Violation of regulations pertaining to railroad-highway grade crossings

Not really a dumb question at all, but at any rate now you know.

 

Uh NO! This was not a dumb question. There are very few dumb questions asked, and most of those are by two or three individuals just trolling around. And they know who they are.

Anytime you have a legitimate question, don't hesitate to ask it!

 

Stop at all railroad crossings, even if they're in the middle of nowhere.

Don't ever get caught not stopping with a hazmat load.

 

The term "grade" means the top of the ground, dirt, earth, parking lot, road, You get the idea. An "at grade" or just "grade" crossing is a intersection of the rails and the pavement. Thus you have above grade(bridge), below grade (tunnel).
Doesn't even have to be a Legitimate question. Just ask. Someone will give you a hard time and someone will answer it. Ignore the few who don't remember what they don't remember.

 

RAILROAD-HIGHWAY GRADE CROSSING VIOLATIONS

Railroad-Highway Grade Crossing violations include violation of a federal, state or local law or regulation pertaining to the following six offenses:

• For drivers who are not required to always stop, failing to stop before reaching the crossing if the tracks are not clear.

• For drivers who are not required to always stop, failing to slow down and check that the tracks are clear of an approaching train.

• For drivers who are always required to stop, failing to stop before driving onto the crossing.

• For all drivers failing to have sufficient space to drive completely through the crossing without stopping.

• For all drivers failing to obey a traffic control device or the directions of an enforcement official at the crossing.

• For all drivers failing to negotiate a crossing because of insufficient undercarriage clearance.

If convicted of a Railroad-Highway Grade Crossing violation in a CMV, your CDL will be disqualified for no less than 60 days for the first offense. Your CDL will be disqualified for no less than 120 days for a second offense within any three-year period. Your CDL will be disqualified for no less than 1 year for a third offense within any three-year period.

 

I do not remember anything like that on the CDL test, I took it in Texas in 2013.

M

 

Anyone ever see those warning signs of a high grade railroad track? I see them sometimes when the railroad is running parallel along the highway kind of up on a raised hill. It looks like even a regular trailer could get stuck on one of those things.

 

And even RR sidings that are not a requirement to stop..., STOP. It only takes one Barney Fife to cost you a few hundred for a lawyer to prove you did nothing wrong.

Rocky Ford, CO is good at trying to get trucks for not stopping at the privately owned and gated crossing.

 

We have to stop at all crossings. No matter if we are loaded or empty since our trailers stay placarded.

If you take the back way to one of the racks we load at there are 7, yes, SEVEN sets of tracks. Gotta stop at each one.

DOT will sit at some of the tracks at night waiting for tankers to blow the crossing.

We had a driver get pulled over for shifting while driving over the tracks but wasn't ticketed since our trucks are autos.

There was a driver for a diffetent company that would always take his placards off after he was empty so he didn't have to stop at the tracks. Far as I know, company fired him for it since even though he wasn't loaded, the trailer wasn't "clean". It still had fuel vapors in it with a few gallons still in each compartment.


Better safe than sorry