Profile For BUDLIGHT Express

You wouldn't need a 45 temp permit if your registration is current, and you wouldn't legally be able to get a 45 day permit with an expired registration. If a plate is lost, stolen, or missing it's still required. A driver could be cited. Are there a ways of getting around not having a plate? Sure. But legally you must have a plate for a vehicle that has been assigned one, and the registered owner has taken possession of it.

Unless it's new as stated by Susan D. Then yes no problem, here anyway

In California that's a violation of 5200 VC. You must have a license plate. The driver can be cited for this section. However It's correctable, once you show the court a license plate is attached to the correct vehicle. Then just court fees, about $25.00. This is California though :)

I carry a flashlight in my brief case. Before I roll up the landing gear, I crawl between the mudflap and landing gear. Shine the light on the jaws and make sure they're closed. Just a habit. I've heard too many awful experiences like yours. Thanks for sharing, it reminds us all not to rely so too much on the tug test. Glad it all worked out for you.

Rookie Lesson learned #127 - ALWAYS, ALWAYS, ALWAYS do a visual check to make sure the locking jaws have closed correctly!!

I did the unthinkable and am thanking my lucky stars that everything turned out ok. Did a drop and hook at a meat plant yesterday picking up a trailer with 45K pounds of inedible parts bound for a rendering plant. Backed under the trailer...tugged...pushed back...tugged again...everything felt like it was supposed to. Hooked up my lines, raised my landing gear and began to pull out when I heard a godawful racket behind me, and my truck lurched forward. Pulled the brakes, got out, and lo and behold....there I was...lines all stretched out and the dang trailer on the ground. I was flabbergasted.

Not having any idea what to do, I approached a yard jockey hoping he could help raise the trailer back up somehow only to be told that they weren't allowed to help. So he tells me to put the landing gear on the easy setting and crank it back up high enough to ram the truck under it again...told me someone else (another lady driver) did the same thing a few days ago and got it cranked back up...took a while, but she did it. Ok, I thought... So I got to cranking, nearly giving myself a stroke with multiple guys standing around watching me as if I was prime time entertainment. Even had two different men...other drivers...come talk to me about what had happened, said they would move their truck to a parking spot and come back to help me THAT NEVER DID. I am in decent shape, but trying to crank up 50K pounds is just a bit too much. I worked on it for over an hour and raised it about two inches before I went into the office, told the lady behind the desk what had happened and just about begged for someone to just help me crank it only to be told no again. After another 30 minutes or so, the yard guy came back and said he just couldn't watch me struggle any more.

He helped me raise it some, and then two guys with those little forklifts came over and tried to help raise it. That didn't work, so the three of us took turns cranking until they had me get back in the truck while they directed me. Finally I was able to work up underneath it again. I was so incredibly thankful. I would have been there all night. Thank the good Lord above that there was absolutely no damage to the trailer, and when I delivered today, everything was ok inside. So...this is just my own personal shame. I haven't said anything about it except to my family and sharing it here in order to hopefully spare some other rookie the same moment. I felt like a complete idiot....and I will never trust a tug test again....EVER.

On a much better note, before this all happened yesterday, my dispatcher told me he had nominated me for driver of the month and praised my performance thus far. I just couldn't bring myself to tell him this morning about my ordeal yesterday....

They are legal. You can have a double combination in California. It is unlimited length on the interstate if neither trailer while empty is longer than 28'-6". If one of the trailers is longer than 28'-6" maximum length is 65 feet. Extensions these doubles are allowed on hay trucks at the rear of 18" while LOADED only. Loaded, this extension is not measured as part of the overall length. Once its unloaded the extensions need to be removed or slid in to get the trailer back to 28'- 6".

Trailers 53' and longer are allowed as well, however the maximum king pin to rear axle must be no more than 40'. 53' trailers are allowed on all roadways in CA if an overall length is only 65'. Otherwise, only on Federal Highway Defense Roadways ( StateRoutes and Interstates), "T" routes, and if no other route is accessible to make a delivery at your destination. Usually a mile or so from a major Highway / Freeway. Triples are illegal in CA. Hope this makes sense, and I didn't forget something. This is in a quick nutshell.

You mean all those doubles UPS and FEDEX drivers I pass on my weekly runs to L.A. are illegal? Whoda think it?

That is most certainly a truck and trailer tanker set up. It is rare in California to find a "Petroleum" double tanker set up. Lots of milk tankers though.

That to me is a truck and trailer. But one reason I am on this site is to learn. Things have changed. Names of rigs have changed as has weights. In my old days in Montana we had 18 wheel rigs in 3 main types. Simi a tractor with 3 axels in most cases or screws as I have seen some folks call them on this stite (good word for them as they do have a pinion and ring gear this a screw is a great name We used to call them Bogies). Anyway the other types of 18 wheelers were doubles with a Tractor with usually a single screw and two trailers. Then finally my favorite was a truck and trailer. The truck with 10 wheels and an 8 wheel trailer. These rode the best of all of them. The companies I worked for had at the time a few of those big doubles you guys mentioned. A simi pulling two 53 foot tigs (42 wheels) and we got the most weight by law at that time using a semi with a pup trailer. In this case the pup had 4 axles thus a 32 wheelers. That was allowed to haul more than the 42 wheel rig in those days. We carried mostly wheat from Montana to Idaho where it was loaded onto big barges on the Snake river then transferred to Portland OR onto larger ships that hauled the Montana Winter wheat to Russia. Man, those Ruskies loved the Montana Winter wheat and paid top $ for the stuff. Best Spaghetti I ever had was made with Montana Winter wheat. Anyway thank you guys for all the help and reading is helping me learn the lingo and about the other types of doubles I never heard of. Like the type B and C Now there are some strange types. The type b makes sense but C other than stability would be hard to work with. Anyway I also find the state of CA has laws that are hard to understand. MAX legnth is still an issue I can not get strait. Will work on it myself if can not figure it out will ask you folks. Thanks guys? And Gals. Jim

Here's a double tanker from out in California. Gasoline hauler:

I think i'd rather slow. MAYBE I lose one second of time, than have the driver on the ramp hit my wheel, fender or bumper and we're both on the side of the road, and me losing my valuable time, having to explain my situation, to the Officer, then later my company, all for one second. For me I slow down, let them in safely so I don't get hit.

First, yes, you guys can be a "bag of D*&KS" some times.

^ all in jest.

I read more than a few of the replies, and the only thing I sensed was a sense of entitlement from the OP, which is really sad. I've been here a little over a year and can count on 1 hand (and still have fingers left over) the times the forum has "sternly" replied to someone.

It was brought up in a safety meeting before. "You're on the interstate, in the right lane. Someone is trying to merge into traffic. You have the right of way, but this person forces themselves into the lane. Do you slow down and let them in, or do you keep going, causing them to run under your trailer?"

You're the professional.....

First of all there is NO law against passing on the right in California. Only passing on the right, on the shoulder. Secondly just because the A4 driver committed an unsafe lane change (Unlawful in California) BEHIND you, this in no way caused the accident. He traveled too far up your right side. So Sir, I know you don't speak of me not knowing how to interpret the law. As far as GENIUS, you don't get a ticket at the scene in California. In the report you'll undoubtedly be found most at fault. A ticket for sure if your DUI, suspended, not CDL, or no proof of financial responsibility (Insurance). You showed us the darkness, we showed you where to find the rainbow.

Damn, you people really surprised me with your "vigilante" response. You all ganged up on me like a bunch of piranhas. So let me respond quickly and be done with it because I'm not gonna start a back-and-forth narrative here.

Could I have prevented the accident? ABSOLUTELY. Should I have checked the mirrors throughout the whole maneuver? PROBABLY. I admitted to this to the safety director at Stevens when I met with him. Does that mean I'm at fault? ABSOLUTELY NOT! The perpetrator tried to pass me on the right, which is against Cali state law. (Yes, I looked in their statutes before I took my stance.) Also, he went into the slow-moving vehicle lane doing 70 mph. He was BEHIND me on the LEFT, which means he shot over TWO lanes. This is an unsafe lane change, also against Cali law. He ADMITTED that he speeded up INSTEAD of slowing down when he saw me make the move. So before you people eviscerate me, educate yourselves because it is amazing that some of you here with so many years of experience run your mouths without taking the time to learn the law. Also, there are DOT traffic laws which even supercede state traffic laws. The 50% rule comes to mind. (For those of you who don't know it, look it up yourselves.) Basically you GENIUSES, if I was at fault, I would have gotten the ticket.

As far as my ego and attitude, nothing wrong there. If I am wrong, I admit it. I've always been open to accountability. I stated to the cop and to the couple that I was just happy that nothing happened to them. But you guys don't know the whole story because I am not going to write a novel about the incident.

As for Stevens, they are buffoons for a lot of reasons. But you guys wouldn't know unless you worked there. And I'm referring to how things are done, not things that have happened to me. And I am gracious enough to leave the other stuff out, so as not to bash them. The fact is, I received no notification, due process or even a phone call as to the status of the case, nor their stance. This is UNPROFESSIONAL. This website is called "Trucking Truth", but that title is a fallacy as long as you have your policy of obfuscating the realities that are out there. If you are going to show the light, you have to show the darkness as well. All is not "rainbows and unicorns". Maybe this website should be called, "Trucking Half-Truths" instead.

CHP rarely issues citations at the scene of an accident, unless witnessed by the Officer. It is usually an infraction that caused the accident, so it's usually an infraction not committed in their presence. Your state the A4 traveled so far up, almost to the cab, if you had checked your mirrors more than once, as other experienced drivers have stated, it probably wouldn't have happened. Maybe the A4's fault....MAYBE if the driver had clipped the right rear of your trailer. That scenario is sketchy too, because a Professional driver just doesn't quickly change lanes. Look multiple times, and move slowly. Minor damage to an Audi A4 after being squished against a guard rail? Hahahaha RIGHT!

Follow the Professional advise given to you by the experienced drivers who are responding to your post. Yeah and don't pull your gloves off. If you did it, you did it. Own up to it.

LOL !

Depends on my mood. Most of the time, I pretty much keep to myself unless someone else initiates a conversation.

Come to think of it, I had a real doozy the other day.

I had just parked and finished my post-trip, when this guy comes ambling up to my window. I rolled it down, and he started talking about how he used to drive for Interstate, but the company he's with now pays SO MUCH better. He went on for a solid 15 minutes.

And then spent the next HOUR ragging on how horrible his company treats him and how crappy their equipment is, and how he'd jump back to IDC in a heartbeat if they paid more.

I guess there's just no pleasing some people.