Truckers Report Jobs

Find Trucking Jobs

Company Driver Company Driver Dry Van Dry Van Flatbed Flatbed Refrigerated Refrigerated Specialized Specialized Owner Operator Owner Operator
More Trucking Job Searches ⌄ Fewer Trucking Job Searches
⌃

Wide Load Flatbeds Moving into Oncoming Lane on 2 Ln Road?

Discussion in 'Questions To Truckers From The General Public' started by pawn256, Jul 17, 2011.

Page 1 of 3
  1. Jul 17, 2011 #1
    pawn256

    pawn256 Bobtail Member

    4
    0
    Jul 17, 2011
    0
    I was driving on a 2 lane road in Illinois today and saw 2 wide-load vehicles traveling on a 2 lane, undivided roadway. The wide-load trucks were both carrying some kind of silo or large round tank. They were narrow enough that it was not difficult to pass on a 4-lane stretch. Each wide-load flatbed had a lead vehicle and a trailing vehicle. Occasionally, the wideload truck (and maybe the accompanying vehicles) would move into the ONCOMING (left) LANE for a couple hundred yards distance, and then move back over. They tended to do this, even if there was oncoming traffic that was forced to slow down and move towards the shoulder. I saw this happen two or three times over the course of 15 miles. I couldn't spot any sort of potholes or obstacles on the right hand side of the road that would warrant what looked like "swerving" into the left lane. Any ideas why they did this???

    I happened to be between the trailing vehicle of the front truck and the leading vehicle of the rear truck, if that has any bearing. I didn't do it on purpose. I passed one of the trucks on a 4-lane, but then we all turned onto the 2 lane so I couldn't pass the front one.

    THANKS!!
     
    pawn256, Jul 17, 2011
    pawn256, Jul 17, 2011
    #1
  2. Truckers Report Jobs

    Trucking Jobs in 30 seconds

    Every month 400 people find a job with the help of TruckersReport.

  3. Jul 17, 2011 #2
    Swiftey

    Swiftey Light Load Member

    81
    15
    Jul 10, 2011
    0
    trees, mailboxes, small children... the list goes on, It could be a million different things but either way they had a reason, I'm sure someone who's done oversize will post with some very good reasons
     
    Swiftey, Jul 17, 2011
    Swiftey, Jul 17, 2011
    #2
  4. Jul 17, 2011 #3
    Diesel Dave

    Diesel Dave Last Few of the OUTLAWS

    7,300
    14,616
    Jan 20, 2010
    Hesperia, Ca.
    0
    There are object's that WE see in front of us that YOU don't see that causes US oversize load's to keep switching lanes. We have to plan ahead when we try to see far as we can to avoid from hitting anything. A driver that has NEVER hauled oversize load's will not understand sometimes, specially newbie's. But once you get to talking to a few driver's to explain to you WHY this is done, you will have more of understanding.
     
    Diesel Dave, Jul 17, 2011
    Diesel Dave, Jul 17, 2011
    #3
  5. Jul 17, 2011 #4
    MadMac

    MadMac Bobtail Member

    37
    6
    May 1, 2011
    Iowa
    0
    Also they could've been avoiding tree branches or lower overhead lines!
     
    MadMac, Jul 17, 2011
    MadMac, Jul 17, 2011
    #4
  7. Jul 17, 2011 #5
    Diesel Dave

    Diesel Dave Last Few of the OUTLAWS

    7,300
    14,616
    Jan 20, 2010
    Hesperia, Ca.
    0
    :biggrin_25520:
    :biggrin_2556: On the interstate ?
     
    Diesel Dave, Jul 17, 2011
    Diesel Dave, Jul 17, 2011
    #5
  8. Jul 17, 2011 #6
    MadMac

    MadMac Bobtail Member

    37
    6
    May 1, 2011
    Iowa
    0
    I was driving on a 2 lane road in Illinois today and saw 2 wide-load vehicles traveling on a 2 lane, undivided roadway.

    That was the original post!
     
    MadMac, Jul 17, 2011
    MadMac, Jul 17, 2011
    #6
  9. Jul 17, 2011 #7
    G/MAN

    G/MAN Road Train Member

    7,031
    8,621
    Sep 3, 2010
    0
    They could have been avoiding something parked on the side of the road, a bridge railing or mail box, etc., I don't take a chance on hitting something when I am pulling an over size load. There is no way to tell without being there.
     
    G/MAN, Jul 17, 2011
    G/MAN, Jul 17, 2011
    #7
    Diesel Dave Thanks this.
  10. Jul 17, 2011 #8
    okiedokie

    okiedokie Road Train Member

    9,820
    62,790
    Jun 13, 2011
    PNWET
    0
    Lead pilot car radios back to driver that there is a object of concern they are approaching. OS loads have the right of way to on coming traffic,that's what pilot cars are for. To alert on coming traffic to yield. Sometimes they don't and well when they get to the truck they do. OS loads-Height,Width,Length and Weight. For me Width is the worst.
     
    okiedokie, Jul 17, 2011
    okiedokie, Jul 17, 2011
    #8
    Diesel Dave Thanks this.
  11. Jul 17, 2011 #9
    Jumbo

    Jumbo Road Train Member

    3,669
    7,388
    Sep 4, 2009
    Appleton, Wisconsin
    0
    I think you may have seen us today. We are taking two storage silos to Ohio. The front cars were our "Pole cars" as we are 15'6" tall, 14'6" wide and 110' long. If their pole taps anything overhead (the poles are set at 16') they tell us. The reason we moved into the opposite lane was to avoid the powerlines, cable tv lines and the thicker tree branches overhead. The lines tend to droop in the center of the road, but are usually higher on one side of the road or the other. if we move to either the left or the right we can clear them.
     
    Jumbo, Jul 17, 2011
    Jumbo, Jul 17, 2011
    #9
  12. Jul 17, 2011 #10
    Jumbo

    Jumbo Road Train Member

    3,669
    7,388
    Sep 4, 2009
    Appleton, Wisconsin
    0
    I have had pole cars tap powerlines on the interstate before. Took one 15'11" high from Wisconsin to Florida about a month ago and we tapped 3 powerlines on interstate 44 in Missouri.
     
    Jumbo, Jul 17, 2011
    Jumbo, Jul 17, 2011
    #10
  • Truckers Report Jobs

    Trucking Jobs in 30 seconds

    Every month 400 people find a job with the help of TruckersReport.

    • Page 1 of 3