Overdrive Magazine | Trucking Business News & Owner Operator Info
Issue link: http://read.dmtmag.com/i/566087
1 If there's time, grab your phone and wallet as you exit the truck. 2 As you run from the tracks, angle toward the train to distance yourself from flying truck debris. 3 Call 911. Report the nature of your cargo if it is hazmat or anything else that will require special attention. 92 | Overdrive | September 2015 worst case scenario 17 railroad! Stalled on By Carolyn Mason Rob Smith Jr. A train collides with a vehicle or pedestrian every three hours in the United States. N early 2,000 people are killed at high- way rail cross- ings every year. Truck drivers are among them. A 100-car train travel- ing 50 mph takes a full mile to stop, so if you stall on a track in front of a moving train, the odds are not with you. Such a predicament could hap- pen if your undercarriage is too low to cross the grade, or if you fail to an- ticipate that traffic could trap you on the tracks. How to survive when you're caught 1 As soon as you see a rail crossing sign, prepare to stop. If you are haul- ing hazmat, stopping is required. 2 Stop no closer than 15 feet from the crossing. 3 Turn off your radio, roll down a window, and listen for a train. Look both ways. 4 Make sure traffic on either side of the track won't trap you. Add 15 feet to the length of your truck to al- low for full clearance. "If it won't fit, don't commit." 5 Never shift while crossing the track. 6 Make sure your landing gear, truck jack or dolly legs are not extended. How to navigate a rail crossing safely