Having loaded the floor jack & everything but the kitchen sink... I started on my road trip as the light rain turned to snow at my house. As I was hoping I drove West under the rapid East bound storm. Roads were mostly dry... no significant slow downs. Made the trip right on the GPS predictions after deducting my necessary pit stops. There was one interesting experience on the Mass Tpk worth sharing... I was in the right lane with traffic to my left. I was following a mini-van when it seemed something white crossed my lane from left to right... very strange. The next thing I know, guy in front is pulling onto the shoulder. Nice stop actually, didn't take too long to free my lane... sort of. I noted that the MV had blown the Left front tire. At about the same instant... His wheel cover was rolling down the highway in front of me! I had no where to go... It kept rolling a surprisingly long ways... before banking right gracefully in front of me... Moma brace for impact... Let's just say he will not be putting that wheel cover back on his car! I heard it hit my tires... but there was no where to pull over & the tires were still up. I proceeded with caution until the next rest area where I could find no damage to tires or body. WHEW!!

Pesky snap on wheel covers! I'll never forget driving on I 80 through Chicago about 100 feet behind a semi when it blew the rear outer dual....it came spitting out from under that truck and went instantly airborne. For a second it looked as if it were going to land right on our vehicle, but we had nowhere to go so all I could do was brake and pray. Luckily it went off into the median, but was still airborne when we went by it. I had to check my shorts at the next stop....JR

A year or so ago... we came into sight of an 18 wheeler... a minute or so later the outside dual the Right Rear on the trailer blew. We still had safe distance & room to my left so I gave him all the space I could. It looked like the a tornado of debris following the truck. I wanted no parts of it.

I have always made a habit of giving plenty of distance between myself and the vehicle in front of me but in heavy traffic it's not always possible. The second you back off of someone and create an opening someone in a hurry is bound to fill that void, and now your right on someone's back bumper. I actually prefer to tail a semi over most cars, they are more predictable. Less likely to drastically change lanes, jam on the brakes, etc. JR

... The second you back off of someone and create an opening someone in a hurry is bound to fill that void, and now your right on someone's back bumper.... JR

This is normal AND acceptable driving practices on the Southern California Highways. And when there is the evening rush hour and everyone is going home, if you leave 1/2 to 3/4 spacing between you and the car ahead ... they will FORCE their way in.

This is normal AND acceptable driving practices on the Southern California Highways. And when there is the evening rush hour and everyone is going home, if you leave 1/2 to 3/4 spacing between you and the car ahead ... they will FORCE their way in.

And the stupid A-holes cut you off while towing a trailer like you're a little sports car!!! If'n truck and trailer drivers weren't as good of drivers as they are; there'd be a whole lot more "Darwin Awards" in the "Driving category'!!!!!!! Not from the trailer tower or the truck driver………………………..from the "roller-skate" driver that's essentially unaware of anything around him but his "smart-phone"!!!!:banghead:

Hey Dorkweed, sounds like you either live or lived there, right ? I lived there 39 years and had to get out.

I hate the suckers who cut in close when I'm towing heavy... I have no real choice but to lift foot to allow space to increase, thereby losing the momentum to make the next hill. While the roller skate sails off without a care in the world. I know there's no safe alternative & I try to keep my stress level down. Idiots are everywhere. I don't think any area has an exclusive on them.

In the sticks (AKA around here) people are generally courteous and give me the space I need. People are used to sharing the road with farm equipment so a truck and trailer is no big deal. I have to adjust my driving whenever I'm travelling through a big city. The wife's family lives in Fairless Hills which is in between Philly and Trenton NJ. I think they are some of the most aggressive drivers I've dealt with, but that's not saying much.JR

I confess I am impatient with merging drivers who refuse to use the GO pedal to get up to speed before running out of acceleration lane. I wasn't taught that way (to drive) besides being plain rude. A mile later they are up to speed but by then, everyone else was forced to brake. With gas prices high, I think more people are trying to "hyper-mile". I'm all for saving gas but the gas pedal was put there for a reason. I use "half throttle" to merge quickly & properly... reach cruising speed promptly & then back off the gas. Years ago, I had a half ton GMC, 305, automatic... with a 3.07 "emissions axle ratio". It was ridiculous trying to tow a small horse trailer. I had the ring & pinion changed... chose to go as far as we could go with that center section. My memory is sketchy but I think it was 3.55 or some such. It was much more drivable & mpg improved. I figured it allowed the transmission to shift up sooner, getting into high where it got best mileage. I added a flex fan & a transmission cooler... it wasn't bad towing with 1 horse. Not enough truck for 2 horses.

I still live here in the land of fruits and nuts. I should've gone in to the body shop business, I would've made a killing the way they play bumper cars on the road. Speed limit 65mph, everyone is going 75-80 with 1 to 2 car lengths between them. Front man puts on the binders and 3-4 cars go to the body shop. When it rains, just stay of the road. I try to drive in the slow lane and go 60: 1 I'm not in a hurry, 2 I save gas, 3 I have a commercial license and a ticket means double points on my record higher fine and no driving school to knock it off my record, 4 it pisses of the crazy drivers who want to use the slow lane as a way to pass the other cars that are only going 70. My wife got a ticket for 90 in a 70 zone. She said no way she could have been going that fast, right, that's way she drives a turbo Volvo.