I stay off the interstates on my bike but drive about 55,000 miles/year in the car for work, all on the major East Coast Turnpikes (PA/NJ/NY). I'd much rather follow a truck than a car. I know how truck drivers will react but folks in cars scare the bejesus out of me. I keep a CB in my car and have found 99% of the truck drivers courteous and helpful.
One thing I won't do is travel beside a truck in contruction zones. You don't want to be up against a Jersey barrier if something causes the truck to move out of it's lane - you are a pancake. In those zones I'll strategically position myself just behind someone traveling at a reasonable speed, usually an 18 wheeler. I maintain that safe zone till I'm free from the construction. It probably pisses off the folks who feel they have to maintain 75 mph in construction zones but it's one of my survival practices.
