CA bridge law

To the best of my knowledge the 40 ft applies to 53 foot trailers. Plenty of 48 ft spreads with the rear axle at the back and container chassis with rear axles at back. A 48 spreads rear axle is past 40 ft king pin to centre. I could be wrong but I think I have it correct.

 

Get rid of your tv,matress,micro and u would be fine.

 

How is that going to affect the trailer axles?

 

The rule is 40' kingpin to center of rear axle. Many smaller roads have less allowed and it's posted most of the time. It applies regardless of trailer length. Most assume because a 48' trailer is shorter, that it doesn't apply but it does. As for spread axles, it still applies. Flats and drops that are made legal for CA have the rear axle at 40' or they can slide the rear forward. If it wasn't made CA legal, it won't be able to. I've never seen it enforced (but then we haven't been around that long and we run all our trailers legal anyway) and they've never checked them. An old timer I met had a big black line painted on his trailer at the 44' mark that said "40' CA". He told me he's run it that way for years so if he's over a couple feet, the mark always reads that he's under. I bought a 55' trailer from him that he had built 14' tall with a 4' kingpin set back. Said he did that so it wouldn't look over-length. He said his little tricks worked well and he'd never been taped or ticketed.

When you cross the scales, the weight will be blinking in their face. If it's over, they have reason to get out of their chair. It it looks one hole to long, that's a judgement call on whether you are or not until they go out and measure it. Less motivation to get out of the chair. But like someone else said, it's your license, CSA score and livelihood. Use your best judgement as to what you want to do. We've run trucks 400 to 500 pounds overweight leaving Los Angeles and never been hassled either. All 53' dry vans.

 

48' trailers do not have to meet the kingpin rule as long as they stay on and deliver off of STAA routes.
http://www.dot.ca.gov/hq/traffops/trucks/trucksize/length.htm

 

CA will write you for 1 hole over. Its easy to see. 2 1/2 panels from the rear of the 53 foot trailer.

 

Not sure if you ever noticed running East on Highway 58 out of Barstow making a run for the Border whenever CHP passes a truck the first thing they look at is how many holes are showing and how far the axle is slid back. I've seen lots of guys pulled over to the side of the road and CHP is standing there with his tape measure measuring how far the axle is slid back.
If I had to choose between overweight or Over length I always chose overweight and strategically crossed the scales at the time they are closed and when I hit the Arizona line I slide my tandem to where it needs to be in order to make my weight legal.