An overhead damage accident is an incident that can be prevented and can cause damage to the roof, sides, front, and rear of a truck body or trailer!
Here are some tips for drivers to prevent this type of damage:
- When you call your customer for directions to their facility, realize that the person giving you directions drives there every day in a car. They may never think that the bridges and overpasses you will come across may not be high enough for your truck. Specifically, ask them if the directions they have given you are on a truck route. Also, ask if there are any low clearances. No matter what information you receive, proceed with caution, as only you are responsible for the damage that may be caused.
- Overhead clearances are posted in advance of most underpasses and tunnels, but keep in mind that they may have just put 2” of new asphalt on the road. Be alert for new road construction in front of underpasses, bridges, and tunnels.
- Just because other trucks are going through doesn’t mean that you will fit through the bridge, tunnel, etc.
- If a marked or unmarked overpass looks low, slow down immediately, turn on your four-way flashers, ease up to the overpass, stop, and check your actual clearance.
- Many bridges and overpasses are not perfectly straight; the sides are often lower than the center. Cross under in the inside lane.
- If possible, look at the road elevation on the other side of the bridge to see if there is a sharp incline or decline. Either of these situations could cause trouble, as you may fit under the bridge, but as you exit, the body or trailer may be driven up into the bridge due to the road elevation.
- In the winter, snow and ice on the roadway can change the amount of clearance enough to cause damage.
- If you see that you cannot proceed through the low overhead clearance and the traffic around you is congested, you are better off calling the police and getting assistance in backing out of the situation rather than backing against traffic and causing an accident.
Do I Need a CDL License to Operate That Truck?
Answer: The regulations that address this question are found in FMCSA CFR 383.3.
§383.3 Applicability. (a) The rules in this part apply to every person who operates a commercial motor vehicle (CMV) in interstate, foreign, or intrastate commerce, to all employers of such persons, and to all states.
The definition of a commercial motor vehicle for this regulation is as follows:
Commercial motor vehicle (CMV) means a motor vehicle or combination of motor vehicles used in commerce to transport passengers or property if the motor vehicle:
a) Has a gross combination weight rating of 11,794 kilograms or more (26,001 pounds or more), inclusive of a towed unit(s) with a gross vehicle weight rating of more than 4,536 kilograms (10,000 pounds); or
b) Has a gross vehicle weight rating of 11,794 kilograms or more (26,001 pounds or more); or
c) Is designed to transport 16 or more passengers, including the driver; or
d) Is of any size and is used in the transportation of hazardous materials as defined in this section.
The Following Are Questions That Are Frequently Asked About the CDL and Have Been Addressed by the FMCSA:
- May a person operate a CMV wholly on private property, not open to public travel, without a CDL?
Answer: YES.
- Do mechanics, salesmen, shop helpers, and occasional drivers need a CDL if they are only test-driving a CMV?
Answer: YES, if the CMV is operated on a public street, road, or highway.
- I have moved. How long do I have to get my CDL reissued by my new state of residence?
Answer: 30 days.
- Do the regulations require that a person driving an empty school bus for a test drive or transport have a CDL?
Answer: Yes, if the bus is designed to transport 16 or more passengers and/or the bus has a GVWR that exceeds 26,000 lbs., a CDL would be required. However, since the unit is empty, a passenger endorsement would not be required.
- A driver operates a tractor of exactly 26,000 pounds GVWR, towing a trailer of exactly 10,000 pounds GVWR, for a GCWR of 36,000 pounds. HM and passengers are not involved. Is it a CMV, and does the driver need a CDL?
Answer: No to both questions. Although the vehicle has a GCWR of 36,000 pounds, it is not a CMV under any part of the definition of that term in [§383.5](https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-49/subtitle-B/chapter-III/subchapter…), and a CDL is not federally required.
Clearinghouse Downgrades of CDLs
This is a reminder that the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration’s Drug and Alcohol Clearinghouse has the ability to downgrade the CDLs of drivers who have a drug or alcohol violation in the system.
The Clearinghouse-II rule requires State Driver Licensing Agencies (SDLAs) to remove the commercial driving privileges of drivers who have a “prohibited” status in the Clearinghouse, which would result in a downgrade of the CDL until the driver completes the return-to-duty process.
The Clearinghouse-II rule also requires the following:
- SDLAs must also query the Clearinghouse before issuing, renewing, upgrading, or transferring CDLs and before issuing, renewing, or upgrading CLPs.
- SDLAs must review a driver’s information when notified by FMCSA of a change in the driver’s Clearinghouse status.
- SDLAs with legislative authority already have the option to voluntarily query the Clearinghouse and downgrade CDLs for prohibited drivers.
Automatic downgrading of CDLs due to drug or alcohol violations will make it even more difficult for companies to attract and retain qualified commercial drivers.
