So I got a king pin ticket in Cali last week ??

Maybe we will get lucky and a tsunami or earquake will just wash it clean again, or completely submerge it... Maybe you can tell, I have no use for California.

 

Was it bear or a county mounty gave you that?

 

Early April I picked up a preloaded trailer in Santa Clara (53' dry van). I slid tandems full forward, as it was a light load of insulation.

Here's the kicker: I did not visually inspect the locking pins, I relied on feeling them lock while rocking forward and back.

Don't do that. Always inspect all the pins visually. Seems blindingly obvious in retrospect.

Had to brake while merging onto the freeway approx 3 miles from shipper. Tandems slid back and hit the rear stops HARD, I thought I had been rear ended.

The next place I found to pull over (to slide my tandems) was a CA weigh station. Crap, I knew I was doomed.

Of course they pulled me in and did a pretty thorough inspection, saving the best for last.

After the officer checked everything else, and I mean steering linkage play, tire pressure with a gage, you name it, he tells me my rigs looking real good, but did I know why they pulled me in?

Yes sir, my tandems are way long, sir.

I didn't make any ######## excuses, I told him how I screwed up, it was totally on me, stupid rookie mistake.

That cop looked me in the eyes, tells me to pull around back, fix it, then come back in and get him.

I did. That cop was busy when I went in to the office after sliding my tandems, so an actual hi way cop behind the desk took over (the first cop was "just" a weights and measures cop, this second was an actual HP officer with a sidearm and stuff.)

I'm thinking, ######, I'm screwed.

He goes outback with me to inspect my rig, and on the walk back, asks me what happened, so, same drill. No excuses, my screw up, etc.

No citation. Yeah, I got a violation, but no citation.

I still don't believe it.

 

samething on csa

 

Pretty sure it is, but I'll take a violation over a violation with a citation any day.

 

Heading East on Highway 58 from Tehachapi to the state line it's better to be overweight on an axle and within the proper length. You can always slide it back when you get to the Arizona State Line but they have cops that specifically look to see how long you are.

 

I just loaded in Klamath Falls,Oregon and will be scootin down 139, 395, to Reno to go east.
The load is only 42k on a dry van.. pulled up.. tucked the tandem to Cali specs.. weighed it.
31.5 on the drives full of fuel.
33980 on the trailer.

I know what I'm doing at the first pull off on 80E

 

It’s not that big of deal. When I got popped at Truckee with my 52’ spread I had to turn around and they had an officer escort me back to the NV line. My ticket was for being over 41’ kpra and for being over 65’ overall. When I got the letter in the mail from the county it cost me a total of $137.

 

This. Brokers ask me where I'm willing to run. I tell them 47 states.

 

Rhode Island measures to the center of the rear axle as well. And there are others that do, but I'm not sure which ones right now.

IIRC, every state but CA allows 41 feet. CA allows 40.

It's high time that we all just stop going there so they get the message. I think they just make up rules that are different than everyone else to see if they can get away with it.