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Reddit: Ask a Semi Truck Driver Anything

Here at the job board, we like to browse Reddit anything interested related to the trucking industry. What recently caught our eye is a post by a semi-truck driver who allowed Reddit's community to "ask him anything." We thought we'd highlight his top responses in this post for an interesting question and answer perspective.

Top question: Do you blow the air horn when someone does an arm pump out the window? Truckers used to do that for us back in the 70s and 80s when I was a kid, but we never had one to it for our kids a few years ago when we tries. Outside of city limits of course.

Answer: "Heck yeah we do! I love it when every kid on a bus puts their arm out and pumps it then cheers when I do! As long as we aren't going to endanger anybody we happily do."

Question: Why do so many trucks drive beside one another in morning traffic?? If you're gonna pass someone I understand but in slow traffic it just seems to hold everyone else up, so what's up with that??

Answer: "Well that depends on the circumstances. If there is a wreck up ahead and a lane is blocked they do that to force people to merge. It keeps us safe, other drives safe and the emergency workers safe. It also keeps traffic moving. Other than that it could be a truck governed at 63 passing a truck governed at 62... it sucks but it happens. Trust me when I say it even annoys the hell out of other drivers"

Question: What things do truckers do that most regular drivers don't understand? (like Turing off all the running lights and turning them back on)

Also, I work as a research assistant at a transportation Institute at a university. What innovations would you like to see in the trucking world?

Thoughts on automated cars? And maybe automated semis in the future?

Answer: "Flashing the running lights is usually how we say thank you to each other, we flash our headlights as well to say you're welcome (STOP FLASHING YOUR BRIGHTS AT US!) We will drive next to each other when we see something going on down the road so you will merge in behind us to keep everyone safe. If we have our flashers on SOMETHING IS GOING DOWN! Anything I missed?

What innovations? How about internet in the trucks? Or that screen that helps people see if they are safe to pass us. Lights that come on to help us when we are back into dark places. Auto raising and lowering trailers for hookups. Better technology integration for a heads up display on the windsheild for things like speed, routing and weather. Some kind of tech that helps eliminate blind spots like screens. For gods sake I want all of the paperwork (ie the load info and such) To be digital so that when I walk in I just have to give them a company name and trailer number and they have it all infront of them, can mark it as recieved and so on. I can update it all through my elog interface. I don't ever want to mess with physical paperwork again! Make an app so that I can track it all, make notes, send messages and so forth from my phone as well as the elog interface. Also, WE NEED A MODERN SYSTEM for our elogs. Most of them run on windows NT...
As for automated cars and trucks I'm completely cool with that, I think it will help further mans ability to pursue their dreams without a need for menial jobs. I also think it will save millions of lives. Even if someone HAS to sit behind the wheel anyway just in case it would be a major improvement."

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