Lunatic Trucker Intentionally Tries To Drive Me Off The Road

Montana I90, 80 mph limit, me driving 2002 Toyota Corolla, Sunday AM.

Driving 80 mph pulled up behind trucker, who was behind a pickup pulling trailer. We, the three vehicles, then entered construction zone (65 mph). Out of zone, I start to pass, trucker immediately quickly swerves to left lane (road is clear- no obstacles). Trucker sits in lane for a quarter mile, probably more, blocking road, then finally pulls forward. Then there is room to pass on right between trucker and pickup pulling trailer. I then pull into right lane.

Trucker quickly swerves to right lane- I take shoulder and floor it- racing trucker so I can get back on highway before I hit the cones in next construction zone. I'm able to get a few feet ahead of trucker, trucker is speeding up, I'm able to squeeze in with just a few feet to spare in front of trucker and before the cones.

I keep going, glad to be alive, didn't get trucker's license or Carrier name.

In analyzing this, maybe I was Stupid, I should not have tried to pass on right. Maybe I should have waited driving 65 mph, waiting for trucker to get into right lane. Then passing. If I would have patiently waited, I do believe this Trucker would have continually blocked me.

My view was that I had about 1500 miles to go at 80 mph, or whatever the speed limit changes to.

It would have been good to get license plate #, carrier name and report driver to MT DOT , Highway Patrol and file complaint with Carrier. My round trip was Missouri to Washington and back- 4400 miles. I had no other dangerous situations on my trip. I do treat truckers and others with respect, correct following distance, etc.

I know that most drivers here at TT are Professionals.

In analyzing this, maybe I was Stupid

Let's just hope he doesn't have you recorded on his dash cam, and called in your license number. The judge who views the film on what you did is going to come to the same conclusion you did after analyzing it.

In analyzing this, maybe I was Stupid, I should not have tried to pass on right. Maybe I should have waited driving 65 mph, waiting for trucker to get into right lane. Then passing. If I would have patiently waited, I do believe this Trucker would have continually blocked me.

Sometimes you need to take the long view. On a long trip, sometimes it's better to have patience and wait a minute or two, going a bit slower than you want, before you make your move.

Consider your situation: you want to do 80, yet you're stuck putting along at 65, say for five minutes. (You know that's "forever" on a highway.) The difference between 65 and 80 is 25mph. Five minutes of 25mph gets you 2 miles. At 80, going 2 miles takes almost 1-1/2 minutes.*

So you'd rather take a chance on saving 1-1/2 minutes of your life and fighting over it and risking an accident?

*(I am the Trucking Truth resident math teacher. I know how to do these calculations.)

Difference between 80 and 65 is 15.

Isaac correcting Errol's homework:

Difference between 80 and 65 is 15.

Gasp...!

It's hard to get the truck number cause its forward of the driver's door. But the trailer number could have helped. You pull on the side of the road safely and call the police. Dont call while ur driving. They will give you a ticket for using ur phone. It happened to a new swift driver and he was so upset he didnt think to get the truck info. They said next time to pull into truck stop and have lunch and avoid confrontation. Not me, i'll meet him at the next weigh station.

It's hard to get the truck number cause its forward of the driver's door. But the trailer number could have helped. You pull on the side of the road safely and call the police. Dont call while ur driving. They will give you a ticket for using ur phone. It happened to a new swift driver and he was so upset he didnt think to get the truck info. They said next time to pull into truck stop and have lunch and avoid confrontation. Not me, i'll meet him at the next weigh station.

OP, Jet Guy was driving a car at the time. And frankly what he was attempting to do was far more risky than what the trucker was doing...

In addition a truck driver is not going to get a citation for using a Blue-Tooth or other hands-free headset for making a call. You can voice dial... 9 1 1, never having to touch the cell phone. If the Swifty didn't have hands-free for use with his phone, shame on him, he didn't know the law.

Difference between 80 and 65 is 15.

Ok! Go ahead and CORRECT THE TEACHER!!! See if I care!

So your gamble for saving even less time! Is that really worth it?

Errol was a math teacher, I say 80 - 65 must be 25.

It wasn't a smart thing to do, but if what you say is true then that's one or more improper lane changes for the trucker, which I believe is one of those major things that can get your license suspended.

And he would have only saved a half a minute, but whos counting