How long can a trailer be?
East of the Mississippi, trailers come in 4 standard sizes. 28 foot pups, used in double and triple configuations. 45, 48, and 53 foot dry vans. Most states do not permit these trailers to be pulled in tandem. Anything longer than a 53 foot trailer requires special permits as well as flag cars to lead and follow the truck down designated routes. There are 13 states which permit two 53 foot long trailers to be pulled in a double configuration. These combinations are called “Turnpike Doubles” and cannot leave highways/interstates. There are often drop yards on the sides of the highways in permitting states to break these sets apart. The 53′ limit is due to traffic congestion and the general lack of room needed to make turns wide enough for these trailers to not run over curbs. West of the Mississippi, limits vary by state. Some states allow trailers upto and over 70 feet in length. It is the trucker’s duty to know the regulations for each state that he drives through. His atlas generally
