Low Clearances

When driving a big rig up, down, and across the highways and bi-ways of America there are low bridges, overpasses and other objects that create issues...

Here recently and in the past there have been many accidents and issues with low clearances.. When one is traveling at highway speeds at or around 55mph, how do you be sure you can make it safely? Obviously, if there is signs showing the height you can decide if you can make it or not. However, what if its not marked? It seems pretty unreasonable to expect a driver going 55mph down a road or highway to slow to a halt and very gently ease under each and every pass in the midst of the roadway to ease under.

What if it is marked but marked incorrectly and you fly under and don't make it and you are low enough according to the signs to make it under? Who is responsible? What's the outcome?

Obviously you should always check for low clearance warnings and such with your truckers atlas but what if an area isn't marked or marked incorrectly?

 

When in doubt you call 911 so an officer will guide you and block the road so you can back out of it.The average trk height is 13'6 so you'll see lower clarance or 13'6 signs on most bridges.Some bridges aren't marked and some are lower then 13'6' and you can still make it.I was traveling on a remote 2 lane hwy in Illinois,no place to turn around after seeing the 13'5 sign,I called 911 an officer showed up he said you'll be able to make it,bridge looked very tight.I told officer jokingly ok but if I don't you're paying for damages.If you hit a low bridge your company will make you responsible.Truck drivers should always have a back up plan.

 

If I need to do a check of a low height obstacle, I pull off and look it up before trying it. Sometimes you can eyeball it when you come up on it and you know it's still over 13'6" high. If not, I can check Rand McNally. I have a low clearance app on my phone, too. I can look up the bridge and see if it is listed. If I still can't tell, grab a tape measure and measure the lowest point of the clearance. Pay attention to signs and walk it if you have to. some cities are really good about signs. Some don't put them up until you are right at the obstacle. Others put them one or two blocks ahead so you have time to turn off that road.

Really, the best way to avoid low clearances is not to route yourself into them.

 

I always looked for skid marks on the road. Seriously, if you stay on a truck route, which should be highlighted on your Atlas, you should have no problem. I think there's a book or something that lists all the bridge heights that oversize carriers can refer to, to route their loads. I knew of a heavy hauler pulling a transformer, who was routed down I-94 and hit a bridge, and turns out, the bridge, for what ever reason, was 2" lower than what the book said. Wasted the bridge and the transformer, not sure the outcome of that, but I think the trucking co. won the case. Remember, you aren't the 1st one to go under a bridge, and most low bridges are marked as such. What I did, if you do go off the truck route for a delivery, or whatever, get a tape measure, and measure the front and the back of the wagon to get an accurate height, and I set my CB antenna's at 13'7", and if my antenna's cleared, I was good to go.

 

NYC likes to put the average estimated height with packed snow on the roadway....i.e. 12'9" clearance.....however they don't tell anyone that is when the road surface is covered with a layer of snow!

 

NYC bridges are heartbeats a lot of you guys got screwed up in ny nd i usually don't blame the drivers because they don't know, i saw a conway stop to check to see if he was gonna fit under a bridge entering i 278 that was marked 11'6 nd i went right under non stop, im not smart or a better driver i just drive through there everyday. '''KNOW BEFORE YOU GO''''

 

NYC ONLY, if the sign is yellow background with black letters, the height is 12 inches taller than what the sign says. If the sign has a white background, with black lettering, that is ACTUAL Height. And those heights are when the road is dry, before any repaving.

 

Never guess. If you're not sure stop and check. Who's cares about who you hold up? It's much better to cause a problem with traffic than to have an accident and hold traffic for who knows when. Overpasses on Interstates will clear the trailer, and if not there's tons of warnings letting the driver know of low clearance. You can trust them but I wouldn't trust any surface street.

 

Always know your height. Remember arched overpasses can be 14' in the center but way less by the curb. If you are not sure, if the overpass does not look right, get out and look.