How many draft behind a big truck?

[dbvolfan]

I gotta admit that in the past I have followed truckers too closely taking advantage of the draft...for some odd reason I would dart around them if stuck next to them but I had no qualms about drafting.

After reading all the commentary on this I have suddenly changed my mind on this and find myself backing off as of today....reading this thread may have saved a life someday!

 

[cctxfjr]

in addition to my previous posts on this topic we also acid washed several vehicles because of a leaking manifold on an acid transport ( new driver failed to dilute when he loaded and loaded straight acid) one guy in a new chevy truck said he thought it was raining until the paint on his hood started smoking. I have a lot more stories but will stop here because the point has been made lots of things can go wrong around big trucks-that being said I have the up most respect for professional drivers and really appreciate the service they provide and the role they play in our nations economy.

 

[v65mike]

Normally the air behind an 18 wheeler is pretty turbulent, But I got beind a flatbed loaded with PVC pipe and found a sweetspot. It was about 20 feet off the rear on either side just perfect so I could see traffic ahead of the truck and he could see me in the mirrors. I let him know I was there and got a cone of silence for about 25 miles on the superslab till he turned off. It was strange hearing the engine and no wind noise. We were doing about 85 to 90. Nice fellow, Honked when he took off.
I don't know if it was the hollow pipe 6-10 inch in dia that made a diff in the air flow, but it was nice.

Anyone else?

I was drafting a semi in my E150 Van and hit a boat seat that was in the middle of the road. It jumped off the front tire and did some minor body damage to the van. The FJR (and I) might not have been so lucky if we hit the boat seat instead.

I don't draft on the FJR.

V65mike

 

[OrangevaleFJR]

The guy that set the record distance ride across Canada this summer followed trucks through the carnage of elk etc. on many roads...he got a lot of blood on him, but better than hitting an Elk with his Ducati

 

[madmike2]

You're all adults, so do what you want.

Personally, I HATE IT when someone drafts me. If an emergency situation ever arose and I had to hit my brakes, I'd have a new rear bumper decoration. I have slowed down to 45 mph on the highway to get someone to pass me and get off my rear bumper. Anyone following that close is likely to get "hypnotized" and not mentally be able to react. And as for "wind protection", what kind of vortices do you think are formed when there is a bend in the road and the angle of attack, relevant to the wind direction, changes?

I've been on a highway when there was as 45 degree bend in the road and the truck came through an overpass and faced the wind "head on". It felt like the brakes were pressed and the truck instantly slowed from 60 to 50. What would happen to a rider who was in the "silent cone" when that happened. Hopefully he would have quick reflexes!

I've had a "tailgater" follow me through the truck scales. Well, until HE got the red light and the CHP loudspeakers got very noisy. DOH!

I've had a drive tire explode and send the tread over the top of cab and I drove over it. What do you think that would do to YOU if you were following 15' off my ICC bumper? How would you know until its too late.

How would you see ANY road hazard (oil, grease, sand, gravel, anti-freeze, lawn chair or any other assorted piece of the citizenry's flotsam) that is left on or falls on the roadway?

IMO, riding my bike is already a "managed risk" adventure. I wouldn't do anything to increase the possibilty of damage, injury or death. That's my personal view, yours may be different. Of course, it IS done and riders survive or "get away" with it. Not to be an alarmist, but I really dread reading the post of your loved ones lamenting your passing after an incident caused by this behavior.

The original question was: Have any of you done this? Yes, when I was 16, stupid and believed I was invulnerable. Have I done it lately or since I became a commercial driver and learned how truly dangerous it is driving around these "behemoths"? Nope.

Puh-leeze. If you've done this and survived, Hallelujah, Amen! Now....stop it!

 

[feejer222]

Butcher: had to fire the apprentice, caught him sticking his **** in the bacon slicer.

Customer: Yeowch! Jeeze ...so what did you do with the bacon slicer?

Butcher: Fired her too!

Nope cant add to the thread, all been said.

 

[dcarver]

You guyz crack me up. You'll not ride behind a truck but will shred a pefectly good set of tires in 2000 miles by playing ricky road racer in the streets, wick it up to 150 for minutes/hours on end, ride well past the point of exhaustion, seen some of yah drink pretty good at a lunch stop on a riding day with another 200 miles to go.... and you won't ride behind a truck?

Good for you. :clapping: Me either.

Unless - I need the truck to pack the snow so I can ride in the tire track. Or, it's really really raining hard, I forgot my rain gear and don't want to get soaked. Or, I'm almost out of gas and need the draft to save mpg. Or, they have an advertisement on the back of a half dressed beautiful young woman. Or, it's one them highly polished aluminum tanker jobs and I want to see how bitchin I look riding my bike in the 'mirror'.

On the 405 near Ventura one day, riding a CB750, I saw an object, a full size truck tire, bouncing at a 90 degree angle to my direction fo travel. Realized the tire was going to make one more 'hit' then hopefully bounce OVER me. And it did. Whew. Now, if I had been *behind* the truck I would have been out of the danger zone..

So you see, it's all about what level of risk you're willing to take. And some luck too. For me, now that I'm old and wise that means doing a lot less than I used to. Hell, we used to grab onto the back of UPS/Fed Ex truck for free skateboard rides sans helmets or any other protection... :blink:

Hey Fencer, glad you started this thread yet?

 

[SMC]

:angry2: I happen to off of a highway where trucks that go back and forth from the quarry to the whole DFW area seem to drive.

Most people detest them as some of them don't cover their loads as required and pieces of gravel are always popping out of their beds at 70 mph, some aren't in good repair and lose bits and parts off of them, then there are the tires that continually explode or shed their re-treads, some have a mysterious grey fluid leaking out of them.

Then there are the oil trucks or flatbed construction vehicle haulers that may or may not have a bulldozer/earthmover on the back. As they hit every bump or uneven section of road clods of dirt, rocks, debris come flying off the flatbed or dozerd bouncing all over the roadway, creating a moving mine field.

Then there are the eighteen wheeler container trucks that you can't see around to see what traffic is doing ahead.

I avoid trucks like the plague and try and get around them or ahead of them as safely and quickly as possible.

Local press media ran an article back awhile about the number of truckers involved in accidents (mainly gravel haulers) who weren't qualified to drive or/and had been convicted felons who had served time.

 

[zorkler]

well it happened to my 2 times 1 time on the n.j .turnpike when one of those extra long van tire went boom and i was in the next lane 15 feet away put my head down lucky for me i ran over part of his tire ,and another part went over my head . had to compond the side fairing from all the rubber . the next time in jersey again a 18 wheeler tire went booom for some reason alot of white smoke was all over the road lucky for me i was getting off the exit as it was happening . I stay as far away form the 18 teens as much as possible.

 

[JerseyEd]

In the early 70's I was driving a sportster up the turnpike at about 10PM when my headlight went out. No bull it was that big hurricane that hit us. I hate the rain and all the roads were closed. This 18 wheeler pulls up and pionts to the back of his truck. I rider off his bumper 40 miles, dry and in the dark. But I drove trucks for many years,tires are expense and we aviod things in the road. If you do not see it coming from from under my truck, [you have about one second]you are big trouble. Also we have to remember as trucks drive pass items in the road they are sucked up into the air. A piece of plywood or whatever will be thrown into the air 2-6 feet in any direction. Please be careful even in another lane behind trucks.

 

[Groo]

Coming back from WFO last year, Odot and I got caught in a deluge near Cheyenne... about the only way to stay on the road between the downpouring rain and windgusts that would blow you across the lane was to bring the speed down and get behind a larger vehicle. We trailed a pickup hauling what looked like an enclosed tow behind with dirt bike stickers/etc. on it for a good while...

Generally though, I'm passing 18 wheelers and out of the tire-explosion zone... course there was that one 18 wheeler that I seriously think had a radar gun in it to play with other drivers minds...

 

[GalaxyBlue]

course there was that one 18 wheeler that I seriously think had a radar gun in it to play with other drivers minds...

Some of the newer trucks have proximity sensors to alert them of their blindspots. This technology uses X and Ka bands. FYI

 

[cctxfjr]

course there was that one 18 wheeler that I seriously think had a radar gun in it to play with other drivers minds...

Some of the newer trucks have proximity sensors to alert them of their blindspots. This technology uses X and Ka bands. FYI

system is Vorad-Eaton is manufactor-(have heard other people think trucker is playing with radar gun) Martin Transporation and other big carriers have them they also register closing speed/distance on objects with radar causing the alert on detectors

 

[madmike2]

New trucks are also coming with a unit that reads the white lines and "alerts" the driver that he is drifting. Our new line trucks are coming with said device. I'd guess it is using one of the bands to gauge lane proximity.

 

[xcsp]

Caught a retread in the windshield of my car once. Destroyed my windshield wipers and gouged my windshield. Sounded like a bomb went off.

Funny that a thread on this was started shortly after I heard what sounded like a "Bomb" go off while at my desk. Literally sounded like it was right outside the window, looked out to the highway and I see this huge chunk of rubber flying through the air and get struck by a few vehicles.

Looked at my co-worker, who also rides cycles, and our first thoughts were "What if someone would have been on a bike behind that truck?!!"

This was the first time I had ever heard a truck tire explode off the rim but definatley reiterates what has been said many times before in this thread. Stay back or get ahead!

I'm not one for "drafting" any vehicle-don't need the sandblasting effect on any of my vehicles and if I had needed to get somewhere yesterday I would have left yesterday.

Now what to do with those damn cellphone-wielding drivers??!!

 

[throttlejockeyTJ]

+1 on what TWN and some others said. As an old trucker, I know what damage a piece of tire can do. To be real don't stay anywhere near any truck any time period. And beware of what we call "alegator's" lying in the roadways. That is a section of truck tire tread that has escaped the tire. If you hit this in a 4 wheeler or on a bike, you're in for some damage. Another danger really is the material that these trucks carry. Drive safe, PM. <><

I never stay around trucks.

My brotheron his RT had another vehicle throw up a gator and it walloped his leg and broke his belly plastic. Drafting Trucks, you might as well play Russian Roulette!

 

[Bounce]

Coming back from WFO last year, Odot and I got caught in a deluge near Cheyenne.

Cheyenne... ahhhh... i remember it well.

it was the last leg of the '03 ibr and i had to find a place for a couple hours of sleep. stopped at the Super 8 (iirc) and was greeted by this knock-out, voluptuous blonde at the registration counter. WOW! she was so hot i had to go back down to the lobby at least 2 more times to be sure. that, and i kept leaving stuff on the bike i needed. did i mention WOW?

oh, wait! that was in Gillette!

but WOW!

 

[fjrob1300]

One other thing everyone is missing is the fact that when you draft behind a truck you run the risk of overheating. It's dead air back there. Do the right thing and go around.

 

[AZrider]

What a great post and replies! Never read so much and enjoyed over my morning coffee, thanks!

Since everyone has their experience I'll add mine. Four years ago I started riding again. Bought an R1150R (naked) and was passing a semi on 580 in the SF Bay area. About the time I was half way past the trailer there was this huge explosion and chunks of black ****, dust, vapor and cosmic primal matter flew all around me. I was so stunned stupid that I didn't realize what had happened, sort of like the dinosaurs when that big meteor hit. :blink:

Anyhow, by some miracle all the big pieces missed me and I only got hit by small chunks of rubber. It wasn't until the truck started to pull over and I looked to my right that I saw the missing tire. I think if I had flinched or bobbled on the "R" I might have gone down, maybe it was just because I'm too damned old and my reactions are slow. Anyhow I had to pull off the freeway and shake my pants out for about 1/2 hour before I got back on.

Following truck (drafting) is like folowing a brick wall with a clown on the other side tossing debris at you, no thanks. Now that I live in SE Arizona you should see the road gators as the trucks here can run 75mph and the tires get pushed to edge if they're going to go.

AZ

 

[Last Chance]

Great fun. Went to work last night and as I was going through Stockton, CA in the right lane. I heard (which is hard for me) the old familiar KA-BOOM!!!! Rear axle of the trailer left side, outside tire really BLEW. Smoke, debris, chunks of rubber. Luckily it took a few seconds for the tread to "separate". This allowed those that were following too close to be hit by only a few "chunkies". This time they were able to avoid the TWO long "Alligators" that came whipping out, spinning and bouncing down the road. Looked like they were each 12 feet long.

Took out the mud flap bracket (heavy gauge steel, welded on).

Tis the season. The warmer it is the more alligators!

Be careful.....and a little luck doesn't hurt!

LC