13’6” bridges…have you tried and made it?

I've driven just under 30 years. I've driven under maybe 2. It doesn't matter how many they are the only one that matters is the one in front of you when it happens. Look at the bridge and road carefully. Some bridges arch so the most clearance is in the middle of the arch and you may need to straddle the center dividing line to clear it. Don't fall for everyone's "oh they always mark the bridges a few inches/foot lower than they really have." You have no way to know that and you will feel really really stupid getting stuck under a bridge marked lower than your truck. You should feel stupid if it happens. You handled it the only way I know to handle it. Don't just driev yunder it at warp speed. Stop and creep past the bridge. F the traffic behind you. The world won't end if the jerkwad gets to Starbucks for his $19 coffee 45 seconds later than expected.

 

There's lots of bridge mishap videos on YouTube......complacency leads the way to calamity.

 

If people actually measured their trailers they’d find out they’re not 13’6”, especially with a truck sitting on 22.5’s. The latches on the lids of the pneumatic I pulled were 13’2” and many times a van parked next to me was the same height or a little lower.

 

some old skool truckers told me 13'6" is empty ride height.
if ya have a dump on your drives dump'em first.
the old timers said they use to let some air outta their tires to get thru & air them back up once clear. true, idk.

 

With air ride trucks and trailers there is no empty ride height. Ride height is ride height, that’s the purpose of the leveling valve.

 

At/Over 44K in A 53' Dry Van Lowers Your Ride, By How Much, I Never Knew, probably a bit more with Spring Ride depending upon AGE of Unit.
ONCE, Getting OFF The Garden State Parkway (only on it Southbound about 2 miles = OOPS), Came Upon An Overpass Marked 13' 6" With Some (what appeared to be Added Asphalt), So I Crept Through In A Cornbinder Sleeper With 53' Dry-Van and some horns blowing behind.
Another Overpass, North of GNBO NC (off of Rt 220/68, North Of Summerfield) Labeled 13' 6", Nowhere to flip, so crept thru in The Center (2 lane) in 2nd gear.

Chicago WAS Fun Rolling & Clearing 13' 6" Overpasses at Highway Speeds.
More Fun In Winter Hooked To Dropped Trailers, Cleared The Roofs (do not recall seeing any wrecks in rear view).

I Liked Texas's "warnings Of Low Overpasses", being under 14' Something.

 

If the truck and trailer have low pro 22.5 it's probably 13'4-13'5. I've measured before. Tall 24.5 I'm 13'8 at the front of the wagon.

And it depends on how your 5th wheel is set up. Some are higher than others

 

Where? I can't think of one

 

If you see a clearance sign marked 13'6" and you go under it and damage your equipment it will be determined to be a preventable accident.
Do you wish to risk it?

It is a huge grey area if the sign says 13'8" and you do some damage, trailer bounced up while going under, preventable because had you slowed down the damage would not occur.
And it gets less and less grey as the clearance signs gets higher, but the risk gets lower and lower.

My solution particularly if it is on a truck route:
Any question as to whether or not I can make it, slow down just as the OP did, flashers on, crawl under it. I will take up as much as the highway as needed as slowly as needed to prevent damage to my vehicle or the bridge.
I LOVE the sounds of blowing horns and pixxed off drivers with one finger salutes. They can call their local highway dept., grind down the pavement, or whatever it takes to get the clearance so I don't have to stop and crawl under it. The highway engineers in this case created the hazard, they can easily cure it.
That being said this one is one of my favorite preventable accidents: