bridge laws

California, personal experience does enforce the Bridge Law. My partner and I were entering California he was driving. We went through the port of entry and was stopped. he received a ticket for it. And we were empty.

 

I'm scratching my head wondering what I must be missing on this.

In my case, empty I am about 32K to 36K pulling refer with shelving in a belly box on 5 axles.

The shortest span on bridge law from the steer axle to the last trailer axle is shown at 58,000 pounds being 16 feet for a 5 axle setup.

I can't make mine that short and as with most 53 foot refer/box trailers could exceed the 51 foot mark for 80,000 pounds from steer to rear most axle BUT I don't think I could receive a citation entering California or any other state EMPTY on a bridge law unless I was "all the way back".

Were you all the way back or have some special trailer or tractor setup you didn't mention?

Being empty, in a 5 axle tractor trailer, I can't figure out how you got a Bridge Law violation entering California.

Can you provide the "rest of the story"....Thanks

 

California limits distance from king pin to center of rear axle to 40 feet. Weight is not the issue.

 

yeah what he said. california's bridge law that he's talking about is kingpin to center rear axle. unless it's a 48ft trailer then you are exempt.

 

Dont know about his story, but i got pulled in at the scale on 58 west, and just one hole to long for bridge law and got a ticket

 

California can be real sticklers on that bridge law. Simply don't try and beat it. Not worth the penalty.

 

Looks like there is confusion with the Bridge Law and California's Kingpin to Rear Axle law (KPRA Law). 2 different animals with 2 different goals. For instance one cannot have a Bridge Law violation empty but one can have a KPRA law violation empty. The basic difference is that the bridge formula attempts to have your combination spread out when loaded as to spread the weight out on bridges while a KPRA law doesn't allow you to be too long (Kingpin to rear axle) whether empty or loaded. As far as I know CA does not enforce the Bridge Formula but does enforce their KPRA law. CA KPRA law does not affect 48' trailers but it does apply to 53' trailers.

 

Could have been CA KPRA it's been about 3 years.

 

The 16 feet is not the distance from the steer to the last axle, its the distance of the extremes of two or more consecutive axles.

Of course you cannot by using the distance from the steers to the last trailer axle.

One cannot have a bridge law violation when empty. One can however have a Kingpin to Rear Axle violation empty.