Adventures of a Flatbedder at Roehl

I must of took out the fence and railroad tracks to do that. Six Wheeling the whole time!!

 

Came out of the house on Monday, did a local drop and then picked up heading to Milwaukee. Dropped that on Tuesday and got my next FUN load. A relay from Oak Creek to CANADA!
So here I sit in Canada, dropped my two stopper today, a half day a head of schedule and I have my preplan. Pick up two 20 foot containers and take them to Chicago.
OH well, I am getting miles, but come on, when did we start hauling containers?
Cory from training told me when I went through Gary's orientation. "If we start hauling containers it might be time to start looking somewhere else." Just repeating what was said....

 

Did you ask Cory?
Wonder what he said, probably, "he's coming from Canada whatya think he's gonna get?" or something along those lines. He's a good guy.

 

Wow, what a trip. Drove thru MI in the snow. Stopped twice on I-94 west bound Thursday night because of jackknifed trucks. Lost about 90 minutes because of that so had to stop at rest area. Got going Friday morning and was almost to consignee when Chicago snuck up on me and slapped me hard!
Let me fully explain this one.
Routing tells me to go to I-94W exit 50B. I find that the consignee is off of I-55 exit 288 uhm, those two points are pretty far off and there is no directions to consignee. So I pull up Google maps and directions. See where I have to go. Look at the map and see that there is no reason for me not to be able to make that pretty simple route. 1st mistake, assuming anything in Chicago.
So I truck down the road. Get off at me exit, turn where I need to turn. Go under a 13'6" bridge (see where I am heading with this) come up to another bridge with NO MARKINGS, looks OK, but I slow down anyway. I see other trucks going underneath, tight, but OK. So I start under. Get halfway under, BOOM! Second container hit crossbeam. Oh was I P!$$ed off. Get out of truck, I have two to 5 inches of clearance? WTF? Second container is two feet off trailer, but still on. Two straps still on, but one chain broken and other ripped out pockets. WHERE DID I HIT?
Called police and was getting ready to take pictures and cop shows up, "can you move it"? So I get in and back it out, with almost no problem. Had to realease the trailer breaks once, removed air from bags, and reversed out.
Long story short, no markings at all, trailer was 13'4" at it highest point (that hit). Wasn't ticketed or anything. Cop even said he would report the bridge was hit, but nobody would probably come out to do anything about it. Worse thing is I could see the consignee and couldn't get there. Asked cop for directions and went his route. Of course it led me to another MARKED 13'0" bridge. So on phone with Roehl to figure a way out of where I was. Man what a cluster ######!
Now get this, at consignee and the guard tells me that just the week prior another flatbed hauling containers hit the same bridge and took both of his containers off the trailer. Man I am glad I slowed down! This could have bee worse.
WARNING to any flat bed hauling containers on 35th street North to California avenue, the bridge is not marked and you WILL hit it. Looking at where I hit, I would guestimate bridge height at 13'3"
Ok, let the hits come!