No matter how big you think you are, nothing makes people feel smaller than driving on the freeway and getting stuck between two trucks. And for good reason, as truck colliding with a car is similar to a school bully destroying a sandcastle by driving a car into it.
Truck drivers are very aware of the fragility of cars in comparison to their titanic size and weight. But the truth is, truck drivers are more scared of us than we are of them!
We spoke to
Casuarina Smith (CJ), a 33-year-old truck driver with over seven years of trucking experience on the front lines, to hear what she would like the next generation of drivers to know about driving around trucks…
“After I became a truck driver myself, I think just the sheer size and how much space is needed to navigate on the roads was the biggest shock to me.
When coming up to traffic lights, truck drivers have already calculated how much room they will need to slow down but time and time again I see cars not respecting this space and cutting in front of trucks when they see a gap; obviously not understanding that the space was created for a reason. We want to try and maintain some momentum so that once the lights change we can keep moving.
If we come to a complete stop it takes a lot for the truck to get moving again which sometimes means we will miss the next round of lights. I wish cars realised that once the lights change there will be ample room for them to then get in front and move on. Please don’t cut in front when we are coming to a stop.
I understand that the size of a truck can be intimidating but please know that the people driving them are professionals and we all want to get home safe. No one wants to be involved in an accident.
If you have an opportunity, stop and talk to a truckie and ask questions. You’ll find that most truckies are very proud of what they do and will be very honoured that you care enough to ask questions.
Knowledge is power and once you can get a true understanding of what we do then you won’t be so fearful. I have created an
Instagram page where my aim is to shed light on life as a truck driver and make small educational videos answering people’s questions. Hopefully, that will help a little too.”