Swift Took One For The Team :-/

Hopefully it was nobody in here, but last Monday when I was headed to Orlando, I was going south on I-75 in southern Georgia. There were a couple of wide loads pulling a double wide mobile home. 3 lanes and the first wide load was taking up the right and middle lanes. There were probably a dozen trucks wanting past. A swift driver was in the front of the pack.

Anyone who drives that area KNOWS trucks aren't allowed in the left lane for almost a 50 mile stretch.

Cars had lined up in the left lane pretty much keeping it blocked but finally there was a gap.

The wide load driver, over the CB, told the Swift driver to go ahead and pass. I was behind Swift and commented that my truck was so slow, I'd just be in everyone's way and slowed down even more and moved to the far right lane. The Swift driver made his move and passed using the left lane.

Of course he was immediately lit up with the purty blue lights and pulled over.

So once the trooper was otherwise occupied, the wide load moved to occupy the shoulder and the right lane allowing all the trucks to pass from the middle (unrestricted) lane.

Even though I see ******bag driver's every day, I really felt sorry for the Swift driver and couldn't believe the mobile home haulers set him up like that. But, maybe he should have had a little more patience and said.. oh.. restricted lane.. better not.

Crazy stuff. So rookies, please remember, no matter what, stay out of those restricted lanes and don't let other drivers trick you into messing up. I felt so bad about what they did to the Swift driver, I thought about calling, but with tens of thousands of trucks on the road, and I didn't know his truck number, I realized it would probably be futile to call in and explain how he'd been tricked.

So what do you Swift driver's think?

I don’t drive for Swift (I guess you could say I’m not too Swift) but I appreciate the heads up on this issue. I see signs on various interstates that say No Trucks in Left Lane. I didn’t realize how strict they were about it. I guess I figured it would be ok to use the left lane if I had to pass slower traffic but now I know better. Susan probably saved this rookie a ticket

Rookie question:

Yesterday I was on a 2-lane stretch through SC where it had posted trucks use the left lane. The problem for me was, my truck (loaded) couldn't even maintain the 55mph speed limit through any incline. The traffic of much faster trucks and 4-wheelers kept building up behind me, so I finally conceded and moved to the right to allow the train of people of 70mph drivers pass.

Should I have just stayed in the left lane and let it be what it was, or was moving over to the right lane the right thing to do?

My CB is usually down/off due to having poor range, so if anyone was *****ing, I wouldn't have heard them.

Obviously if there is a posted sign, do what the sign instructs.

Sign sign everywhere a sign

Blockin’ up the scenery, blowin’ my mind

Do this don’t do that

Can’t you read the sign?

Solo as packrat stated do as the signs tell you. I believe it was Susan that had posted a while back about a construction zone that had signs posted for trucks to use the left lane. If I recall correctly a truck tipped over while in the right lane due to the angle of the road, hence why it said to use left lane. There's always a reason to have a sign and unfortunately you likely won't know until it's too late.

Always always always use what ever lane the sign says in a construction zone there is a reason for it. Usually because of width or lane angle. If the others want to pass let them use the wrong lane.

Although I am a Swift driver, what happened here was totally the driver’s responsibility. Unless he or she was instructed to operate in the left lane by a LEO or Highway Patrol the instruction received through CB communication does not give authority to ignore the sign.

Realize that there are several dynamics potentially at play here:

- revenue generation, the officers knew the permitted wide load was moving through a restricted area. Remember, Highway Patrol officers will monitor CB channels and knew there was potential for an easy mark.

- experienced drivers know that many drivers with Swift, Prime, Roehl, Western Express, CRE are in inexperienced and naive’ to the “ways” of the road. When in doubt, trust your knowledge and what the road sign is instructing you to do.

- and finally...there are drivers out here that take great pleasure in F’ing with Newbies. Be your own advocate, don’t assume someone on the CB has your best interest at heart, and don’t risk a citation when you feel rushed or feel pressured to respond to someone else’s chaos. Your responsible...thus your “fine”.

Definitely the driver's responsibility. You are responsible for knowing and following the law. If you choose to break it then you are making the choice to pay.

No one but me drives my truck. Not my dispatcher , not Billy big rigger, not dot , and definitely not the magic voice on the cb.

Maybe that voice on the CB was “The CB Savage”. Look it up on YouTube, youngsters. Great, old trucking song.