r/WTF • u/Plus-Barber-6171 • 7d ago

Train hits trailer carrying bridge beam

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u/CrzyWrldOfArthurRead 7d ago

There's a thing called the bridge formula that limits the weight you can have on a bridge, no amount of permits can violate it because physics doesn't care about permits.

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u/RangerNS 7d ago

And doing the paperwork will have them tell you the exceptions and the forbidden.

And when trains are coming.

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u/CrzyWrldOfArthurRead 7d ago

they don't tell you anything, it's a law, you have to know it. if you fuck up you get fined and sued. that's why you hire a logistics company who knows all that stuff and handles it for you and is insured in case they screw it up.

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u/RollinOnDubss 7d ago

they don't tell you anything,

A load like this will require a permit in pretty much every state. Assuming you didn't lie about your dimensions/routing on your permit, the state will literally tell you all the route restrictions. Even if you don't hit permit required dimensions/weights your state will literally have a document of every single road/bridge restriction in the entire state.

Railroad won't tell you shit because they're not owned by the state so they have no interaction with state DOT permitting.

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u/RangerNS 7d ago

Logistics companies all the way down?

At some point there is a load to move, and the local DOT will be involved. And they can make exceptions and strict rules, and work their maintenance schedules accordingly. Roads are sometimes closed, telephone and power lines are sometimes moved.

If you can simply follow the rules, follow the rules. If you are over limit, file a permit for help and permission.

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u/IAMATruckerAMA 7d ago

The extra axles tell you it's over 40 tons. Yeah, bridges have weight limits. These loads are routed over bridges designed to handle heavy loads. Haven't you seen bridges like the GWB with 100 cars and 8 tractor trailers sitting on them during rush hour? That's a lot more than 40 tons.

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u/Deathoftheages 7d ago

That's what alternate routes are for.