New Rule: No Raising Your Dump Truck Body While Driving Under a Bridge

Moot

Veteran Expediter
Owner/Operator
I saw the aftermath of a dumptruck, with the box raised hit the I-94 overpass near St. Cloud, MN at exit 171. The impact tore the dump box off the truck and forced the cab up into the underside of the bridge, killing the driver.

Here's one from a few years ago involving a bridge and an excavator. Truck Wreck Problem - YouTube
 

OntarioVanMan

Retired Expediter
Owner/Operator
I was dumping concrete slab once it got stuck in the tailgate my Cab ended up being pointed at the moon....lol
 

OntarioVanMan

Retired Expediter
Owner/Operator
Were you wearing the same skivvies much longer? I think I'd be ducking behind a bridge abutment and changing mine.

LOL now what I looked out the cab window open the door and it was a long way down hit the lever and came down with a bang I learned to pay attention real quick
 

Rocketman

Veteran Expediter
When a t/t dump tips over on it's side, the trailer body has the weight in it of course. The body goes first, causing the trailer frame to twist. As the trailer frame twists, it puts pressure on the fifth wheel which causes the truck frame to twist. Once there is enough twist placed on the truck frame to over come the weight of the truck, the truck tips. It is a somewhat delayed reaction and the force built up during all of that twisting is pretty strong. The driver is advised to have a firm grip on anything he can gets his hands, arms, legs and feet around because it's going to be rough ride!

Please don't ask how I know this! :D



Actually have never driven a t/t dump...but a friend has. He flipped his on the driver's side. He said he left claw marks in the passenger seat as he tried to get away from the driver's door.
 

Turtle

Administrator
Staff member
Retired Expediter
Many years ago my stepdad was driving a dump truck, taking metal shavings up to Detroit. One time, with a full load, he was driving along and suddenly his bucket started rising up, dumping his entire load on I-75, just before he hit an overpass in Monroe, which slid the bucket right off the truck and left it sitting there on the Interstate. He and the rest of the truck were unscathed. The company got a whopper of a cleanup bill and fine, tho, and had to pay to replace several windshields and tires. Apparently it was a real mess.
 

OntarioVanMan

Retired Expediter
Owner/Operator
When a t/t dump tips over on it's side, the trailer body has the weight in it of course. The body goes first, causing the trailer frame to twist. As the trailer frame twists, it puts pressure on the fifth wheel which causes the truck frame to twist. Once there is enough twist placed on the truck frame to over come the weight of the truck, the truck tips. It is a somewhat delayed reaction and the force built up during all of that twisting is pretty strong. The driver is advised to have a firm grip on anything he can gets his hands, arms, legs and feet around because it's going to be rough ride!

Please don't ask how I know this! :D



Actually have never driven a t/t dump...but a friend has. He flipped his on the driver's side. He said he left claw marks in the passenger seat as he tried to get away from the driver's door.

Guess he learned real quick that you cannot dump being on-side grade LOL
 

OntarioVanMan

Retired Expediter
Owner/Operator
Sometimes you might think your level ground but 1 side might be in soft dirt/mud and you don't notice until maybe half way up! Best hit the down button quick!
 

Dedic8edDave

Active Expediter
Why wouldn't there be a safety mechanism in place on dump trucks that disallows the dump body to raise once you get above say 3 MPH? Are there times you'd need to be going faster than that to unload?

Many years ago I was a flagger working on a road construction site. As a dump truck was leaving, his dump body raised and hit some power lines that were crossing the road. Caused a heckuva mess! Nothing like this though.
 

tknight

Veteran Expediter
Someone needs to post Fridays dumping of. Oil steel on i475 and 75 in Toledo late afternoon Friday unwound like a slinky!!!
 

tenntrucker

Expert Expediter
Saw this happen late one nite last year in the middle of Chicago. Construction going on, dump truck pulled out onto main road with his bed still up and took out a large overhead traffic sign.

sent from my Galaxy Tab2
 
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