Large trucks — North Carolina Permit Test

A tractor-trailer often appears to be going slower than it is, cannot gain speed as quickly as a car, needs extra room to turn because its rear wheels do not follow its front wheels, and needs more distance to stop downhill because its brakes heat up.

A truck turning right swings wide to the left first, and its trailer cuts the corner. A car beside it gets squeezed.

Large trucks require additional turning room because their rear wheels do not follow the path of their front wheels.

When following a tractor-trailer, watch its turn signals before trying to pass; if it seems to be starting a left turn, check which way the driver is signaling first.

A truck swinging left may be setting up a right turn. The signal, not the swing, tells you which.

When following a tractor-trailer, observe its turn signals before trying to pass. If it appears to be starting a left turn, check to see which way the driver is signaling before you attempt to pass; and

Beside a large truck, the wind currents it creates can affect your steering, so give it plenty of room; following one, your view may be blocked.

A truck pushes a wall of air ahead of it and drags one behind. A small car beside it gets shoved by both.

When driving beside large trucks or any large vehicle, the wind currents created by the larger vehicle may affect your steering. Give the truck plenty of room.

Trucks have large blind spots called No-Zones: up to 20 feet in front of the cab, along either side, particularly beside the cab, and up to 200 feet behind.

The driver sits high and sees far, but not down or back. The space right behind the trailer is as blind as the space under the hood.

20 feet in front of the cab, on either side of the tractor-trailer, particularly alongside the cab, and up to 200 feet in the rear (see diagram).

A general rule for sharing the road with a tractor-trailer: if you cannot see the truck driver in their side-view mirror, they cannot see you.

Mirrors work both ways. If the driver’s face is not in the mirror from where you sit, your car is not in it from where they sit.

A general rule for motorists sharing the road with a tractor-trailer is, “if you can’t see the truck driver in their side-view mirror, they can’t see you.”

Why does a large truck need extra room to turn?

Its rear wheels do not follow the path of its front wheels. A truck turning right swings wide to the left first, and its trailer cuts the corner. A car beside it gets squeezed. North Carolina Driver Handbook, p.91: “Large trucks require additional turning room because their rear wheels do not follow the path of their front wheels.”