What kind of freight do you see on your regular travels?

[jon daly]

My commute is from SE Conn. to RI. There's a couple types of freight that I see daily that stick out in my head. Not sure what the percentages are because a lot of other trucks seem non-descript.

1. Amazon Prime. Amazon has operations in Fall River, Mass so I see a lot of their trucks. I'm not really a grammar pedant, but the motto on the back of their trailers annoys me. "There's more to Prime. A truckload more." Jeff Bezos got his start selling books and still sells a lot of them. I hold them to a higher standard than some company who doesn't make money off of the written word. Use full sentences!

2. Car carriers. There's an auto port at Davisville, RI (the old Naval Air Station at Quonset Point.) Route 403 heads west from the port to Route 4 and from there, it's a short drive to I-95. Subarus is one of the brands that offload there (after coming from Japan via the Panama Canal.) There are others. One trend I've noticed in the auto hauling business is that there are classes of auto haulers. I see upscale trailers that keep the cars enclosed. I also see some trailers hauled by pickups. I'm not sure where to research this, but my guess is that increased horsepower allows haulers to cut expenses by using these instead of the typical method of using a Peterbilt, Freightliner, or other big tractor with a hydraulic car carrier.

What do you roadsters see?

[epzik8]

FedEx, UPS, etc.

[jon daly]

^Yeah, but those are so ubiquitous that I think I've become oblivious to them. At least Fed Ex has a cool logo.

[kphoger]

I'm not really a grammar pedant, but ... Subarus is one of the brands ...

On the Kansas Turnpike north of Wichita, I see a lot of double and triple trailers.
I'm curious to know:  in what other states are you likely to see triple trailers?

[cjk374]

I'm not really a grammar pedant, but ... Subarus is one of the brands ...

On the Kansas Turnpike north of Wichita, I see a lot of double and triple trailers.
I'm curious to know:  in what other states are you likely to see triple trailers?

I have seen them on I-35 in Oklahoma.

[Max Rockatansky]

Produce is a regular occurrence out on CA 99, 41, and 180.  There is a lot of apple and nut trucks to be exact.  Most of the typical commercial freight sticks to I-5. 

[stwoodbury]

I'm not really a grammar pedant, but ... Subarus is one of the brands ...

On the Kansas Turnpike north of Wichita, I see a lot of double and triple trailers.
I'm curious to know:  in what other states are you likely to see triple trailers?

Most of the western states except Washington and California have triples. I don't think Wyoming allows them either.

[ilpt4u]

I'm not really a grammar pedant, but ... Subarus is one of the brands ...

On the Kansas Turnpike north of Wichita, I see a lot of double and triple trailers.
I'm curious to know:  in what other states are you likely to see triple trailers?

Most of the western states except Washington and California have triples. I don't think Wyoming allows them either.

Been awhile since I traveled either, but I remember road trips as a kid, all the Triple Trailers on the Indiana Toll Road and Ohio Turnpike

But they all are reduced to Doubles or Singles upon reaching Illinois, as IL does not allow Triples. I always kinda wondered where the "change"  occurs, to turn a pair of Triples into 3 Doubles, or whatever other ways the reduction can be done. Gut feeling, gotta be somewhere near, yet before the Lake Station exit, where I-80 leaves the Toll Road onto the Borman

In terms of local freight I see regularly in Southern IL (but away from I-57 and I-24), would probably be Grain and Coal Trucks

[pdx-wanderer]

Lumber is common in Oregon on I-5 in the hilly areas south of Eugene, but not as much in the Willamette Valley. It's more common on the various routes that connect I-5 with US 97. (when, conveniently, there are almost never any good opportunities to pass them  )

I-84 east past the Gorge seems to have a high amount of livestock.

I do love seeing the open produce trucks in CA.

[jon daly]

I'm not really a grammar pedant, but ... Subarus is one of the brands ...

On the Kansas Turnpike north of Wichita, I see a lot of double and triple trailers.
I'm curious to know:  in what other states are you likely to see triple trailers?

Ha! I sometimes don't catch my typos.

I haven't been away from the northeast in years. I don't think that I've ever seen a triple trailer.

[Brandon]

On a daily basis?  I see FedEx, UPS, intermodal containers, auto carriers, long-distance carriers, smaller box trucks, refrigerated trucks, refrigerated containers, double trailers (usually the aforementioned FedEx and UPS), triples if I use the Indiana Toll Road, and dump trucks - both articulated and non-articulated.  Of these, the intermodal containers and dump trucks seem to be the majority of them.  Did I mention that I live in an area where six of the seven class I railroads meet, and that has several intermodal yards, including two big ones (BNSF & UPRR) just south of town?  And that there are a lot of aggregate stone quarries here?

[jon daly]

I forgot to ask this in my original posts: Do big trucks enhance your road enthusiasm? I know that I liked them as a kid and that my interest was rekindled when I read UNCOMMON CARRIERS by John McPhee.

[Max Rockatansky]

Lumber is common in Oregon on I-5 in the hilly areas south of Eugene, but not as much in the Willamette Valley. It's more common on the various routes that connect I-5 with US 97. (when, conveniently, there are almost never any good opportunities to pass them  )

I-84 east past the Gorge seems to have a high amount of livestock.

I do love seeing the open produce trucks in CA.

The fixed trailers in the Central Valley in California are an interesting site.  That said I wish they would cover their loads, there usually a crap ton of produce spillage on freeway ramps on the 198/41 corridor.  I'd rather not have to swerve to avoid fruit or get a fine paste all over my door panels. 

Come to think of it there is a particular trucking company that used I-5 and CA 152 quite a bit that has open produce loads, the name eludes me at the moment.  They were one of the biggest opponents to tolled improvements to CA 152 from Gilroy to Casa de Fruita. 

[MNHighwayMan]

I forgot to ask this in my original posts: Do big trucks enhance your road enthusiasm?

No. In fact, I (and my mother) was almost killed when I was a year old by one that ran a red light and T-boned our car. I have no interest in them, but I do have a healthy respect of what they are and what they are capable of.

The one relevant thing I do enjoy doing is looking up UN numbers for hazardous goods that I see being transported.

[jon daly]

Lumber is common in Oregon on I-5 in the hilly areas south of Eugene, but not as much in the Willamette Valley. It's more common on the various routes that connect I-5 with US 97. (when, conveniently, there are almost never any good opportunities to pass them  )

I-84 east past the Gorge seems to have a high amount of livestock.

I do love seeing the open produce trucks in CA.

The fixed trailers in the Central Valley in California are an interesting site.  That said I wish they would cover their loads, there usually a crap ton of produce spillage on freeway ramps on the 198/41 corridor.  I'd rather not have to swerve to avoid fruit or get a fine paste all over my door panels. 

Come to think of it there is a particular trucking company that used I-5 and CA 152 quite a bit that has open produce loads, the name eludes me at the moment.  They were one of the biggest opponents to tolled improvements to CA 152 from Gilroy to Casa de Fruita. 

The main agricultural products I see on the highway are hay and turf; occasionally horses. If I'm heading back to my hometown. I sometimes see dairy trucks on CT-87 in Lebanon, Conn.

[jeffandnicole]

During my commutes...

Morning rush hour there's rarely anything memorable. 

During the evening rush hour I'll usually see an Amazon Prime truck, a truck that states it's transporting for the USPS, a Dunkin Donuts truck, probably a UPS and/or FedEx truck, sometimes a double (they're usually out later at night though).  But by far, the most trucks I see are container-ship type trailers with no real identification on them, most likely coming down from ports in North Jersey and around NYC.

[Max Rockatansky]

Lumber is common in Oregon on I-5 in the hilly areas south of Eugene, but not as much in the Willamette Valley. It's more common on the various routes that connect I-5 with US 97. (when, conveniently, there are almost never any good opportunities to pass them  )

I-84 east past the Gorge seems to have a high amount of livestock.

I do love seeing the open produce trucks in CA.

The fixed trailers in the Central Valley in California are an interesting site.  That said I wish they would cover their loads, there usually a crap ton of produce spillage on freeway ramps on the 198/41 corridor.  I'd rather not have to swerve to avoid fruit or get a fine paste all over my door panels. 

Come to think of it there is a particular trucking company that used I-5 and CA 152 quite a bit that has open produce loads, the name eludes me at the moment.  They were one of the biggest opponents to tolled improvements to CA 152 from Gilroy to Casa de Fruita. 

The main agricultural products I see on the highway are hay and turf; occasionally horses. If I'm heading back to my hometown. I sometimes see dairy trucks on CT-87 in Lebanon, Conn.

I used to see a lot of Citrus and cattle south of Orlando, especially on US 441 and US 27. Here in Central California it is essentially agricultural heaven which reflected in all the short haul trucks.  What's really interesting is contrast between normal commercial loads on I-5 versus the agricultural loads on CA 99.  It's very obvious why the Division of Highways wanted to separate the new Interstate from the US 99 corridor. 

[kphoger]

In terms of local freight I see regularly in Southern IL (but away from I-57 and I-24), would probably be Grain and Coal Trucks

Yeah, windshield replacement is a big business down there, as I recall.  A lot of gravel trucks, too.  I once had a rock come out the back of a truck, bounce off the highway, and fly right in through the open window of my box truck.  POW!! against the back of the cab right by my head.

I forgot to ask this in my original posts: Do big trucks enhance your road enthusiasm?

My eldest son shares my enthusiasm for license plate spotting, so long-haul truckers certainly add a level of interest to that hobby.

[SP Cook]

On highways around here you see what you would see most places.

Coal?  Not hardly ever on the interstates, coal trucks just haul from the mine site to the railroad.  Long distance transport of coal is rail or barge. 

I do see a lot of heavy equipment used in the coal industry moving from place to place.  Also flatbeds with the very large tires used by those machines.  I do see a fair number of livestock trucks.  Fair amount of military equipment on flatbeds, heading to and from Norfolk Naval Station, I suppose. 

One thing I do think is kind of regional is lots of well painted trucks from bourbon companies.  Assuming they really have bourbon in them and are not just ads, and are heading out of Kentucky for the east coast, this has always seemed odd to me, as you are just telling hijackers which truck to take.

[ilpt4u]

Coal?  Not hardly ever on the interstates, coal trucks just haul from the mine site to the railroad.  Long distance transport of coal is rail or barge. 

Not usually on the Interstates, but I tagged my post, saying away from I-57 and I-24.

Running on the local IL and US Routes in SoIL, there are Coal trucks, getting from the Mines to either Rail Yards (Union Pacific and Canadian National have tracks down here) or to Mississippi or Ohio River Ports to get on Barges

[Tonytone]

I see a lot of "Wide Load"  trucks with police escorts sometimes. I seen a NYPD escort not to long ago on 95 South In Delaware. I assume Delaware has a lot of disguised animal trucks because a truck, carrying bee's crashed one time & they had VMS telling people to keep their windows up. So delaware sees a lot of fun freight.


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[Rothman]

Dunkin Donuts semis.  My short commute takes me past at least two locations.

[Max Rockatansky]

As far as trucks adding something to my road enthusiasm...not really.  Most of the roads I do on Surewhynot are either scenic, Historic or rural in nature.  To that end it can be highly entertaining watching a trucker master craft their way through a logging or mining route when I see it.  Roads like I-5 and CA 99 generally don't do much for me unless there is some sort of historic value.

[Tonytone]

One thing I do think is kind of regional is lots of well painted trucks from bourbon companies.  Assuming they really have bourbon in them and are not just ads, and are heading out of Kentucky for the east coast, this has always seemed odd to me, as you are just telling hijackers which truck to take.

Do you think it's easy for people to "Hijack"  things nowadays? A car yea ok. But a truck? Most people don't even know how to drive a car. No one is scheming of master plans to take a alcohol filled truck, when all police agencies have supped up Tahoe's Explorer's and etc. Thats why they painted the truck.



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[TheHighwayMan3561]

Nothing special really around the Twin Cities, but back in Duluth and Superior it's logging trucks.