Eastern Railroad Discussion > Truck dislodges RR Bridge north of Columbia, TN

A semi truck hit a CSXT bridge over Carters Creek Pike and namesake creek. Clearance was shown to be 10' 10". The truck displaced the bridge several feet to the east. This is the CSXT line from Nashville to Columbia and connects to the Tennesse Southern RR in Columbia. This incident isolates the shortline and several industries in the Columbia area.

Ted Curphey
Ontario, OR

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UPS is looking for drivers.

That Truck Company better have good insurance.
John

Looks like a 53' UMXU container that hit the bridge.

Hard to think of a truck moving a bridge like that anyway ,road should have Been lowered years ago.

eddiejack102 Wrote:
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> Hard to think of a truck moving a bridge like that
> anyway ,road should have Been lowered years ago.

Better yet the driver should know that his trailer that is probably around 13' 6"  and won't fit under a 10' 10" bridge



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 02/22/19 08:32 by Spoony81.

It may be good for 10 mph with not much damage to the bridge.

Posted from iPhone

rantoul Wrote:
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> Looks like the truck got under then as it came
> out onto a rising roadbed lifted the bridge. 
> Maybe the bridge can be craned back into place.

It never got under it with the Clarence at 10' 10", top of container hit the bridge at about the 3' mark below the deck of the bridge.

How'd that phone call work out for ya pal?

Likely a container drayer.  With many of those drivers employed as independent contractors, it does make me wonder where the liability falls?  I could easily see some of these companies laying the blame with the driver and saying whatever insurance he carries is who CSX needs to call.  Gmojim, any idea?

 

It will be the driver's/driver's companies insurance.  Insurance will pay maximum policy covers.  Shortfall either go after trucker or company in court or eat it. 

As a person who drives commercial vehicles (buses) for living I have to say that would be a horrible feeling. No matter how late you are there are places and situations that you just have to slow down and realize angry customer is better than losing your job or worse yet hurting others or damaging property. I'll bet that guy wished he could find the 'DO OVER!' button in that truck.

Jim

ShortlinesUSA Wrote:
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> Likely a container drayer.  With many of those
> drivers employed as independent contractors, it
> does make me wonder where the liability falls?  I
> could easily see some of these companies laying
> the blame with the driver and saying whatever
> insurance he carries is who CSX needs to call. 
> Gmojim, any idea?
>
>  ---------------------------------------------------------------------------

scraphauler has the answer above.

gmojim

The truck has a headache rack on the back so at one time the truck was flatbed trucker. I'm going to guess that OO took his empty flatbed under that bridge often. Today though he had something much taller........

flarails882 Wrote:
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> The truck has a headache rack on the back ...

???

I am curious to know what that is?
 



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 02/23/19 13:40 by ts1457.

A headache rack is usually aluminum, mounts to the frame directly behind the back of the cab or sleeper. It's supposed to be rated as able to withstand about half of the weight of the load, so that in the event of the load shifting in a collision the driver has a better chance of survival. I've seen incredibly scary pictures of loads coming through cabs without a headache rack.

Posted from Android

Darren Boes
Lethbridge, AB
Southern Alberta Railfan

ts1457 Wrote:
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> flarails882 Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > The truck has a headache rack on the back ...
>
> ???
>
> I am curious to know what that is?
>

As said above it mounts to the back of a truck cab. Tyipcally they are mounted to truck that mainly hauls flatbed load or logs. In the event driver hard breaks or rear ends someone this will stop most loads from shifting forward and crushing the driver and cab. Some loads can be strapped poorly or incorrently and come forward during a regular hard break.  However no headache rack will protect a driver that hits something at 80 mph. If the collsion did not kill you the load shifting from behind will finish you off. Please inspect every load of steel coils you get also. Drive safely!

Google: headache rack semi --->pictures to get a better idea of what a headache rack looks like mounted on the back of a semi-cab.

flarails882 Wrote:
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> As said above it mounts to the back of a truck
> cab. Tyipcally they are mounted to truck that
> mainly hauls flatbed load or logs. In the event
> driver hard breaks or rear ends someone this will
> stop most loads from shifting forward and crushing
> the driver and cab. Some loads can be strapped
> poorly or incorrently and come forward during a
> regular hard break.  However no headache rack
> will protect a driver that hits something at 80
> mph. If the collsion did not kill you the load
> shifting from behind will finish you off. Please
> inspect every load of steel coils you get also.
> Drive safely!

I appreciate the answers from you two.

I know what you are talking about now. I just did not recognize the name for the attachment. Sounds like a good deduction about normally flatbed trucker losing focus on the height of the load.

As for the bridge you will be very surprised how quickly the railroad can fix that.....I saw a span go completely onto the ground once...and they had it picked up and put back within a day....trains running very soon after. 

We had a truck hit a low bridge locally years ago. It was displaced almost identically. The railroad had it back in service in a couple weeks. It has since been replaced to widen the road under and increase clearances as well.
gonut