Article Surfing Archive

Many truckers seem like they belong to a secret society and part of that membership consists of various courtesies and unspoken rules of the road. Trucking companies are privy to those rules, but don*t always let the newbies know about them. Those new truck drivers get to learn the hard way. But if they are lucky, veteran truckers will give them a probationary pass to the secret society. Membership has its privileges!

Unspoken Rule #1 * Acknowledging other truckers in this secret society. Common courtesy on the roads is a little thing, but can pay off big if you are ever in the need of some assistance. CB radios are often used to recognize other truckers and even a friendly wave does the trick.

Unspoken Rule #2 * Passing the pavement. Sometimes on busy roads, truckers may not be able to keep an eye on all of the traffic around them. Fellow truckers traveling in other lanes will often flash their lights or make contact by CB radio to tell another truck when they have safely passed another vehicle and it is all right to switch lanes.

Unspoken Rule #3 * Know the code. If you want to communicate with other members of this secret society, you have to have a CB radio. And with that CB radio, comes responsibilities and codes used when talking on the radio. Things like letting other truckers know where all the police speed traps are or if there are any accidents to possibly avoid are among the duties in this secret society.

Unspoken Rule #4 * Headlight Headaches. Anther unspoken common courtesy that truckers will extend to other trucks has to do with headlights. Stopping for any length of time, whether at a weigh station or a fuel stop, truckers will often turn off the headlights and put on their blinking hazard lights. Those headlights are very bright and can easily blind another driver at an inappropriate moment and can be a potential hazard.

There are many other small courtesies that truck drivers extend to one another. As newbies establish themselves with their trucking companies, the die hard truckers will eventually take pity on them and let them know the ins and outs of their *Secret society.* Some of these rules may be unspoken ones, but they sure do pave the way for a more enjoyable trucking experience. Now all these truckers need is a secret handshake!