Why do truckers insist on trying to pass people going uphill on the highway?

Question

I just got back from a huge cross-country road trip and I can testify first hand that about 90% of the time when there was a fully loaded semi in the right lane, he would wait until he started going UPHILL on the interstate to pull out into the left lane to try and pass someone. WHY in the world do truckers do this? Going uphill is when semi's have to work the hardest and inevitably they can't get enough power or speed to pass someone so they end up right along side the person, blocking (faster) traffic behind them. And it's not just semi's doing this, RV's and huge travel trailers are guilty of it too. Please enlighten me on this one!!! :)

Answer 1

I know it's irritating, but there's a very good reason we do it, (and like ya said %90 of us do..) I call it "sprinting" . When approaching a steep graded hill, we begin to lose inertia the second the climb begins. With intertia, we lose speed. (I know, a "duh" statement.) so, the faster we're going at the bottom of the hill, the more inertia we have to maintain speed throughout the climb.

It may seem a minor benefit, but fact is, when an object's speed doubles, it's inertia QUADRUPLES. Reversed, when speed is cut in half, the inertia helping keep the speed is 4 times less than before. Means we lose speed even faster. What complicates it, is the varying weight that's inside different trailers.

Like I say, it's irritating, but we're not doing it to p.i.s.s ya off. (I never am anyhow. lol) It's a simple neccessity. .. gawd, I won't even get into computer governed top speed restrictions most trucks have...

Answer 2

You have obviously never driven anything other than your little car. You may also notice that truckers and RV's may gain some speed before a big hill. Momentum is the whole idea. The faster you can start a climb and the longer you can keep your momentum going, the better you can reach the top. So if a truck is traveling 70 mph at the base of a steep hill and comes up on a slower car, he is going to change lanes to keep his momentum up and to keep from running over the slower car. He might make it to the top of he hill at 60 mph.

If the truck can't pass and has to let off the accelerator, he has a very hard time reaching the top of the hill with any speed at all. He would use twice the fuel to climb the hill, putting more wear and tear on his truck, and increasing his cost, which will make everything you need and buy cost more. You should try driving a truck just one time. It will give you a better perspective on what a driver has to go through and I guarantee you WILL respect what these people do for all of us.

Answer 3

I'm guessing when you see 1 truck passing another 1/8 mph faster on a hill cutting a 4 lane freeway down to 2 lanes? I see it everyday, they should be ticked on the spot for that. Same if they travel in the second to the right lane when there is not an exit is site or a car in the lane for miles, nothing like the stupid signs on there trailers that say passing side and suicide, They again ride in the second to the right lane, along comes a car sees it and passes the truck on the left again, cutting a 4 lane freeway down the 2 lanes, then they cant figure out why the traffic is all screw up..

Answer 4

It is all about momentum!!!



A semi (or other heavy loaded vehicle) will hit the hill with all they can and if that means pulling out in the left lane to hold 3mph, then so be it. Momentum that is lost is fuel wasted!



Just deal with. Besides, I'm sure every truck driver can agree that there are many times that a car will block a truck from changing lanes (intentional or not) and the semi gets screwed in the end. So if that means pulling out in the other lane early, he/she is going to do it.



Plus it is a whole lot easier for a small car or truck to regain speed than a semi. Just deal with it, it has nothing to do with them/us being jerks, they/we are doing the best they can with what they've got.

Answer 5

No one wants to get stuck behind a slower vehicle, truckers included. Most truckers pull out early to avoid this, but I saw one inexperienced driver that didn't and guess what, the idiot in the fast lane slowed down too and then they both slowed blocking the freeway and I almost ran into the back of them... I thought there was a wreck up ahead, but no, just two inexperienced drivers.

Answer 6

There are a lot of factors. As a truck driver myself, we travel so many different roads & sometimes we forget about the hills until we come up on them. In addition, some trucks are geared to take hills better than others or are lighter than the one they are passing. Also, many trucks are governed. That means that they can press on the throttle all they want to & the truck will go as fast as the computer & terrain will let it. We also have a problem with a "me" society. Few want to compromise anymore & give anyone a chance.



Ask yourself this question: When you encountered the slower moving vehicle, were you doing posted speed limit or did you notice signs stating "Slower Moving Vehicles." Just food for thought.

Answer 7

It relies upon: in elementary terms a speedy flash skill "hi!". 2 or 3 flashes and a thumbs down sign mean difficulty forward, perhaps a highway site visitors twist of destiny, a velocity catch, or a vehicle examine component. because of the fact using C.B. radios, there has been some distance much less touch between truckers via flashing their lights furniture.

Answer 8

I know first hand (10 years that I was an over the road trucker) that in order to make it to the top of a hill we had to build up speed before we started up the hill. Otherwise, we would have to down shift in order to pull up the hill because we would lose our speed. I want to know, in your vast experience through your cross country adventure, did it ever occur to you to get out of their way by either getting in the left lane and getting up the hill yourself or stay in the right lane when you saw a truck barreling down a hill so as to make it up the next??? Without trucks...America stops. RVs have to also make it up the hill but they usually (not all of them) stay out of the truckers way.

Answer 9

For the big hill the trucker is trying to have as much speed approaching it to help make it to the top.

When some women or old person is driving, in their on little world, you have to pass them where ever it is.

Answer 10

Because we need the momentun to go up if u get a 4wheeler in front going under speed limit we get screw, and for 30wks pregnant , i dont think u work at a trucking co and said those things, we all need truck , every thing u own a truck moved it , if trucks stops the whole country stops , dont bite the hand that feeds u , if u hate trucks ,we hate 4 wheelers .

Answer 11

Cause then we have to slow down sooner, causing us to downshift sooner which wastes our FUEL.

Answer 12

'cause they have way more torque than others ,

torque is the power that your car can pull

the more torque it is , the faster your car pick up speed. but it doesnt mean they can go fast, it just means they can pick up speed faster.

i dont kno if this is the fact, but at least thats for i think.

it's just like thinking about a stock civic vs a truck

truck will probably beat it off the start but the civic will go faster at the end.

Answer 13

oh my gosh i feel the same way!!! i work for a trucking company and these 18 wheelers think they own the place here. they'll start just randomly backing up when i'm behind them or not look to see if anyone is coming and cut plp off. its because they know they have a huge truck and they can take charge over us in smaller and easy to damage vehicles. ugh i hate it so much!!! i can't tell u how many times i've been cut off or how many of the women here have been in accidents by these guys!!

Answer 14

the same reason they will pull out in front of you when there is no one behind you - idiots