Sort of like blowouts. I had a set of duals come off of a truck approaching me on a 2-lane road. The wheels crossed in front of me and went out in a field. It could have been ugly. You maybe heard that a fellow was recently killed up near Seatle this way. Not quite the same as a blowout but stuff happens.

The diplomatic draft
 

I didn't think about this, but it makes sense -- takes energy to make energy. Perhaps that's how they can tell you're back there when "invisible".

At the same time, I realized today on a drive, that some truckers won't think twice to break your momentum on an uphill by abruptly cutting you off if they need they need to pass a slower truck. Hitting the brakes is great for FE :mad: -- and I was in plain view for the entire pass (driving a rental).

On the daily drive, supplementing "diplomatic" side-draft or letting a truck pass you on a hill to "pull you along" seems to work to bump FE without raising a fuss. Following closely has too many safety points in the opposite. I'll still admit that if they cut into my lane, the room they give is the room they get :cool:

RH77

How was that boring? That sounds like fun to me!

One cut in front of me. He knows how long his truck is, and I had about one car length. I figure if he can maneuver in front of me like that, thats enough room...

Some things are more important than fuel economy. Blown tires from driving through a semi's blown tire debris (and many of them drive on recaps), rocks in the glass, sudden stops because someone cut them off, the risks are too great to me. 200 bucks for a new windshield will buy a lot of gas when you are looking at the difference in MPG for drafting vs not drafting.

The drivers don't like it because some companies will fire the driver if he's involved in an accident whether it's his fault or not. Even if the cops give you 100 percent of the blame, he may be out of a job.

I know when people try tailgating me, I start riding the brakes close, and I'll jam down hard on them for a split second from time to time, every time I estimate their speed will bring them to the point that they will have to floor their brakes or hit my back end if I stay in them. A couple of times is usually all it takes to get some breathing room. You never know when you will have to jam on the brakes and stand on them, and I don't want to be the meat in a metal sandwich because some jack@$$ can't maintain safe spacing. The ones that are usually tailgating me aren't doing it for drafting purposes, I doubt they even know what drafting is.

Other times, when I'm travelling at speed, I find that someone is using me for a radar block, which I also hate. I use others for it, but don't allow myself to be used for it. I've found that a couple of brakelights just after I go over a hill to be enough to get them over a mile behind, and at that distance they don't bother with me anymore.

I will admit to being a little paranoid about being followed.

Talked to a trucker friend of mine...
 

And here is what he said:

Pisses me off! I won't let them stay back there at all. It is a very dangerous place to be.

A truck can straddle objects much larger than a car is capable of straddling. Objects such as tire casings, buckets, ladders, pipe, suitcases, and objects you have no idea what they are can come out from underneath that trailer and really lay a hurting on a car (and on another truck also).

You can't "feel" them at all.

Myself, I wouldn't believe anyones results obtained by following another vehicle at an unsafe distance.

He has been driving for about 40 years and seen a lot of stupid and strange things happening.

I used to drive OTR and city buses, and know 1st hand that you cannot even feel the impact of a car on the rear of a bus unless it is at pretty high speed.

Also, I don't like to be anywhere near a truck during warmer and hot weather. I have lost body panels due to truck tire casings. I have had a couple tires shred on my bus, and even had one detonate taking out the floor and fender of a bus.

Just my $0.02 and some loose change from my buddy.;) :D

Ok just to thow my .02 cents, My father is an owner operator of two big rigs and here is what i know about this subject. Of course the blind spot is one thing and the chance of debis is also a major factor. But here is a couple of other things. Like one person said you cant feel when a car slams into you in one of those things the driver pulls away from the scene and now he is at fault for leaving the scene of an accident. another thing i saw happen is a car hit the back of a moving truck and got hung up, what would have been just a bad incedent ended up being an ugly incident because the truck drug the car for several miles, before another truck passing the opposite direction saw the sparks and radioed the driver to stop. a little history is police used to get right behind the trucks where they couldnt be seen and wait for the driver to break the law in some way...that is why a lot of older drivers tend to get nervous about cars being right behind them.

i know drivers who will squirt babyoil out the window and let it run down the side of the trailer until it gets all over the car, i watched a guy do a "bump and run" with a car one day. bump and run is when the truck slow down to the point where the car decides to pass when the car gets next to the trailer's dual wheels the driver does a slight swerve causing the trailer to whip out and bump the car off the road. this was before cell phones....