Why you should always check bridge height...

Dreamer

Administrator Emeritus
Charter Member
Newbies and experienced alike can learn from these photos. Posted with permission of the photographer, name of company blocked out at his request, as he previously worked for them. This is what happens when a 13 foot tall truck tries to go thru a 11 foot bridge.....
 

Doggie Daddy

Veteran Expediter
this mental midget must have thought he was in the family car that day,because he was clipping along pretty good to do that kind of damage.DD.
 

pellgrn

Expert Expediter
In chicagoland the heights are always off cause when they repave the roads they don't change the signs,also the snow can pile up and change the height.
 

Glen Rice

Veteran Expediter
One more thing,don't asume the height of your truck. Get a freind to help you measure to the highest point. And allways side on the side of caution. Drive slowly up to questionably bridge and get out and look. Traffic behind you will understand. They would rather be slowed down by you than stopped while you jam yourself under a low underpass..Safety first!
 

RichM

Veteran Expediter
Charter Member
Also be very carefull in Canada where the height is shown in meters,Good idea to have a conversion chart with you.
 

Dreamer

Administrator Emeritus
Charter Member
I think another thing people forget is their accessories... I had a buddy of mine do thousands of dollars of damage to a truck in an underpass near my house, He had been thru there plenty of times, and knew a truck would fit... tho barely...however, he had started for a new company.. that had Qualcomm mounted a little too high,and an aftermarket taller exhaust pipe had been added that rose a little above the box...


The truck went into the underpass ok.. and about halfway thru, there was a bump in the pavement..

The qualcomm bubble exploded into shards of plastic, and tip of the exhaust hit.. bent backwards, and since it was mounted to the back of the sleeper, cracked the fiberglass almost all the way down.


Lucky his ol lady was driven, so he could blame it on her.. heh heh...




Dreamer
:+ :+ :+
 

ATeam

Senior Member
Retired Expediter
I was at a trailer shop recently. Wow! Do you see some bridge/trailer wrecks there. Mechanic there told me about a driver we can only feel sorry for. In Chicago he was stopped at a red light with his trailer half way under a bridge that he cleared just fine....just barely, but just fine. While there, a train came over the bridge. It sank the bridge enough to damage the trailer. I wonder how long it took his safety department clerks to grab their "driver-at-fault" stamp.
 

davekc

Senior Moderator
Staff member
Fleet Owner
I think I would have let the air out of the tires and slid it out.
Better than a crunched box.
 

barney

Expert Expediter
>this mental midget must have thought he was in the family
>car that day,because he was clipping along pretty good to do
>that kind of damage.DD.
About 25 MPH will do this. Remember, the truck doesn't stop, the box does
 

danzman50

Expert Expediter
I was in a truck stop ealier today, feeling bad cause I had to repair another tire, till some driver drove in the flyin J cause she tried to go under a bridge she didn't fit under. Must have been a company driver, she didn't seem to be all that upset, cause it was a peterbilt!!!


Dan
 

ramblingon

Expert Expediter
It is also a good idea to anticipate that your truck will be lower when it is LOADED. If you make a return via the same route and it was close while you were loaded, one might want to try a different avenue.

:}
 

X1_SRH

Expert Expediter
It looks to me like the quickest route into the car hauling business is to quit checking bridge heights. You see - some good can always come out of a bad situation. You could probably line up a gig in the summer hauling hay too.... -X
 

KandS2

Veteran Expediter
Charter Member
A driver got his trailer stuck under a low bridge. While he was checking it out, a police officer came up.

"You get stuck there?" the officer asked.

"Nope, I was delivering this bridge, and I ran out of gas." the driver replied.

:)

Stay safe out there!
 
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