Thank you Judy, I appreciate your efforts to enlighten others to trucking difficulties. I drive various vans around the state as part of my job, so I am on the road a lot, and I see my share of inconsiderate/inattentive people in both camps. Perhaps I can enlighten you to some of we "four-wheelers'" points of view... Not that you've never driven a car...

You asked if that two or three seconds were so important that we need to block you from changing lanes to the left. I assume you meant getting to our destinations two or three seconds faster. That is not the reason I try not to get stuck behind a truck (although it is as much of a factor when you're driving a small commercial vehicle as it is for you big guys. We're all pressed for time).

Firstly, your truck makes it impossible to see anything forward of your loading doors. I don't care how safety-conscious you may (or may not) be, I'd rather decide for myself on how to react to the road ahead then rely on some unknown person's judgement (who may or may not be awake, we've all the heard the "drivers pushed to drive too many hours" stories). You yourself stated "Depending on the experience of the trucker, he may not even know yet, that he is headed for a jack-knife." How are we to know which drivers are experienced enough to trust, and which are not?

I don't like being stuck behind a truck who's doing 15 mph slower than I was when he pulled out in front of me, and then following him at that speed for ten miles because he doesn't want to have to slow down for on-ramps. I find it hard to believe that slowing down for an on-ramp is going to bankrupt you with excess fuel costs when I see trucks left running all night in truckstop parking lots.

I don't like my car being pelted with rocks, ice or loose junk flying from the open top of a huge dump body or flatbed. I've had two windshields cracked by junk thrown at me by trucks, and often have to drive through a sandstorm because truck drivers can't seem to keep their trailers from drifting into the dirt in the breakdown lanes.

I don't like using up a gallon of windshield washer fluid per mile because truck tires are not shielded well enough and obliterate my visibility if there's even a tiny bit of moisture on the road. Pass a truck in the rain? Squint, hold on and pray it's over quickly!

I don't like the thought of retreads coming through my windshield. I was behind a truck once for several miles when I decided to pull over for a... breather.

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