[niks_devil666]

Originally Posted by Arun1

I found it to be the exact opposite when I drive along Mumbai-Pune Expressway.

While coming up from Khopoli to Lonavla , there is always a traffic jam because of trucks . They hog all three lanes .
You feel they are disciplined because they stick to left lane that too because they are slowest. They overtake or stop without any signals.

[libranof1987]

Originally Posted by gavinimurthy

I understand that. But is it not the responsibility of the driver to bring the problems/shortcomings of the vehicle to the notice of the owner?

Murthy

You think the owners give a damn?!
In India, the working class is exploited. Should the driver complain about shortcomings in the vehicle, the owner would gladly sack him and he'll have 100 other drivers trying to fill the vacancy.

[anonymous]

What I have observed during my highway driving that they follow the following rule.
1 - They are not in hurry
2 - They always folllow a lane(It could be the fastest lane on the road)
3 - They do not give side to others when they are on the right most lane and they have a reason for this.
4 - Their trucks have this written to follow dipper but they themselves do not follow it. Even if you flash your lights, few of them tend to ignore.
5 - They eat at the dhabas where one can find the most delicious foods lol
6 - If you want to overtake them, wait for their signal. Most of them are kind enough to give you way.

[dhanushs]

Originally Posted by libranof1987

Should the driver complain about shortcomings in the vehicle, the owner would gladly sack him and he'll have 100 other drivers trying to fill the vacancy.

True!. The owners are to be blamed for the shortcomings of the trucks, like no dim switch, no reflectors etc.

[sgiitk]

Originally Posted by Sheel

The cleaner can suggest his guruji as to there is a Car/Motorcycle overtaking from left.

What is the joker (I will not insult my fellow academics) doing in the right(er) lane when the left lane is free?

In other words you are at least condoning if not encouraging unsafe and dangerous driving.

[condor]

@sgiitk, I suggest you revisit your comments after doing sufficient driving of heavy, loaded GV's in the manner you have suggested :

in left lane, where there is lot more obstructions/ parked vehicles. And you having to move from one lane to another regularly.

I would prefer them to leave the right lane free. but in a 2+2 lane system (2 in each direction), they are also forced to leave one left lane because of the obstacles etc, and take the next lane. Most times, this lane they take also happens to the be right most lane that you and I want.

I am sure that if there is 3rd lane, then they will more often take the middle lane and leave the right lane for faster moving traffic.

[nandans2005]

Hope many guys would have driven on the NICE road here in bangalore. I get to drive on NICE everyday during the rush hours in the mornings and evenings.

Its a nightmare with the trucks all over the place. I have seen myself forced to drive in a manner in which the snakes move around.

I dont even ask for way, since its very very rare that the truckers give way.

It will definitely take a while for many things to change the way it works in INDIA.

[sgiitk]

@condor: I have driven well in excess of 100,000miles in Europe so am not talking in thin air. In France I have seen families parked on the rh side and picnicking.

I believe you are quite happy risking bashing into these roadside vandals and fools. (changed a word since otherwise the mods get upset). Remember we have essentially dual carriageways and not expressways!

[Fillmore]

My experience has been that 80% of them do give way, the other 20% are arrogant and just stick to their lane irrespective of anything.

At times just have a bit of patience and the truck driver will give side and show you the signal to overtake. Given the load he is carrying he too might not have enough place to shift lanes for you to overtake all of a sudden.

But there are some people (non truckers) who are so restless that they cannot even wait for a few seconds and keep zig zagging all over the place like as though they are urgently on their way to get to the next nearest toilet in an emergency situation.

So next time you are behind a truck just give a short honk and wait for him to give way. Remember all of them have the following sign painted at the back
!! HORN PLEASE - OK !!

[condor]

Originally Posted by sgiitk

@condor: I have driven well in excess of 100,000miles in Europe so am not talking in thin air. In France I have seen families parked on the rh side and picnicking.

The answer to your question is in your own comment/post. We are talking of India, not Europe. And my comment was about driving the trucks on our roads, not cars

[dhanushs]

Originally Posted by sgiitk

I believe you are quite happy risking bashing into these roadside vandals and fools. (changed a word since otherwise the mods get upset).

Is it better for a 30 ton, 65 feet trucker to change lanes every minute due to the so called "roadside vandals and fools' or maneuvering a 1 ton car?

You have to consider that these truckers drive 100's of kms at a stretch. Also, the drivers are often responsible to deliver goods on time, so, they have to watch out for their vehicles.

"most Indian highways (2 lane ones esp) are sloping at either ends. Due to this, truck drivers don't get complete control during steering and also due to the amount of weight they transport, it causes uneven wear and tear of tyres"

[pypkmsrikanth]

Overloading is a regular phenomenon in Indian trucking industry consequent to which the trucks take a long time to build momentum. This is the primary reason trucks use the right lane as the left lane is full of even more slower moving vehicles, pedestrians, cows & goats and what not. They could easily take twice the amount of time currently taken between two destinations if they started using the left lane regularly and used the right only for overtaking. In my opinion it is an evil which has come out of necessity and I don't see it changing in the near future.

If there was a poll on who am comfortable with between Bus Drivers & Long distance Truck Drivers on any day it would be the latter. The only exception to this are the Sand Lorries & Tippers which seem to be on a different planet to any moving vehicle on road.

[coolclouds]

Originally Posted by pypkmsrikanth

Overloading is a regular phenomenon in Indian trucking industry consequent to which the trucks take a long time to build momentum. This is the primary reason trucks use the right lane as the left lane is full of even more slower moving vehicles, pedestrians, cows & goats and what not. They could easily take twice the amount of time currently taken between two destinations if they started using the left lane regularly and used the right only for overtaking. In my opinion it is an evil which has come out of necessity and I don't see it changing in the near future.

If there was a poll on who am comfortable with between Bus Drivers & Long distance Truck Drivers on any day it would be the latter. The only exception to this are the Sand Lorries & Tippers which seem to be on a different planet to any moving vehicle on road.

True.

In my experience, most of the national permit lorry drivers are far better than these bus drivers/local lorries. They give way to your honk/flash if you wait few seconds. They usually won't give way immediately if there is another lorry he can overtake is in the left lane.

But some private buses/local lorries keep right lane even if 2km stretch ahead is empty.

[Darryl.Burke]

But some private buses/local lorries keep right lane even if 2km stretch ahead is empty.

Agreed. Just yesterday evening, a bus ahead of me stopped 3 times to pick up passengers on a narrow village road, without the slightest evidence of any effort to move to the side. As the bus was (even when) moving at not more than 25 kmh on a stretch where I safely do 60, in the end I had to tailgate him and use headlights and horn freely to get past.

By way of contrast, the same morning I was behind a mini-truck (aka tempo) doing 40-50 on the same road for about half a kilometer, till he slowed down when crossing a bus moving in the opposite direction -- and the driver then waved me past before picking up speed again, without me using either lights or horn to signal him that I would like to go ahead.

db

[kl_kumar]

I partly agree that truckers are gentlemen drivers...
the reason is i split them as 2, one as long haul truckers, and the other as local trucks, the ones like carrying sand, bricks and stones(granite usually which protrudes dangerously out as they overload it)

Long haul truckers - maintain their lane, give way and shows signal... most of them do use dimmer...
only problem is when they enter ghat section and they attempt an overtaking, these big trucks cant overtake the other one.. thats when we have to be patient..
highways are their home, and inter-state trucks usually play safe in other states.

Local trucks -- they are locals, may be connected with goons also...
they illegaly transport sand at times... have to be very careful as they are reckless, time is their priority.. they just make way by honking.. and bullying you out of the road..
even if its empty, they rush;

i felt its peaceful to drive at night.. trucks can trouble you only a lil..
but if you travel in day-time say in Bangalore - Coimbatore road.. (now its 4 lane almost) before.. these local buses the Salem - Bangalore and Coimbatore- Salem buses used to turn on thier headlights and just come on the wrong side, expecting you to give way; you will have to get into the shoulder of the road to avoid these reckless drivers
dont you think?

now, its lot better... 4 lane !!

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