Do you use truck bypasses? Are trailers allowed to?

Stefonius wrote:
When I'm pulling a fifth wheel down a stretch of unfamiliar highway, I do what the trucks do. If they're all headed for a bypass, I take the bypass. If they all suddenly change lanes for no obvious reason, I change lanes. I figure that the folks who drive big things on these roads for a living must know something about road & traffic conditions that I do not. Most of the time, following the trucks has paid off. I've avoided a lot of accidents and congestion this way, and I've never gotten stuck in an area too small for my trailer.

x2 - I'm learning this as well. On my last trip I noticed a truck change lanes when we were in bumper to bumper stopped traffic. Didn't know why, and I've got a CB so figured it wasn't an accident. Turned out he was maneuvering to be in the lane for the ez pass. I didn't follow, which was good because I don't have one for my rig yet.

I learned to follow the truck route through a small town also, which diverted me away from a railroad bridge that was too short for my trailer. However, sometimes they aren't all that easy to follow. Miss a sign, and you might be off the route, but I'm following them when they are posted!

When I'm pulling a fifth wheel down a stretch of unfamiliar highway, I do what the trucks do. If they're all headed for a bypass, I take the bypass. If they all suddenly change lanes for no obvious reason, I change lanes. I figure that the folks who drive big things on these roads for a living must know something about road & traffic conditions that I do not. Most of the time, following the trucks has paid off. I've avoided a lot of accidents and congestion this way, and I've never gotten stuck in an area too small for my trailer.

profdant139 wrote:
Atreis, it might be a Calif thing -- I don't know. I am not sure I have ever seen them in other states. But they are very handy -- the auto traffic merges in one area, the trucks are shunted aside, and then the truck lane merges back in after the cars have sorted themselves out.

Without this device, you have the cars coming in at high speed from the right, having to deal with the slower trucks -- lots of dodging and weaving and braking and congestion.

We don't have it everywhere, but it is not uncommon.

Seems like a good idea to me. Around here, on busy roads with lots of merging the trucks drive the lane one over from the right-hand lane so that they don't have to deal with merging cars. It works, but means that lane (which is sometimes the middle lane if there are only three) is often the slowest.

Thanks! It's the sign for that town with a truckstop that throws me off since its an exit. I call the 5 from there to edge of LA coming out of mountains as the Grapevine so I guess that's the common usage today.

The truck routes along the 5 are exactly the sorts of bypasses I mentioned -- they avoid a lot of the tricky high speed merging. Very useful!

And the term "the grapevine" was originally applied to the old highway that led from LA to Bakersfield -- it was very twisty, like an old grapevine. The area is still known by that name, even though Interstate 5 is much straighter. There is a town known as Grapevine at the south end of the San Joaquin, but I think that the town (really just a truck stop and a shopping center) was named after the highway.

The grades up from Castaic (northbound) and south from Grapevine are still pretty significant hills. My old Pathfinder could not tow my trailer more than 50 mph up the hill -- my new Tacoma can hold it at 60.

profdant139 wrote:
I did not realize that there are two types of bypasses -- one that goes around a whole town, and one that makes it easier for trucks where there is a junction of two highways. I have never seen the kind that goes around a whole town, but that sure sounds like a useful device.

If they ever develop one of those that will get completely around Los Angeles, I will stand up and cheer!

I was going to jump in on the comments about going around towns because there is a difference in the most common use of truck bypasses in the South and in CA. Nearly every small town has a truck bypass for highways. I usually take those even if I'm not towing because it skips turns and traffic lights.

In CA I see them with merges, mountains, and cities.

I've wondered about the bypasses on I-5 near LA. I think the one where 99 merges into the 5 is just to put trucks merging from the right. I've wondered about the one northbound on the 5 near the grape vine (and wondered if there is a standard opinion of what the grape vine actually is?)

Atreis, it might be a Calif thing -- I don't know. I am not sure I have ever seen them in other states. But they are very handy -- the auto traffic merges in one area, the trucks are shunted aside, and then the truck lane merges back in after the cars have sorted themselves out.

Without this device, you have the cars coming in at high speed from the right, having to deal with the slower trucks -- lots of dodging and weaving and braking and congestion.

We don't have it everywhere, but it is not uncommon.

profdant139 wrote:
one that goes around a whole town

We have these. Whether or not I use them depends on the time of day - they're good for avoiding rush hour traffic.

profdant139 wrote:
one that makes it easier for trucks where there is a junction of two highways

California thing? Never encountered one of these...

I try to always use the truck route if available even when not towing usually faster and less congested

profdant139 wrote:
I did not realize that there are two types of bypasses -- one that goes around a whole town, and one that makes it easier for trucks where there is a junction of two highways. I have never seen the kind that goes around a whole town, but that sure sounds like a useful device.

If they ever develop one of those that will get completely around Los Angeles, I will stand up and cheer!

Charlotte NC Interstate 485 is a good example of a “bypass” goes around the whole City, when viewed on a map looks like a large “wagon wheel” that circles the city. I485 is also NOT really marked as a truck route or bypass so reading and understanding maps does come in handy to find ways around high congestion areas..

LINK TO NC I485 PROJECT

Much better than dealing with six clogged lanes of traffic for 20 or so miles..