41 Foot Mark: Where is it REALLY supposed to be?

Quite simple actually,,center of kingpin to center of REAR axle,,,not front of trailer and not between the tandems

 

If it reads; "centre of rear axle group", then that means the centre-point between the forward-most and rear-most axles on the trailer (between the axles on a tandem, or the middle axle on a tridem, etc.). California measures from the kingpin (which can differ from trailer to trailer) to the centre of the rear axle, some states measure to the centre of the axle group, etc.

It sounds like you already have a Rand McNally Trucker's Atlas, so accurate reading is your friend and will save you from tickets.

 

Best way to stay out of trouble, keep a 100ft tape messure with you. Its always kingpin to center of rear axle.

 

If it will scale legal (40 ft) for CA, it's legal in all 50 plus Canada.

Slide it up, scale it. If legal, run it. Otherwise, stretch as needed.

Those guys you see stretched out all the time. Generally run straight highway, rarely getting into the inner city street system. And it's their ### if somebody nails them on bridge law.

I see that train wreck coming, as states look for other sources of revenue.

 

i'm a cali. guy and ran mostly 11 western. i always measured to the center of the rear axle.

here's the trick i used too. figure out where your kingpin is from the front of the trailer, 36" is pretty common, some times 48". if it's 36" on a 53' trailer, all you gotta do is measure 10' from the rear. or a 48" kingpin, 9' from the rear. so you don't really need a 100' tape measure.

 

No, it isn't. California and many other states are to the centre of the rear axle, while others are not. Best advice is to actually read the regs (a resource like the Trucker's Atlas is also good). As danc694U already mentioned, if practical, set it up as legal for CA and you're pretty much good to go anywhere else.

 

That's always been my assumption, based on fines I've heard quoted for both. I'll take my chances with over axle, before bridge law in CA. You can see bridge law violations, without a scale.

But after thinking about it. It still comes out to be problematic.. If you're over axle in CA, they'll cite you for that. Then require you to adjust, and cross the scales again. Which will clearly show you to be over on bridge. Which in turn, will have you shut down to adjust/shift the load before proceeding.

It's a no win situation if you have to cross the scales IMO.

 

Different states have different rules. For example the rule in Michigan states that it must be 40 1/2' plus or minus 1/2 foot measured from the kingpin to the center of the rear axle. This means that you can't be shorter than 40', nor longer than 41'.

If the atlas states center of the rear axle group it is like LostNfound stated. Center of the rear axle is easily defined.