Road rage

[Andrew D]

I fail to see how trains which are not traveling on public roadways can impede the flow of traffic on public roadways.

Have you never waited in your car at a railway crossing with a freight train passing?

You have enough time to order a pizza and have it delivered to your car.

I also fail to see how wild exaggerations of objective realities advance the analysis.

Yes, I have had to wait for passing trains many times. Not once have I spent more than five minutes waiting for a passing train to clear the roadway.

(I did once have to wait quite a bit longer, but that was for a stopped train that was blocking the roadway. Under the circumstances, it hardly constituted a traffic impediment warranting any significant policy consideration: I was stopped on an unpaved, dead-end road heading west off of I80/US95 thirty-five miles or so north of Lovelock, Nevada; during my half-hour (give or take) wait, when I wasn't running my engine, not even one car joined me; and when the train finally moved again, there was not even one car waiting on the other side either.)

Anyway, on those rare occasions when one is stopped by a passing train, the train passes, and that's the end of it. Trucks traveling with one on the road, rather than merely passing across it, constitute a much more substantial impediment. Mile after mile after mile after mile, they continuously impede the flow of traffic. Get stuck behind one, and you could easily spend an hour grinding along at a speed far below your speed limit.

And that happens on multi-lane highways also. You're cruising along, a line of trucks appears in the right-hand lane (which is, of course, where they belong). Then the truck at the back of the line moves into the left-hand lane and starts to pass the others. They're doing 55, so the truck doing the passing goes at 56. Mile after mile, even though your speed limit is 70, you are condemned to doing 56.

After that truck -- finally! -- finishes its passing maneuver and moves back into the right-hand lane, what do you see in front of you? Another truck blocking you while passing another line of trucks. And then another, and then another, and then another .... On a 100-mile stretch of I5, you can easily spend 80 miles forced to travel at 20% below your speed limit.

The fundamental problem is that the entire trucking industry operates by dumping its problems on the rest of us. Your truck won't travel at normal speeds on particular roadways? Fine. Either you get a better truck, or you stay off of those roadways.

It is, at bottom, the responsibility of the person/entity that is impeding the flow of traffic not to impede the flow of traffic. But the trucking industry finds that inconvenient, so it simply decides to solve its problem by turning that into everyone else's problem instead.

Which, again, is another example of the amoral attitude to which I have been pointing: "I matter; you don't."

[Andrew D]

Sadly no, the rails suffered a slow decline after WWII, with trucking being more convenient and air freight being more swift. As much as I'd love to laud the trains, they being in the family lineage and all; truth is, their time has passed.

That is a myth. In fact, trains still carry more ton-miles of freight than do trucks, and the trend is increasingly toward rail and away from trucks. The table here shows both that trains move more ton-miles of freight than do trucks and that shipment of freight by rail has been growing faster than has shipment of freight by truck.

More and more people responsible for deciding how long-haul freight is to be shipped are realizing that trains are simply better than trucks for getting the job done efficiently. For long-haul freight, the trucks are the ones whose time is passing. And no great loss there.

[Jarlaxle]

Actually, part of that is Kalifornia law. They are one of the few (I think <10) states retaining idiotic "split" speed limits: trucks (anything towing a trailer, actually) are limited to 55MPH regardless of a higher posted limit. Most states have (thankfully) dumped that, but not all. Hell yes, the turtle races are annoying...I ran into them coming back from my vacation in June. If I'm in my work truck or my bus and can't pass in a reasonable distance on a 2-lane highway, I don't try to. I've spent many miles in my old bus staying in the right lane going through the Appalachins for that reason....the bus will easily pass semis going uphill, but would be an obstruction to cars.

There are plenty of steep 2-lanes where going up at "car" speeds is impossible, and going DOWN some grades at "car" speeds can be fatal. Many stretches of I-80 and I-81 through PA will slow semis to 45-50, some of the downhills are posted for 50. I've seen roads with 50-55MPH speed limits have warnings for trucks to slow to 30 (or less) downhill.

[dales]

I for one don't want some half-crazed throttle jockey carrying 78,000 lbs of crap barreling down the freeway any faster than necessary.

Limit these bozos to 55 mph.

Our roadways in CA are crowded with enough stupid people in passenger cars and adding a 78,000 lb gorrila to the mix is suicidal.

[Jarlaxle]

The problem is the split limits. As many other states have realized, they are a hazard. Even Illinois recently dumped theirs.

[Rick]

I've noticed something about the California speed law:

http://www.dmv.ca.gov/pubs/hdbk/speed_limits.htm

I posted this 1st (out of order)

Towing Vehicles, Buses, or Large Trucks

When you tow a vehicle or trailer, or drive a bus or three or more axle truck, you must drive in the right hand lane or in a lane specially marked for slower vehicles. If no lanes are marked and there are four lanes or more in your direction, you may only drive in either of the two lanes closest to the right edge of the road.

Then this

The maximum speed limit on most California highways is 65 mph. You may drive 70 mph where posted. Unless otherwise posted, the maximum speed limit is 55 mph on two-lane undivided highways and for vehicles towing trailers.

I bet this IS enforced uniformly...

[Andrew D]

I've noticed something about the California speed law:

When you ... drive a ... three or more axle truck, you must drive in the right hand lane ....

It would be very good to see that law enforced.

[dales]

Actually it is the farthest right two lanes on highway with three or more lanes traveling in the same direction.


eta: rectifiy typos

[loCAtek]

Andrew D,Granted, but those are long haul statistics. Most of the truck freight traffic in California is short haul, which is also what Jarlaxle is engaged in.

In modern times, railroads are primarily used to haul bulk quantities of cargo over long distances.[27] Unless a manufacturing or distribution facility has a direct connection to the railroad, the remainder of the trip must be handled by truck.[1] Recent implementation of "just in time" strategies have resulted in the increased use of trucks to help satisfy businesses' fluid inventory needs. Using this strategy, businesses gain the ability to reduce the costs associated with excess inventory and larger warehousing facilities by requiring more frequent deliveries.[28][29][30] According to an industry group, many retail, commercial, and government services require daily or weekly deliveries to keep supplies or merchandise on hand. Many hospitals have also moved to "just in time" inventory systems. The nation's busiest gas stations require deliveries of fuel several times per day, while the average station receives fuel every two to three days. Grocery stores require deliveries of perishable food items every two to three days.[25]

[dales]

Which one is Jarl?