"Generally speaking, the bigger they are:

• 
  
• the bigger their blindspots
  
• the more room they need to manoeuvre
  
• the longer it takes them to stop
  
• the longer it takes to pass them
  
• the more likely youre going to be the loser in a collision"
  

Blind Spots: Never drive directly behind or on the right side of a truck because the driver cannot see you. When on the left side, if you cannot see the truck driver in his mirror, he/she cannot see you.

Passing: Do not pass a truck on the right side and never cut in front of a big rig. It takes longer to stop a heavy truck.

Leave Room: Do not follow too closely to a truck. You are not visible, and are vulnerable to truck tires blowing out or flying debris.

Merging Courtesy: Give the truck driver lots of room because trucks accelerate more slowly than cars.

Wide Turns: Tractor-trailer trucks can veer into adjacent lanes when they turn a corner.

Worlds Biggest Trucks

Australia is reputed to be the home of the worlds biggest trucks. A four-trailer tanker truck operates on a 700 kilometre haul. It has 70 wheels, 18 axles and measures 235 feet (53.5 metres) long. Loaded weight is about 265,000 pounds.

While the North American trucking industry has not proposed quadruple trailer trucks yet, it is advocating longer double and triple trailer trucks. Double 48 foot trailer trucks and triple 28 foot trailer trucks operate in the prairie provinces and Qubec on main roads. Trucking associations in Ontario and B.C. are pushing for the bigger rigs.