Overdrive Magazine | Trucking Business News & Owner Operator Info
Issue link: https://read.dmtmag.com/i/580471
S inkholes are formed when water dissolves minerals in the bedrock or accumulates inside a natural depression without any drainage available. They form slowly, but collapse suddenly. Some are manmade, caused by mining, well-digging, heavy construction and underground leaking pipes. There's not much you can do about avoiding sinkholes or, other than the obvious, responding to one should your truck get caught. But here are a few tips nonetheless: 1 Be aware of your surroundings around heavy construction sites or after heavy rains or hurricanes. The most sinkhole-prone states are Florida, Texas, Alabama, Missouri, Kentucky, Tennessee and Pennsylvania. 2 If you're suddenly caught on collapsing pavement, prepare to open your door. Put your window down in case your door gets blocked. 3 Exit the truck as soon as possible. 4 Call 911 and direct traffic around the hole until emergency vehicles arrive. Check out entertaining videos of the Worst Case Scenarios in the "30-second trucker tips" playlist at youtube.com/ OverdriveMag. 88 | Overdrive | October 2015 worst case scenario 18 sinkhole! caught in A Rob Smith Jr. There were 24,671 insur- ance claims in Florida for sinkhole-related damages from 2006-10. A sinkhole under the National Corvette Museum in Bowling Green, Ky., gobbled up eight Corvettes. By Carolyn Mason