Is driving a big Uhaul truck as hard as it looks?

Question

Who here has ever drivin a Uhaul truck which was 17 feet or longer. Was it hard? Any tips?

Answer 1

Wide turn and height clearance> when the wind blows across it moves>Trucks passing they move> Stopping takes a lot more room> They move slow when turning> Other than that same as driving a car> Be safe stay right>

Answer 2

I drive tri-axle dump trucks, and sewer suckers that are around 45 feet long(straigt) it is hard, you have to pay a lot of attention to what is next to you, and have your path of travel picked out before you come accross it

Answer 3

It's not hard at all.  I can imagine it would be hard if you never use your outside mirrors in your regular car.  Cause you're going to need some skill in that area.

Stay in your lane, and don't turn right or left close to ANYTHING.  The back tires will come around 5 or 6 feet over from where the front tires do.  merging is a bit of an issue, because you don't have the 0-60 time everybody else has.

Answer 4

All it takes is patience and judgement for the most part. All you have to do is basic knowledge of driving like using mirrors, and reading signs for height and know how high your truck is.  Little things like remembering the truck doesn't stop as fast as a car because the brakes are bigger and the fact that you are sitting up higher (center of gravity) so tipping or rolling it over can happen making sharp turns to fast.

Answer 5

They can be intimidating at first, but if you pay attention to everything around you, you probably will do fine.  

Here are some tips for you:  

Remember that the part of the truck behind the rear wheels will go the opposite direction that you turn the front of the truck.  This is something you need to watch in close quarters like pulling away from a curb or getting in or out of a gas station.  It's called "tail-swing" and it will dent other vehicles and knock over newspaper boxes and mailboxes along a curb.  Watch your mirrors real close in tight maneuvering.  

A hard thing to do at first is keeping yourself "centered" in the lane when driving down the road.  There is a very easy way to figure this out.  When you are up to speed, look in your mirrors until you can see down the side of the truck's box and keep an equal distances between the side of the truck and the dotted line on one side and the solid line on the other.  Once you have this figured out, look over the hood at the solid line along the right side of the truck.  Find a spot on the hood (usually just to the right of the center of the hood at the front) and figure out where your "spot" lines up with the right line.  This way, you don't have to take your eyes off the road to check where you are in your lane, you can just glance to your spot on the hood and adjust yourself until you are where you are suppose to be.  This will help you a bunch while driving in town or on a two-lane highway where you have oncoming traffic to contend with.

Remember that this is a truck... not a car.  It takes it longer to do just about everything like accelerating and braking.  Allow for this when you start driving.  Try to make all of your turns in and out of parking lots at traffic signals.  You haven't got the acceleration to "jump" out into traffic with a truck, so don't even try.  Driving a truck will teach you patience if nothing else.  You are big and cumbersome and people are going to get mad at you and give you signals.... all you can do is wave back... and use all your fingers.... not just one.  :-}

Don't get in a hurry.  You are not going to be able to keep up with traffic in the hills, so don't even try.  If your speed drops 10 mph or greater below the posted speed limit, turn on your hazard flashers and keep to the right.  Some states will let you drive on the shoulder, but most do not.  Keep to the right lane and be aware of traffic coming up behind you.  The flashing lights will help warn them that you are not going the speed limit.  

Good luck and use common sense.  Remember one more thing....  You have to pay attention to vertical clearances in a truck.  All U-Haul trucks are marked with their height, some are even in reverse so you can read it in the mirror when you look back.  Places to watch for low clearances...  Gas stations, Hotels and Motels, restaurant parking lots, etc.  If you are not sure if you can get under something, don't even try.  The expense to repair the building as well as the damage to the truck  can be astronomical.  

Safe motoring.....

Answer 6

no its not hard to drive those you just have to watch your clearance on those especially when you pull in to get gas,some have low height clearance and the top will hit on some stations pump covers,other than that most are automatic now days,driving one seems hard at first you just have to keep in mind it takes more to turn them,just be careful and you,ll do alright,good luck.

Answer 7

I drove a 20 foot Penske 500 miles three years ago with no experience.  It was nerve racking especially at first.  Highway diving is not that bad.  City driving is a little intense at first.

Tips:

1) Know exactly where you going.  Making a wrong turn and trying to find a way back can be frustrating.  Turning around in driveways is not really an option especially on busy streets.

2) Have a navigator if you are unfamiliar with the area.  It's hard to study a map and not crash into things.  An extra set of eyes is good even if you do know where you are going.

3) If you need a break to get your bearings, gas stations have plenty of room to park and turn around.  They can save your sanity.

4) You feel like you are in both lanes you probably aren't. Unless you are, then you are in trouble.

5) Secure your cargo.  Having all of your valuables shifting and falling behind you is a major distraction.