it finally happened to me, staring at a low clearance i cant make

Were you going to the Home Depot DC in Philly?
..because that's where I found one. I missed the turn the veered off to the left to get to the DC and I thought "no big deal, I'll go to the next intersection and turn left and get back on the right road." Nope! Shortly after I turned I was staring at a low clearance overpass. A few minutes later while I'm considering my options, an Arnold truck did the same thing and parked behind me. I called the police non-emergency and they told me it would be a few hours to get someone out there. An hour later, traffic pretty much cleared out. I put on my four ways, backed up along the curb, got back the way I was going and turned on the street I needed.

 

If that was me, I would ave done like a swiftie or englander and just made a convertible..Its hot out anyways

 

i made the same fatal mistake on my first trip through NYC. i was so mad. took me 2 hours to get out of manhattan.

 

I hit a low bridge in Buffalo, NY. I was following a marked truck route to my delivery and it was detoured due to construction to the right towards a bridge that was marked 12'-1". I figured if the city was using that as a detour for a marked truck route, then they measured it and a 13'-6" truck would fit, since some of those bridges aren't as low as they are indicated. It was definitely higher than 12'-1" because I got about 1/8th of the way under but at some point It was low enough and I made contact enough to rip a hole in the corner of my trailer. $1156 to repair.

No indication at the turn off for that truck route that a 13'-6" trailer would be a headache.

 

If you have a Rand McNally Motor Carrier atlas, US550 is marked as a four lane non-freeway (i.e., not a blue line, but orange with little red lines on each side). All routes in the motor carrier atlas that are STAA are highlighted with a orange (it extends both sides of the road for all roads covered under STAA). Rand McNally has it labeled "National Network", not to be confused with the US Route or Interstate Route system. Any road highlighted orange in the atlas is STAA. They are covered by STAA length, height, and weight limits (unless there is a specific restriction for a road, which would be listed in the low clearances and restrictions secton.


At the front of your atlas, there will be three sections:

State Access Policies, National Weight and Size Provisions, and State/Provincial Weight and Size Limits


National Weight and Size Provisions lists the limits for each state for STAA. Each state has their own limits. No state can restrict further than 53' trailer on STAA routes other than to give stipulations, such as kingpin to tandem length, rear overhang, etc. No state can restrict below 20k single axles and 34k dual axles as well. But, there can be certain stipulations for certain STAA routes if the need arises (US83 NB in Texas had such a restriction despite being STAA for a while due to an old bridge).

Next up is the State/Provincial Weight and Size Limits which governs state routes NOT included in the STAA routes. Any time you venture off the national network (or STAA), you're governed by these restrictions. For instance, NJ has a 96" width restriction, Maryland has a 48' semi-trailer length, etc.

And lastly, is the first one, State Access Policies. This is how far the state is willing to let you stray from the National Network (STAA) onto their non-STAA routes before you're considered oversize or overweight. Most states either have a 1 Mile limit, or are listed as "unlimited" because they allow 12/34/34 and 53'x13'6x102" on their state routes. A few states have different restrictions, such as 5 miles, etc. Some say the shortest route to the shipper or receiver, etc.


Most officers will not know which road you're allowed to take unless they're DOT and are quite aware of their state's rules. Locals will not unless you're off the network and they know they're restricting your access for a route truckers love to shortcut on. I'm not saying I've never strayed off the STAA when I'm not allowed to... I have, many many times. But, you do so at your own risk.

 

I get the feeling that enforcement of that 48' limit in NM is non-existant as too many areas of NM would be cutoff. Sort of a "don't ask/don't tell" sort of situation.

 

I had my first run in with a low clearance just a few weeks ago in downtown Pittsburgh. When you get off of I 376 West at Grant Street I needed to make a right onto First Ave. This is the truck route. The truck route was closed for repaving and there was no posted detour. So I went a few blocks up to Sixth Avenue where there was enough room to make a right hand turn so I could get over 1 block. Then I figured I could just go around the truck route and make a left onto Second Avenue which is where the truck route comes out to. Well, there is a bridge there but there are no clearance signs posted. It slopes and it is really low on the right side where I was sitting. They had a detour sign to turn right so I figured I'd follow the detour and then regroup. Well, I started to make the right and once I got around the corner there was a car parked on the right hand side that I couldn't see until it was to late. I wasn't gonna make that so I had to back out of that turn. Luckily there was another trucker that was behind me. I jumped out and asked him if he has ever gone under the low bridge and he said he clears the bridge with a 13'6" trailer empty if you stay to the extreme left but it is tight. So I knew that I should be able to get under it. I threw on the 4 ways and crawled under the bridge and made the turn and was on my way after that.

That was the first time in 3 years I ever ran into that situation and it is a very scary and helpless feeling! I was about to call the police but luckily I ran into that Walgreen's driver!

The legs were a little rubbery for a while after that LOL. But in the end no damage to the truck, the trailer, or any property so I guess it was a victory.

 

That's about what I got from a scalehouse that I called asking them. But they seemed to leave it open to "if we want money, we know where to find it". Also, if you get caught speeding on a road and the cop knows you're not supposed to be on it, the #### could really hit the fan.