Is it legal to take up both lanes

by Jeremy
(Oregon)

Oversized load can't fit neatly in 1 lane at all times

Hello,

I was just recently cutoff by an employee for Bridgetown Trucking, while on the southbound dual lane portion of Interstate-5 in Oregon. He had had an oversized load (he was hauling a half of a manufactured home) and had no pilot vehicles.

When I entered the interstate, he was well to the right, with a 16 wheel freight truck and a sedan to his left, passing him. I signaled and moved over to pass as well. I gained speed and just as the sedan cleared the nose of his rig, he moved over the center line very abruptly, forcing me to slam on my breaks mid interstate. As I continued to blare my horn, he moved back to the right. I again moved to pass, and he again took to the center, riding in both lanes. As reprehensible as his actions were, my question is regarding the legality. Was it legal for him to behave in such a manner?

Comments for Is it legal to take up both lanes

Average Rating

Click here to add your own comments

Nov 07, 2023
Rating

Dont Know the Oregon Laws
by: The Crazy Trucker

That said, it's oversized. It's impossible to always be only in your lane.

My guess is you were on 3 lane highway. He was gaining on the vehicle in front of him in the right lane.

When the car got pass, he moved over left to pass a vehicle in the right lane. (Hopefully he had his turn signal on but I know that some clowns don't use it. But i digress)

After he passed the vehicle in the right lane, he got back over to the right.

It wasn't personal I'm sure. Nothing illegal about him being in two lanes with an oversized. He didn't need to get over completely in the left lane. Just far enough to clear the car to the right and keep someone from riding beside him on both sides.

Hope you're not caught in that again.

Always look at traffic in front of the vehicle you're about to pass though. It could give you intel in what could happen. Helps you read traffic and avoid drivers like him.

For example if you saw he was gaining on a slow vehicle, you could have paused your pass and let him get around the slow vehicle first.

Those oversized are not easy to drive on a highway with a people. And if it was a busy highway, you probably had a lot of traffic behind you.

Also you said you had just got on the interstate. Evidently you gased on it pretty good. (What type of car you driving? lol) If you were going that fast, he might have not seen you as you were hidden behind oversized and just appeared out of no where due to speed when he was already moving over.

Just it could have just been a timing situation to.

That said, if he had used his turn indicator, you would have known to pause.

I'm assuming he didn't use it since you proceeded to attempt a pass.

Click here to add your own comments

Join in and write your own page! It's easy to do. How? Simply click here to return to Ask a Professional Truck Driver..