Real Trucker Breaks Down Genius Trucking Maneuvers

We asked real truckers to break down some of the smartest moves we've seen truckers make on the internet.

Huge thanks to our experts for truckin' with us!

Real Mechanic Stuff is a channel from your pals at Donut! We feature all kinds of automotive experts, every week.

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[renemartinez]

i love how the toy truck went from just decoration to little simulator

[Mleader]

I know you guys are based out of California but please please please please please do this with snowplow drivers. As a veteran of 10 years myself I think he would truly be blown away at some of the stuff we see and go through

[jaquigreenlees]

9:57 New Brunswick, Canada. The two truckers worked for the same company and were long time friends even before this incident. The 2 families have never stopped being friends since. The one who lost the brakes used the radio to tell his buddy goodbye, his buddy went F@# that, passed his buddy and put himself in front. The shortness of the clip shown and lack of audio leaves so much out of this it truly doesn't do justice to the event.

[thomasmiddlebrooke]

The red truck with the bales was a cotton truck. They're extremely common here in Arkansas. The floor of the truck box has a conveyor belt of sorts, and under the tip is a set of tread tracks. This is the best way to set the cotton bales up so they don't roll during transport, and so they don't blow bits of cotton everywhere so easy.

[yoshisbro]

Like I always say. Even if a truck driver messes up, It's better to be wrong and alive than dead and right. Respect them and their loads.

[rileydominique]

As a heavy duty mechanic from Canada, for the trailer light issue. Usually you can get away by taking a little flat head screw driver and spreading the prongs. If that doesnt work, the paper trick is 100% acceptable for a road side repair!

[sxfglcc]

I love that donut is showing some love and respect to truckers. I'm not a trucker, but I imagine they deal with a lot of bullshit while they're keeping this world running.

[bvc]

Mad respect to the truckers featured and ones in the clips. A good trucker deserves respect.

[yavd]

Bring bikers!!!! I want to see Bike mistakes

[omgvague]

Also, just a general tip for all motorists, you can flash your lights when they have enough room to merge and you'll get a nice "thank you" back with them flashing their appreciation.

[WhiteShadowZO]

The weird thing about seeing oncoming headlights is that your brain is confused about what it's seeing. It takes a few seconds before your brain realizes what is actually happening.

[TheTakanome]

"...when it's bad weather, brighter lights don't help."

Preach it Justin!

[pirateadam]

Friend of mine got his HGV C+E, which i think is the mack daddy of EU truck licences, and went to Canada to do long hauling into the U.S.. He lasted 4 months before he came home. He said the trucks are better in every way, the roads are piss easy compared to Europe, and the money was phenomenal for what he was doing - but the isolation was insane! He would drive 2000 miles and see a total of 4 petrol station employees. He said that the cab becomes a weird cross between prison cell and surrogate womb, and you could literally go a week without interacting with anyone. Apparently he drove from somewhere in northern Canada to California and forgot how to speak (He was probably exagerating, but I love the image of a massive articulated orry pulling up and parking perfectly, then some cave-man hulk climbing out and knuckleing up to the depot, "Me Graham. Bring big truck of stuff. Want sandwich. Sandwich now! Sign here...")

So, yeah... soundslike a fun job but way more psych heavy than you'd think

[opalglass]

That reenactment is from Rescue 911, hosted by William Shatner. There are a bunch of the show's episodes on Youtube.

I have to show this to my Dad. He's a trucker that hauls a fluid like propane for the oilfields - it's a lot of backroads driving.

The truckers on this vid are so great. It's nice to see so many knowledgeable drivers.

[georgesturgill]

My brother has been driving since I was knee high to a big wheel as he's 14 years older than me. Told me the scariest thing he ever dealt with was a trip coming down the rockies, his trailer hit a patch of ice and shot out to the side of him while coming down the mountains. Said he had a quarter mile to get it back behind him before it slammed into oncoming traffic... that kind of stress is not for me... mad props to all truckers out there doing that on a daily basis.

[just]

Those weren’t hay bales. They were cotton modules. The trucks bed tilts and has chains in the floor like a conveyor belt

[jaypaxton]

*the three greatest sounds in the world:*

1. a turbo going stutututu
2. a jake brake
3. when my oven dings because the pizza rolls are ready

[MsUltrafox]

I have done several of these things as a trucker.
The backward driving for me (5:35) was on a campsite and I had to back up left and right in between cars and tourists a plenty and I did not have a spotter.
But I did it in 1 time without needing to go back forward once.
I guess the time spent as a Shunting trucker helps a lot.

[thedudearides]

At 2:20 is when the headlights are coming toward that truck, that's on I70 in Bluesprings MO the 7hwy exit. I remember that because 10 minutes later the car was flipped over in the east bound lanes just before the Lee's Summit rd exit in Independence MO. Thankfully he didn't hit anyone.

[xodiaq]

This is a great expansion on the mechanics, well played! These were some insane drivers! Awesome episode.

And holy crap! Headsets instead of the old school CB radio, I wondered why I saw truckers with headphones on a lot now!