Ohio lawmakers are considering adding another restriction on commercial drivers – who at least one of them blames for clogging up highways and slowing everyone else down. The solution they’ve proposed is simple: don’t let trucks drive in the left lane.
The law, House Bill 100, would make it a traffic violation for any large vehicle over 10,000 pounds to drive in the left lane of any road with at least three lanes. Fines for non-compliance would be as much as $150 per citation, but that amount could increase if the driver had other recent traffic offenses.
It’s not the first time lawmakers in Ohio have proposed such a thing. In 2013, they tried to pass a similar law designed to reduce congestion caused by trucks. Representative Marilyn Slaby, the bill’s sponsor, said that truckers are keeping traffic moving too slowly.
“We travel a lot from Summit County to Franklin (County) every week and back up again, and we are constantly behind three trucks,” she said during a hearing with the House Transportation, Public Safety and Homeland Security Committee.
Slaby went on to say that because she didn’t want the trucking industry to “feel Ohio is against them,” she didn’t want to limit truck to the right lane only on roads with only two lanes.
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I wouldn’t expect many trucks to let cars on the road. I can’t afford too many $150 lane violations letting cars off the ramp when they don’t know how to merge.
Well said!! So many 4 wheelers think its the law for us to move over and let them on. Maybe this will help educate them and get rid of this psuedo manners thing that has people holding up traffic to let people out of places they chose to go into and leave vehicles stuck in the intersection blocking traffic and emergency vehicles.I know it might not make sense at first but when some people got that crazy notion its let to the others. Now if we dont move over and let them on or off we are said to be,”Cutting them off”. but we are just following the law and good traffic sense.
This is for a 3 lane highway only. This is no big deal!!! We don’t need the left lane on 3 lane highways…
Let me get this straight , no trucks in left lane?
Picture a three lane highway with trucks only in right two lanes. Now imagine trying to go from left lane to your exit lol that would be fun to watch.
I live in Michigan and see it every day.
My lord, SERIOUSLY?! Sounds like some people need a reality check. Do they REALLY think this is the answer?? They think they get held up by traffic now, confine trucks to the right lane only and let me know how that works for ya, I’m fortunate enough to work for a carrier that still allows us to be able to run the speed limit and above in ALL states and you want to punish us too by being forced to stay behind these 64 1/2-65mph trucks further adding to the congestion rather than freeing it up. A good majority of Ohio has adapted to 70mph, why not punish the ones who can’t back out of it by 1/4-1/2mph in the governed truck and feel the need to get out in the hammer lane and hold up the lane for a good 10mi? They are the ones that should be punished. Getting sad out here ladies and gentlemen, and they wonder why there’s such a lack of drivers out here, with all these new rules, regulations, an laws with the lack of common sense among drivers (big AND small) is making our jobs less and less enjoyable. I’ve also heard they want to lower the age to be able to obtain a CDL to 18? All I can do already is smdh at the amount of stupidity out here……so what do they wanna do? That’s right add to it some more
Sounds like some people need to learn how to read. The proposed law would keep us out of the left lane on 3 lane roads ONLY. Nowhere does it say that we’d have only the right lane to drive in, in fact the author specifically states that “she didn’t want to limit truck to the right lane only on roads with only two lanes.”. They just don’t want 3 trucks side by side by side going down the highway.
Reading is fundamental…
As a truck driver I always thought that allowing trucks to temporarily run in the left lane allowed for better traffic flow. Especially in areas and at times when many cars are entering the highways. Its daunting to many drivers to try and merge into traffic and especially with a large truck in the right lane. Also in major high traffic areas all vehicles should stay center lane or left if moving through a area and not exiting. This only makes sense as you would expect those exiting soon to stay right.
But of course common sense goes out the window as even the motoring public seems ill equipped to understand good traffic management. Let alone our politicians.
They tried this in Atlanta in the in the late 80’s on I- 485, all trucks right lane only. This went on for about a week. The trucks shut Atlanta down because no one could exit or get on 485.
Sounds like a state that doesn’t want any freight.maybe she can pass a law that makes everyone get off the highway when she gets on..or get her own lane
Lmao this is exactly what I was thinking
I drive a truck through Arkansas every day . Little Rock has the same law. No problem with trucks staying out of left lane but you also need to keep cars out of the center and right lane going under the speed limit. I see it every day and it’s just as bad when cars do it.
I think by putting the trucks in the left 2 lanes. Will help with traffic congestion. And making where local motorists to the area are restricted to the right 2 lanes. From what I’ve seen over the years. Motorists of light trucks and cars. Are more to blame for traffic jams then truckers are. Motorists are more impatient when driving then 95 percent of the truckers are.
I have a solution, take these speed limiters off all trucks so they can run like they are suppose to and take all express lane and 2 passenger lanes and turn them into truck lanes, we truckers all know we have no reason to hold up traffic by going less than the speed limit, except to exit. Between stupid 4 wheelers and rubberneckers and the ones that have never driven a truck making regulations and laws, they are the ones screwing up trucks!!!!!
I’m with Jerry on this. I drive a truck that does 74mph. I don’t want to be stuck behind a two 63mph trucks trying to race each other. Every state and city I’ve been in that has a no left lane trucks law traffic is crazy because faster trucks are stuck behind slower trucks and then all the cars trying to get on the interstate in turn makes it slower. I think the no left lane is stupid. It’s a lane us drivers that know where we are going can use to stay out of the more traffic dense lanes.
I drive a number of highways now that prohibit trucks from the left lane of a 3 lane. I don’t see the problem. As long as I don’t have to stick exclusively to the right hand lane no big deal.
You’re right, Fishmonger. Here in Michigan we have the same issue and the reality is, as long as you’re not hanging out in the left lane, law enforcement won’t bother you. They get it.
Also agree, and same here in New England. Make your pass and get out of the lane, and they’ll usually leave you alone.
As always…If truckers would just stick togeter…(Ya they never will)..and refuse to drive in The Great State of Ohio…This would just go away…Let them get all of their freight by rail and barge or pick it up at the State Line…
Most states have a “No Travel” left lane law anyway, except for passing. Ohio is one of few states that still allow Left Lane travel.
yeh, your right sheriff john most states do have that law and most states are stupid
like the other guys were saying allow trucks in the left lane in bigger cities things will run smoother Zanesville, Ohio wants thru traffic to stay left which is the smartest thing I’ve heard of yet and the way it should be. restricting trucks don’t make sense we have enough restriction thanks to our lovely federal gov’t
like one writer said if us drivers would stick together lol we need to STRIKE for a week or so and see what politicians and EVERYONE else does when they can’t get baby formula or gas, food, clothes, a new car, panties, or women monthly things they need.
Us as truck drivers are crapped on every day and have the most difficult job thanks to the politicians and 4 wheelers mainly. But I LOVE MY JOB!!!!
Great another Salt Lake in the making. The funny part is last time I rolled through there during the day I was even through the whole city with a motorcycle in the HOV lane. Just another person who thinks they understand trucks who have no clue. They get this passed I won’t let a 4 wheeler in there ever same as I do in SL
Yeah and they should rename the state Californio too.
Slaby went on to say that because she didn’t want the trucking industry to “feel Ohio is against them,” YEA RIGHT ! Got a message for Ohio’s Representative Marilyn Slaby, That’s why Ohio has had a “Hold” on my Michigan CDL since 2006,because the Ohio State Highway Patrol was playing “Politics” against me by covering up for an Ohio state employee,driveing an Ohio “State Owned” vehicle running a red light into the side of my truck….killing HIS passenger. So Marilyn…keep on BSing us truck drivers, some of us are not buying it. I for one know the dishonesty of the Ohio’s legal sstem ,first hand. Ohio still has a “hold” on my license as of today March 14,2015 !
Why don’t y’all stop wasting your time whining on this blog and sit down and write a thoughtful and intelligent letter to Rep Slaby and try to make her understand the realities of what she is proposing.
No trucks in left lane of 3 lane highways has been the norm in CA and WA for years, no big deal
Hey George, have you ever been to CA, OR, WA, UT, TX? Their highways with more than 2 lanes all have lane restrictions. The biggest problem I see trucks that can’t get out of their own way camping in the middle lane while all the cars drive like they are at Talladega. Faster truck? Nope, you can’t pass at all because of merging traffic on the right and the sacred “no trucks” lane on the left. The highly educated engineers that come up with this have once again missed the boat. All thru traffic should be in the left lanes. HOV lanes are a joke, because they are farthest left and then the cars have to fight across 3 or 4 lanes to take the exit they think they want. How hard is it to see what that causes?
Douglas that’s the smartest thing I’ve read all day. Although I get why drivers camp in the middle with no one knowing how to merge anymore.
The reason state reps and 4 wheelers of all types hate big trucks is the speed governors that prevent drivers from being courteous and getting out of the way and speed limits that force trucks to obstruct traffic. The speed limit for cars on I94 in MI may be 70, but nobody’s gonna drive that fast for long when a truck pushing the limit at 62 passes one with is cruise at 60. The speed limit on I55 in IL is 70 for all vehicles but when Swift governed at 63 decides to pass Crete governed at 62 the 4 wheelers take to the shoulder to get around them. If Swift is loaded and Crete is empty you better hope there ain’t no hills ahead. Incredibly FMCSA is set to require speed governors on all trucks so all of us can obstruct traffic. The 4 wheelers will, of course, not blame the government they elected. They’ll just assume we’re a bunch of jerks.
Trucks need a “pass” button.
Hold it down and the governor goes away for 2 minutes.
But you can only use it once every half hour.
If she thinks trucks are slowing her down, maybe she should raise the speed limits?
Also instead of making HOV lanes for local commuters, we need an “interstate bypass lane”.
You get on on the North side of town and there are no exits (save the primary east-west route, and loop roads) until the south side of town.
Seems to me like if Marilyn’s motorcade had been observing the posted limit, like MOST of the trucking community does, she would have never caught us. If I’m going 70 MPH and she is too she will never catch us. But 70 on the sign means 80-ish in a car and god help you if you’re doing more than 73 in a big truck. My point is make the speed limit the same for all vehicles, AND (this is the important part) enforce it equally, then most of the traffic problems would go away. Then again if the tooth fairy left $1000.00 under my pillow every Friday night ALL of MY traffic problems would disappear. But seriously maybe look at making it illegal to be in the right lane except to exit would make traffic flow smoother. How many times have you been out in the middle lane observing the posted limit, your exit is coming up in 2 miles and it takes you 1.75 miles to safely get over 1 lane to just barely make your exit. If it cost a few of the drivers the same $150.00 for passing/riding in the right lane where eventually EVERYONE is going to need to be to get to their exit things might go a little smoother. Equal speed/equal enforcement/equal penalty for every offense would be a great start. Making a Trucker a felon for making the exact same maneuver that grandma gets a warning for is crime in itself.
The ONLY SOLUTIONS is to REJECT ALL LOADS that go into Ohio for delivery & AVOID THRUWAYS! Drive two lanes only. These two actions would bring Ohio to it’s knees in about 3-4 days. Respect is EARNED by PROFESSIONALISM… I already run ONLY on hwy 24 & 30 thru Ohio. By adding 250, 000 more trucks per week would BREAK Ohioians from such stupid laws! C.N.I. Jack
Just ran though Ohio today and did not hold up amy cars for more than about 30 seconds using the left lane when needed to get pass two governed trucks but dang did the 4 wheelers hold me up when in the right lane with their lines of cars only 10ft off the bumper of the car ahead in the center lane noone in the left lane blinker blinking!! Something is just way wrong here. We need that left lane whit all the governed trucks and four wheelers rolling slow in the the right and center lanes.
I agree . I got a ticket in Mass for using the two left lanes in a snow storm when there were no tracks out there and 5 inches of snow , and all the traffic was of course driving in a line in my only passing lane ,(the second from the right) at 30 MPH , and the right lane with only a few trucks from exiting and entering traffic. Not only was I not holding anybody up , but no car could even keep up to me as I was going upgrade at 50 MPH. The cop could not cach up , cause I had much better traction. He called ahead to have another cop pull me over on level ground.
I am a 2.5 year experienced trucker but have been driving for hire for two decades. The issue I have, and I believe many motorists have, is the 55.5 MPH truck trying to pass the 55 MPH truck and to the left of the 55.5 MPH truck is a 56 MPH truck trying to pass him. It is effectively a road block.
If your truck ain’t going 60MPH in most non-urban areas, you don’t belong in the left lane. I am in the right lane at this speed loaded because I haul containers with crap 10×20 tires. When I am empty, get out of the left lane when I am doing my 70 MPG and out of my way other’s way.
Here in Chicagoland, the 55 MPH trucks like being in the second from the right lane on four lane highways like I-294. You have then two options to make any progress: pass on the right or a left lane
Drive right ,Pass left. When finished passing move back right. Don’t hold up others, or force them to pass on the right. On a two lane roadway with traffic going in two ways “ If someone catches up to you , you’re probably holding them up .”
Any drivers out there get a ticket or know someone who has, for damaging ESP Tapes in Pa. ?