Here's a newbie mistake...

I'm almost 17tons empty.

 

i havent looked, but i'm willing to bet that road isnt listed as a truck route in your atlas. If you're going down a road that isnt a truck route, dontchathink you had better flip to the first few pages, and check to see what routes are restricted/low bridges/etc?

fact is, the driver said he paused then MADE THE CHOICE to cross. Hmmmm....sign says 15 tons. and he weighs close to 40.....heck, even if the bridge COULD withstand the weight....i wouldnt want to chance i collapse the bridge and get wet. Just think if you did that carrying a load of Cotex?

 

Well Dick, If you're carrying a load of kotex at least it would absorb the water.

 

Dick, Read closely cause your going to learn something.

The highlighted roads in the truckers atlas does not mean it is a designated truck route. The highlighted roads are actually highlighted to show designated oversized load routes.

You can drive on any road that is either highlighted or not highlighted as long as it isn't listed in the restricted section under the state listings.

 

I have the McNally book as well and you can look all you want and I'll bet that bridge is okay to cross. At time of printing. So now you come along and find out no you can't cross it. Then what. If there is no turn around what do you do???? I know call the cops cause they will save ya? Good luck. This kind of crap happens from time to time. Don't always assume the driver is and idiot.

The best way is to get all the road info first, listen to other drivers. We don't play games with this stuff. Not us oldtimers.

 

Nope... They just restricted that bridge. On December 23rd of 2010 I recieved the following text in a email.

 

if you havent crossed the bridge and the road you're on is 'legal', then they cant issue you a ticket. MAYBE obstruction of the flow of traffic or some dip-shatner thing like that, but come on. If there is no turn-around, and the bridge limit is well under what you know you're carrying, then your best bet IS to call the cops, explain the situation and hope all you get is tiny ticket. So what, you might have to back up a mile, but ya know somethin'....whatcha doin on that road to begin with, when there is I-57 four miles up river??

i've been on that bridge before. When i lived in Sikeston, MO in 2005, and was going to the Harrah's casino in Metropolis, IL. it isnt all that wide, and the surface of the road is just a metal grate...you can see thru to the river. On the Kentucky side of the river 51/60, if i remember, there is a temp. weigh station right there. And i'm sure if 60/62 from IL to MO is weight restricted to 15T then 51/60 from IL/KY is also.

BUT, if you're traveling south from IL into MO, and you get to that bridge, there IS a place you can turn around in. It is tight, but looks like you can flip a U in Defiance Park.

but think about it. dont care where you're going, i look at a map, and the first thing i'm going to think of is "gee, i wonder how i get to I-57". I'm better at planning a route, specially one that takes me across a weight restricted bridge. also think about this....would you rather call the cops, pay a $50 ticket (for arguments sake its 50) or would you want to cough up $16,000?

I mean that swift driver with a $16,000 bill.....that has got to be the worlds record for a "let me work off my tab" type ticket. And Swift paying just .10cpm, and drivers only getting 1000 mi a week....its going to take him 26 years to pay that off. LOL

 

I weight 37k empty with a 4-axle drop dry van.

 

Dick, They just restricted that bridge until repairs can be made. The KY bridge is not restricted.

And those roads are/was a major truck route coming out of Kentucky into Missouri.

It add nearly 100 miles onto the trip to take I-24 up into Illinois then down I-57. But since your a Company driver with Swift, you fail to realize that. You gotta stay on the big road cause that is what Swift tells you to do.

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=06JUfkiMOVc


A future Swift driver just heard what you said!