actually I have sympathy with the truck drivers,these guys have to drive 13 or more gear trucks in sri lanka,with all the idiots cutting across their way forcing them to stop.most of the semi trucks here are manual transmission so they have to go through a grueling routine of shifting gears to get up to normal speed,just think of having to shift your car 10 or more times everytime a three wheeler cuts across your way.,then you'll have some idea what these guys go through.
I never cut across a semi truck as a principle,even if they are a long way off,I stay till they go past,because if you fail to make the turn they can't stop like other cars,and if they do brake hard they run the risk of slinging the container out of control like in the movies.
here's a video of shifting in a 18 speed truck- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sM-kcFxsyCk