I'm glad I stumbled on this thread. I have made that right turn a few hundred times in a tractor trailer. I used to always turn right, by travelling from center lane to center lane. Now I always turn right from the right lane to the right lane. I would love to explain myself!
I will mention that as much as my job involves me getting to places in as timely manner as possible, my biggest priority is the safety of those around me, as well as myself.
I have noticed that smaller vehicles tend to be in more of a hurry at this exit ramp/right turn than most in the GTA.
As I said, I used to always make that right hand turn, from center lane to center lane. I have seen some pretty crazy moves by vehicles there, and can remember three in particular.
I was in the center lane, intending on turning right, into the center lane. Traffic was slowing, as the light had just turned red. I had several vehicles in front of me, also stopping for the light. I had two cars, accelerate past me in the left lane, then had both cut in front of me, into my lane at the stop. I was running a heavy B-Train that day... I had enough room to stop, but was less than comfortable with the situation. The two cars made a right hand turn when the light turned green. I guess they really just didn't want to be behind me.
Another time I was approaching the same intersection. I was in the center lane, intending on turning right, into the center lane, and was coming to a stop. Traffic was real light. There were no vehicles in front. There was a car approaching the stoplight, in the left lane, coming up my left side. Just right before the lights(red at the time), the car cut in front of me, and shot straight across to the far right lane. I thought they were done....there was a pick up truck approaching the stoplight on my right in the right lane, and it almost hit the car. It was real damn close.
And the third thing has happened plenty of times. When turning right, from center lane to center lane, you will have to nose into the far left lane, to keep your trailer from entering the far right lane. This causes no problems with left lane eastbound traffic as there is none when making a right on a green light. But, what happens almost every time, when there is a lot of traffic, is that the cars in the far right lane will split and enter both the right lane and center lane. I don't know if it is a lack of patience, or the vehicles assuming that I will be turning from center lane to left lane, but it forces me to stay left and pull my trailer over to avoid contact with the vehicles. This forces me to make an illegal turn, to avoid those behind me making an illegal turn.
One day I saw a truck turning right, from the right lane to the right lane. I thought to myself what a stupid driver. He was driving the exact same model tractor as me, with a 53' trailer. I then saw him make the turn, without entering the center lane at all, and without his trailer cutting the inside. Damn, this guy actually knew what he was doing, and I was the stupid driver, turning from center!
I now always use the far right lane, for making right turns. I never have to enter the center lane, and there is plenty of room on that corner to allow for the trailer to stay on the road. One thing that I do notice though, is vehicles turning right, from center lane to center lane, often cut into my right lane when making the their turn. Instead of travelling in a nice constant radius, often they cut across at a 45 entering my right lane....just curious original poster..... did the truck actually enter your lane? It is possible you cut the corner and entered his lane? Was everyone in their correct lanes and things just seemed close? I don't doubt that a truck could have entered your lane, not all truck drivers make the best decisisions all the time.
I will continue to use the right lane for my right turns, I believe that intersection is built for those types of turns, and that it is the safest option