If its marked 11'7" and your 13'6" don't try it !!

From the OPs cited story...

http://www.pressconnects.com/articl...hamton-bridges-take-toll-unwary-truck-drivers

"...On Friday, a tractor-trailer transporting Olum's furniture hit a railroad bridge on Riverside Drive in Johnson City between Main Street and Grand Avenue. On June 9, a trucker hauling potatoes got stuck under a railroad bridge on Front Street near Clinton Street."

...evidently "stupid" is catching!

 

Ny measures from the center of the axel to the bottom of the bridge

 

NY marks bridges differently than the rest of the country. I've "heard" its from the top of the curb to the lowest part of the bridge myself. Just the same, anything less than the height of your trailer should be viewed with caution, although there may be as much as another foot of clearance.

The only exception to this in NY state is if the sign says "EXACT" along with a height. Then you can be sure that it is indeed exactly what the sign is indicating.

 

I wonder why they just can't measure from the ground, the same point that's measured on the trailer.

I agree completely. That's why everytime we go in New York city, whichever one of us that's not driving at the time is up front adding another set of eyes. I don't how many times we've had to go slow with the four-ways on with one us leaning out the window making sure we can clear the low clearance.

Hmm, don't recall seeing any height signs with that written on them.

 

Whats that song say ??? " What was he thinking" ???

 

I make it easy I just don't go there!

 

To all of you suggesting that the driver was fired for this...
He couldn't have been, because he wasn't an employee. That 9 at the beginning of the truck number says that this was a lease operator.

So they dumped him, but they probably stuck him with the cost of repairing the tractor as a way of saying "Nice knowing you!"

That picture is the thousand word answer to why it's playing with fire to take on the financial responsibility of a contract straight out of driving school.

 

The signs are usually green and white and say "actual clearance" and you see them more upstate. The yellow signs are posted a good foot lower than actual clearance. Big time pucker factor when you go under a yellow 12' 7" bridge for the first time. That, and you'll only get off the BQE ONCE because of the low clearance signs. When I would deliver to Jetro's in Brooklyn, I'd see the USX and Schneider trucks driving around lost looking for the BQE truck detour!