Are there states that don’t allow triple trailers?

[OCGuy81]

I seem to see more semis with three trailers (road trains) in western states than I do back east.

Do some states not allow these?

[Max Rockatansky]

 I believe it's just a handful of states (Nevada comes to mind) that allow them at all.

[OCGuy81]

I believe it's just a handful of states (Nevada comes to mind) that allow them at all.

Oregon certainly loves them. Need proof? Just drive the 5 between Portland and Eugene

[Big John]

I've seen them on the Indiana Toll Road and the Ohio Turnpike.

[kphoger]

I believe it's just a handful of states (Nevada comes to mind) that allow them at all.

Correct.

Kansas, I believe, only allows them on the Turnpike (or within a reasonable distance to or from it), and only during daylight hours.

[kphoger]

Oregon certainly loves them. Need proof? Just drive the 5 between Portland and Eugene

That seems like a flimsy excuse to go halfway across the country, so I'll just take your word for it.

[corco]

Montana allows them with a speed limit of 55

[webny99]

I've seen them on the Indiana Toll Road and the Ohio Turnpike.

Yes. In fact, that's the only place I've heard of them. It does make sense that the "crossroads of America" is one of the states that allows them. I don't believe they're allowed in New York or anywhere else in the Northeast.

[SectorZ]

I've never seen one on a road in my life, but really the only state I've seen mentioned that someone has seen one in is Ohio.

[SectorZ]

From the wikipedia page about them...

[hbelkins]

What's the point of allowing them up to a state line? Seems like just designating areas between distribution centers or other truck yards would be better.

[kalvado]

What's the point of allowing them up to a state line? Seems like just designating areas between distribution centers or other truck yards would be better.

And what is the point of doing that? To get a whole new legislative process when a new distribution center is built half a mile down the road?

[Scott5114]

It's simpler for a state to simply say "we allow this in our state on these types of roads". What happens after the state line is none of the legislatures concern. Besides, if the adjoining state later passes a law allowing it, now you have to go back and fix it to allow it on the connecting stretch of highway.

Practically, it doesn't even matter, since even if a state allows triple trailers on the stretch of road between the last exit and the state line, trucking companies should well know they can't take that third trailer past the state line. They can build a facility at Exit 1 or whatever to allow them to drop off the third trailer.

[zachary_amaryllis]

i guess the bigger question for me.. is how do you even drive one of those anything but straight?

i mean, wouldn't one have to break it up before trying to drive city streets? i'm admittedly clueless and have never drven anything more than a uhaul... i'm just trying to picture one of these monstrosities trying to make a turn

[Scott5114]

I think most of them are part of a hub-and-spoke system, going from a depot near a rural interchange to a depot near a rural interchange. Not much need to drive on city streets. Different trucks pick up the trailers from the depot and deliver them to their final destination.

[CtrlAltDel]

On an almost irrelevant side note, this key is surprisingly unintuitive.

[hotdogPi]

What about home runs?

[roadman65]

On an almost irrelevant side note, this key is surprisingly unintuitive.

Florida only allows below 100 feet. California has no rules and uses two 53 feet trailers I have seen on I-15.

[deathtopumpkins]

i guess the bigger question for me.. is how do you even drive one of those anything but straight?

i mean, wouldn't one have to break it up before trying to drive city streets? i'm admittedly clueless and have never drven anything more than a uhaul... i'm just trying to picture one of these monstrosities trying to make a turn

Most of the legacy turnpikes (e.g. MassPike, NY State Thruway, Ohio Turnpike, Indiana Toll Road) actually have parking lots at some interchanges, usually next to the toll booths, specifically to drop trailers in, the idea being that one driver will pick up an additional trailer at the interchange where he gets on the turnpike, and drop it at the interchange where he gets off, from which a local driver will pick it up. It's more efficient for companies to have some local drivers and fewer long haul drivers. Generally doubles and triples can't leave the turnpikes in the east. I can't speak to out west though, I'd imagine they'd need to at least exit to get to truck stops, which are going to be designed to accommodate.

Here's an example from the Ohio Turnpike south of Cleveland: https://goo.gl/maps/tLfoLfunnPKNKKY68
Here's one on the NY Thruway near Syracuse: https://goo.gl/maps/6KVJ7kUZDihe1HBVA
And here's one on the MassPike near Springfield: https://goo.gl/maps/q3XnFziK4oUNLc3K8, and at the 128 interchange: https://goo.gl/maps/zoxvVe8h7G1jzGMT6
Trying to still include tandem lot access is an interesting challenge with conversion to all-electronic tolling.

[kphoger]

i guess the bigger question for me.. is how do you even drive one of those anything but straight?

i mean, wouldn't one have to break it up before trying to drive city streets? i'm admittedly clueless and have never drven anything more than a uhaul... i'm just trying to picture one of these monstrosities trying to make a turn

I think most of them are part of a hub-and-spoke system, going from a depot near a rural interchange to a depot near a rural interchange. Not much need to drive on city streets. Different trucks pick up the trailers from the depot and deliver them to their final destination.

Not necessarily rural dispatch lots.  Generally, dispatch lots in urban areas are already constructed and located such that two-trailer combinations are easily accommodated, so a third one doesn't add a whole level of difficulty.

On an almost irrelevant side note, this key is surprisingly unintuitive.

Florida only allows below 100 feet. California has no rules and uses two 53 feet trailers I have seen on I-15.

Those are called Turnpike doubles.

Florida allows the trailers to be up to 48 feet, and the total combination up to 106 feet.  They are only allowed on the main trunk of the turnpike.  Two years ago, they were also allowed to use state highways up to 15 miles off the turnpike en route to/from a port or drop lot.

[Joe The Dragon]

i guess the bigger question for me.. is how do you even drive one of those anything but straight?

i mean, wouldn't one have to break it up before trying to drive city streets? i'm admittedly clueless and have never drven anything more than a uhaul... i'm just trying to picture one of these monstrosities trying to make a turn

Most of the legacy turnpikes (e.g. MassPike, NY State Thruway, Ohio Turnpike, Indiana Toll Road) actually have parking lots at some interchanges, usually next to the toll booths, specifically to drop trailers in, the idea being that one driver will pick up an additional trailer at the interchange where he gets on the turnpike, and drop it at the interchange where he gets off, from which a local driver will pick it up. It's more efficient for companies to have some local drivers and fewer long haul drivers. Generally doubles and triples can't leave the turnpikes in the east. I can't speak to out west though, I'd imagine they'd need to at least exit to get to truck stops, which are going to be designed to accommodate.

Here's an example from the Ohio Turnpike south of Cleveland: https://goo.gl/maps/tLfoLfunnPKNKKY68
Here's one on the NY Thruway near Syracuse: https://goo.gl/maps/6KVJ7kUZDihe1HBVA
And here's one on the MassPike near Springfield: https://goo.gl/maps/q3XnFziK4oUNLc3K8, and at the 128 interchange: https://goo.gl/maps/zoxvVe8h7G1jzGMT6
Trying to still include tandem lot access is an interesting challenge with conversion to all-electronic tolling.

UPS has one
https://goo.gl/maps/GJrfrnY5UJgGXiMn6

[mgk920]

I've seen them on the Indiana Toll Road and the Ohio Turnpike.

Yes. In fact, that's the only place I've heard of them. It does make sense that the "crossroads of America" is one of the states that allows them. I don't believe they're allowed in New York or anywhere else in the Northeast.

The Indiana Toll Road/Ohio Turnpike has yards by their interchange tollgates where they are assembled and disassembled.  They are not allowed on any public roads that lead up to them.

Michigan is a special case where their truck weight limit is twice what it is elsewhere, but that is for single-trailer rigs.  Those vehicles look like they are all wheels underneath.

Mike

[SSR_317]

I have always maintained the attitude that TRAINS belong on the RAILROADS, NOT the HIGHWAYS!

I was once almost run off the road by one of those monsters in Scottsdale, AZ (on Pima Rd, back before the Loop 101 was completed there). I sort of understand the need for them out west, but argue they should be prohibited elsewhere. But my bad experience with one crappy driver does not impact that attitude, as I understand that isolated incident does not repfresent the professional attitude of the vast majority of truckers.

[zachary_amaryllis]

i guess the bigger question for me.. is how do you even drive one of those anything but straight?

i mean, wouldn't one have to break it up before trying to drive city streets? i'm admittedly clueless and have never drven anything more than a uhaul... i'm just trying to picture one of these monstrosities trying to make a turn

And here's one on the MassPike near Springfield: https://goo.gl/maps/q3XnFziK4oUNLc3K8, and at the 128 interchange: https://goo.gl/maps/zoxvVe8h7G1jzGMT6

the masspike one has a nice touch - i see no entrance or exit lanes leading to or from t. yeah, thats probably safe for a ginormous truck merging...

[deathtopumpkins]

the masspike one has a nice touch - i see no entrance or exit lanes leading to or from t. yeah, thats probably safe for a ginormous truck merging...

Fortunately they're located on interchange ramps not the mainline, but yeah, I imagine it can be rough trying to turn out from a stop sign at busy times.