If I want to go OTR, Interstate, what are the laws that I need to check into? Are all the States the same?
2007-12-13 04:57:35 · 6 answers · asked by smittybo20 6 in Cars & Transportation ➔ Safety
The laws vary from state some are posted like the speed limits others you need to remember like the trailer length and the tandem settings for where the back wheels can be and the weight restrictions. Some states are tougher than others. In some states like New York you can only drive on certain highways. And this is a law that amazes me! In New York if you are prevented from turning a corner by a parked car the police will tell you to run over it and sometimes you run over two or three! If you don't you get an expensive ticket. After you run over the cars they get a ticket for obstructing traffic! Amazing!
2007-12-13 05:42:26 · answer #1 · answered by Linda S 6 · 1⤊ 2⤋
Laws are different from state to state as are speed limits. Oregon, Washington, Idaho require you to carry chains or cables during certain months. California has a bridge law, and then there are the restricted roads that trucks are not allowed on (a current road atlas should have them) and there are permits that are required. Idaho has a $5 permit for carrying hazmat across and it good for 30 days. Maine used to require a special permit to enter with a 53 ft. trailer (they dropped it a few years back) and these are just some I can think of. If your company has a safety department, they should be able to supply you with information on the states you will be traveling with a load. My company provided all permits but it was up to me to keep them up to date. Then there are the no idling laws that are cropping up all over the place and they are by city so yes, there are a lot of laws you need to know since there is no uniformity between states. Good luck. It isn't as difficult as it may sound and it is a treat to go OTR and see all the states.
2007-12-13 14:00:28 · answer #2 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
Actually the federal government has more or less got most states to standardize regulations concerning truck movement between states. Some states still have different rules governing the trucks themselves concerning weights and lengths but I think all states now allow a minimum of 80,000 pounds gross and all that stuff. Other differences might be which lane you can drive in but signs will be posted telling you that or how fast a truck can drive...again this will be posted. Drivng OTR is no big hassle at all.
2007-12-13 14:11:59 · answer #3 · answered by ms_beehayven 5 · 1⤊ 1⤋
There are a series of regulations published by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration that apply to all interstate drivers.
Intrastate drivers (ones that don't cross any state lines) have regulations that are somewhat different.
Individual states enforce the FMCSA regulations as well as state-specifidc regulations: some states have different weight, length, truck type, and permissible route laws as well.
Head over to http://www.fmcsa.dot.gov/ for the whole story.
2007-12-13 13:03:33 · answer #4 · answered by Stuart 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
If your driving a big rig the laws are totally different by state. I could not even beging to tell you what they are. Some states have different weight restrictions & speed limits. I have heard California is the worst with there laws on truck drivers.
2007-12-13 13:02:08 · answer #5 · answered by 2gadoo 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
ITS BEST IF YOU CONTACT YOUR LOCAL (DMV) DEPARTMENT OF MOTOR VEHICLES OFFICE, THEY WILL BE ABLE TO ANSWER ANY AND ALL OF YOUR QUESTIONS AND AT THE SAME TIME YOU WILL BE GETTING THE CORRECT ANSWER TO YOUR QUESTION.
2007-12-13 13:38:18 · answer #6 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 2⤋