Overdrive Magazine | Trucking Business News & Owner Operator Info
Issue link: http://read.dmtmag.com/i/611028
Y ou failed to notice the height restriction sign. Now you're wishing you'd ponied up for that truck-friendly GPS. If you are jammed under a bridge or an overpass, you face financial, legal and employment disaster – as well as unending humiliation when your truck pics hit social media. But put that aside for now. There's not much you can do once you're in this mess, so here are some tips on avoiding the problem altogether – and, failing that, how to respond. How to avoid getting stuck • Know your truck and trailer heights. • Read bridge height warning signs. • Use a trucking-specific GPS for unfamiliar routes. Enter truck height, length and other specs into the system. How to deal with getting stuck • Call 911, put on your hazards, and place emergency triangles. • Secure your load, assuming it's not already scattered. • If your van is wedged, let air out of your tires to see if you can back up. • To avoid unstable debris or angry motorists, stay away from the truck. View entertaining versions of the last 10 Worst Case Trucking Scenarios, including this one, on our "30-second trucker tips" playlist at youtube.com/ OverdriveMag. 80 | Overdrive | December 2015 worst case scenario 20 Stuck under an overpass! Rob Smith Jr. Take time to enter truck dimensions into any trucking- specific GPS system to improve guidance accuracy. By Carolyn Mason