The American Trucks Associations (ATA) warns against the fad of “drafting” behind tractor-trailers in order to increase fuel mileage. The idea is for smaller vehicles to tailgate larger trucks because the decreased wind resistance behind larger trucks lowers the amount of energy needed to power smaller vehicles. 

Tailgating any vehicle increases the risk of death or injury, but drivers directly behind a tractor-trailer cannot see the road conditions ahead. There is not enough room to brake in response when the tractor-trailer brakes. The space directly behind a tractor-trailer is also a blind spot for the truck driver, or No-Zone. The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration urges drivers to avoid No-Zones, where many truck-involved auto fatalities occur. 

Drivers need to remain twenty car lengths behind large trucks in order to stay safe, according to ATA’s Share the Road Partnership.