Clarification On Reporting Requirements
Topic 8639 | Page 1
Every state, heck, every city has signs and regulations regarding truck lanes and restrictions. The key is to read the signs. If you're traveling through a city that doesn't restrict center lane driving and it's rush hour, you'll save a bit of time and frustration by not having to speed up and slow down with all the on and off ramps. You also have to take into account your directions. If lanes are shifting etc and there are two lanes or more available, go with the one with the best traffic flow.
It's not a simple cut and dry answer unfortunately but signs will generally be there to help you along. Unless it's California and truckers are wrong no matter what we do lol.
I found the mention of Center Lane you mentioned:
1.14 Other Offenses Leading to Disqualification
....
Improper Lane Usage
Improper or erratic traffic lane changes.
Improper lane changing, lane usage and/or center lane usage.
This is the lane in the middle of the road, with yellow lines on both sides.
If the center lane is "double yellow" on both sides, it's like a traffic island - you officially can't go there, POV or semi-truck. If it has "Dotted" lines, it is a Left Turn Only lane. I suppose using that center lane to pass other vehicles, like it was an extra lane, is illegal, and when you get your ticket, needs to be reported.
DOT:
Department Of Transportation
A department of the federal executive branch responsible for the national highways and for railroad and airline safety. It also manages Amtrak, the national railroad system, and the Coast Guard.
State and Federal DOT Officers are responsible for commercial vehicle enforcement. "The truck police" you could call them.
Robert, since I started looking into truck driving as a career I have been trying to be more vigilant of the signs in my own area so I can recognize them when I start driving truck. Easy to miss in a car because it hasn't pertained to me up until this point! :) Thank you for your driving advice. My mom and have driven cross-country many times (been through 46 states) and in that time I noticed certain patterns with how truck drivers drive their trucks in different road conditions but couldn't peg exactly why they were choosing the lanes they were or why they wouldn't slow down (not dangerously, just differently) the same way the cars around us would. Your explanation has cleared that up for me. My mom taught me at a very young age to always respect truck drivers and the maneuvering space needed to operate such a big rig. Everytime I see someone cut a truck driver off, I just shake my head and send up a prayer that one day their speed racer driving doesn't result in a fatality.
Errol, these images are PERFECT! I'm a visual learner and sometimes reading just doesn't cut it. Thank you for taking the time to clarify with pictures. I had a feeling that's what the section was talking about in addition to reading the signs on the road, but wasn't sure.
Be safe out there! And have a beautiful day :)
Happy driving!
OOS:
When a violation by either a driver or company is confirmed, an out-of-service order removes either the driver or the vehicle from the roadway until the violation is corrected.
This is the lane in the middle of the road, with yellow lines on both sides.
I don't think I've ever seen a road with two sets of solid yellow lines forming a middle lane. What purpose does that serve?
On the other hand, we have turn lanes like this where I live. You pull in, come to a stop, and make your turn. Alternately, if you're pulling out of a parking lot, driveway, or side street you come into this lane, stop, then merge into traffic. I wasn't aware you had to stop when I first arrived and would use these lanes to come to speed and merge in to traffic before I got pulled over for traveling more than 100 feet in the lane. Fortunately only let off with a warning!
Seppo,
I think that the double yellow islands are possibly to allow for emergency vehicles easier passage in heavy traffic conditions. Don't quote me on this one, but I do think that might have something to do with it.
You can really hammer her down in that double yellow turning lane!
Disclaimer: I'm kidding
Ha! Oh yes!
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While reading through the training materials found in the High Road Training Program, I noticed that one of the things it seems like you're not supposed to do while driving is use the center lane. This is found in the Reporting Requirements section under lane usage. Am I understanding correctly that this would apply to a three lane highway? Doesn't totally make sense to me. What "center lane" is this referring to?
CDL:
Commercial Driver's License (CDL)
A CDL is required to drive any of the following vehicles: