Speed Traps at Night in California

[T * Storm]

quote]I've always thought that California speed enforcement and Illinois speed enforcement was much the same.[/quote]

(Now to start a flaming war )

No, CA LEOs and Illinois LEO are much different. CA LEOs are suave, debonair and Hollywood cool. Plus their looks don't scare the women and children.

[movinit]

It all depends on how hungry the LEO is at the moment. We watched a driver get pulled over on I-40 for doing 61mph (the driver said on the CB "Uh Oh I guess I shouldn't have pushed the 61 mark") because he was in the left lane and he was slowly passing us (we were doing about 59). The CHP officier tore after him like he was doing 110mph, dirt was flying! I guess he had to catch up on his quota.

[Kintama]

At night I-5 from Grapevine to Stockton is a race course for trucks. Get in the pack and let her rip

[TruckerChris]

At night I-5 from Grapevine to Stockton is a race course for trucks. Get in the pack and let her rip

Exactly...

Pretty much the whole part of 5 on any night is a race track especially into the wee hours. My favorite part is the canyon from redding to Weed... The rest is pretty much boring. Just be sure to go slow through redding no matter what. People drive all kinds of speeds out here. I rarely see anyone going 55 other than a local truck or day cab. Mostly everyone goes 60 and less and then theres always the guy from the east coast that passes you hauling *****...

[Longsnowsm]

I have been driving I80 in my POV a lot lately and the favorite places seems to be those down hill runs where the CHP sets up. I noticed the same thing for trucks if you keep it within 5 mph of the PSL then your OK.

Coming west bound out of the mountains it is easy to let your speed climb so take care of your brakes! On some of those longer down hill steep grades all you can smell is cooking brakes from the big rigs! It isn't pretty.

After it gets dark in CA the motorists become complete lunatics. I hate driving in CA after dark in the more congested areas. I don't know how those people get licenses to drive!

Longsnowsm

[Ian Williams]

Exactly...

Pretty much the whole part of 5 on any night is a race track especially into the wee hours. My favorite part is the canyon from redding to Weed... The rest is pretty much boring. Just be sure to go slow through redding no matter what. People drive all kinds of speeds out here. I rarely see anyone going 55 other than a local truck or day cab. Mostly everyone goes 60 and less and then theres always the guy from the east coast that passes you hauling *****...

The guys in day cabs are on the clock, its amazing how getting paid by the hour promotes respect for the speed limit.

On NB5 once you're out of the mountains near Weed until the bill uphill climb is a good spot to open it up. The fastest I've ever driven a POV was on this stretch going back to Grants Pass four years ago.

[TruckerChris]

Exactly...

Pretty much the whole part of 5 on any night is a race track especially into the wee hours. My favorite part is the canyon from redding to Weed... The rest is pretty much boring. Just be sure to go slow through redding no matter what. People drive all kinds of speeds out here. I rarely see anyone going 55 other than a local truck or day cab. Mostly everyone goes 60 and less and then theres always the guy from the east coast that passes you hauling *****...

The guys in day cabs are on the clock, its amazing how getting paid by the hour promotes respect for the speed limit.

On NB5 once you're out of the mountains near Weed until the bill uphill climb is a good spot to open it up. The fastest I've ever driven a POV was on this stretch going back to Grants Pass four years ago.

yeah, gordon paid me by the hour one day down in LA when I was doing some local "favors" for them... I was begging for traffic and I wasn't dissapointed!

[T * Storm]

At night I-5 from Grapevine to Stockton is a race course for trucks. Get in the pack and let her rip

Exactly...

Pretty much the whole part of 5 on any night is a race track especially into the wee hours. My favorite part is the canyon from redding to Weed... The rest is pretty much boring. Just be sure to go slow through redding no matter what. People drive all kinds of speeds out here. I rarely see anyone going 55 other than a local truck or day cab. Mostly everyone goes 60 and less and then theres always the guy from the east coast that passes you hauling *****...

...with the CHP right on his tail trying to get a wiff of the fumes...

[Ian Williams]

yeah, gordon paid me by the hour one day down in LA when I was doing some local "favors" for them... I was begging for traffic and I wasn't dissapointed!

Yes, LA traffic can suck on an epic scale. I'm not stranger to traffic having lived in Sac and the Bay Area, but So-Cal takes it to another level.

Our line drivers down in LA there are paid by the hour.

[stevedb28]

I've heard that the police are very strict in enforcing the reduced truck speed limit in California. Is this just during the daytime or are they just as strict at night (2am) when there are more trucks and fewer 4 wheels on the road?

This has nothing to with trucking, but I was a young LCPL in the Marine Corps stationed at Camp Pendelton in the mid 70's. I took leave, went home and bought a Corvette. I had no idea how long it would take to get back to Camp Pendleton so I pretty much speeded across four states, Texas to California. I made pretty good time so once I crossed into California I slowed down to about 10 miles above the speed limit. I had no problems to that point, I guess I was lucky because I was going 80 mph to 100 mph. Anyway, I slowed down and was just cruising, I was looking out for cops and there were none around. All of a sudden there were lights, headlights, then overhead lights behind me. CHP didn't have radar, the sucker was pacing me with his lights off in the middle of the night and snuck up behind me.

I think I would have fought that one for 2 reasons, one if he doesnt have at least parking lights on its entrapment in most states.
the second, he had to drive in the dark without his headlights on to pace you, thats illegal for me to do, so it is him too. If a cop passes me doing 100 mph with no lights on and im in my car i get right behind him and tag along. Hes breaking the law and ive never had one so much as slow down because i was tagging along

[terrylamar]

I've heard that the police are very strict in enforcing the reduced truck speed limit in California. Is this just during the daytime or are they just as strict at night (2am) when there are more trucks and fewer 4 wheels on the road?

This has nothing to with trucking, but I was a young LCPL in the Marine Corps stationed at Camp Pendelton in the mid 70's. I took leave, went home and bought a Corvette. I had no idea how long it would take to get back to Camp Pendleton so I pretty much speeded across four states, Texas to California. I made pretty good time so once I crossed into California I slowed down to about 10 miles above the speed limit. I had no problems to that point, I guess I was lucky because I was going 80 mph to 100 mph. Anyway, I slowed down and was just cruising, I was looking out for cops and there were none around. All of a sudden there were lights, headlights, then overhead lights behind me. CHP didn't have radar, the sucker was pacing me with his lights off in the middle of the night and snuck up behind me.

I think I would have fought that one for 2 reasons, one if he doesnt have at least parking lights on its entrapment in most states.
the second, he had to drive in the dark without his headlights on to pace you, thats illegal for me to do, so it is him too. If a cop passes me doing 100 mph with no lights on and im in my car i get right behind him and tag along. Hes breaking the law and ive never had one so much as slow down because i was tagging along

I was guilty. None of his actions made me speed.

[Crackaces]

Back on subject ...

Again watch your downhill speed. Just saw last night 3 trucks pulled over on the Grapevine and additional trucks pulled over on Cajon pass exceeding the truck speed limit. Maybe the CHP is on a campaign enforcing the truck speed on these passes. I saw extra patrols.

For those that say "Hey 62 is OK .. " well 62 in a 35 is well over 15 MPH over the speed limit and goes into excessive speeding.

[T * Storm]

If a cop passes me doing 100 mph with no lights on and im in my car i get right behind him and tag along. Hes breaking the law and ive never had one so much as slow down because i was tagging along

I've had them holler at me to slow down ,over their loud speaker, when I've done that before.

[Kintama]

Back on subject ...

Again watch your downhill speed. Just saw last night 3 trucks pulled over on the Grapevine and additional trucks pulled over on Cajon pass exceeding the truck speed limit. Maybe the CHP is on a campaign enforcing the truck speed on these passes. I saw extra patrols.

For those that say "Hey 62 is OK .. " well 62 in a 35 is well over 15 MPH over the speed limit and goes into excessive speeding.

I don't belive anyone said the 62 in a 35 was okay. Speeding down that hill is just askin for a ticket, they're always around!

[TruckerChris]

yeah, gordon paid me by the hour one day down in LA when I was doing some local "favors" for them... I was begging for traffic and I wasn't dissapointed!

Yes, LA traffic can suck on an epic scale. I'm not stranger to traffic having lived in Sac and the Bay Area, but So-Cal takes it to another level.

Our line drivers down in LA there are paid by the hour.

What drives me crazy is the traffic on 80 west due to the lane ending @ Auburn/Riverside in roseville. Everyone who lives anywhere close knows that the lane ends but they all want to wait till the last second. What makes it even worse is local drivers who ride the shoulder until the last second. What you do is, after you pass the scale get two lanes over and you'll be good...

But in reality, sac traffic is nothing. Perhaps its because I live here and I know usually how long it's going to last for but it's nothing like the Bay (I've lived there too). Everyone just get's upset with sac traffic heading east probably because They were on 5 or 80 west for a while cruising at a pretty good speed and then, WHAM. Dead stop traffic.

[TruckerChris]

Back on subject ...

Again watch your downhill speed. Just saw last night 3 trucks pulled over on the Grapevine and additional trucks pulled over on Cajon pass exceeding the truck speed limit. Maybe the CHP is on a campaign enforcing the truck speed on these passes. I saw extra patrols.

For those that say "Hey 62 is OK .. " well 62 in a 35 is well over 15 MPH over the speed limit and goes into excessive speeding.

Pretty sure everyone is talking about going 62 in a 55, not a 35. Doing anything faster than 35 on the grapvine is just looking for trouble whether you're heavy or light.

[Floored]

I've always done 62 mph in CA with no problems, used to do 65 all the time but got a few friendly warnings by the CHP passing me and shining their side lights on me.

[Ian Williams]

I've always done 62 mph in CA with no problems, used to do 65 all the time but got a few friendly warnings by the CHP passing me and shining their side lights on me.

Never had them do that to me, I have had them pull out ~100yards in front of me one lane to the left and then gradually slow down.

But then again I'm almost always running late at night when there are less CHPs out and about and the emphasis in on DUIs. Outside of the captive CHP for the construction zones I have not seen a CHP actually waiting for a "customer" for a few weeks now on 80.

[dnc915]

I've always done 62 mph in CA with no problems, used to do 65 all the time but got a few friendly warnings by the CHP passing me and shining their side lights on me.
_________________
Alice
http://myspace.com/floored1320

..and the truth shall set you free

I know you did not do 62 mph going NB down the Grapvine into bakersfield in the 35mph truck zone. And it all depends on where you are at in Ca if they will let you get away with 62 or not

Those of us who run California every week know where we can do 62 mph in a 55 zone. Its the other drivers who don't run out here that much, are the ones who get into trouble w/CHP. I had a CHP tell me that they don't worry about 60-62ish. But 65+ is another subject.