passing on the left with trailer in tow

[Bart Timothy]

I'm told that, in Utah at least, it's against the law to pass another vehicle while towing and a GVW of greater than 10,000 lbs. This would be on single and 2 lane highways. On 3 lane highways it's against the law be even be in the left lane with such a rig.

I'm not a trucker but I tow my travel trailer and have a GVW of 14 or 15,000 lbs. What's the law?

 

[Champane Flight]

I have run every state west of the Miss. And the only state I know of that prohibits far left lane running of semis is California. This is only in some areas and is posted as such. If you are running left lane it is understood and posted"Slower traffic keep right". That also means stay right except to pass!

------------------
95 Dodge 2500 Luverne grill guard,headache rack,running boards and Amzoiled. Soon to be mildly bombed. 84 Dodge d-150, 318 Hooker headers,Edelbrok intake,mallory ignition,Carter Afb,Accel coil,and Custom dual exhaust. Boat,fifthwheel,motorcycles,and shop. 72000 as of 3/1/01,not even broke in yet. Old Dodge 126000 miles and running better than new.

 

[Powder Extreme]

I've driven truck through Utah several times, never heard of what you said. Like you did say on the 3 lane around Salt Lake it's illegal for a truck and trailer to be in the far left lane. You could call your local D. O. T. office, they would know for certain.

------------------
2001 Quad Cab Dually, ETH, SLT Plus, Isspro Pyro & 50lb Boost, 275 injectors, Banks Power Pack, custom "Scotty style" airbox, 4" open exhaust in front of duals.

'94 SLT 4x4 V-10, straight pipes and a K&N (can't find anything else

 

[Whitmore]

Tim, I know that on the interstate the big rigs are banned from the far left lane on hills,they are supposed to stay in the far right or the middle to pass,I dont know what the weight limit is so I dont know if you are a big rig or not,there should be signs posted as to limitations. Kevin

 

[Alan Reagan]

Georgia does around cities like Atlanta but it is always well posted.

 

[Eric_77]

I see the pint about safety but when someone has to weave back and forth to get through traffic then it is not safe. It fact on motorcycles the gov't endorses then to go slightly above the flow of traffic so as not to remain in one static postion that might have them overlooked (being small and all). Also if someone in a truck that cannot maintain a constant speed is in the left lane it does hold up traffic significatly.

Tx has had a "slower traffic keep right" law for as long as I can remember and it does help traffic flow.

 

[Joe G.]

George,

The "slower traffic keep right" law has nothing to do with the speed limit. I know that on I5 in northern CA if someone insists on going the speed limit (70 MPH) in the left lane it really makes a mess because the trucks are going almost that fast in the right lane. A lot of people are doing 80 and the CHP doesn't get excited as long as the conditions are ok. As far as I can tell the number on the sign is the "pay point". The "ticket point" is quite a bit higher. I run this road every week with the cruise set on 75 and the cops don't even look at me.

------------------
Joe George
Eureka, CA

'95 2500 CC auto 4X4,3. 54,Combo EGT/boost guage,custom switch panel,PacBrake,TST #5,BD valve body,Automatic motorhome steps on both sides,Foldacover hard bed cover,Cummins chrome kit,Black steel grill guard,Front hitch receiver

 

[GRudy]

Now this raises an interesting point. Pennsylvania just passed, or is about to pass a law making it illegle to stay in the left lane on the interstates. They claim it holds up trafic. Now my problem is, If your in the left lane and the speed limit is 65 and your doing say 68, Who are you holding up??? The point is if someone needs to pass then they are exceding the speed limit. But the person in the left lane would be fined for doing the speed limit but hogging the left lane. I never saw a sign that said right lane 65, left lane 75. As you all know, Pa has the worst roads in the nation. I can think of a few streches of interstate that the right lane is so rough (wash board) that it is completely unsafe to drive it with a trailer in tow. You have to get in the left lane to keep your trailer from becoming airborn! Just my 2 cents.

------------------
George, Perry County, PA
99 3500, Reg Cab, 4x4, NV4500, ISB, 4:10,VA box,Putco Boss
running boards, Grover air horns,Westach combo gauge, Intense Blue.

 

[rickhans]

I have learned that Texas now has a law making it illegal to drive in the left lane except when passing, and read of one driver getting a ticket for staying in the left lane. I have seen a few signs on I35 warning that left lane is for passing only, otherwise this law has not been publicized.

My question is, at what speed differential and location to cars in the right lane do they determine that you are not passing, but just cruising? In Texas, semi's have a slower speed limit that the other vehicles so you have to pass them in the left lane. If I don't exceed 70, and the truck I am passing is speeding going 67, I might be in the left lane for a long time. Also, how close to the vehicle in the right lane do I have to be before I can move to the left lane and be considered passing.

I think this law is nonsense. Just another way for the state to make money.


------------------
98. 5 24V QC 4x4 SB 3:54 5sp

 

[Steve Roseman]

If people would just teach their kids from day one to yield to the faster vehicle and show some common courtesy, these laws wouldn't have to be implemented.
When you get out on the open road away from the metropolitan areas, you can just feel the comraderie and courtesy among drivers. Everyone just seems to work together. You get closer to the cities and everyone seems to be competing for "their" spot.
A few years back I went out east and did notice in PA there were signs instructing trucks to stay in the left lane. The roads were bad enough that they enforced it, pretty wild.

------------------
'95 2500 Ext. Cab, 2wd 3. 54 limited slip, auto, TST 230/605 plate, TST low stall T. C. , K&N air filter.

 

[Crash_AF]

Originally posted by Steve Roseman:
If people would just teach their kids from day one to yield to the faster vehicle and show some common courtesy, these laws wouldn't have to be implemented.
When you get out on the open road away from the metropolitan areas, you can just feel the comraderie and courtesy among drivers. Everyone just seems to work together. You get closer to the cities and everyone seems to be competing for "their" spot.

I'll second that driver courtesy seems to be a lost art. I was running to Ft Collins from Co Springs last Tuesday with my 43' 3 car hauler taking a friend's Cherokee up to another friend's shop to get the rear end fixed. I was leaving a good space between me and the guy in front of me and inevitably someone would think 'Hey, that's a good place to be' and cut in front of me.

Later when we ran into the rollover accident up near Loveland, people were cutting in my 'safety zone' to cross the median between I-25 and the service road to get out of the traffic. #ad


Of course, when we finally got out of the traffic, the service road was backed up for about a quarter mile with cars trying to get across the cross road and back on the interstate. #ad


I personally like travelling at night. Then it's just me and the big trucks. I smoked back from Ft Collins at 12-2AM with an average speed of 70 MPH and trucks were the majority of the traffic on the road. Now that's no stress driving. #ad


Joe

------------------
Joe Hinson, 93 D-350
Stock, 3in straight pipe - For now

 

[Hot Shot]

I wish ALL the snowbirds who visit Texas every year that drive 50mph in a 65 or 70 mph zone, pulling their rv's and driving their motorhomes would realize that it is legal to drive on the shoulder to let some one pass. I do it all the time for the Highway patrol and county officers.

And it is not illegal in Texas to drive in the right lane except to pass unless otherwise posted. It is common courtesy.

------------------
2001 3500 QC 24V SLT Larimie, leather, BD Plug in Power, 275 injectors, BD Torque Convertor ,Valve Body, Pressure Lock, Torque-loc, Gauges,Black w/ Ranchhand bumpers Brownes HD Headache rack and a black wetherguard coffin. pullee 34Ft. gooseneck and a 32ft x 6ft stock trailer.
2000 Durnago SLT 5. 9litre V8

 

[Steve Roseman]

Joe, I know exactly what you mean about driving at night. Whether I'm driving a minivan or pickup, I'd rather be out at night with the die hards. A couple flashes of the head lights or tail lights and everyone gets along just fine.

------------------
'95 2500 Ext. Cab, 2wd 3. 54 limited slip, auto, TST 230/605 plate, TST low stall T. C. , K&N air filter.

 

[Missouri Mule]

Bart,
Your welcome centers at the state line have booklets/maps stating state laws for all vehicles especially if they differ from other states.

I stay in the left lane as long as I'm passing vehicles in the right.

 

[Champane Flight]

I can remember Joe when you could drive two or three miles north of Denver and not see hardly any traffic. Man that has changed. That whole section(along with I-25 south)should be 65mph instead of 75mph. Too much traffic! 75mph is cool but not in bumper to bumper,with some doing 85mph. Bound to be some idiot to screw it up. Maybe traffic sensors that lower the speed limit as traffic increases. I like to haul a$$ to,but sometimes its better to use discretion.

Went up to Ft Collins the other day. Sat morning 09:00,bumper to bumper. I do believe that some mass transit is needed along the front range. The rest of the states highways have to suffer because of the growth of the CS and Denver area.

------------------
95 Dodge 2500 Luverne grill guard,headache rack,running boards and Amzoiled. Soon to be mildly bombed. 84 Dodge d-150, 318 Hooker headers,Edelbrok intake,mallory ignition,Carter Afb,Accel coil,and Custom dual exhaust. Boat,fifthwheel,motorcycles,and shop. 72000 as of 3/1/01,not even broke in yet. Old Dodge 126000 miles and running better than new.

 

[Guest00]

A lot of states will require trucks to left lane to equalize the pavement wear when the right lane is toast. This gives the road more life as It costs tthe same to replace 2 toasted lanes as to replace two lanes when only one is toast.

AR. was the first state I ran across this in the early 70's. Signs on certain sections of interstates would say " trucks use left lane only to equalize pavement wear ". Of course the truckers were exclusivly using left lanes anyway as it was impossible to use right lanes, just made it legal and they ( AR. ) did not have to replace the crappy roads for and xta 5 or 6 years.

 

[illflem]

Utah is the only state where I've seen a minimum speed limit posted on the Interstate, 45 mph, are there others? Sure wish they all had that law.

 

[paccool]

Was coming home from Oregon last week and below Redding came up on a long double lane of cars. The cause was a Gal in the fast lane going to same speed as a truck in the slow lane. This went on for about 5 miles. I wish the CHP would start giving big tickets to Morons like that cause they cause people to loose patience and start doing crazy things. I don't think she even looked in the mirror. I guess the "slower trafic keep right" signs don't mean any thing to some folks.

I know someone that runs the left lane all the time at the speed limit and I asked him one day if he ever saw those signs and his answer was " they can pass on the right if they want to go faster". That is part of the problem today - no one gives a da**.

I would like to see Calif pass a law that says stay to the right but I don't think it will ever happen out here. Too many wierd folks!

Stan

 

[speedracer]

Steve, you'll see signs instructing trucks to stay left in a lot of states. Typically its in construction when the lanes are shifted and one of them is on the shoulder. Since the shoulders aren't built to take the wieght, they want the trucks on the lane that's on the actual road. I have seen where they want the trucks in the left lane when the right is torn up real bad to slow down wear until they can fix it(pretty rare).

------------------
'01 2500 QC LB 2WD 6sp HO SLT+ leather 3. 54 ltd slp BLACK trailer tow and the all important cab lights. (for hauling motorcycles)

95 Freightliner FLD132 70" Condo 470 Detroit 13spd 3. 36 (to pay for motorcycles)
89 H-D FXRS, 99 Triumph 955i, 86 Suzuki GSXR750 ltd, 00 Aprillia SL1000

98 Yamaha YZF-R1(race), 95 Kawasaki ZX7(race)

 

[Bart Timothy]

I thought all the weirdos who "live" in the left lane also live in Utah.

BTW, I got the answer to my original question by calling Utah DOT. The question actually came up because I had a friend who got a warning ticket when he was pulling a 5'er in the left lane on I15, just south of Provo.