Question about rural roads/detours

Discussion in 'Questions From New Drivers' started by BolloxReader, Dec 3, 2011.

  1. BolloxReader

    BolloxReader Bobtail Member

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    Oct 27, 2011
    Indiana
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    I was on my way home from Terra Haute, IN to Bloomington, IN a couple days ago. The main road between the two cities (IN 46) has a washed-out bridge and the detour sends you on IN 246, which is a very twisty, windy road, much more so than it appears on maps. Here is how it appears on Google Maps. On the western approach it's hard to see but that is a hill just before the dogleg, Co Rd 1175 W basically follows the base of the hill.

    Anyway, I had to take a detour on the detour due to a truck having gone off the road and blocking both lanes of traffic. You'd have to be going like 25 mph most of the way in a truck. In a 4 wheeler I was keeping it to about 35 because I didn't know the road and just to maintain that was a constant game of gas and brake. I can't imagine what that is going to be like once winter hits; I know around my place they figure everyone has a pickup or an SUV and rarely plow.

    The truck-friendly alternative would be to take IN-67 to IN-231 to I-70 and then west to Terra Haute. But this would be more miles than going the back country route, and if you're heading west from Spencer following IN-46 then this back country way is the marked detour.

    How frequent is it for trucks to end up on detours that simply are not proper for them, especially out in the countryside? What sort of up-to-date info do drivers have regarding these sorts of things, and how does all of this play into OOR miles?
     
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  3. jbshadow

    jbshadow Light Load Member

    132
    47
    Sep 22, 2008
    Over the road
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    i dont think its all that frequent, however IN is one of the worst for detours, esp state routes, lack of information, etc.
     
  4. Allow Me.

    Allow Me. Trucker Forum STAFF Staff Member

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    11,164
    May 28, 2009
    Rancho Mirage, Ca.
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    Remember that county/state road workers are NOT truck drivers, but even so, you would think that there would be some thought process if they have to make a detour. I've seen detours that are really haphazard, with hardly any signs after you get on it. (great feeling when you come to an un-marked fork). And I've seen some that are absolutely fantistic with regards to truck traffic. Then there's the cities that say "no trucks" AFTER you make your turn and are commited. Good planning, right ?
     
    7122894003481 Thanks this.
  5. Pmracing

    Pmracing Road Train Member

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    Jan 28, 2011
    Arlington Heights, IL
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    The best option is to get and use the CB. There will be local truckers that can tell you about the route. Even if you have to pull over and wait a few minutes for one.

    Even ask them, "how is that route for a rookie driver." Asking questions before acting is almost never a bad idea.

    You will get some teasing, but also the information you need.

    Mikeeee
     
  6. BolloxReader

    BolloxReader Bobtail Member

    47
    16
    Oct 27, 2011
    Indiana
    0
    You know, I nearly completed my MS in Geographic Information Science, which is basically about putting together projects involving smart maps (think Google Earth, but the programs we used extensively were ArcGIS and TransCAD which is a routing and logistics riff off of Maptitude).

    Is there a service out there that offers truckers interactive updating capabilities for GPS-based routing? For example, one trucker could enter in that a bridge was out, and it would update to every driver whose routes would take them across or under that bridge, and inappropriate and appropriate detours could be marked in real time as they were discovered.

    I could imagine trust issues, but that could be dealt with through requiring secure log-ins to update information versus just viewing the information which wouldn't require logging in. And if the log-in were tied to something like CDL or something else that would be a unique and definite identifier (don't know if that would be allowed under regs, just a thought) then the trust issue could be dealt with because troublemakers could be easily identified.

    Just a thought, I just see so many warnings about GPS being out of date or having incorrect information, even the trucker versions, and I wonder if there is a way to crowdsource the data by people who encounter problems not already documented in a way that benefits everyone through everyone's participation. It's basic Web 2.0 stuff. I've read articles about open-sourced mash-ups using Google Earth and other tools that combined give the functionality of ArcGIS or TransCad. Most of the programs out there pull from existing data like TIGER files that were harvested from government websites.
     
  7. 7122894003481

    7122894003481 Bobtail Member

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    1,995
    Sep 6, 2011
    0
    I am a local driver in Indiana (for the most part)...I drive semis down these same roads you are talking about. As far as detours go, alot of the times they are halfass marked, and like the other guy said, you will be cussing up a storm when you take a detour, and come to a fork in the road, and there is no detour sign to tell you which road to take. ##### happens when you party naked.
     
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