this post was submitted on 07 Oct 2023
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This is the classic "feel sorry for the waiter working on sub-minimum wage, he's supposed to be subsidised by tips!" bullshit argument. Yes, truck drivers are a victim of the businesses they work for and aren't paid well enough. That doesn't mean that they, as representatives of the business they work for, should get away with doing things that are wrong and inconvenience everyone else. Particularly when it is the business that sets the conditions that push drivers to behave as they do.
The truck driver might not be making much of a profit, for the long hours they work. But the truck is there to make a profit. The majority of everyone else on the road is not driving for work. People driving for work should not inhibit everyone else, who are inherently paying a loss to drive somewhere.
In fact, drivers in general shouldn't inhibit others. Driving in the outside lane when you're not overtaking is a shitty move, regardless.
Pay attention, plan well ahead to pull out when you need, accelerate as needed so you don't hold up anyone when you pull out.
If you're not willing or able to accelerate, then you shouldn't pull out. By all means indicate your intention (and do so well in advance), but don't move over until the lane is clear.
Yeah, but we're talking about truck drivers who sit in the middle lane.
It sounds like you're from somewhere where this isn't much of a problem. The professional drivers are professional. That's awesome, but know that it doesn't hold true everywhere, either across the US or in Europe or elsewhere. It's not even a national thing, driving habits vary by region.
But yeah, people sitting in the middle is a problem. The bigger problem is that it's so poorly defined - I was taught "if you're not overtaking within 10 seconds, you should pull over". 10 seconds is very conservative, I work to 7 seconds.