Know your weight

I think I was there, once upon a time.
At the last second I saw the sign and braked very hard. It was only posted about 200 feet from the bridge.
I crept along very slowly from that point, but I had the room to get under it.

 

When the bypass was bilt the cops decided to ticket all trucks using it. Go through town they said. Well about a month later some otr driver got nailed. The next week the bypass was open to trucks. Apparently it was a federally funded project. Opps!

 

Most of them in NY state.

I was in convoy, actually a herd when I encountered my very first one. If they can make it I can too. However, not all bridges are safe. If in doubt stop that truck and call the law. It's safer to do that than to try and mess with a bridge. Ive always called the law, I don't mind that they think Im stupid or dumb for getting a big truck trapped etc. It's important that no damage is done anywhere. If that bridge is too low it's too low.

I don't understand NY as far as the bad math is related to bridges. And I probably will never understand why they do it the way they do. I usually had antennas right about 13.5 or 13.6 if they start touching the bridge I am testing before the rest of me gets under it's too low. You can examine the bridge and see dents if any where other trucks before you hit. Sometimes big scrapes in the concrete tell the story. Arches in particular, sometimes you can use the middle and get through. (Route 222 north of Lancaster PA has one, you shoot that one in the middle after coordinating with the other direction on that radio so you don't have a smash with the opposite direction.) I don't know if they ever fixed that one.

I have argued with a local Policeman in Mechanicsburg over a bridge that was marked 13.6 but actually blacktopped under with 6 inches of new pavement making it 13.0 I will be grateful to him for my life and truck even though we had a rather difficult converstation for a couple hours until we all understood why. He wrote a ticket on the bingo card sticker for PA which did not have it's decal on the tractor. But you cannot have everything. We don't do bingo cards anymore, that went out decades ago.

Bridges are fun. But be careful as you have been doing and everything will be ok.

 

The truck made it almost across before the bridge collapsed into the river. The truck ended up stuck on the westside concrete support. Hippen was not injured.

The patrol said damage to the bridge was about $775,000 and about $1,700 to the truck.
UPDATE: ISP said truck driver may face charges following bridge collapse

 

Lol yes, my Subaru sx4 is close to that!

 

This is why it's imperative that truck drivers keep their weight in check and maintain those petite figures.

You can buy just one corn dog or pizza slice. Don't keep buying into the PFJ "2 for $x.xx" scheme.

 

Lol! And don't pee on my truck tire at a rest area!!!!! Lol! Walk to the rest room, plz!

 

It is my belief that if you put your arms out the window of your cab and flap very quickly, you will be able to lighten your truck enough to fly over the roadway and onto the other side. If that doesn't work then Pick C dust (which I believe is some type of cocaine) will also work.

 

It costs more per corn dog if you only buy one.