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Left Lane Laws for Trucks

10K views 56 replies 39 participants last post by  cosman25 
#1 ·
I apologize in advance if this is in the wrong section. It kind of borders off topic and car related.

I was wondering if anybody knows the process to suggest a law to be passed to keep truckers in the right lanes for public safety and flow of traffic on freeways? I know California has one and despite the large amount of people living in an area i've never once had an issue with trucks there. What does it take to get this idea started in my own state? Would I need to send a letter to a senator, contact department of public safety highway patrol? State petition?
 
#10 ·
It wouldn't matter around Vancouver. All day every day dump trucks, container haulers are frequently in the fast lane. I also see dumpers in the car pool lane, which they are not allowed in even with 2 people. I blame their companies, who are always trying to outbid each other for the next contract. As a result these guys have to move more loads, so they will drive in whatever lane they want. When I drive in the US, usually WA state, it's nice to see trucks not in the fast lane. If they are in the fast lane they most likely have BC plates :facepalm:
 
#17 ·
You must live in the part of the state with free candy and high fives for everyone... I have a ****ing aneurism every time I drive on I-95, which is every damn day. Morons everywhere. Granted it is littered with trucks and people from New Jersey/New York, but still. Terrible.

The Merritt is nowhere relevant to my commute :(
 
#16 ·
So add 9/11 and build a fence next to it and it'll pass? On another note a little more research into this has lead me to believe this would somehow have to end up as a SB to be passed and wouldn't go through the DOT, but I guess I would need a sponsor for it?
 
#18 ·
Well if they built it 3 lanes you wouldnt see the problem with trucks ...and its amusing to see it from the view of the 4 wheelers ...everytime a truck posses you off remember you wouldnt have not a damn thing to go buy with out us so suck it up and quit Ur whining :)

Sent with my thumbs
 
#22 ·
Well if they built it 3 lanes you wouldnt see the problem with trucks ...and its amusing to see it from the view of the 4 wheelers ...everytime a truck posses you off remember you wouldnt have not a damn thing to go buy with out us so suck it up and quit Ur whining :)
Frank won't stop whining until he gets his own lane with dedicated merge ramps.
 
#25 ·
Interesting topic, I have two annecdotes..

1. A co-worker recently got pulled over for "traveling in the left lane" on a 2-lane highway without other cars around.. The cop told him that he "saw him traveling in the left lane for 3 miles".. I didn't know that wasn't allowed??:confused:

2. Another friend had to bail into the left guard rail when the truck he was passing decided to merge left.. The truck didn't touch him, but the guard rail pretty much totalled his car..
 
#29 ·
I don't have a problem with them passing, but I drove to Tucson this weekend and just about got my stab on when, on three occasions, speed-governed trucks jumped out in front of me to pass another speed-governed truck. Not another blessed soul for miles behind me, but no, you had to swerve in front of me as I closed in at 85mph, then force me to brake and grind along at 62mph behind your stupid ass as you passed the other guy at a snail's pace because you couldn't go any faster than he was and he finally braked just to let you in. ****ing moron.
 
#30 ·
Here in Oregon its the law that trucks are allowed to use the left lane while traveling; whether that be on the freeway, or a highway. Usually, on the freeways the trucks will stay in the right lane until they pass slower traffic (which is a whole other can of worms - idiots going 50 in a 65 :mad:), but on the highways the trucks just will camp in the left lanes because they don't want to have to constantly switch lanes and don't have the common courtesy of moving over for faster traffic, its mostly logging trucks that are the *******s though and they never seem to get pulled over :screwy:

/rant

helpful bit, write to your local state police station and complain about speeding trucks or whatever, they may or may not do anything; probably the latter, but if more people do it, the more likely it is that they'll enforce the law.
 
#33 ·
In WA we have the Keep Right Except To Pass law as well as a law that bans vehicles pulling trailers or with GVWR over 10,000 from using the left lane. Neither are enforced all that heavily.

That said, I don't usually have issues with commercial trucks in the cities and congested areas. Usually the ones running afoul of that law in cities are the knob-jobs in passenger trucks and SUVs pulling 100+% of their towing capacity, at full throttle all the time but only managing to do 5 mph under the speed limit. Energy drink, motocross-related, and ultra-conservative political decals optional, but usually present.

The only time I have issues with commercial trucks are out in the wide open areas between cities where they like to pull moves like Turbio posted above. What the f***? You can't wait 2 sec for the smaller car to pass before you start your 5 minute passing maneuver?

That and it seems every vehicle with ID plates seems to jam all the way left and slow to 55 mph immediately upon entering the freeway. The only time they move right is to block drivers who try to pass them. :heart:
 
#34 ·
On topic for a moment started sending out e-mails this morning to Arizona congress members. We'll see if I get any replies or if I need to do something else.

On to a few of the quotes from earlier this is entirely the reason that we need to keep these guys in the left lane. Governed trucks running 10-15 mph slower than the speed limit is just dangerous let alone letting them out in the left lane with other doing 20+ above them.
 
#35 ·
I say semis shouldn't be allowed to pass on two lane highways. Leave the left lane for faster moving vehicles.

They seem to have a better system in Europe, where semis are governed to 90km/h and the general speed limit is 120km/h. Perhaps we need to change speed limits to 55mph/75mph respectively.
 
#47 ·
I say dumbass shouldn't be allowed to drive :banghead:
I laugh at some of the suggestions in this thread. On 3 lanes highway trucks are not allowed on the left lane on 2 lanes highways they're allowed to pass on the left but generally we stay in the right( slower traffic keeps right always ).
Now the problem with the right lanes is merging traffic. It seems that most people just don't want to yield to on coming highway traffic and just jump in front of a truck doing 45 mph while that truck in doing 65. Now the truck driver has a tough choice, slam on his brakes and risk cargo shift, a jack knife or even worse rear ends the merging car or inconvenience the cars on the left lane and jump to the left lane to let the merging ashole get on the highway. As usual the merging car will pull next to you and won't let you get back in lane :mad:
The other problem that the trucking industry faces is the high diesel prices. At $3.90 a gallon and a fleet average of 6 mpg is real hard to make a profit. A way to help maximize profits is to govern trucks to 65 mph and sometimes even 55 mph and that creates even more road blocks like we call them.
There's also another problem that I can't ignore and that is the lack of courtesy by new truck drivers. It seems that the cdl drivers shortage has cause company to cut down on driver training to speed up the process to get the on the road. I can't count the number of times I had to pass another truck on the right because he refuses to move from the center lanes. These fricking pricks just sit there and try to disregard the fact that they're road blocking the center lanes, I usually will pass them in the right pull right next to time and give them the finger. Again road blocking a 2 lane highway because they want to pass a truck that's doing 55 while they're doing 56.
Please excuse the grammar. I typed this while chain smoking, coffee chugging and listening to country music
 
#36 ·
It's a law in CT, although where all the connectors and merges are with other highways, they try to get away with it and sneak into the left lane. Then you are forced to sit behind them for miles on end until they can get over again. :mad:

Although the worst offenders are the Fung Wah buses that shuttle people to the casino's. They use EVERY lane and drive the buses at 80mph like they are on a racetrack weaving in and out of people.

I got so pissed one night I pulled up alongside one, motioned them to slow down, then showed them my phone videotaping them speeding. Granted I was being stupid myself for doing all this WHILE driving, but I didn't care and was so fed up with the way this guy had been driving. He promptly slowed to 55-60 and I basically stayed by his side until I got off the highway just to be a jerk.

 
#37 ·
Although the worst offenders are the Fung Wah buses that shuttle people to the casino's. They use EVERY lane and drive the buses at 80mph like they are on a racetrack weaving in and out of people.
This +1. See this happening virtually every time I am on I-90 west of Boston. Trucks/buses are prohibited from the left lane in MA last time I checked

They seem to have a better system in Europe, where semis are governed to 90km/h and the general speed limit is 120km/h. Perhaps we need to change speed limits to 55mph/75mph respectively.
Yes....plus passenger cars actually keep out of the left lane unless they are passing. Novel concept.
 
#40 ·
i came in hoping this was a thread about full sized picks up acting like they own the left lane...

im so sick of seeing them riding everyones ass with a line of cars behind them, then as soon as the car in front of them moves over, they just sit there... if you try to reverse their tactics, and ride their ass, they just go slower... its ****ing retarded.

and its always some 40 yr old douche bag with "old man muscle" mentality... get the **** out of the way, no one cares about your escalade truck you drive to the bar on weekends. :facepalm::banghead::mad::rolleyes:

/rant.
 
#44 ·
... if you try to reverse their tactics, and ride their ass, they just go slower... its ****ing retarded.
Strangely enough, that is actually in the CDL handbook, or at very least it used to be. It said something to the effect that if someone is tailgating and you think they might hit you, slow down so you are both moving slower if there is an collision.

Are the bus driver licenses and truck driver licenses the same? Cause the bus guys are crazy.
No, both have to have a base CDL, but they have different endorsements. If you want the Bus endorsement you have to take the test if the bus. If you want the combination (big trailers) you have to take the test with a large trailer.
 
#49 ·
my feelings on this are there are bad drivers. some drive cars, some drive tractor trailers. the ones who drive tractor trailers are more noticeable or annoying because of their vehicle's limitations (in this case passing ability) or the size and perceived destructive nature should we get in a wreck with one (we being non-truck drivers).

so when I have to drive 7 hours across PA 2-3 times a year, I try to chill out and give people the benefit of the doubt lest I have a road rage fiesta. I will say it's easy because the relative driving ability of most central to western PA drivers is much higher than the tri-state nonsense I usually deal with.
 
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