Do you sometimes wonder...?

Question

If truckers don't actually drive their trucks at times?

Like there's something that self drives for the truckers, but they actually keep it secretive?

I know it might sound stupid but I've been on roadtrips and it sometimes seem like truckers are barely paying attention when driving. Maybe there's a new invention we're not even aware of.

lol or i could be getting it from the simpsons...

lol but ive wondered!!! haha...

Answer 1

I believe that, when someone has has so much experience driving over long distances, the aquire the ability to easily drive without paying attention.  I've even heard of a story from my pschology professor that many drivers are able to drive while they're (for the most part) asleep.  Unbelievable?  Yep.  But you'd be surpised of what the human mind processes every day on the subconcious level.

Answer 2

You are bored girl ain't you? Me too let's watch a movie?

Answer 3

Me too. I mean I would get bored and sleepy of driving all day.

Answer 4

i think this site(and this question) exploits the fact that we as a society have way too much time on our hands.lol. but loved that simpsons episode. well love em all that is. maybe why you feel like they arent paying attention is because they are half asleep. i drove from arizona to pennsylvania and at times was in zombie mode. maybe thats it!!! they are zombies.!!!

Answer 5

LOL.....if you've seen that Simpsons episode, you know if you found out about it, the trucker's union would come after you and kill you.  (FYI- most truckers aren't union, either!)  

It'd be kind of nice, but it doesn't exist.  There are  technologies that help alert the drivers to unsafe situations....one such system is the Eaton-Vorad collision avoidance system.  It lets out an annoying beep if the trucker is following too close, or if traffic happens to come to a stop up ahead and the driver doesn't react quickly enough, or if there is low visibility (fog, snow) and the driver can't see stopped traffic.  There is also a system that warns the driver whenever a car is traveling in the blind spot, right next to the truck's passenger door area.  

Not all trucks have these systems, but a lot of companies are starting to install them, it gives them a nice insurance break.  Trans-Am trucking and UsXpress are 2 that I know of that have the systems.  Trans Am's system even "tattles" on the driver, the on board satellite system records how often the driver travels with a "too close" following distance for a prolonged period of time- too many violations, and the driver could lose his job!  

As others have said....for most truck drivers, much of it is subconscious, second nature stuff.  Consider that the average trucker drives 100,000-150,000 miles EVERY YEAR.  (Your average car driver only drives 10-15,000 miles in a year....we drive 10 times more than you do).  A trucker does a million miles in about 10 years....and you've got truckers out here who've been driving 20, 30 years- some of them with absolutely NO at-fault accidents.   With that much driving under your belt, much of it becomes second nature.  You learn to read traffic, predict people's moves, make minor adjustments to compensate for other people's actions....and you do it almost without thinking.  

There are bad truck drivers, drivers who don't take it seriously, drivers who make mistakes due to inattention- but those aren't the guys who make it to a million miles.  There are far more safe truck drivers than unsafe ones- folks just *remember* the unsafe ones!  I know a lot of million-mile truckers with perfect safety records- you don't get to that point without being a very careful and safe driver :).

Answer 6

Agree with above. Ya thru out our lives, most of the learning is done thru the subconscious mind. So what you learn, read, study, etc today will be fully registered later on when you sleep. When you sleep the subconscious mind goes back and replays, applies what you've had learned, etc about earlier... Thats why its very important to get enough sleep. Oh n ya no theres no such things as a SELF DRIVER MODE.. ha

Answer 7

i'm a former trucker and don't know what the h**l your talking about. i always paid attention while i was driving. pretty much constantly shifting when i frove a 5 speed main with 4 speed auxillary!