Anyone heard about changes to trailer lengths and weights.

no i think they are using frieghtliners

 

While I'm all for cabovers (I'm a northeast metro driver mostly), longer trailers around here aren't gonna work. Long doubles are already in widespread use on the NY thruway and MassPike, and seem to make more sense to me than a 57' or 60' trailer. I usually pull a 53' and that's enough of a nuisance most places, I can't imagine the extra length working out well on the Northeasts narrow twisty roads.

 

I'd rather see them start allowing turnpike quads.....

What about the stretch trailers they use for wind generator blades? those must be like 80 feet long..

 

Thats no joke. When I was running Delivery into San Francisco with a 48" day cab, and it wasn't too bad even in the daytime. Got a back window, at least.

Then the company bought some sleeper cabs for overnight runs up north and to Reno and expected some of us to use them in the City, if the day cabs were are out on the road.

I says: "no way, no how".

Every year I'd read, at least one old gent or lady pedestrian would get mowed down by a 48 or 53 ft Sleeper cab in going onto SF or Oakland.

Why in world don't these large cities pass ordinances that only rigs of a certain size and cab type be allowed at certain times of the day or night?

Lots of cities have noise ordinances near shopping malls and residential areas, but no laws to keep oversized long haul rigs from going into areas designed for the smaller trucks of the 1930' and 40's?

 

I had a pedestrian tried to get mowed down by me once in portland, OR...I was making a right turn, and this lady thought she could start crossing, and then all of a sudden the trailer started swinging back towards her and she jumped back. Of course, I'm a good enough driver that I keep watching that right mirror, and I take my turns in 5th gear...

I'm so sick of watching truckers who cant drive drive. I haven't been on the road in a while, but we have a lot of trucks in this area, and so i get to watch a lot of dumb. I watched a guy almost take out a phone pole making a right turn, obviously was in 7th gear, on a corner that he should not have had to touch the curb on. Infact, the curb is quite damaged on that corner because of people like this. I drove a truck through there a couple times, and had no problem whatsoever. And the first time i did it, was within 2 months of getting my CDL..come on.

 

Some people shouldn't even be allowed to drive a car, much less a rig, IMO.


I have seen the quality of drivers go downhill for 15 years at least. Pedal to the metal and to hell who gets hurt or killed: just get that load to the destination on time I guess.

 

Companies (shippers, receivers, and carriers) are trying to make better money. They'll do this by paying drivers as little as possible, asking equipment to do things it wasn't meant to do, coming up with creative ways to maximize efficiency (doubles and triples come to mind), and, when they get it in their heads, change laws.

I don't see how this is news to anybody. You're calling it "greed" only because longer trailers and heavier loads will make your job (and my job) harder. It's more accurate to call it flexible business strategy. People have been abused in the name of the free market for hundreds of years.

 

Longer heavier 60 ft trailers should require additional axles and brakes, but they will still tear up the roadways and make driving more dangerous. Think about it. 12 more feet going down some city streets, cuase I know some assbite companies will put liftgates on these things unless we pass laws outlawing it. But then we need to put profits ahead of safety being the US and all.

 

Ranger, i have never seen a lift gate that stuck out 5 feet when it was folded up.