I'm a little unsure that this belongs in the section for newly licensed drivers, but I'm looking for some advice on two less common aspects of trucking:

Firstly, I'm looking for advice from drivers with experience hauling over-size loads. I've been dispatched on a few non-permit, non-escort over-size loads, and often must travel into built-up areas with multi-lane roads. One prominent customer's in a residential area. Any input on lane positioning, gauging corners, controlling traffic for tight spots when the lanes narrow, and general words-of-wisdom-in-retrospect are appreciated.

Secondly, I'm also interested in knowing the driver's responsibilities while being loaded by crane.

This morning, I picked-up two empty shipping crates made from 8x8 Oak timbers, approximately 15'L x 6'H x 11'6"W, weighing roughly 15,000lbs each. I was loaded at the fabricator by crane. However, this morning the mobile crane arrived alone, without a rigger. This man actually had the audacity to set up the crane and slings, and then sit behind the controls and wait, while staring at me. I refused on the grounds that rigging, especially of something so awkward, should be left to someone properly trained. Unfortunately, the operator brow-beat the shipper into the task.

I watched with growing suspicion as this professional operator repeatedly struck the trailer, the other piece of the load, and his own equipment with the load being hoisted until finally positioning it on the trailer. Moreover, the operator failed to provide a rope for controlling the rotation on the load, instead asking the shipper to stand under it and push it around by hand (Yes, you read that right).

The most dismaying moment was watching the shipper remove the slings improperly, simply because he wasn't trained and didn't know better. When the operator hoisted the slings away from the load, they caught and shifted the piece, which again collided with the crane's cab, but also caused the deck of the trailer, the cab of my truck, and most importantly the other 15,000lbs piece to lean frightfully.

Thankfully, the load was righted and I personally noted the freight damages on the paperwork. I reported the incident and damages to my dispatcher, and implored the shipper to require the crane company to bring a trained rigger in the future.

After this scenario, I have these questions: Are riggers required for loading by crane? Is the driver traditionally expected to rig loads for cranes? What recourse does one for sloppy operators beyond calling the company? I've looked for crane/hoisting associations in my province, but can't find any regulations for my questions. Any driver's with experience in being loaded by crane that can give insight are invited to reply.

tdb, sounds like you had a heck of an experience with that load. Let's see if we can be of some help to you.
First, what was the width of your non-permit load? Depends where you are if there is a permit required for the city and state. seperate permits require different routings too. Normally the non-escort loads are under 16 ft., 10 ft. you can travel at night in some states and some 10 ft. loads don't have city curfews either.
As for lane positioning, it all depends how wide the load is. Generally just drive down the center of your lane or with your tright tires on the r. fogline. Again it depends how wide you are. Just center your load in your lane and the other drivers will have to adjust to you. You can move over to the right a little for big trucks but don't jepordize your stability of the load in doing that.About cornering, you have to turn out earlier and wider. If you have an escort they will help with traffic control if they are a good escort. When in heavy traffic, make sure you watch the front corners of your load so you don't clip mirrors ar cartops. People will always try to squeeze by an OD load and then place you both in a tight place. KEEP YOUR EYES OPEN!!!
Crane companies or the Shipper/reciever are responsible for having riggers, not the driver. The driver is supposed to tell the crane operator where, on your trailer, to place the load. You might want it further to the back with a spread axle or up next to the step, if weight allows, so the load won't slide forward any and giving you more load security.If a crane shows up without a rigger, call your dispatch or shipper/reciever ASAP. If you try to be the rigger, YOU are responsible for any damages to the load, crane or your trl.
Sounds like the operator wasn't to sure of himself if he kept hitting everything. I would have just stood back at a safe distance and watched. You did good by noting the damages.
Sorry this was long but I am a firm believer in SAFETY and don't want to see anyone get hurt if I can help it. Hope this helps you out. GL and be safe

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Have a Great and Safe Day
Remember 911 You are Not Forgotten
League City Fire and Rescue

In the US there is no such thing. Either its legal freight or its OD and requires a permit.

There is how ever plenty of

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That's why I asked how wide that load was. Either it's legal or not.

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Have a Great and Safe Day
Remember 911 You are Not Forgotten
League City Fire and Rescue

To happypappy25 & Brickman:

Thanks for the input, it's much appreciated. These loads were being hauled in the province of Ontario, Canada. The over-size loads I'm hauling are typically 11'6" wide, leaving about 1'5" or so of over-hang past each side of the rub-rail (To view one of the loads, click on the my trucking photos to the right). The shipper stated that over-size permits are not required in Ontario if the load's width is 140" or less, but that red flags are required on the widest sections of the load.

I recall hearing that even flags aren't required if the load overhangs 6" or less, but I'm not sure if that's just rear over-hang. I browsed through the FMSCA Securement Handbook but didn't see anything about it.

Regarding driving wide-loads, how do you suggest handling roads where it's not possible to centre yourself in the lane? One part of my routing took me down a four-lane street without a median divider, but with plenty of signs to the right. I had to move over to avoid clipping the signs, but also risked pushing traffic beside my into the next lane. Another road of identical design had a narrowed right-lane due to snowbanks spilling into the streets. I had cars pulling up beside me because their roof fit under the load, but some pick-ups tried to bully their way through and sometimes I noticed their roofs 6" from my load. This was particularly difficult to deal with when I came up to a median division with a traffic light pole in the centre of the road. From the left lane, I indicated a right turn to try to centre myself between both lanes to avoid the pole and traffic to my right, but traffic forced itself around my right side. I stopped to wait for a safer gap, rather than bluff my way over, but this confused people behind me and just created frustration.

And I admit that, at first, I was a little surprised to see that four-wheelers are as inconsiderate to slower over-size loads in tight spots as they are to a regular tractor-trailer.

And while I'm thinking about it, if I'm reasonably centred in my lane, and another vehicles bullies their way past and strikes my load, who's at fault? What if I don't even notice it and keep driving? Does that count leaving the scene of an accident?

I've hauled alot of oversize loads but none without permits. Sometimes we had yearly permits but I did haul alot of one trip loads. Mostly heavy construction equipment. While you're driving you can stay in the right lane so you can have a little space if needed. But always remember never drive on the shoulder because you don't know if the road can hold your load. While driving elsewhere there's only one rule that applies to all areas. Slow down and take it very easy. Turns are different so no one can really give you specific instructions so you'll want to make sure you go slow enough to make the turn without hitting anything. The reason the states issue permits is to give you specfic instructions on the movement. When I was hauling OTR I could not drive after dark and restricted on alot of roads. However, the hours are not the same so you need to read the permit. Also it should tell you what roads are forbidden. This is where you'll have problems without permits. If you do cause an accident you must be on the route the state gave you. If not guess who's going to pay for all damages? Maybe in Canada it's different but in the U.S. you've got to follow the permit to the T.

Crane operators are mostly union operators and do not touch any rigging. All they do is the lifting and lowering. You did the right thing by documenting the damage this fly by night crane operator caused. You could have taken it one step more and video the loading. I'm sure the outcome would have been different once the camera came out. It sounds like you had the rigger operating the crane and the crane operator was not there. The rigger is the one that drives the crane to the job and sets it up. The operator just gets in the cab and does the lifting and lowering. Once the job is done he gets in his vehicle and drives away while the rigger breaks the crane down and returns it or on to another job. You always start as a rigger and work up to the operator. So by the time you're an operator you should know all the aspects of the crane. Sounds like you didn't have that.

As follow-up:

I've done a lot of digging since posting this, and have found that most of Ontario's over-size regulations mirror America's, specifically that any load that exceeds the maximum width allowance requires over-size permits.

My company, however, does not require permits for these moves because they are done within city limits, and the city's jurisdiction trumps the province's. The city only requires permits for loads exceeding 140". The loads are squeezed under 140" to avoid the permit charges, which cost $125 per-move, rather than the provincial rate of $50 per permit. Surprisingly, even annual permit holders, which costs $200, must pay the per-move charge.

Regarding riggers, I hauled another wide-load with the same crane operator this morning. I spoke to the plant Health and Safety supervisor before loading and had them come out and observe. Needless to say, things were more professional!

I spoke to the operator personally about the lack of a rigger and was told that since the customer wasn't paying for the service, they weren't providing one. Moreover, it was the customer's obligation to provide rigging services, either in-house or via another service provider. He stated emphatically that the crane company was not required to provide rigging service as part of their contractual services. This contradicts the replies above, so I'm curious to hear your responses. Perhaps it's an American regulation that's not reflected in the Canadian industry (which I doubt)?

Amusingly, the customer was quite surprised to hear that they were not getting rigging services because they weren't paying for it. They'd never been told what they were really paying for. Fortunately, it appears that some phone-calls will be made about who's paying for what, thanks to these past few incidents.

I can tell you anytime we had a lift we always sat down and made a plan. The rental for that crane is not something you want to pay for just to see the crane there on the job. During that planning all the issues came up including riggers. Maybe the crane companies hired outside riggers but it was always right there in the contract that we required riggers for the job. We also did that because you pay a minimum for that crane and if there's anything else that needs a lift we did it then.

The crane company should have made that information known but what you've told us on how the guy ooperated the crane it sounds like a fly-by-night company in the first place. It's amazing how the work safety improved when you took some good actions. Only if you had a movie camera for the first load.

You were correct not trying to become a "rigger" and do it yourself... That's not your concern.. Your responcibility is to tell the crane operator where you want the load placed on your trailer..

That's about the extent of your involvement.. You of course have to secure it to meet specs. and prevent any shifting or movement of the load. Taking lots of pictures and documenting everything on the BOL is wise.

I'm not a Canadian, but do a lot of high, wide and heavy here in the states.. (I can't go to Canada.. my tractor wheel base is now too long,& I refuse to have a speed limiter in my truck..)

Gonzo if your truck has an electronic engine it already has the speed limiter in the computer.

Its just not set.

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