Friday, November 09, 2012
While We're Talkin' Nightmares
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Yeah. Max legal height for a truck is 13'6" - which means bridges that expect semis to fit underneath them must be at least slightly higher. Lots of bridges and overpasses, however, were designed many many moons ago when trucks were far smaller - like this one - and are still in service.
Supposedly, if the clearance is under sixteen feet, it's supposed to be posted. Not always the case. I know you are shocked.
But what really starts my motor (and my compadres) is the fact that we are routinely considerably higher than 13'6". When we're using our triple axles to haul 12' diameter tanks, we are right at 14'2" or slightly higher. When we use our single drop flatbeds, we're right at 15'2" or so. If we obtain permits that route us a certain way, supposedly they have ran us over a route where we have no interference.
Good luck with that thought.
I guarantee you when I'm in unfamiliar territory, I've got a weather eye out for low underpasses. There is nothing quite like rounding a blind curve and coming up upon an underpass where the load ain't gonna fit. I even look 'em over when I'm empty, just to remember some of the short ones in case I've ever gotta go there again. And if I see a low one, it makes me nervous even though I know I"ll clear without a tank on.
I've got leather seats in the Mighty Binder, and luckily they don't take to showing rings like cloth ones would from sucking up the seats, so to speak.
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5 comments:
Okay, that was amusing. I notice that the rental truck industry was well represented. I thought you mostly went with pilot vehicles -- or is that only in certain jurisdictions?
Hey, on the topic of trucks, DRB just did another truck issue.
Yeah, I think a lot of those bobtails were driven by someone who has never had to worry about clearance, ever.
As for pilot cars, it depends on the dimensions of the load and the state. Anything over 12' in OK and NE has to have one. KS and TX are 14', for instance. All different.
The underpass at Bucklin was one that was NOT as marked. I had one trailer that was 2" deeper and 2" taller, 13'8". The clearence was marked 14'2" but my trailer would rub. When they overlayed the raod a time or two they didn't change the clearence.
I remember that overpass - avoided it by going across the north side of town to the N/S road on the east side of the elevator. It's a fairly high overpass now - the state redid it and that intersection several years ago.
That has got to be a nightmare and a pain in the ass when you realize before hand that you are not going to fit! I can't imagine when you don't realize or ignore the signs.
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