Have you ever encountered a low bridge?

This is why pre-planning your trip is so important. Plan your route, get your directions and check all your roads you will travel in your road atlas. Don't get off of exits or divert onto roads you have not checked. Especially in the Chicago area!

You can also run the risk of very hefty fines if you travel on restricted roads or routes! Idaho, California, Illinois and Indiana are some of the most infamous states for this and enforce the law to the max!

 

Easy, stop, turn on your 4 ways, get out survey, and call the locals to help you back out if you can't turn. Don't just think you will fit, be positive.

 

When in doubt................STOP!!!!!
Thinking you will be able to see in your mirrors if you will pass under............doesn't work.

 

Yup, just stop throw the flashers on and survey the situation. Even if you are in Brooklyn and your route was closed due to construction and you get hopelessly lost and end up approaching a low bridge and you have a ton of cars behind you screaming and cursing.

I still have nightmares about that day

 

Neither does ducking , we have done many over height loads.
Its funny to see the drivers crouch lower when going under a tight bridge.

 

I did encounter one one dark and dank evening.

I faced it square-on. Told it I wasn't puttin' up with his garbage and low-bridgedness. It could threaten me with fame on YouTube. It could strip the very top off my trailer. But I wasn't goin' for it. And I wasn't afraid to tell it to it's facia.

Then I turned into the driveway of my shipper, which was just before the offending structure.

Guess I showed him!

 

I've encountered many bridges below 13'6" . I just go under them

 

There was one on North Avenue in Chicago that I encountered early in my career. It was marked 12.6. I came up to it, and said "now what?" So I turned right, right again,and again, and came back out on North Avenue, staring at this bridge.
Then I noticed truck traffic coming at me was clearing the bridge.
So I attempted it, crawling in granny gear, with the 4 ways on. Not thinking the westbound lane might be lower than eastbound. Crawled under it with NO problems, and learned the lesson of Chicago mis marked bridges!