Sharing the Road With Big Trucks

No. I · The problem

If you drive the interstate, you've felt at least one of these.

He drifts toward your laneand you realise, too late, that he never saw you.

You're boxed in beside a trailerin a work zone, with a concrete wall on the other side.

You pull out to pass in the rainand his spray turns your windshield white.

He swings left at a cornerand you can't tell if he's turning or coming into your lane.

A rig fills your mirror on a downhilland you wonder if he could stop if you had to.

A parked truck pulls off the ramp at nightslowly, right into your path.

Your car dies on a busy highwaywith eighteen-wheelers going by at seventy.

You're about to drive a moving truckor tow a camper, and nobody's told you how.

Nobody ever taught most of us how to drive near a big truck. The driver's test certainly didn't. This book does, in ten short lessons.

No. II · The numbers

Why this matters more than you think

96%

of the people killed in crashes between a passenger vehicle and a large truck were in the passenger vehicle.

IIHS · 2024

2 fields

A large truck at 65 mph can need up to the length of two football fields to stop safely.

FMCSA

~30%

of fatal crashes in work zones involved a large truck or bus, against about 13% outside them.

FHWA · 2022

Almost every one of those crashes sits on top of a handful of misunderstandings: where a truck driver can't see, how far he needs to stop, and why he does what he does. Fix those, and you've removed most of the danger.

No. III · What's inside

Ten lessons for the road

01
The Places He Can't See You
The four blind spots, and the one mirror rule that keeps you out of them.
02
Why He Can't Stop Like You
Why the gap in front of a truck is his only brake.
03
Passing Without Lingering
How to pass safely, and exactly when it's safe to pull back in.
04
The Wide Right Turn
Why trucks swing left to turn right, and the gap you must never fill.
05
Hills and Mountains
Why trucks crawl up and creep down, and what runaway ramps are for.
06
Wind, Spray, Fog and Ice
Bad weather changes a truck first. Why bridges freeze before the road.
07
Night, Tired Drivers and Parked Trucks
High beams, tired drivers, and why trucks park on ramps.
08
When Your Car Quits
What to do if you break down near traffic, and move-over laws.
09
Work Zones and City Traffic
Lane closures, sudden stops and merging near big trucks.
10
Towing, RVs and Rental Trucks
The day you drive something big: height, routes and turns.

No. IV · A free lesson from Chapter 1

The four No-Zones

A truck has four blind spots big enough to hide a whole car: about 20 feet in front, about 30 feet behind, one lane down the left side, and the biggest of all, two lanes wide on the right.

When a truck drifts toward you, it's usually not carelessness. He signalled, he checked his mirrors, and his mirrors showed him empty road.

The mirror ruleIf you can't see the truck driver's face in his side mirror, he can't see you.

That's one page. The book has nine more chapters like it.

No. V · A look inside

Made to read, and made to keep

Chapter 1 opening page — Every chapter opens with a story

Page with the No-Zones diagram — Clear diagrams and plain facts

The printable quick card — A printable card for your glovebox

What you get for $14.99

The guide: 46 pages, ten chapters, every one ending in a short "What to do" list
The glovebox card: all ten rules on one page, ready to print
The road-trip checklist and the winter car kit list
A glossary of trucker terms, from jake brake to runaway ramp
Every source listed, so you can check any fact yourself

$14.99once · less than a tank of gasGet the guide

Instant download

No. VI · From the channel

What viewers are saying

Very good message. Excellent advice in every detail. All truckers and car drivers should listen to this account. The old-timers know what they're talking about.
@AndrewRimes-gm8sq · YouTube comment

I live in Kenner La. My aunt use to tell me do the speed limit and ride the center of the Huey p long bridge yep that was my aunt Malina words and I did!!!!
@LorraineGaudet · YouTube comment

Drove over the bridge in Lk. Charles in my motorhome pulling a pickup, first thought as seen in the distance, "who builds a bridge that steep" it truely is crazy.
@donyoung6463 · YouTube comment

Real comments from viewers of Clyde's YouTube channel, quoted as written.

Presented by

Clyde Barrett

"I'm not asking you to be afraid of trucks. I'm asking you to respect what eighty thousand pounds can do and can't do."

This book is the lessons from the Clyde Barrett channel, organized: the stories from the road, the facts behind them, and what to do about it, in the order you'll run into them. Every safety fact comes from official sources like the FMCSA, IIHS, NHTSA and the National Weather Service.

Read it. Use it. Or get your money back.

Take 30 days. If the guide doesn't earn its place in your glovebox, reply to your receipt email and every cent comes back. No questions, no forms.

No. VII · Questions

Before you decide

I've been driving for thirty years. Is there anything here for me?

Probably more than you'd expect. Most experienced drivers have never been told exactly how big a truck's blind spots are, how far a loaded rig needs to stop, or why it swings left to turn right. Those are the things that cause crashes, and they're the heart of this book. If it teaches you nothing, the guarantee covers you.

Is this for truck drivers?

No. It's written for everyday car drivers, so you understand what the trucker beside you can and can't do, and how to stay out of his way.

Is it just a list of safety tips?

No. Every chapter opens with a story from the road so you can feel what the danger looks like from up in the cab, then explains why it happens in plain words, then gives you a short list of what to do. The why is what makes it stick.

What format is it, and how do I get it?

A 46-page PDF. Right after checkout you get a download link on screen and by email. It opens on any phone, tablet or computer, and the quick card is laid out to print on its own page.

Does it cover my state?

The advice applies on any U.S. highway. Some laws, like move-over rules, differ from state to state, and the book tells you where to check your own.

What if it's not for me?

Reply to your receipt email within 30 days and you'll get every cent back. No questions, no forms.

Get your family home safe around big trucks.

If you drive the interstate, you've felt at least one of these.

Why this matters more than you think

Ten lessons for the road

The Places He Can't See You

Why He Can't Stop Like You

Passing Without Lingering

The Wide Right Turn

Hills and Mountains

Wind, Spray, Fog and Ice

Night, Tired Drivers and Parked Trucks

When Your Car Quits

Work Zones and City Traffic

Towing, RVs and Rental Trucks

The four No-Zones

Made to read, and made to keep

What you get for $14.99

What viewers are saying

Clyde Barrett

Read it. Use it. Or get your money back.

Before you decide

Give him room. Get home safe.