[Carl n Susan]

I just drove I-5 north from Bakersfield a few days ago. That stretch was pretty much all repaved 3-4 years ago but, due to the heavy truck traffic, it is starting to show some wear. The trick is to straddle the white line if traffic is light. Otherwise, run with your tires on the right-hand fog line and you will miss most of the damage.

On the subject of the 55 MPH speed limit, I have been towing in CA for 50+ years. You are safe at speeds up to 62 MPH or so. Try to flow with the trucks as they know what works. The Fed-Ex guys are the best. They push the allowable limit constantly. The CHP occasionally executes a "Zero Tolerance Policy" exercise and then they will ticket anything over 55 MPH. If the truckers are slowed to 55, you had better do likewise.