help with trucking laws questions usa and canada

Your questions in Bold, my answers below them.

1)If stranded how long will a night heater(bunk heater )last before it drains the batteries?

It depends, some times if you have charged batteries and they are good, it could be 48 hours easily.

BUT it depends on a lot of factors, like weather conditions, what is stranded means (it is subjective) and so on.

2)If fuel gels does it stop night heater working?

Not all the time, I had a couple trucks where the Espar had a long fuel line and it would freeze when the temps got below -20.

3)Is it mandatory to carry tire chains in the winter?

Not all states require them. mine doesn't.

4)When coupling to a trailer that's either to low or high.Do you higher or lower airbags on the tractor or do you lift 5th wheel independently?

Not as a habit. Some do. BUT a lot of trucks don't have airbag suspension.

5)When coupling do you have trailer brake fitted to trailer?If there isn't a trailer brake what stops trailer from moving once air line is coupled up?

Yes they have brakes, no the trailer brake does not stop the trailer from moving if the line is just hooked up. There are actually two lines, one is for the "emergency" or parking brakes and the other is the service brakes. I would recommend you downloading one of the brake manuals from Canada that will give you details, like this one -

https://www.mpi.mb.ca/en/pdfs/airbrakemanual.pdf

6)Are all bridges marked up with heights?

No they are not all marked. There is an assumption that if they are unmarked, they are 13 feet, 6 inches but I can tell you from practical experience that isn't always the case.

Now my questions - who are you and what publications do you write for or have written for?

Where in the UK are you?

 

OK thanks, just wondering ... Any links to what you've written?

I've been to Bristol a few times in the early 80's, nice place as most of the UK. Went to university in the UK so lived there for a bunch of years.

 

What you need to do (*You are welcome) is to slow down on the qouting and repeating of same material. Most of the time you only have to do it one time for one post, not three times for the same posts.

It's a minor quibble but helps to reduce the amount of time people have to go through all of the same material. Many are active truckers and some are on mobile so when you reduce to a minimum a post it's easier for them. They literally do not have the time or are willing to endur ethe data costs to go through the splashy multiples of the same stuff.

Writing and telling you about it is not actual doing of trucking. It is something not everyone is able to do well over a long period of time. And not everyone is going to be doing this line of work for life unlike clockers and hourly workers who theoretically can work in a work shop cradle to grave.

One of the better ways to learn I suppose is to find a Owner willing to sign you a form waiving liability for your injury, death and so on and come out in the dead of winter to see just how much it takes to get a load across the USA. It is not cheap and very difficult to do. Late spring will be more exciting because of the beauty and the fast miles you can put away. Except one problem. For you. After 200 miles a sameness sets in are we there yet? And it's not even lunch. When you realize you have 6 more days and nights until Customer in Boston across the USA then you learn what it is for trucking.

Ive been to Suffolk-London (Mildenhall and Ely Cathedral among other places back in the 80's myself in the UK. What we had there in those days probably do not exist anymore what with the incessant changes in immigrants that are somewhat forced since 9-11 of many different cultures creating many areas where we probably cannot go if we were to visit again.

 

Don't worry, no US-trucker will invade the Dixie Husky.

 

To the OP, re fith wheel rise/lower. Compared to the European standard, the American trucks have only two settings. Ride position or lower position to get in/out from underneath a trailer, nothing in between or not even lifting above the ride position.
I heard the European style should be available at extra cost but is not common.
Some newer trucks get equipped now with air release fith wheels. The jaws can be opened from the driver's seat when tractor and trailer parking brakes are applied.