How close is too close behind a big rig?

How close do you draft behind the big rigs? I usuall try to stay about 40-60' at about 65 mph. I figure I should be able to stop faster than a big rig with my dually and trailer (with electric brakes on all for tires). I like the constant speed they usually travel at and the better fuel mileage I can get. I do try to help them when they want to make a lane change (by doing some lane blocking). So, how close before you become a safety hazzard or an annoyance.
opcorn:

 

I normaly like them behind me, I like to be able to see farther down the road I guess.

 

Close enough that I can tell if they need to adjust the back brake shoes....

Stay away back, as long as you can see their mirrors around the vans, you should be fine. Truck drivers hate tailgaters. One of our guys likes to hit his dump valve and lightely tap the brakes. The dump valve releases the weight on a single axle of the trailer, so when you hit the brake there is no weight to keep the tires from sliding, since all the weight is on the front trailer axle. The back axle locks up without any loss in mph, and it scares the crap out of the tailgater from one heck of a smoke show. They think the truck locks everything up.

 

I can't stand vehicles tailgating me when driving truck or pass me then slow back down.... I will generally keep my same speed and push them if they do that. One of our drivers threw a plastic bottle out the window... well, rather the wind "cought" it and almost hit a car that was tailgating him... Yeah, he got a chewin out.

 

Your safer behind the truck than infront of it and if you cant see both his mirrors then he cant see you ,idealy but at least one if in slow moving traffic,I one had a blow out in my dump truck tire remants took out my mud flap and three lights some old jewish man gave me the finger and some goofy looking fat teenager was yelling I'm loseing rocks,both were to close beind me I just grinned and laughed at em.Yeah not the profesional way to handle it but niether is tailgating

 

yup, the professional truck drivers definitely hate tail gaiters. about 90% are concerned that the 4wheelers (as they are called) will end up being lodged under the trailer, thus causing much unneccesary downtime.most would prefer that if you do follow close keep it back no closer than 50 feet behind them that way if a trailer tire blows it has a better chance of being on the ground when you get there rather than going through your windshield.

 

exactly

 

how would you like a tire thrown at the front of your vehicle? when a tire comes apart there is NO warning!! it comes apart & it goes everywhere. it shows no mercy. so go ahead & tailgate but don't start bitching when you need a new grill.:doah:

 

We 4wheelers call thoes Alligators. The retreads that come flying off are dangerous even after they come to rest on the hwy. I have seen many a car get a shattered winshield from thoes dam gators.
On my last trip to Pismo this one driver had the hammer down and he was passin all the other drivers so I just followed him, pass him, he would pass me, etc... Some of thoes damn drivers are crazy as hell too :doah:
My tow speed is just a bit faster than the average driver but slower than the flow of all the 4wheelers waytogo

 

A semi truck with about 15,000 lbs to 20,000 lbs of freight will probably stop faster than a pick-up truck with a loaded trailer. I don't think 40-60' at about 65 mph is near enough distance. Something you aren't thinking about is your reaction time. Let's assume the semi has to emergency brake for some reason. Now, let's suppose you are checking your mirrors, looking at your phone, or reaching for a cup of coffee (these are things that most of us do). First you have to stop what you are doing and realize the semi is slowing down. Your natural reaction is not to slam on your brakes every time you see brake lights in front of you, so at this point you don't even know how fast the semi is stopping, so you just lightly apply your brakes. My guess is that by the time you realize he is "emergency stopping", you will have already hit him.

Now, with that said, I don't really care how close cars tailgate me, because they can't hurt me if they rear end me. I DO hate it when other semi's tail gate me

And while I'm complaining, another thing I REALLY HATE is when cars pass me on the interstate and then cut right in front of me... putting me only about 40' from their rear bumper. Hello stupid? Do you realize the danger you just put yourself in?

Oh well...

 

Bad Drivers

Boy Howdy, I sure am glad that the fellow slideing the tires on one axle ain't working for me as I just hate tires with all those flat spots from doing the smoke trick!!!!:stir: Don't tailgate and stay to the left so ya can see around the tuck, as at night the headlights in his mirror is pretty offenseive. And everybody drives pretty much like chuckleheads anymore!!! Its to early, as my spelling and typeing are worse than normal!!!!

 

and make them stay behind me i cnat stand towing and missing my exit because i had a larger rig in front of me adn couldnt read the sign fast enough

 

so then back off there bumper some, rather than passing them, and then slowing back down to your previous speed so now your impeeding them.

 

So far nothing has convinced me to do anything different. The only thing I've learned is that not every big rig driver deserves respect on the road because some of them can be totals asses by doing things like locking up their brakes for nothing.

 

i dont think truck drivers should get any special treatment when it comes to following distance... the key is to be able to see their mirrors... cuz if you can see their mirrors they can see you and everything is all good.

 

all i know is that when they are following me that they should be alert as my trailer or towed vheicle lights are usually inop, and dont cut me off when i am engine braking to a stop since my trailers behind me dont usually have brakes..

 

i had a woman in a minivan tailgate my friend and i while towing his jeep........i threw a huge full mcdonalds coke out the wind "caught" it too and it exploded all over her windshield....hilarious

 

thats to funny rotfl

 

40-60' at 65mph? Do you realize that if that semi had to slam on his brakes, you wouldn't even have time to put your foot on the brake and have the trailer brakes engage fully? To me rear-ending a semi at highway speed is not worth any amount of fuel savings

If I'm within 300' of a big rig with my camper in the truck the turbulance from the van makes my camper sway back & forth.

Good God man, give yourself some stopping distance. Your insurance premiums will thank you.

 

Friday I was running N bound I-77 @ the NC SC state line about 3:00 traffic starting to build & some dumb a** wanted to try to ride on my lowboy, (I already had a 76,000 lb Komatsu on)waytogo I was in the middle lane when one of the back tires let loose! I thought it was so funny watching that 4 wheeler try to dodge the pieces. now maby next time they will think twice trying to push a big truck.