Snow on Trailers

One of our drivers got ticketed for the snow that came off his trailer and hit a vehicle behind him( packed snow). You can be cited for slow blowing off just the same as if you lost a tire and it hit a car. It is a catch 22.. OSHA says fall retention required 10 ft or higher, so how do you clean the snow off?

 

Here is the thing I'm talking about. I removed the place that sells it so it doesn't look like I'm promoting it...just googled snow removal for semi trailers.

 

They can always fall back on FMCSR's 396.7 Unsafe operations forbidden. (a) General- A motor vehicle shall not be operated in such a condition as to likely cause an accident or breakdown of the vehicle. A huge piece of snow can cause problems. They never say how it is required to do, only that it needs to be done.

 

I clean mine all the time, it helps to pull flat bed though.

 

I'm more worried about the ice coming off of the trailers.. Saw a chunk come off last winter in Memphis ind and it went through a drivers windshield.. I can't say I know of any law tho. In most cases insurance would mark it as a road hazard I would guess unless you can prove the trailer it came from..

 

Buy a roof rake. There are very few places that have a trailer scraper. I have never seen a truckstop that had one to use

 

I remember Lowes DC in Rockford, IL has a scraper. Lowes and Whirlpool in Findlay OH had workers get on a lift and shovel snow off the top of trailers

 

We never cleaned off any snow. Just drove off with it. Sure as heck wasnt climbing up on the trailer.

 

what would happen if a mud flap bracket fell off and landed in someones windshield or a tire blows, peels and shreds hit another vehicle. who's going to be responsible?

here you are, weighed out at 79, 800 and accumulate 2500 lbs worth of snow and roll through and open weigh station. what kind of response do you think you'll get over weights?

 

Legally the truck is responsible by the way it's written but I think a lot of common sense comes into play. If you had to go before a judge and if the vehicle behind you was right up on your tail I believe the courts might rule in your favor. Something like a mud flap or any other part of the truck you can prevent by checking it. A smart lawyer would go after you and use the FMCSR's against you. Your only hope would be if the vehicle was right on your bumper. This is of course my opinion.