You find yourself at a low bridge - now what?

Did a couple of stops in Chicago once, first one was easy to get to. The other was nearer to old Chicago. While at the first place a local driver was there, I asked him how to get into the second one, he contacted his dispatch and they gave me good direction.
After I was done I stupidly thought of another way out, which of course didn't work. I came to a five way intersection, all four other ways had signs for low bridges. Traffic was light, so when I got the green light I just did a donut right in the middle of the intersection, it was quite roomy.

 

I have found myself at bridges that read 13 foot 6 inches and have asked passers by to give me a look. Always had clearance. At 13 foot 5 inches I back track. I have no problem calling the police and asking for help. To protect and serve is their job. The last time I called was in St. Louis at the Budweiser plant. I pulled into a street that was a short dead end and I was going to have to back across traffic to turn around. Ended up just waiting to the light to change and backed up fine. People are quick to help if you ask for it.

Everytime I see that USA truck video I really feel sorry for the guy. You can see the panic in him.

Remember in an emergency your first job is to drive the truck.

 

That certainly can be true. But their are some big what ifs. What if your truck is slightly higher than 13'6"? What if passers would rather see a truck wreck then help a guy out? What if the road was paved after the 13'6" sign went in? What if a pot hole has your truck bounce enough to gouge the thin roof on the trailer? What if 13"6 was measured at the center and not at the sides or vise versa? What if some other driver, and this happens a lot, already hit the bridge and bent a part of the bridge down so clearance is less then the advertised 13'6"?

I am not saying I wouldn't go under a 13"6 bridge, because I have, but I would be very sure I would be able to make it without any contact before I do.

If in doubt I would simply back out of the situation. Backing skills are far more important then a new driver often thinks. This situation is going to happen under the best laid plans. If their is traffic I will call the cops. Very little to no traffic, I will move over into the proper travel lane and back several miles if have to. Watch for traffic, stop at all stop signs until I find a safe place to turn around.

 

If you are on a designate truck route, it shouldn't be a problem.

Having said that I encountered such an issue in a small town train trestle underpass, even though I was on the "truck route". I just stopped, put out the triangles, turned on the flashers and waved a few cars by.

Then I backed up, did a Y turn, and got my triangles back (Thankfully I wasn't pulling doubles, so backing wasn't an issue).

I called the city the next day and told them that designated truck routes include 13.6 feet of clearance, not 12.5. feet. I don't like calling the cops unless its a real emergency. Met up with too many cops that have a bad tude' to call them, but then I grew up in a time without any cellphones, so its easy for me to say that. Times have changed and unfortunately not for the good, if you ask me..

 

Never assume that just because a road is a truck route it will have 13'6" clearance. That's just asking for trouble.

 

Little off topic but the myth is the police are supposed to protect. The supreme court ruled the police have no duty to protect.

 

Anyone else kinda pucker up when going under one that says 13'6"?

 

Yeah, I would almost stop, and look see. My trucks had low 5th wheels, and generally pulled wagons with 20" wheels, so I knew, dumping tractor air, I could get under a 13'6". But I worried if you hit a bump. Like I've said, I had my CB antenna's set at like 13'6", and if my antenna's cleared, I was good to go. You needed something like that in the Windy.

 

Nah. I just shake my leg to get the "stuff" to descend properly.