Any Tips To Keep Cool Around Crazy Drivers?

This past week it seems like I've encountered more aggressive drivers than usual. Not sure, maybe it's just the way I perceived it. But a few times I found it really difficult to choose not to drive aggressively in return. I refuse to tailgate to "protect" my spot, but we all know that means idiots are gonna pour in before us like we're leaving that extra space just for them to go around us. Most of the time it doesn't bother me that much--it's just normal at this point--but this week it really got on my nerves a few times. Not sure exactly what was different.

Something I've been doing lately is setting mileage goals for the day (sort of). What I mean is, at the beginning of the day I'll pick what truck stop I plan to stop at that night. I just do it so I know beforehand where I'm stopping, but I think lately I've been setting these goals a tad too tight. I think that's been playing a role in my increased agitation this week.

Any other ideas? Use cruise less/more? Take more frequent breaks? Install wings on my truck?? Lol

That was one of my questions (dealing with aggressive drivers) a couple hours ago as I was taking the written test for my CDL permit! The correct answer; “Give the other driver the benefit of the doubt”. Wrong answer “Make hand gestures towards the offending driver”

😂😂😂

Suggestions straight from the manual (you can determine the validity);

How you feel before you even start your vehicle has a lot to do with how stress will affect you while driving.

Reduce your stress before and while you drive.

Listen to “easy listening” music.

Give the drive your full attention. Don’t allow yourself to become distracted by talking on your cell phone, eating, etc.

Be realistic about your travel time. Expect delays because of traffic, construction, or bad weather and make allowances. If you’re going to be later than you expected – deal with it.

Take a deep breath and accept the delay.

Give other drivers the benefit of the doubt. Try to imagine why he or she is driving that way. Whatever their reason, it has nothing to do with you.

Slow down and keep your following distance reasonable.

Don’t drive slowly in the left lane of traffic.

Avoid gestures. Keep your hands on the wheel. Avoid making any gestures that might anger another driver, even seemingly harmless expressions of irritation like shaking your head.

Be a cautious and courteous driver. If another driver seems eager to get in front of you, say, “Be my guest.” This response will soon become a habit and you won’t be as offended by other drivers’ actions.

I think you might have answered your own question, at least partially...perhaps resetting the TS where you shutdown might reduce your stress level. Have several stops lined-up so you have a fallback plan.

I am probably the wrong person to ask since I drive in the NorthEast, I expect bad behavior from four-wheelers...rarely am I disappointed.

I cuss them out like crazy and they have no idea, they can't hear me because my windows are closed. lol. Makes me feel better.

I go with good tunes and patience i never knew i had also a northeast driver and i expect it daily somewhere

Two things I do are: try to go three mph slower than the flow of the traffic when it's really heavy. Let the congestion head on down the road, and get away from me. Once they're gone, I'll maybe increase my speed. This gets repeated numerous times. The other thing I do is "blast" the other vehicle with my "lazer beam equipped, distruction of four wheeler" magical headlights.

G-Town nailed it. I too have noticed that, the more in a hurry I am to get somewhere, be it a particular TS or a just barely possible appt, I found that I'm more frustrated at delays in general be it four wheelers cutting me off forcing me to back off, construction taking away a lane, mountains with a heavy load, FOUR WHEELERS NOT GOING THE SPEED LIMIT ON A 2 LANE HIGHWAY!!!!! Alot of these things we just simply can't avoid, so I'd definitely suggest setting your truck stop goal maybe 30-60m back if parking would be available at that particular time of day. Trucker Path is amazing!!!

I choose to just not worry. If you've ever seen whitewater rafting, the rafters never get mad at the rocks - they are just part of the river. And once you get past those pesky rocks, they aren't in your life anymore anyway.

You do need to guess what any driver will do next, it's part of your situational awareness. Just watch them and plan for the worst so you won't be surprised.

If you're P.O.'d at a driver (4 or 18 wheels) cutting in front of you, just remember you'll be three seconds later than you planned. Three seconds!

There has been a recent thread arguing about what being stuck behind a truck going 1 MPH slower than you means. I don't like it either and look for a chance to pass. But there's 1,440 minutes in a day. Even though one minute might represent 43¢ of your paycheck, is it really worth getting all "road ragey" about?

Thanks for all the helpful suggestions. I will definitely start planning for slightly closer truckstops. My whole week is planned out beforehand, so it's not usually about running more miles--it's more about getting home earlier. But I can afford to get home a few hours later in the name of safety.

Alot of good comments and suggestions here. Wish I could respond to them all but not enough time right now. What really irritates me the most isn't how much time I lose or anything like that. It's more that no matter what speed I go, people always do the same bs. I can be traveling down I70 in KS at 75 mph with no one else on the road, and the only other car in sight passes me very slowly and then cuts like a half truck length in front of me--no one else even on the road, they've been in the left lane for the past 5-10 minutes, but they just can't wait to cut me off first chance they get. People just lose their minds when they get behind the wheel. I really appreciate the comments about expecting it though. I think I used to be better about that but I think I forgot some stuff while I was local and not driving as much. So thanks for the reminder. Driving slightly slower than the flow of traffic is another great tip, so thanks for that. Also the comments about music and general mindset--super helpful.

I cuss them out like crazy and they have no idea, they can't hear me because my windows are closed. lol. Makes me feel better.

Thanks Big Scott. I do that too lol. I've called people names I didn't even know existed.

Hey, I love this conversation. Staying in control of your emotions is a super critical part of being a Top Tier Professional in this business. I started giving a long reply here and realized this conversation and the things I wanted to add to it would make a great article. So here you go:

Keepin' Your Cool: Managing Road Rage