Tailgating big trucks 4 energy conservation?

Question

seems that 18 wheeler in front cant stop fast enough to make me crash into it so why cant i tailgate it closer so to save gas?

Answer 1

Absolutely! I think you have a great idea, especially with the cost of gas the way it is going...just be sure you have life insurance up to date so your loved ones won't have to cough up all that money for your funeral!!

Answer 2

Ok my thinking:

The 18-wheeler in front can't stop fast enough indeed. But if the 18-wheeler hits another car/18-wheeler(accident scenario)and stops right away, the 18-wheeler behind you won't stop fast enough...You'll end up looking like Megatron's favorite sandwich...flat and full of metal. Doesn't that give you the feeling you should give up trying to end up 6 feet under in a wooden/tin box? seriously, give up. There's more to life than chasing the Grim Reaper. |V| @ [) |\| E $ $ doesn't mix well with driving.

Answer 3

Well I drive a big rig and I really do not advise you to do this at all... not only blowouts, but the retreads on a trailer can do an awful lot of damage to your car when they fly off... You can be easily hypnotized by following one of these and I've had 4 wheelers (cars to truckers) follow me off the road into a scale house where the state police really don't look too kindly to what they were doing ! Leave drafting for NASCAR and keep your distance... that DOT bar could hurt real bad if you crashed into it for some reason !!

Answer 4

sliding into the draft of an 18 wheeler seems like a good idea to save fuel, but you have two problems, one you are not going fast enough to be able to ease up on the throttle pressure enough to save much fuel, and two when you tuck up behind one, a second one will tuck up behind you making you the meat in the sandwich. now unless you have some top notch driving skills, and, forgive the expression, balls of steel, you are going to be pulling out of the draft fairly quickly to reduce your stress levels. the reality is that you wont save enough fuel to make the idea worth the effort. at best you might pick up a 1/4 mpg, and that then falls into the statistical error range. do yourself a favor and leave the drafting to the racers.

and by the way, them trucks can stop alot faster than you realize.

Answer 5

Yea like everyone said it was done on Mythbusters, and the only reason I declined any was that Grant was playing with the throttle 2 ft away from the truck but still was saving quite a bit of gas doing it. The reason why its dangerous is that even though your car can probably stop much faster then that, the reaction time you have immediatley drops so if for that one split second you look off to left or right that truck might already be jumping on the brakes you dont dont have time to realize it.

Answer 6

YOU WILL NOT SAVE ANY GAS MILEAGE BY THIS DRAFTING THEORY OF YOURS W/AN 18 WHEELER.
REASON BEING THAT THE TRAILOR HAS 3FT GROUND CLEARANCE WHERE YOUR CAR HAS FROM 4 INCHES TO MAYBE 1 1/2 FOOT, YOU ARE STILL GETTING MASS AIR FLOW COMING ONTO THE FRONT OF YOUR VEHICLE.

NOW THINK ON THIS AS WELL, A TRUCK (18 WHEELER) TIRE WEIGHS POSSABLY 150 LBS, NOW IF THING BLOWS OUT @ 65 MPH YOU ARE INCHES OFF THE BACK OF THIS TRUCK, IT STRIKES THE FRONT OF YOUR VEHICLE, USE YOUR IMAGINATION ON THE DAMAGES.

HERE IS ANOTHER SINERIO, IMAGINE AN AXLE COMING OUT FROM UNDER NEATH THE TRUCK OR A MOTORCYCLISTS WINDS UP COMING OUT FROM UNDERNEATH THE TRUCK, 200 LBS MAN + A 800 LBS MOTORCYCLE COMING OUT FROM UNDERNEATH, ONCE AGAIN USE YOUR IMAGINATION.

IF YOU WANT TO DRAFT OFF OF ANOTHER VEHICLE ON THE ROAD, GO GET YOUR LISCENSE TO DRIVE NASCAR, INDY CAR, ETC. ETC. ETC.

Answer 7

are you dumb or what ? do you know how long it takes something that big to stop! And number 1 its against the law in just about any state I know of to tailgate, read you handbook for your drivers lic.
You continue to do this and you are going to wind up under some big rigs rear wheels and theres not going to be much left of you.

Answer 8

I have over 4 million miles behind the wheel of a tractor/trailer. A few years ago a guy was tailgating me when one of my trailer tires blew out...the debris totaled his car.

Next question.

Answer 9

Loose loads, tire blow-outs and besides how are you going to see road hazards for your self. I don't think tailgating big trucks is a good idea.

Answer 10

Because when you tailgate a big truck you make them nervous,they know you are back there but cant see you,and if they do have to jam on the brakes or what ever and you hit them they wont even feel it,you are distracting them and you can cause therm to wreck!!!