Lawmakers in several states may soon take aim at trucks in the left lane.
The Owner-Operator Independent Drivers Association is pushing back against rules that single out trucks and ban them from the left lane. OOIDA is the nation’s largest group representing small trucking businesses and professional drivers.
OOIDA says truck drivers see every day how bad traffic laws can make roads worse. Even when the intent is good, blocking trucks from certain lanes can cause big problems and make roads less safe for everyone.
“Lane restrictions create a ‘barrier effect,’ decreasing safety by creating dangerous merging and lane-changing conditions, more aggressive driving and ultimately increasing crashes,” OOIDA said.
OOIDA backs a common-sense approach to left-lane use. The approach focuses on safe passing and keeping traffic moving.
North Carolina
In 2024, Colorado and Kentucky rolled out new rules that keep trucks out of the left lane. North Carolina did the same a year ago.
North Carolina requires all vehicles to keep up a minimum speed on highways.
Since Dec. 1, trucks weighing more than 26,000 pounds have been banned from the far-left lane. The rule applies on highways with at least three lanes in each direction.
There are a few exceptions. Trucks can use the left lane to get on or off the highway, dodge a hazard or pass another vehicle.
New Jersey
In New Jersey, lawmakers are looking to tighten the reins on how trucks move down the road.
The state already has a left-lane rule. All drivers are supposed to stay right. Drivers can move left to pass or get ready for a left turn.
State law singles out large trucks. Vehicles weighing 10,000 pounds or more are banned from the left lane on roads with three or more lanes going the same way. That rule also covers the New Jersey Turnpike, the Garden State Parkway and the Atlantic City Expressway.
Break the rule, and drivers can be fined up to $200. A few exceptions apply.
Now, Sen. John McKeon, D-West Orange, wants to go even further. His bill, S2369, would force all tractor-trailers to stay in the right lane at all times.
Under the bill, trucks could only use the left lane to get on or off the highway. Passing another vehicle? Not allowed.
Drivers who break the rule could be hit with fines of up to $500.
New York
A New York bill is also taking aim at trucks in the left lane.
State rules already tell trucks to stay out of the far-left lane. Right now, trucks can only move left to pass another vehicle.
But the rules aren’t the same everywhere. On highways with just two lanes going one way, trucks can still use either lane.
Sen. Keith Brown, R-Long Island, wants to clamp down even more. His bill, A9331, would force trucks, buses, slow vehicles and other traffic to stick to the two right lanes on highways with three or more lanes going the same direction.
Drivers could still slide left to get ready for a left turn or exit. Any lane beyond the two right lanes would be clearly marked “No Trucks or Buses.”
The bill is now sitting in the Assembly Transportation Committee.
Arizona
A new bill in Arizona is coming after large trucks in the left lane.
Right now, state law says slower drivers should stay right. Drivers can move left to pass another vehicle.
Truck drivers already have tighter rules. On highways with two or more lanes going the same way, trucks are supposed to stay right. They can move left only to pass, turn left or exit.
Rep. Nick Kupper, R-Phoenix, wants to crank it up a notch. His bill, HB2087, would ban trucks over 26,000 pounds from using the far-left lane. The rule would apply on highways with three or more lanes going in the same direction.
The rule would not apply to high-occupancy vehicle lanes.
This morning on the I-10 there were tons of semi-trucks in the far left lane. That’s why my bill HB2087 needs to pass.
It keeps semis out of the far-left lane on roads with 3 or more non HOA lanes. pic.twitter.com/BlRUnTFqRZ
— Nick Kupper (@realnickkupper) January 22, 2026
Michigan
One Michigan bill is putting truck lane use under the microscope.
Right now, the law says drivers can use the far-left lane only to pass. Trucks over 10,000 pounds are supposed to stay in the two right lanes.
House lawmakers voted in September to back a bill that tightens up the rule. The bill, HB4522, has since moved to the Senate.
Rep. Will Bruck, R-Erie, says the law has a big problem: police can’t clearly write tickets when trucks break it. His bill clears up the rule and gives officers the green light to enforce it.
HB4522 would clearly ban large trucks from the far-left lane on freeways with three or more lanes going the same direction. In work zones with only two lanes, trucks would be locked into the right lane.
There would be a few exceptions.
“This is a practical plan that offers clarity and makes sense for everyone out on our roadways,” Bruck said. “This is common-sense legislation, and I hope it doesn’t get caught up in partisan politics.”
The bill now sits in the Senate Transportation and Infrastructure Committee. LL
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