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To be fair, clearance can be a major challenge for truck drivers especially those new to the trucking industry. Recently in Perth, Scotland a truck driver hauling brand new Range Rovers and Jaguars got a sudden and shocking reminder how important clearance is.
One witness was a local taxi driver parked at the railway station. He said he heard an “almighty crash” when the truck hit the bridge. The bridge sliced right through the roofs of the first two SUVs and damaged others.
It’s not every day a truck hauling luxury SUVs drives under a bridge and comes out the other side with luxury convertibles……I guess that’s how Range Rover came up with the idea for their Evoque convertible model.
Multiple signs are visible before the low-lying bridge that clearly displays the clearance. It’s still unclear how the driver made the mistake. It’s possible he didn’t account for the extra height that comes from hauling SUVs or maybe he simply wasn’t paying attention to the signage. Hours of Service (HOS) and driver distraction could have played a part. Overworked drivers can become fatigued and impaired. Earlier this year the new ELD mandate went into effect to help monitor and prevent drivers from working too many hours. The good news is that with fleet telematics and GPS fleet tracking, incidents like this can be prevented for those who have them. Regardless of the reason for the accident, it looks like at least two of the Range Rovers are a total loss and the others need some major repairs.
If you’re a truck driver in the United States or Canada, an app like Transflo® Mobile+ helps prevent these types of accidents. That’s because its navigation feature operates specifically with big rigs in mind. The real-time navigation in the app knows your truck’s dimensions (including height) and always avoids routes with low-lying structures like bridges. Maybe Transflo® Mobile+ should launch in Scotland next. There’s certainly a need for it.
Users on social media websites like Facebook are commenting and cracking jokes about the wreck:
Fortunately, there are no injuries from this particular truck/bridge faceoff. No damage occurred to the rail bridge during the accident so no repairs are needed. What a beast!
Truck drivers, this is your reminder to always know your height.
Stay safe out there. https://content.jwplatform.com/players/l0iYQLtl-prjfKDsd.html
Media sources: Range Rover / Press & Journal
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