Train vs windmill blade on truck, guess who wins.

Seems strange they would not route him down 1 more freeway exit to the TX-80 exit to turn north and then it would be a straight shot across the RR tracks. But there might be other clearance problems, who knows?

 

I’ve hauled many blades. At the company I was with, they kept track of all of your OSOW loads. Drivers were required to keep a safe record very few, if any, cargo claims. And drivers were required to be on time. The company would then invite the driver to take a blade class.

The wind rookie would then be put with 2 veterans (blades are built and shipped in threes). I was lead driver. I would have rookie run 5 minutes behind my veteran, and I would run 5 minutes behind rookie. If rookie got into bind, I would catch up to help.

The very first thing that a driver has to lose is that “hurry up gotta go, Gotta Go GOTTA go mentality. This driver is not in a hurry. He’s not a rookie. However, how many of us find ourselves in this type of predicament with a super load on the wagon? Brain went blank, default setting is on PROTECT THE BLADE. By the time he realizes what to do, it is too late.

In our world, the only person that can help you is the driver who was there before you.

 

Yeah.. Watching that made me check the load rating of my undies.

 

Saw this on Facebook. Someone mentioned in the comments that the route is legal, just Someone probably forgot to call the railroad for a safe time to cross. I don't haul oversize, much less blades, but personally, you don't stop on tracks. As that video shows, even something that big is nothing compared to a train.

 

There's no safe time to cross train tracks other than when you don't see lights flashing, trains don't really have a schedule. Oh and the train always has the right of way, train don't stop for no one.

 

Yeah, but I would think the railroad would know where the trains are. There's only so many places they can go lol AFAIK crossings have a number that can be given to dispatch and they can look and say "oh we have a train 10min from there" or whatever. Isn't that the point of pilot cars and the planning and stuff for these loads?

 

I read on another forum from a local (allegedly) that this is a regular route for these guys. Apparently north of Luling TX (where this occured) there are wind farms as well as oil rigs that have heavy loads going through town there.

 

That number is for emergencies like if there's something stuck on the tracks like your truck.

Nah, the pilot cars are to help, required in some places. Come in handy when you stop for the night and need a ride to the hotel, the planning is there mainly cause you can't drive 24/7.

 

With as slow as these guys have to go over the tracks, I’d call it ahead of time.
An ounce of prevention better than a pound of a cure.

he could have been told “trains coming hold on”

but probably didn’t expect it to be that big of a ##### to make and he has to work with the guy steering the rear.