Have you ever encountered a low bridge?

Missed a turn in NJ. No street sign, and looked residential. Now, low bridge ahead, so I pulled to the curb and put on my flashers. The building to my left looked like an old small factory and I noticed an alley behind it. I jumped out, ran to the alley and sure enough, two docks on the back of that building. So now I survey the whole alley situation and yep I can do this. Headed back to the truck and there was a garbage truck laying on his horn. My trailer was blocking a side street. Oops couldn't be helped.

Like others have said, don't panic. Put on the flashers, get out and survey the options.
There is always a way out, cause there was a way in!

 

I was always worried about low bridges before I went solo, but for some reason that bridge height sign REALLY jumps out at me. Every time I see a low bridge I say to myself "13 6". I have encountered a low bridge with my trainer. It was 12 feet, I do not remember where but he told me to turn down a road to detour and the bridge was in front of us. No big deal, I just hit the magic flashers that make everything go my way and backed up from the road I was on and kept going.

In downtown Chicago a lot of the bridges don't even have the height displayed and they look sooooooooooo freakin low I got out and looked and could have sworn it was too low but I got under it somehow.

 

Oh yeah. Bridge in a residential section outside the Union Pacific tie yard in St Louis. It was marked 13'...the stacks on my Classic were 13'-4". I eased up on it so I didn't do much but bend the stacks back a bit. Ended up backing a block down the street and flipping around.

Lesson learned.

 

I used to deliver to a lot of small towns in the northeast, where I was the only sleeper cab and 53' trailer to go anywhere near there, and very often I was the only thing bigger than a van to go there. Came across more low bridges than I'd care to remember.

You see the sign, put on your four ways and come to a stop. Then you can figure out what to do. Best thing to remember is that if you stop before you hit it, you can always find some way out of the situation. But, once you hit it, you're already screwed.

Some of them were marked wrong, and I could crawl under them. Had several where I could make a turn and go around them, sometimes going through parking lots and/or residential areas. But, I've also had some where I had to back up a good distance, sometimes through an intersection, to get to an alternate route. I even flagged down a cop once and, when he didn't want to help me, I explained that he could either get me to my destination or I'd see him at the accident scene in a few minutes (ended up with a lights on and blocking intersections for me police escort). Not a single one of these were listed in the atlas.

Scariest for me was running through NYC at a pretty good pace, when I come across a 12'2" bridge. I slam on the brakes to the sound of horns and watch several cars almost rear end me. I'm at a dead stop with traffic whizzing around me and no obvious way out of the situation, when another truck passes me without even slowing down, and makes it under the bridge with plenty of room to spare. At that point it was obvious that I could make it, and I learned that it was best to keep another truck in front of me, if at all possible, to let them test the clearances before it was my turn.

 

I just came by one about 60 miles northwest of NYC. Small little town with a couple bridges, you could see the signs couple miles ahead "right side of bridge 12'6" - or something like that and another sign saying right lane only. At first I was like WTF? Then I thought about it, its probably really curved. So I came up to it and bridge was at 13"7' in left lane and 12"6' in right because of the angle of the street. Still went slow but cleared with no problem. Sure wakes you up...

 

I used to smile when the maintenance guys @ matlack told a new Owner Operator that he should cut his stacks down to 12'6" to fit under the loading racks.

After the usuial resounding 'Hell No' they would point out that it was not Matlack's problem when, not if but when, they ripped their mufflers off.

We used to sneak under a 12'4" bridge onthe 'back way' into Bayonne Terminal.

 

OH YEAH As said STOP!! I folloed directions from an office person one time and that was the last time! I came to the left turn she said to make and "go over the bridge" SHE DIDN'T SAY IT WAS WOOD COVERED BRIDGE It had like 8' clearance and a 2ton limit, that was fun backing out of that one.

 

sure a bunch of them, some i had to reroute around, some where marked 12' 6 or less and my 13' 6 truck still fit under it with plenty of extra room, i've run across them everywhere from the Chicago area to BFE NE in a town with 5 people lol






American Trucker

 

Hey Fisherguy, your reply is exactly what all the drivers in those pictures said too!

 

I've got one for you guys and gals. I encountered one on my cdl road test! We got started, and there was something going on with the route the tester usually used. (blocked by a cop car...wreck?) Anyway, we end up detoured onto this two land country road. The tester is fine with it. He knows where it comes out. We get about two miles down the road, and I see it. It's one of those railroad bridges with the arch for cars to go under. I come to a nice, safe stop, look at the tester, and ask what he'd like me to do. lol He got to direct me backing over a 1/2 mile. It mad me nervous, but at the same time, I thought it was hilarious. Had a great tester, and he got a big kick out of it.

Others have posted what I feel is the correct advice. Take your time, stay calm, and most importantly, trip plan. I know that I show a rookie driver in the corner, but I've been "driving" one form or another of delivery vehicle for almost a decade.