoid, no?

 

[GalaxyBlue]

The "No Zone" in front of the truck is pretty easy to avoid, no?

It should be with the FJR unk:

 

[Mike-H]

Guess nobody read post 39....

 

[EXPDSGT]

YESTERDAY AND I REPEAT "YESTERDAY" (3-22-2007) == I was on the 91 freeway in southern Calif. and I saw a large box bed truck sitting on the right side of the road and guess what --- No left front tire -- just the axle sticking out. I thought "Now that is weird". I went on for at least one quarter mile (no less) and there on the LEFT center divider was the very clean new looking Truck (very large) Mag wheel and tire laying in the grass center divider. That tire had to travel all that way crossing all six lanes (in that area) before hitting the center divider. I didn't see any other cars stopped with damage and it looked like it just happened -- however if a FJR or any other bike had been beside this truck when it lost its complete wheel -- that would have been the end for that rider.

After this, I will keep my distance from any truck or other vehicle. I want an "envelope of safeth".

 

[Inlaw1]

Guess nobody read post 39....

It's a pile on, what'cha spect?

Stay out of the No Zone!

Excellent post.

 

[Last Chance]

Have you ever seen what a shredding truck tire can do to sheet metal at 60 mph? I have and I wouldn't wanna see the same results with leather/mesh/skin.
TWN's general rule of road safety #1: Semi's bad. Keep away.

TWN's general rule of road safety #2: Pick-ups bad. Keep away. Too much shit floating about the beds that can fly out and get you... Worst offenders are the HVAC contractors. :angry:

In either case, either pass 'em fast or hang way back.

Otherwise, have fun drafting!

Have to agree with TWN. As a big rig driver, I've DISABLED the 3 cars following (me and each other) too close to react when I lost a cap. :assassin: Lot of rubber, 10-12' long suddenly pops out from under my truck and voila. I guess there is a reason for the 2-4 second rule.

That said, I once "drafted" behing a dry van for 60 miles when I discovered I was almost out of gas and still had 60 miles to go to next gas station. It was in a '64 VW bug, though. A little better than a MC, but not much.

LC

 

[Last Chance]

I'm with FJRinFl Dale - Hell no!

From a European perspective FWIW: nope, never. Beaucoup deadly.

Some truckers are as reliable and as predictable as trains and you can temporarily tag behind them before passing (hoping nothing rolls off the truck bed or blows up).

Others swerve and slide and shed parts and fluids. When you see a Rumanian, Polish, Bulgarian, Turkish or Russian truck just get TF out of the way. I wouldn't mind drinking a glass of vodka, slivovitsa, raki or even 7-Up with the driver and exchange war stories but you won't see me "drafting" behind them.

Stef

Due to NAFTA, Add Mexico's finest Commercial drivers to your list of "drinking, but not driving with" buddies. Coming soon, to a highway near you. Stay away, stay far away. Unfortunately, I've noticed a definite decline in the "professionalism" of many fellow big rig drivers in the last 20 years. Glad I'm nearing retirement.

Oh, yes, number 3 on my "Things I hate about other drivers" list. People that drive with their high beams on (Isn't it a strange coincidence, they are the ones that also have the really heavily tinted rear windows.). I work at night and get a real headache from having to look at people's obnoxious high beams and their poorly adjusted driving lights. Why do I look, well because one is supposed to check his mirrors every 5-10 seconds when driving defensively using the "Smith System".

LC

 

[Last Chance]

The "No Zone" in front of the truck is pretty easy to avoid, no?

:dribble: Maybe not at a stop light/stop sign. I always stop my rig back far enough I can see the rear tires of the vehicle stopped in front of me. (Room to get around a disabled vehicle.) There have been cases of Big rigs "forgetting" or cars "sneaking" in front of a big rig and the driver driving over the rear of the offending vehicle before the noise alerts them to the presence of a car hiding in the front "no-zone". The no zones are real. I once inscribed a perfect circular lug nut pattern on the rear left passenger door of a lady hanging out in my no zone. I had checked my mirrors several times and signaled the lane change. But since she was even with my front bumper, she didn't see my signal and I couldn't see her. Luckily, I always move slowly when changing lanes to the right and she was able to skitter over to the shoulder once I stopped moving over. My one accident in 25 years in a commercial vehicle and I still feel bad about it.

LC