This article’s title is intended mostly as comic, but with more than a grain of truth as well.  As a truck driver, the view through the windshield of your fellow motorists and the things they do will change significantly.  Most of us notice others driving poorly or rudely, but not only do you notice it more from a truck, but the actions of others in the vicinity of a truck can be mind boggling.  Many people do not realize that some of their actions borderline on suicidal and a few cross well over the line.  Any dangerous move becomes far more dangerous when done near a vehicle as large and heavy as an eighteen-wheeler.

 

You have surely heard the term “Defensive Driving,” and understand the basics behind it.

  This article is going to try to take a slightly different approach and rename that term to “Proactive Driving.”  The importance of driving according to those around you cannot be overestimated.  No matter which term you use, it is essential that you are constantly reading the road and its clues.  The word “defensive” intones that a driver REact to events in his or her vicinity, but too often, allowing a situation to develop to the point that a reaction is required turns it into an emergency situation.  Taking a PROactive approach prevents such situations from ever starting.

 

It takes a great deal of patience and professionalism to deal with other motorists and their antics day in and day out.  I hope that this article can help you know what to expect, though it is still bound to amaze you when some of these things actually happen in front of you.