Courtesy of WFAA News 8
Last night a car hauling tractor truck was driving west on 1-30 towards the St. Francis Avenue bridge. As the hauler reached the bridge it was clear: the truck’s load was higher than the 14ft 11 inch allowance . A bright pink van on top of the hauler hit the bridge at high speed.
Miraculously, no one was hurt. However, the van was immediately wrecked and cleanup crews swarmed the area trying to pick up all the pink pieces before rush hour. An engineering team was also called out to inspect the integrity of the bridge after the impact. Both teams managed to finish their work in time for morning drivers.
It’s lucky the incident did not take place at a time when more drivers where on the roads. The van wreckage could have proved an extremely dangerous obstacle for highway drivers. How do car haulers make sure they meet height requirements? Do they just eyeball it and call it a day?
Promoting Trucker Safety
There are actually a variety of online blogs and websites that promote different ways of making sure a load is safely stowed and accurately measured. One method includes purchasing a large measuring rod. Measuring rods sometimes include reflective strips that would allow truckers to use them even at night. Height sticks aren’t the only safety-driven product. A variety of wheel strips give haulers a good grip on their vehicles.
Despite of how we might think of truck drivers – on the road all day except for an occasional truck stop and not very tech savvy – truck drivers have a large online presence. They’re also into smartphones like many Americans, and there are apps to make trucking safer and more efficient. With apps and gadgets like these hopefully the last accident on I-30 will be the last of its kind.
