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Dale Bend Bridge Destroyed by Overweight Truck

Started by US71, January 31, 2019, 08:23:06 AM

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US71

The Dale Bend Bridge over the Petit Jean River north of Ola, Arkansas was lost to an overweight truck last night. His GPS  told him to go that way despite the bridge being rated for only 5 tons.  This happens far too often, IMO.
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Chris

https://www.fox16.com/news/state-news/semi-falls-through-yell-co-bridge-into-river-driver-escapes-unharmed/1741296911

The bridge had a weight limit of 6 tons according to photos from this report. A fully loaded semi weighs 80,000 lbs = 40 tons.

Max Rockatansky

Didn't this just happen in Indiana last year with a similar type of bridge?

US71

Quote from: Max Rockatansky on January 31, 2019, 09:45:30 AM
Didn't this just happen in Indiana last year with a similar type of bridge?

We've lost at least two other bridges in Arkansas due to stupid drivers:
Fryer's Ford Bridge
Two Mile Creek Bridge

We had a close call a couple months ago when a tour bus crossed the Beaver Bridge. ARDOT inspected the bridge. fixed a couple problems (not sure if related) then reopened the bridge.
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mgk920

I'm seriously wondering how close we are to getting a federal rule that would prohibit GPS-based navigation instruments from being possessed in the cabs of CDL vehicles.

:verymad:

Mike

US71

#5
Quote from: mgk920 on January 31, 2019, 10:50:21 AM
I'm seriously wondering how close we are to getting a federal rule that would prohibit GPS-based navigation instruments from being possessed in the cabs of CDL vehicles.

:verymad:

Mike

We just have to bribe persuade our politicians to pass a bill.
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kalvado

Quote from: mgk920 on January 31, 2019, 10:50:21 AM
I'm seriously wondering how close we are to getting a federal rule that would prohibit GPS-based navigation instruments from being possessed in the cabs of CDL vehicles.

:verymad:

Mike
There are specialized truck GPSes.  As far as I understand, unlike general purpose car software, they are not a free service. But fundamentally implementing size and weight limits in software should be very doable. If anything, I expect a mandate to have such a version, at least for most common programs. Not sure how that can be legally implemented, though.

froggie

^ Congress could implement the legal structure, since this would fall under regulation of Interstate commerce which is very much a function of Congress.  Of course, that would also incur what US71 said about politicians...

Chris

I've read a story that many truck drivers are not familiar with the unit 'ton'. Evidently some of them have no idea how many pounds a ton is (and vice versa). This has led to some bridge collapses.

You'd think that a professional driver would be aware of weight limit units and knows not to blindly follow a GPS. There are GPSs specifically for semi trucks, which you'd think wouldn't route you across a bridge like this. 6 tons is a really low weight limit, even most box trucks would be too heavy for that.

US71

Quote from: Chris on January 31, 2019, 12:00:30 PM
I've read a story that many truck drivers are not familiar with the unit 'ton'. Evidently some of them have no idea how many pounds a ton is (and vice versa). This has led to some bridge collapses.

You'd think that a professional driver would be aware of weight limit units and knows not to blindly follow a GPS. There are GPSs specifically for semi trucks, which you'd think wouldn't route you across a bridge like this. 6 tons is a really low weight limit, even most box trucks would be too heavy for that.

Emphasis "professional". 
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mgk920

I remember seeing an article several years ago about various police agencies in the UK requesting that the Transport Ministry start posting dimensional restrictions in meters because lorry drivers from the 'Continent' often had no idea what yards and inches are and were hitting low bridges as a result.  Is this still a problem there?

Mike

kalvado

Quote from: Chris on January 31, 2019, 12:00:30 PM
I've read a story that many truck drivers are not familiar with the unit 'ton'. Evidently some of them have no idea how many pounds a ton is (and vice versa). This has led to some bridge collapses.

You'd think that a professional driver would be aware of weight limit units and knows not to blindly follow a GPS. There are GPSs specifically for semi trucks, which you'd think wouldn't route you across a bridge like this. 6 tons is a really low weight limit, even most box trucks would be too heavy for that.
And since there are tons, metric tons, and tonnes - there is definitely some room for confusion. Especially since truck weights are in lbs.

hotdogPi

Quote from: kalvado on January 31, 2019, 12:15:54 PM
Quote from: Chris on January 31, 2019, 12:00:30 PM
I've read a story that many truck drivers are not familiar with the unit 'ton'. Evidently some of them have no idea how many pounds a ton is (and vice versa). This has led to some bridge collapses.

You'd think that a professional driver would be aware of weight limit units and knows not to blindly follow a GPS. There are GPSs specifically for semi trucks, which you'd think wouldn't route you across a bridge like this. 6 tons is a really low weight limit, even most box trucks would be too heavy for that.
And since there are tons, metric tons, and tonnes - there is definitely some room for confusion. Especially since truck weights are in lbs.

A US ton, a UK ton, and a tonne are close enough that it shouldn't matter much; if you use the wrong type, you'll be off by 12% at most. Driving a 7 ton truck on something that is labeled 6 tons won't cause the bridge to break, although it should still be avoided. 40 instead of 6 cannot be explained by confusion between types of tons.
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Brian556

Quote from: Chris on January 31, 2019, 12:00:30 PM
I've read a story that many truck drivers are not familiar with the unit 'ton'. Evidently some of them have no idea how many pounds a ton is (and vice versa). This has led to some bridge collapses.

You'd think that a professional driver would be aware of weight limit units and knows not to blindly follow a GPS. There are GPSs specifically for semi trucks, which you'd think wouldn't route you across a bridge like this. 6 tons is a really low weight limit, even most box trucks would be too heavy for that.

This is indeed an issue. Truckers measure their weight in pounds. I have no idea how to do a conversion without checking google. They don't require you to learn this to get a CDL. Trust me, I used to have one. It gets confusing trying to use more than one unit of measure on signs, and is completely pointless. Signs should be required to be in pounds.

jeffandnicole

We're talking basic math here. 1 ton is 2,000 pounds. 13 tons is 26,000 pounds. 40 tons is 80,000 pounds.

Most weight limits are signed in tons because it's an easier sign to read.  Truckers are also supposed to map out their route before they go. There's really no excuses.

Many truckers also ignore height requirements. What's the excuse for that...that the truckers are from foreign countries and thus couldn't possibly know American measurements, even though their truck probably has the height written inside it in the same measurement of the bridge height sign?

If a truck driver doesn't know extremely basic things like this, they shouldn't be on the road.


tdindy88

Quote from: Max Rockatansky on January 31, 2019, 09:45:30 AM
Didn't this just happen in Indiana last year with a similar type of bridge?

It did happen, but the bridge has been rebuilt since then. I drove on it last year.

oscar

Quote from: froggie on January 31, 2019, 11:38:13 AM
^ Congress could implement the legal structure, since this would fall under regulation of Interstate commerce which is very much a function of Congress.  Of course, that would also incur what US71 said about politicians...

Or maybe USDOT can do so on its own, similar to how radar detectors were banned nationwide in certain commercial heavy trucks, AIUI by an agency regulation rather than an act of Congress.
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swhuck

When I drove a truck, it wasn't at all uncommon for low weight bridges to be completely unsigned until you got to them, and the references I carried with me to plan my routes simply didn't cover them at all. (Low clearance was another matter; the documentation on that is quite good.) When you find yourself with a 40 ton truck heading for a 10 ton bridge and there's no place to turn around, you just drive and hope for the best.

I'm all for having the proper info out there and easy to find in order that truckers don't make mistakes like this. But even with this info available there will still be some people driving overweight... err, overweight trucks :). Having been there myself, I'm not going to rush to judgment on the guy who tried to cross. Of course, if the road was well-marked at a place where the truck would have been able to turn around or not enter the area, that's a different matter. I have no illusions about some of the drivers at the low end of the IQ scale; I just tried to keep out of their way.
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rte66man

Quote from: kalvado on January 31, 2019, 11:35:13 AM
Quote from: mgk920 on January 31, 2019, 10:50:21 AM
I'm seriously wondering how close we are to getting a federal rule that would prohibit GPS-based navigation instruments from being possessed in the cabs of CDL vehicles.

:verymad:

Mike
There are specialized truck GPSes.  As far as I understand, unlike general purpose car software, they are not a free service. But fundamentally implementing size and weight limits in software should be very doable. If anything, I expect a mandate to have such a version, at least for most common programs. Not sure how that can be legally implemented, though.

I didn't see who the truck was hauling for, but as someone who works in that field, I can fill in the details.  Most commercial firms use an app to log miles, hours, and generally has a GPS component (yes, it's not free).  Federal regulations no longer permit paper logs for driver time recording.  These apps usually reside on a proprietary tablet, but some can be run on an Android or iOS device.  When a device like this is used, the software firm will also provide a way to "lock" the tablet so it can only access the truck software. Many also include telematics gathering (miles driver, top speed, etc.).  The app my company uses has a GPS component that clearly highlights load-limited bridges and always shows one or more alternate routes to the driver.
When you come to a fork in the road... TAKE IT.

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paulthemapguy

Quote from: jeffandnicole on January 31, 2019, 03:39:51 PM
If a truck driver doesn't know extremely basic things like this, they shouldn't be on the road.

To be frank, a lot of people are truck drivers because they can't grasp basic education.  I process oversize-overweight truck permits, and we transitioned to a computer-based permitting system so that we could ...read what's being written.  We couldn't read through a lot of the failures to spell, follow the permit form's instructions, or have legible handwriting.  There are also a lot of drivers who struggle with English because it isn't their native language.
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cjk374

That trucking company owes Yell County a new steel truss bridge of similar make and model!
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US71

#21
Quote from: cjk374 on February 02, 2019, 05:22:52 PM
That trucking company owes Yell County a new steel truss bridge of similar make and model!

In most instances, the trucking company's insurance will pay the county after they spend 6 months trying to weasel out of it.
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US71

Quote from: rte66man on February 01, 2019, 02:51:31 PM


I didn't see who the truck was hauling for, but as someone who works in that field, I can fill in the details.  Most commercial firms use an app to log miles, hours, and generally has a GPS component (yes, it's not free).  Federal regulations no longer permit paper logs for driver time recording.  These apps usually reside on a proprietary tablet, but some can be run on an Android or iOS device.  When a device like this is used, the software firm will also provide a way to "lock" the tablet so it can only access the truck software. Many also include telematics gathering (miles driver, top speed, etc.).  The app my company uses has a GPS component that clearly highlights load-limited bridges and always shows one or more alternate routes to the driver.

US CityLink from Bakersfield, CA is the trucking company.
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rte66man

Quote from: US71 on February 02, 2019, 10:54:03 PM
Quote from: rte66man on February 01, 2019, 02:51:31 PM


I didn't see who the truck was hauling for, but as someone who works in that field, I can fill in the details.  Most commercial firms use an app to log miles, hours, and generally has a GPS component (yes, it's not free).  Federal regulations no longer permit paper logs for driver time recording.  These apps usually reside on a proprietary tablet, but some can be run on an Android or iOS device.  When a device like this is used, the software firm will also provide a way to "lock" the tablet so it can only access the truck software. Many also include telematics gathering (miles driver, top speed, etc.).  The app my company uses has a GPS component that clearly highlights load-limited bridges and always shows one or more alternate routes to the driver.

US CityLink from Bakersfield, CA is the trucking company.

That strongly implies they are an interstate firm so they are required by Federal regulations to have an electronic logging system in each truck.  Would love to be able to find that out.
When you come to a fork in the road... TAKE IT.

                                                               -Yogi Berra

edwaleni

After seeing so many truck pile ups and flip overs during the latest big freeze, I am pretty convinced that OTR trucking has reached the bottom of the barrel on talent.

All they want is a 23 year old that is literate.  I have seen unemployed 40 year old men with college degrees & no physical restrictions apply for OTR trucking jobs and are rejected instantly.

Just look at You Tube and the pile ups between Laramie and Cheyenne on I-80. All high balling in limited visibility and with accumulation on the road. 2 truckers died in the massive 2015 pile up.

Way too much pressure on these drivers to perform and so they make bad decisions.



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