One truck driver with a very oversized load that cannot escape disaster. Check out below what I call the “Reverse Humpty Dumpty.” You remember that rhyme. The egg makes his way up a wall and has a fall. Kings and horses get involved, but Humpty is fried. However, in this instance, Humpty Dumpty is not the egg, but rather the wall.
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The bigger questions are what happened during this massive I-beam transport and why? Let’s spend a few minutes together unpacking this, shall we? At first glance, this appears to be your standard oversized load in progress. Most often loads of a higher weight class, or those with mass requirements that dictate more road space, will be equipped with a special means of holding the load and an escort.
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Here we have both of those present. The steel I-beam being hauled by the semi truck uses a rear dolly to stabilize the beam, and an escort is used to help navigate the roads. The primary job of the escort vehicle is to keep the driver apprised of any obstacles or hazards present that he or she may be unable to see.
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Everything seems to be going as planned until the truck makes a left-hand turn and approaches an overpass. Just before getting onto the bridge, the rear dolly strikes a concrete b
Everything seems to be going as planned until the truck makes a left-hand turn and approaches an overpass. Just before getting onto the bridge, the rear dolly strikes a concrete barrier guard rail, and the I beam is ripped completely off of its base. By completely ripped off I mean those massive tow chains snap like cheap tread. You forget how heavy those I-beams are, too. As it lays over on its side, it carries the truck, and its driver, with it. I’m sure he got the ride of his life before ending up with a sideways view of the road.
Driver Error or Faulty Dolly?
It is at this point where two camps seem to develop. You will find yourself in one of these I’m sure. How do I know this? Because you play armchair quarterback during the NFL or SEC football seasons. So here are the two sides; choose your camp wisely. Is the accident due to the escort driver’s failure to steer the rear dolly, or is the lead driver at fault for being negligent? Both situations are plausible, particularly the rear dolly scenario. Often times, with loads of this size, a rear dolly is used to help navigate sharp turns to keep the load in line with the lead vehicle. The dolly itself is equipped with wheels that can be steered. The steering is controlled by a remote device located in the escort vehicle. In this instance, the escort vehicle would help keep the dolly in line with the big rig as it negotiated wide turns to prevent accidents like the one you see here. So, is that what happened? I’m afraid not.
If you chose this camp, your are not getting the gold medal in this argument, my friend. Upon closer inspection, it appears this dolly is not one that can be controlled remotely. Look again and pay attention to the wheels on the rear of the dolly. Notice that they never turn when the I-beam negotiates the left-hand turn. This means that these wheels are stationary, and therefore, the driver must be on his Ps and Qs when making wide turns like that. It is up to the driver to give ample space for the load to correct itself in order to prevent these kinds of accidents. This is a clear result of driver error. He failed to give enough space for the dolly to correct itself and get in line with his vehicle. The results were a very bad day. These are the types of days that generate much anxiety, and unemployment. They are the days that make answering the “So what did you do today at work, honey?” so hard. I’m sure this guy has replayed those events a thousand times in his head after that accident. All of that to say, should you ever find yourself in this position, do the opposite of what you did on prom night, go slow and take your time.
