Its something I hadn't noticed before but when checking out the Tail of the Dragon website (http://www.tailofthedragon.com) I noticed there is a petition being signed to urge Tennessee to join North Carolina in banning trucks over 30ft from using the roadway 129 between the tenneesee / North Carolina border up to 19/74. I know this is aimed more at motorcyclists than automobile enthusiasts but the effect will be the same, a safer run down the tail of the dragon. Currently the ban is in place in North Carolina but this wont stop a truck from making the return trip form Tennessee. Many of you have been to this area and should be very aware that many of the corners along 129 simply are too sharp for tractor/trailers to make without encroaching on the opposing lane, many of these corners are BLIND! This combination is deadly. being one of Americas best cruises, it would be nice knowing that its safer to travel and enjoy. I know this is posted on Ninja250.org and thought this would be another good place to find support.

I've never driver the tail but what they're proposing definitely makes sense to me. They would just need to declare it a non-truck route and then enforce it.

Do trucks really have anything to gain in terms of time and cost by using such a slow and narrow route?

Taking the dragon by car is a shortcut. By truck its anything but. Down there around the smokies you can drive 70 miles to get a place that is 15 miles away. The roads just aren't there and the mountain range reduces accessibility. GPS' are the main reason why semis are on the dragon. They route out of state truckers through the road by using the shortest route. Most truckers are unaware or ignorant of the driving hell that awaits them. In the 4 times I've driven RT 129 I've always thought of how a truck can make it through some of the twisties. Parsons corner and the area of carousel curves are pretty rough. I agree that Tennessee needs to do what NC did and ban trucks from using the roadway and post signs. I follow killboy the dragon photographer and he posts up about 3 pictures a month of semi's making their way through the dragon.

I would have to agree that any semi that ended up going through the dragon would have had to end up there by accident. I wouldn't attempt it in anything larger than a box truck and you would still have to possess fairly large cojones to try it in that! Anytime I am in the area I will go through just to see how whatever Im driving at the time will take it. The only time I have broken this tradition I was in an 18ft box towing a Jeep on a dolly!! Its insane to think it would be a shortcut, and the worst part is there is 11mi of insanely twisty road with nowhere to turn around!

honestly i think it would be troubling to ban tractor trailors over certain lengths some towns may sufer from it people just hate when they get stuck behind them and dont wanna deal with them on thier comute to work but they dont relize what they have in there cars pockets and houses truckers like my father bring them to them there is a saying truckers use "if you have it i brought it" so they should get rid of the ban

nismo240sxs14 wrote:honestly i think it would be troubling to ban tractor trailors over certain lengths some towns may sufer from it people just hate when they get stuck behind them and dont wanna deal with them on thier comute to work but they dont relize what they have in there cars pockets and houses truckers like my father bring them to them there is a saying truckers use "if you have it i brought it" so they should get rid of the ban

Yeah, but:










If your vehicle is too big for the road, you shouldn't be allowed on it.

nismo, Have you been on this section? In the 11 miles only one road intersects it. Motorcycles and car clubs are the reason why this area has any tourism. Trucks threaten that and the lives of others. I respect truckers as my father and grandfather are but this road just isn't meant for them.

I would have uploaded a video from last years cruise to give you an idea of the road but YouTube is being weird. Jesda illustrated the point anyways.

Welcome to Nico BTW!

a picture says a thousand words! Im glad to see it seems to be stirring some discussion.

nismo240sxs14 wrote:honestly i think it would be troubling to ban tractor trailors over certain lengths some towns may sufer from it people just hate when they get stuck behind them and dont wanna deal with them on thier comute to work but they dont relize what they have in there cars pockets and houses truckers like my father bring them to them there is a saying truckers use "if you have it i brought it" so they should get rid of the ban

That's a silly argument. I see trucks all the time around shifting inventory to smaller box-trucks just so they can service an area with supplies, it happens all the time and is just part of normal everyday business. Safety will always be considered long before any other concerns.

^ That.

Put the crap in pickup trucks or use a different route. I find it hard to believe that there's anything THAT important in that area that has to be delivered by a semi truck.

I live in New Orleans and work in the french quarter. I can tell you that it would be vastly easier for companies to drag a trailer down burbon st and deliver budwiser that way, however, we have a ban on tractor trailers in the quarter. They dont really fit the quarter, they are dangerous on the narrow streets and sharp corners, and they disrupt traffic and tourism. These are the same reasons why they are trying to ban them on the dragon.

nismo240sxs14 wrote:honestly i think it would be troubling to ban tractor trailors over certain lengths some towns may sufer from it people just hate when they get stuck behind them and dont wanna deal with them on thier comute to work but they dont relize what they have in there cars pockets and houses truckers like my father bring them to them there is a saying truckers use "if you have it i brought it" so they should get rid of the ban

100% wrong. There are numerous fatalities on the Tail because of tractor trailers. They are too long for the road. Also many trucks end up on there since they are following gps.

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6haNzNzWG-0[/youtube]

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0QoO5cThfIo[/youtube]




and this one really shows exactly why they shouldn't be allowed on the gap.

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4imxLZ3PkPQ[/youtube]