Sorry for sidestepping the issue of the this post but I just had to reply for I hit the panic mode just the other night in the same type of scenario.

I was driving a grain truck(18 wheeler)and with 35 ft trailer. empty back to the shop. I found I had no tail lights, no brake lights and no clearance/running lights on the trailer and 25 miles to go.

I had a partner driver in another rig following me when I lef the elevator so I was at least protected in the rear.

I was about 3 miles from the shop and safety when I came down a bottom(lower flat ground) running on a 2 lane state highway. Ahead was an entering road(blacktop county and also the road my farm is on). Two vehicles had pulled up to the stop sign. The road was entering on my right. They saw me with my cab lights and headlights running across the bottom at about 55 MPH(legal speed) and my emergency flashers were on and working.

The first car, a black car was sitting there waiting and waiting and watching  and suddenly decided as I got real near to dash out making a right turn. He made it but barely and then the white mini-van behind him started to do the same. I was now on my brakes but a trailer without a load has not as good braking power as when loaded. I almost locked the trailer brakes but that was the wrong thing to do. I slowed enough for the black car to make it but the white van was going to get T-Boned, totaled and the occupants killed since I weighted at least 30,000 and had a huge mass heading right at them at now about 50 mph.

What could I do? I grabbed the line for the airhorns and laid on them and didn't let off all the while flashing my high beams over and over. I saw the guy finally  shift into reverse and back up real fast. He made it. My heart was almost into tachycardia. I was cussing and braking and pulling on the horns.

So everyone lived. Another lesson learned about the inane stupidity of four wheelers and the ideas they have of death duels with 18 wheelers.

The above story or a near version happens to me quite regularily. When will these people learn? Never.

So I have learned to drive differently. I never never give a 4 wheeler a break. I never let them make the decisions if I can force the issue. I don't let them pass when they shouldn't be passing if I can help it. I drive slower than I should and they have to swing back and forth on my rear bumper cussing all the time. Like today when I was 'bobtaling' 40 miles in yuppie traffice. A bobtailed tractor simply has almost no braking power. It has tremendous torque  though. You must drive extremely carefully for if a 4 wheeler shoots around you, pulls in front and brakes for a right turn? You will hit him with your far less braking power. So I drive real slow when bobtailing and let them cuss and rant and rave. They always give me the bird when passing. Piss on the assholes. I want to live and perhaps they would like to as well if they just knew it.

Pushing an 18 wheeler is described as hours of tedious driving interspersed with periods of sheer panic. I have seen it all and don't particularily like it so I only use my CDL and drive during the harvest to help my friend.

I pity the over the road long haul drivers. I pity the idiots that try to play deadly road games with a vehicle that weights 80,000 lbs.

My story and all true. No sources given. I am the source.

airdale