You find yourself at a low bridge - now what?

I'm surprised none of you guys suggested the space-time warp method. You know, the means by which you go so fast it actually compresses / flattens your trailer and you squeak right under that low bridge.

 

Get out, ask traffic to move, then backup until you can turn around. If that's unsafe call the Poland asking they can direct traffic.

 

Is there a road atlas (hardcopy) for truckers that points low bridge routes out? I havent been to school yet so hopefully this isnt too obvious a question.

 

There is one bridge in Mechanicsburg to the west/south accessible from US 15 east in PA off a state route. Turning north on that route at a light takes you over the hill and to it.

A policeman stopped me there with lights before I had a chance to get rolling. 2 hours of stubborn bull headed round and round revealed a simple question. Why me and why here? He said that PENNDOT had paved the bridge, yes it was 13.6 as sign said but nope it's now 12.5 something. I would have torn the trailer apart, lost my freight and probably my life considering the angles at the bridge over the hill. He saved my life that day minus the unnessary two hours of yes I can, no you can't, what? I said yes I can you agreed that sign 13.6 makes me at 13.5 able to use the bridge. No you cannot use the bridge and round and round. It was crazy.

Then he cited me for a lost PA sticker that left it's shadow behind just as I was leaving. We had to pay it, get a new Penn Sticker and so forth. But I have a new birthday.

 

There is what is called a Motor Carriers Atlas sold in truck stops from Rand for decades, they are the tops with low clearance. However... there are in every state and county more low bridges than listed by Rand. Usually you have fair warning. But not always, if you were in Joppa on 40, you knew not to turn onto a unmarked or country road anywhere west of that route due to a railline next to you across it's entire length there are a number of stone arch bridges you will never fit into under that line.

 

Every truckers atlas list the low bridges on the national highway network. But once you get off that network to make your pick ups and deliveries got are basically on your own.

 

Good way to get a list of all the low clearances is to Google (for example), "bridge clearances in South Dakota". This will give you a link to South Dakota's (or whatever state you ask for) bridge clearance list.

 

I've been lucky to find them before being blocked in. Last week I got put off on emergency detour in town with no routing. Luckily they had the streets marked with the low bridge heights at interections, between that down trees, trees on power lines, busted water mains it was a fun day.

 

Did you change your user name?