Why 40’ kingpin length in Ca?

A good example of that is coming out of my rebar delivery the other day out in san bern, they had some construction on the on ramp to gdt back on 215 south.. i split the right turn lane and thru lane and then swing wide into left turn lane just to make the on ramp turn and still almost scraped the barriers they had set up... The dry van behind me was able to turn from just the right lane and still had clearance. I was amazed. Even more fun when u get into freight with front overhang. I think that can get u into more trouble than anything. guess thats why they pay us the big bucks

 

This comes to mind, we have 2 53’s spreads, 1 step, 1 flat. We have closed the spreads to tandems to make them 40’ bridge legal(rear axle is a slider). If one was to be overweight on a legal closed tandems, if you was to spread the rear axle to make it legal(this is at the scales), would they let you go but with a citation for the bridge law ?

 

When I got my ticket it was for not meeting the KPRA requirement, and then they also gave me a ticket for being over 65ft even though I was on the interstate.

Some states like FL and ID will give you extra on the trailer axles when you slide up to meet their requirement as long as you’re under 80k gross.

 

If you’re rolling almost any scale, no. Why, because you can move the axles to the legal dimensions.
Long story on how this was learned.

 

I ran a 53ft triaxle lowboy in Modesto local, pipeline job. City issued a special permit. You're right it's all about maneuvering in town. Ran over alot of curbs.Later they got me a shorter 40ft LB with only 2 axles but tires all the way across the axles.

 

Back in the early 1990's, when 57' trailers were being touted as the next nationwide-standard, Swift had a few 'experimental' units with special permits for CA-only testing. They were short-nose daycabs, with the 57' trailer having a full 6 FOOT kingpin setback (and the extra decking on the cab to accommodate that), and the trailer tandems at the 40' length. So, that was a full 11' tail swing, and you also had to watch the nose on the other side while taking sharp turns.
The fact that those trucks are now gone and 57' trailers are not allowed in CA tells you how that experiment worked out.

 

Well, you are sort of correct. Dirksen and Gardner pulled 57 footers with short wheelbase daycab cabovers. The trailers had to meet the 40ft KPRA and the trucks were limited to 65ft overall length. California emission regulations had more to do with the trailers going away than anything when the only option for a cabover that would work was a Freightliner Argosy glider, and you couldn’t have one in Cali. So between that fact and CRST buying Gardner the big can vans were phased out. I’m sure if it was possible to still get trucks that worked for the operation that they’d still be using big trailers.

 

Lol.... oh how the #### gets real when you get off the beaten path! It's having, and being able to figure out, these kind of experiences/situations that make a good hand into a great hand.

 

Would hate to have to change a tire inside the frame on that beast.... looks like it would be a #####!