Who gets to pull triples?

Well considering that there seems to be construction in the gorge for eight out of any ten given years, I'm inclined to agree with you. Now when they have the road completely open, both directions, it isn't so bad. What is so bad, is the TOTAL IDIOTIC DRIVERS both four wheel and big truck that think the speed limit of 55 is just a suggestion, and only followed by wimps.
Considering some of those windshears they have there, the 55 speed limit is logical. Through the narrows. What isn't really logical is slowing traffic to 55 on the north side of the narrows, way before they need to be that slow.
I've run the gorge with everything from a motorcycle to sets. The only thing that is really scary there is THE OTHER DRIVER.

 

I haven't even started my gripe yet!

It turns out not all states allow rocky mountain doubles or triples. Those states that do allow LCVs tend to have their own laws on what you can/can't do with them (more to that in a min).

For example, you can grab triples out of SLC, run them up through Montana and into Post Falls Idaho. After that you are five or six exits away from getting a massive fine from the Washington DoT if you cross that bridge without dropping a trailer at the border. I did not know that and half an hour before Post Falls, on my first trip to Spokane Wa, my dispatcher frantically called me and told me to dump a trailer + con at a drop lot. Dodged the bullet.

Second issue I had was me NOT knowing that your triples can not travel more than two miles off of the interstate inside the state of Montana. That kinda was a big deal.... cause I took a bunch of backroads and shortcuts with my triples that I would usually do with a shorter legal set.

Not kidding. My dispatchers could never figure out how I could get to my destinations in half the time than anyone else. My coworker was in absolute shock and disbelieve that I did not get caught in 2 years of driving illegal routes.

I know I am gonna get some hell from you guys... but again, I had my CDL for a week. I knew nothing about permits and route restrictions.

Next thing that is probably the most frustrating aspect of pulling triples. Each state has their own laws, in my homestate it is absolutely illegal to operate triples in "adverse weather/road conditions". My dispatchers used to love love love to push me through all kinds of crap weather regardless what I told them... they even had a flow chart of BS questions:

1. You say it is coming down good, but is it snow?
--No? Then keep on trucking
2. You say it is snowing, but is it ACTUALLY sticking to the ground?
--No? Then keep on trucking
3. You say it is sticking to the ground, but is it ACTUALLY covering the roadway?
--No? Then keep on trucking?
4. You say it is covering the roadway, but how is your traction? You got your differential lock on and chained up?

I survived my first winter, grew thicker skin and started telling them "no" during my second winter. I was advised by my coworkers that "if you wreck with triples when it is snowing, you will wish you didn't. You will be in jail for a long long time".

Next gripe, cause I love to tell stories (I wonder who is still reading at this point). You have to hook your set in the right order. Heaviest to lightest. Screw up the order by more than your state tolerates, and you get a ticket. Some weigh station officers are highly trained in scaling individual axles and can tell if your set is out of sync. In my state the tolerance is about 3k lbs. Your front and middle box tend to get the most weight flexibility (especially if you have a tandem truck).

My coworker was down in SLC and once brought back "empty" triples. The hostler crew down there hooked everything up for him. He did not realize that his back trailer had a undocumented forklift inside (being brought back after maintenance). His set waved half a lane each way as he went down the interstate. He could not find a safe place to break and rehook. He kept on trucking and nearly took out a highway patrol officer that had someone pulled over. He ended up getting a police escort to the next scale where they made him break and rehook.

 

What you say is, "I'm not going to do it." (What you think however, is "listen here you little pipsqueak, if you don't like the way I'm driving, then get your fat arse out from behind your computer, and get out here and drive yourself. Jerkwad!"

That is when you want to really HURT the idiot that set that up! It almost makes me wonder if it was a deliberate attempt to screw that driver over, by that yard jockey.

 

Here is an odd configuration most of you guys will never see. A reverse rocky set. Front box is a 28 ft pup loaded with 22k of product. Back box is an empty 48 ft trailer. Legally this is the only way to move them.

It is absolutely a major pain in the arse to negotiate city traffic with a 48 ft trailer behind a 28 ft trailer. This configuration requires the most turn space. About three or four times as much as triples.

Has anyone else pulled this?

 

That sounds like it would be a real PITA to deal with.
The outfit I used to work for ran a strange looking combination occasionally. Truck pulling gas tanker trailer, with a box pup on behind it. I suppose it would pull like any other Rockie set, but it just didn't look"right."

 

I noticed this the first time at a truck stop the other day. I think the driver rolled in with rockies and ran deliveries around the town. He probably picked up some heavy freight in his pup and had an empty long box to drag back home, so he ran an inverted set.