Got a ticket in towing a trailer in the middle lane

I don't want to get in the middle of an argument here, but it's worth noting that those 40 foot 3k lb trailers are subject to inspections on a regular basis...

Many civillian trailers sit in the weeds on flat tires that don't get inflated and tested until they are ready for a run to the dumps, or until the yearly family boating trip, or what have you. 

Flats and burned out bearings are pretty common on some smaller trailers...  I think that's why they want you to the right.

A FORTY FOOT TRAILER carrying 3,000 pounds....

don't you mean 40,000lbs 80,000lbs total vehicle weight

Not according to Tote's listing of state laws..(back on the first page of this thread)...seems that most states allow 40-foot trailer-length.     

I find that pretty amazing, but that's what he lists.   

I would have thought, that State Lawmakers would want a FORTY FOOT trailer to be a front-yoked four-wheel design.

FYI.......

A dry-level-pavement trailer flat is routine to handle.

If the flat is sudden and 100% the driver will feel "wierdness" coming from the trailer.   There will be more drag from one side of the trailer and that drag will be "oscillatory" enough that you'll feel a back-and-forth "surge" coming from the rear-end of your car/pickup.

Anyone with "that good trailer-consciousness" will handle it fine even on a downhill.

Where the bearings fail and the entire wheel comes off..???...it won't "throw" the towing vehicle.   The high resistance dragging side----is trying to pull itself toward the centerline of the vehicle.   The outboard good wheel goes to "scuffing" which pushes back against the high resistance side, trying to pull the trailer into straight alignment.   

Judd

That's only before you need brakes I would have to guess any 40' trailer would weigh more than 1500 so it would require brakes with no load.

I have had many moving violations and received more than my share of fines however
I am always reminded of what my father said.
IGNORANCE IS NO EXCUSE FOR THE LAW
Except the fact that you were wrong or
If you don't agree with the law than you should work to change it.
You can't blame the one who has to enforce it to feed his family
he's just doing his job. Besides no one complains when Mister CHP has to stop a drunk driver
or confront a criminal at 3:am so why complain when we brake the law in broad day light.
Just my opinion for what it's worth.
Eric

I just got back from a 5,500 mile trip down I 80 to Illinois, then down to Missouri,  back up to I 80 and home.  The speed limit for cars through most of I 80 is 75, so I ran it at 80.  I was passed by trucks pulling tandem trailers many times.  The main difference between the other seven states that I went through and California is that California has the worst roads, the worst traffic and the worst drivers (and the highest gas prices) of all.  Running through NV, UT and WY, it is so straight and there is so little traffic that a truck doing 75-80 doesn’t seem unsafe.  There didn't seem to be any lane restrictions for trailers either.  All traffic was instructed to drive to the right except for passing.  I was driving between 12 and 17 hours a day and saw thousands of trucks, and interestingly enough, the only wrecks I saw were two separate solo accidents with overturned trucks, around 5 am in the morning.  It seems to me that a legal 65 MPH limit for trailers on most of I 5 would be safe since they are running 75-80 anyway. 
   

Contrary to fable:  Police-work is not dangerous.

WTF?  Really?  You're a bright guy Judd and I respect much of what you post, but give me a break pal.  Maybe convenience store clerks are killed a far-greater rate, but to say that police work is not dangerous is ridiculous.

Michael

That's only before you need brakes I would have to guess any 40' trailer would weigh more than 1500 so it would require brakes with no load.

Not so, trailers made to carry irrigation equipment are extremely light and don't need brakes.  I would stop short of saying that they are as light as a feather but they definitely don't exceed 1,500 lbs.

Back in my younger days, I worked for my grandfather's irrigation business with the idea that I might one day take it over - and then better judgement prevailed.  It surely did him well though.

Michael

Most perilous jobs

According to the BLS, the following jobs had the highest fatality rates for 2006:

Fishers and related fishing workers
Fatality rate (per 100,000 workers): 141.7
Number of fatalities: 51
Average salary: $19,104

Aircraft pilots and flight engineers
Fatality rate (per 100,000 workers): 87.8
Number of fatalities: 101
Average salary: $129,250

Logging workers
Fatality rate (per 100,000 workers): 82.1
Number of fatalities: 64
Average salary: $22,320

Structural iron and steel workers
Fatality rate (per 100,000 workers): 61.0
Number of fatalities: 36
Average salary: $39,168

Refuse and recyclable material collectors
Fatality rate (per 100,000 workers): 41.8
Number of fatalities: 38
Average salary: $23,770

Farmers and ranchers
Fatality rate (per 100,000 workers): 37.1
Number of fatalities: 291
Average salary: $15,603

Electrical power-line installers and repairers
Fatality rate (per 100,000 workers): 34.9
Number of fatalities: 38
Average salary: $45,331

Roofers
Fatality rate (per 100,000 workers): 33.9
Number of fatalities: 82
Average salary: $28,474

Driver/sales workers and truck drivers
Fatality rate (per 100,000 workers): 27.1
Number of fatalities: 940
Average salary: $30,931 (for heavy or tractor-trailer drivers)

Miscellaneous agricultural workers
Fatality rate (per 100,000 workers): 21.7
Number of fatalities: 158
Average salary: $24,140

Most perilous jobs

According to the BLS, the following jobs had the highest fatality rates for 2006:

Fishers and related fishing workers
Fatality rate (per 100,000 workers): 141.7
Number of fatalities: 51
Average salary: $19,104

And thus the TV show, The Deadliest Catch. 

Michael

definitely don't exceed 1,500 lbs.

Are you talking over the road trailers? My daughters boyfriend's family own an irrigation business an I have seen the field trailers made light so they don't sink but all his OTR traliers are pretty sturdy. I'll have to check them out maybe they can build me a kayak trailer. Thanks for the idea.

Yeah, all of my grandpa's trailers were road worthy.  They had to be in order to transport pipe to the client.

Although I'll admit that I don't know the exact weight of the 40' trailers, I could pick up the tongue of the 30 footers and maneuver (empty of load of course) them if needed.  Some will contest that it is all about leverage and where the wheel base is, which is true, but on these guys the wheels were more towards the rear to account for the weight of the pipe that hung off the back.

Hope your trailer idea works out.  Don't thank me, you thought about it.  The idea didn't even cross my mind.

*Note: end of thread jack!*

Michael

Fishbear... sorry to hear about the ticket, but THANKS for sharing the experience and educating a bunch of us.  The high price of fuel is likely to make carpooling with a trailer more popular.

Most perilous jobs

According to the BLS, the following jobs had the highest fatality rates for 2006:

Fishers and related fishing workers
Fatality rate (per 100,000 workers): 141.7
Number of fatalities: 51
Average salary: $19,104

Aircraft pilots and flight engineers
Fatality rate (per 100,000 workers): 87.8
Number of fatalities: 101
Average salary: $129,250

Logging workers
Fatality rate (per 100,000 workers): 82.1
Number of fatalities: 64
Average salary: $22,320

Structural iron and steel workers
Fatality rate (per 100,000 workers): 61.0
Number of fatalities: 36
Average salary: $39,168

Refuse and recyclable material collectors
Fatality rate (per 100,000 workers): 41.8
Number of fatalities: 38
Average salary: $23,770

Farmers and ranchers
Fatality rate (per 100,000 workers): 37.1
Number of fatalities: 291
Average salary: $15,603

Electrical power-line installers and repairers
Fatality rate (per 100,000 workers): 34.9
Number of fatalities: 38
Average salary: $45,331

Roofers
Fatality rate (per 100,000 workers): 33.9
Number of fatalities: 82
Average salary: $28,474

Driver/sales workers and truck drivers
Fatality rate (per 100,000 workers): 27.1
Number of fatalities: 940
Average salary: $30,931 (for heavy or tractor-trailer drivers)

Miscellaneous agricultural workers
Fatality rate (per 100,000 workers): 21.7
Number of fatalities: 158
Average salary: $24,140

So Mike, how many of the above listed "Most perilous jobs" require the worker put his/her life in peril for someone they don't know. And what are the suicide rates of those "Most perilous jobs" you have listed? I know two of my partners shot them selfs in the head last year, and that's just the ones I work with. It doesn't include the ones who drink them selfs to death dealing with everyone else's problems, in addition with there own.

Not to start a fight, but jwsmith....you are ignorant! I don't even remember who started this thread, but get over it! You violated the law and got a ticket. BIG DEAL! How may time since the last time you got a ticket have you violated the law and not gotten a ticket. I'm going to bet that the answer is EVERY DAY, just like everyone else.

Amen Mahi Mahi

  Amen....