Talking about cars that pull in right in front of an 18 wheeler after they pass? Where did this thing come from? I have seen this, mostly cars don't do this to other cars, only trucks. Man, that is stupid.

Ok guys, I drive for a living and just about the most annoying thing a trucker can have on the road (amongst the many annoying things) is to have someone sit on the tail end on the trailer in the next lane. In the truck's mirrors it apears that there is no way to pull out if needed and rather than "push" they will end up grabing a gear or two while the "4 wheeler" sits there. Trucks don't go 45 mph anymore, so please either stay back or learn how to "flash" a truck out into the next lane, the driver will invariably give you a trailer flash back in thanks.
On the other matter, just the volume of fuel being flowed throughthe pumps at truck stops is guarentee enough of it being fresh. However, for a real treat for your engine run it on biodiesel that you can make yourself. Mileage the same, power the same, cost way down (not counting your time) engine life extended, toxic emmisions eliminated, doing the ecology a favour. win win.
Mine is a 1983 240D and in the warm weather I run it on B100 (100 percent biodiesel) that I make myself from used fryer oil or Waste Vegetable Oil as it is called in the "industry". Homebrewing biodiesel is a very rewarding experience and if done right is a total win win situation.
http://journeytoforever.org/biodiesel_processor12.html is my processor set-up. The site is dedicated to alternatrive fuels and can teach you how to do it if you are interseted.
Luc

I have seen this happen frequently where someone has no balls to pass a 18 wheeler. Having just completed a 3900 mile trip over the holidays, I observed that SUV's are prone to "camping" in the fast lane, just doing the speedlimit. What's with these people?
And why do clusters of cars form, often an SUV at the helm, just stuck in the fastlane on a two lane highway? It makes traffic stack up on their tails, then when a trucker needs to move over to pass a slower vehicle they all hit the brakes, all of them lit up red. Irks the heck outta me
There are a LOT of stupid drivers out there.

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'95 E320 Wagon my favorite road car. '99 E300D wolf in sheeps body, '87 300D Sportline suspension, '79 300TD w/ 617.952 engine at 367,750 and counting!

I would love to learn how to do that but it sure seems real complicated.

Scott

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Scott
1982 Mercedes 240D, 4 speed, 275,000
1988 Porsche 944 Turbo S (70,000)
1987 Porsche 911 Coupe 109,000 (sold)
1998 Mercedes E300 TurboDiesel 147,000 (sold)
1985 Mercedes 300D 227,000 (totaled by inattentive driver with no insurance!)
1997 Mercedes E300 Diesel 236,000 (sold)
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1987 VW Jetta GLI 157,000 (sold)
1986 Camaro 125,000 (sold - P.O.S.)
1977 Corvette L82 125,000 (sold)
1965 Pontiac GTO 15,000 restored (sold)

Hey I was just wondering about your bumper sticker, I found this thread by a Google search of "Bumper stickers Without trucks America stops". So my question is where would I find one? thanks

I drive buses for my school. I do quite a few charters any more, usually within 100 miles or so of our campus, but I see a lot of the same, and it's irritating. All of our buses that we use on charters are limited to 62 mph, and it's as if people don't understand that I am unable to go any faster. There's nothing more frustrating than to have a 350 HP Cat rumbling 40 feet behind you and not being able to go any faster.

Can't you bypass the engine governor somehow? I ride a shuttle bus on my college campus from the parking lot to the building, and one of the drivers told me that the buses are limited to 70mph (Van Hool and Prevost buses), but by putting cruise control on 70mph, and then pressing the accelerator pedal while the cruise control is on, they can get up to 85mph.
-Joe

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'81 MB 300SD, '82 MB 300D Turbo (sold/RIP), '04 Lincoln Town Car Ultimate

Sooner or later every car falls apart, ours does it later!
-German Narrator in a MB Promotion Film about the then brand new W123.

I always fill up at the same truck stop and no one has ever said anything. Well except for this guy with a TDI who is pretty cool. I run into him at the pump once in awhile and we talk a bit.

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2016 Corvette Stingray 2LT
1969 280SE
2023 Ram 1500
2007 Tiara 3200

after reading this I was wondering what the proper etiquet was. so you do not want to flash the highbeams. Flash on and off 2 or 3 times. What can you expect if the signal is received?
What is the proper etiquet for passing a truck on the highway?

Danny

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1984 300SD Turbo Diesel 150,000 miles

OBK member #23

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Truckers are almost always swell guys, but they will laugh at you for breaking the blue nitrile gloves to pump.

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PagodaLOVER
1967 230SL, manual
1959 180D, manual

Look in your mirror to check the left lane, when it's clear, signal, get into the left lane, hit the kickdown switch and get into passing gear and pass as quickly as possible, do not enter the trucker's lane until you see both sets of his headlights in your rear view mirror. After you see both sets of headlights, signal again, get back into the right lane, and continue.

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'81 MB 300SD, '82 MB 300D Turbo (sold/RIP), '04 Lincoln Town Car Ultimate

Sooner or later every car falls apart, ours does it later!
-German Narrator in a MB Promotion Film about the then brand new W123.

I would laugh too....
Then I would fry up some food with my fuel

FWIW....A rule I learned Day 1 when learning to drive was not to enter the lane you are passing until you see both headlights of the car you are passing...So if you enter sooner on a truck, you are just a $hitty driver.......
And 30+ years later it still pisses me off when so many crappy drivers pull in front of cars so much sooner....(vent)

Haven't had much truckstop experience in alot of years, but always good food there, and mostly in the east coast following the Grateful Dead around .............WALSTIB.....

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'87 924S
'81 280SEL

Sold ->

81 300SD -
93 300E w/ 3.2
85 300D-
79 300SD
82 300CD
83 300CD - CA
87 190E 5 spd
87 Porsche 924S

"..I'll take a simple "C" to "G" and feel brand new about it..."

There's a flying J truckstop about 25 miles outside GR, but otherwise I've not seen any others around here, its kinda strange actually....this is the 2nd largest city in the state and we don't really seem to have any truck fueling stations anywhere, maybe I just never go to the areas that have them....but I have been practically everywhere around here. Who knows.

I have filled up at a truck island before, I did it at a shell station in Ludington, MI (small lakeshore/state park/tourist town...) and it was cheap there (2.13, boy those were the days... ) and I only bought $10 worth from the super high flow/giant nozzle pump. The previous person had bought over 130 gallons (probably a huge RV or something) So when I went in to pay the attendant said "$10????!!" and had to look out the window and check People over by the gasser pumps were giving me weird looks when I was over there filling too. Always Fun....

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'13 ML350 Bluetec - 95k - dad's (OC-98k)
'01 SL500 - 103k(km) - dad's (OC-110,000km)
'16 E400 4matic Sedan - 148k - Brothers (OC-155k)

Most drivers will either hit their hazards for a couple of blinks, or flash their running lights on and off. Some of the "thank you" switches may only blink the clearance lights on top, if they are wired that way. Other drivers may give a couple of blinks on the opposite side blinker as well.

Proper passing etiquet is to pass as quickly as safely possible, and on the LEFT side only. You start the pass while you are still far enough behind the truck for the driver to see your signal in his mirror.

H-townsendboy, you do NOT go into the lane as soon as you can see both headlights. Look back the next time you try that. You'll likely see that you are still have less than half of the safe distance for following when you do this. In effect, you've cut off a truck that will need a bit more than a football field to avoid killing you if you slam on the brakes to avoid hitting something. NEVER get back in front of a truck untill you can see the WHOLE thing in the rear view mirror. At night, use the trucks clearance lights as a guide, including the two ambers on the top corners of the trailer.