Bridge Height

MACK E-6 · Jul 18, 2018

GreenPete359 said: ↑

The only stupid question is the one not asked. Take bath & lower your saltyness levels guy.

Jeez. i’m 13’6” can i go under a 12’2” bridge? Well if your in New York, yes you can!
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Right. Just stay in the middle lane.

MACK E-6 · Jul 18, 2018

x1Heavy said: ↑

And god help you if you attempt to ignore the laser guarded old I-895 Harbor Tunnel in Baltimore near the Fort McHenry Tunnel (The old 50's era Harbor Tunnel on 895 to be specific not the newer built in the 90's I-95 tunnel) that says you get off at the next exit with your truck and you fail to do so showing up at the toll barrier with a over-height truck. They will be all over you.

With that said Im not sure if I want to address in a serious professional manner a question that defeats itself. How can I take a 14 foot truck and trailer under a 14 foot marked bridge. Come on. Is your math that weak?

I treat all bridges with caution. There are certain bridges in my life time that have my respect and certain others that required local police help to resolve before it became a damage accident mess.

Nothing is a sure bet.

I remember yet another bridge between Mechanicsburg and US 15 by way of two seperate small two lane state routes. It was marked 13.6 Im 13.5 and turned onto that road to access under there and get into Mechanicsburg. Local policeman sitting on corner stopped me.

Said I wont fit.

I asked him pointing at the yellow 13.6 sign and said to him, Officer do you know what 13.6 means? He rolled his eyes and said yes that's why I stopped you. I then said to him Im 13.5 at the front corner of my trailer above the reefer currently. One inch. It will fit. Why did you stop me.

"Because you wont fit."

Ok let's start over. Do you know what that 13.6 sign is Officer. Rolls eyes again.

Repeats several times. Then a period of silence as I debate if I am dealing with a very special person in some way while he considered my own mental status as well.

When we deal with the question somewhat diplomatically being nice because HE IS a Officer after all over two hours round and round, it was finally explained to me that bridge was paved under by PENNDOT and its currently 13.0 I would have hurt myself or worse going through there fat dumb and happy at 60 downgrade.

it only took two memorable hours of very difficult basic questioning while trying our best to be civil about this. He did get something out of it. Two things actually. First a great big heartfelt gratitude for saving my life, my truck and so on. That put a smile on his face. Maybe I am the difficult one.

Second a ticket for failure to keep a current PA sticker on the side of that tractor. There was a sun faded glue copy left behind after the original actual sticker fell off. So the town got a little something out of it. (It wont be the first time they got something out of me however...)

Take the good with the bad.

Bridges. Always be careful with them. Always always always.
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I don’t know if the Harbor Tunnel is exact height or not. I do know it’s off limits to 102’s though.

The Fort McHenry Tunnel used to be marked at 15’6” back in ‘86 when it first opened.

Moose1958 · Jul 18, 2018

Pedigreed Bulldog said: ↑

Yes, it would be a preventable and likely even DOT recordable (if your truck is towed from the scene). However, if you fight it and prove in court that the overpass was mis-marked and you WOULD HAVE cleared it with room to spare IF the sign was correct, then you might avoid having to pay for damage done to the structure of the bridge. You're still on the hook for the damage to your own truck, though...state ain't gonna reimburse you for that. If you're a company hand, you're likely going to be fired.
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I would guess over 75% of the time a CMV striking a bridge will be recordable. I was thinking about this some just now. I don't ever remember a single time I have seen a truck just drive away. I have seen some drop a trailer. But even then the trailer has to be transported. However I'm going to respectfully disagree with the getting fired part. 25 years ago, yes. Today I'm not so sure. I have heard about drivers rolling trucks and not losing their job. Not to many years ago that was almost an automatic getting fired. If it was up to me I would fire their butts. However these days a carrier just are not firing over these things unless you have multiples.

truckdriver31 · Jul 19, 2018

MACK E-6 said: ↑

I don’t know if the Harbor Tunnel is exact height or not. I do know it’s off limits to 102’s though.

The Fort McHenry Tunnel used to be marked at 15’6” back in ‘86 when it first opened.
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i use to work for wilson off us 1 and 695

Grubby · Jul 19, 2018

Getcha a real good run at it, just in case!

GreenPete359 · Jul 23, 2018

Pedigreed Bulldog said: ↑

Yes, it would be a preventable and likely even DOT recordable (if your truck is towed from the scene). However, if you fight it and prove in court that the overpass was mis-marked and you WOULD HAVE cleared it with room to spare IF the sign was correct, then you might avoid having to pay for damage done to the structure of the bridge. You're still on the hook for the damage to your own truck, though...state ain't gonna reimburse you for that. If you're a company hand, you're likely going to be fired.
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You missed one point....There is a huge difference between preventable and at fault.

Preventable is a trucking company term, not used anywhere else.

At fault is a real world thing, used by people in the real world (ie: insurance company’s, and leo’s).

Striking a 14’4” bridge with a 14’ load on flat level ground would not be an at fault accident.

Pedigreed Bulldog · Jul 24, 2018

GreenPete359 said: ↑

You missed one point....There is a huge difference between preventable and at fault.

Preventable is a trucking company term, not used anywhere else.

At fault is a real world thing, used by people in the real world (ie: insurance company’s, and leo’s).

Striking a 14’4” bridge with a 14’ load on flat level ground would not be an at fault accident.
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Reread my post. I didn't miss anything, and what I said is exactly what I meant.

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