I'm curious, has the law been changed that we no longer need flags on oversized loads? This past week I saw 3 separate oversized loads with no flags on them. Two of them only had the signs on the front and back and the third had signs and strobes but no flags. Maybe it was just a coincidence but 2 of the three looked like 'professional' type haulers which made me wonder if the laws had changed and I hadn't heard about it yet.
I highly doubt it's changed. I haven't heard about it and can't find anything.
Maybe the flags had removed themselves in the wind? Sometimes you can get a good supply of flags around here if you keep your eyes open and are willing to stop and pick them up. Or, maybe the driver was just plain lazy and didn't put them on.
Law still is flags on four corners or extremities of load. I see them all the time poorly flagged or not at all. Ignorance is bliss for a lot of them.....
When I was moving my own stuff, I always had 4 flags on the excavator plus 2 front and 2 rear on the tractor/lowboy as well as front & rear "Oversize Load" signs. I think that I was the only one in the county to do it by the book. Very few, if any, of the locals ever bother to flag a wide load if they are in construction or farming. I also had my overweight and overwidth permits (annuals for both states I ran) in the truck. I could have boot-legged it like most everyone else around here but I was prepared for inspection and an easy pass to go about my way. I think the biggest thing is that most enforcement officials are pretty lax about the flags. Flashing lights are more visible than flagging anyways.
If you're bootlegging all the more reason to flag up and look right. Not that I'd know anything about that.....haha Worst states I ever dealt with for flags and signs was CO and UT. Saw a guy get a ticket for a sign that said OVERSIZED instead of OVERSIZE. Another was ticketed because his sign didn't meet the law as far as letter size and brush stroke width. Heaven forbid a wreck happens, if it ever did and they discovered anything lacking it would just add zeros to the payout.
I always put 2 flags on the front bumper of the truck and 2 at the rear of the trailer and one on each side of whatever I'm hauling. I don't know if I'm 100% legal doing it this way but have not been questioned about it either. Thanks for the replies. I had my doubts that the law had changed but it seems like anything is possible these days!!!!
Front of the truck, back of the trailer, and the widest point of the load is what I've been told by everyone i asked. I had an ongoing argument on this subject with a coworker, so i asked anyone at the scalehouses that would listen.
Direct from my Missouri permit today: "FLUORECENT RED OR ORANGE FLAGS AT LEAST EIGHTEEN INCHES (18) SQUARE REQUIRED AT EXTREME ENDS OR PROJECTIONS OF LOAD"
We kick the flashing lights on & drop a few red flags on the load . It's all for " show " & meaningless unless the other drivers understand & respect what they mean . Hands down the best is a good driver in a " Blocker / Jam car " traveling along with the truck . Old man loves that gig ! On narrow county roads he stays about a mile ahead of me warning people . On busy highways & city streets he's blockin in the rear to keep people out of harms way . He loves it ! LOL
Used to seeing a lot of the oversSIZE rigs around here where they just rattle can Fluorescent paint at the wide spots, MSHP has been ignoring them for awhile.
Somewhat on topic. We had a local used equipment dealer around here that would try bending the laws as far as he could. One of his favorite tricks was to go to an auction and buy a large truck crane that needed to have a "follow car" to escort it. He would then hook a tow-bar to the back of the crane and the other end to his pick-up truck and drive it on home. He claimed the pick-up was his "follow car". And to make it look almost legal, as in NY at least at that time you needed to have "transporter plates" on any unlicensed equipment he would pull the front plate off his pick-up and stick it on the front of the truck crane in hopes the police would not look close at it. Company I worked for tried their best to follow the rules but those idiots in cars just had no sense at times. Don't recall any accidents but that was just dumb luck with all the close calls you would see in just a short 20-30 mile move over the road. Like tailgating a Hough 400, operator could not see anything behind that machine if it was less than 100 feet away and cars would pull up to within 10 feet! The brake lights on that machine were up high enough that at that distance a person in a car would never see them come on!
One of the better reference guides, but always check the provision sheets attached to the permit: http://permits.scranet.org/wp-content/uploads/2012/10/SCRA_PM_1012.pdf I just quit moving equipment OSOW Interstate this June & it was a steep learning curve when I went from local to OTR. I've still got the 3-ring binder packed with notes/info & a skid full of gear from the truck/trailer (and, unfortunately, the truck & trailer). Who requires flags on the load and the truck/trailer, strobe requirements (Did I forget to renew Nevada amber light permit again?), signs (Oregon- reflective dusk-dawn moves), curfews, etc, etc. "What's this BS about no more than 1 mile off permitted route? How the heck am I going to avoid the coop doing that?"
Funny I should see this old post today.. I was coming home tonite & got behind this ahole loaded down w/ a HUGE excavator.. NO SIGNS, NO FLASHERS, NO FOLLOW CAR. & NO FLAGS.. ON A 2 LANE ROAD IN 5:00 TRAFFIC.. He DID HAVE a "red rag" tied to one of the tracks tho.. As he stopped in the MIDDLE of the road to make a right hand turn.. & I MEAN STOPPED IN THE MIDDLE.. I saw the name on the truck.. It was from a VERY prominent rental company in town.. I just blew my horn as I went by.. & I got the "one finger" salute from him as he turned.. or tried to turn.. What an idiot..
Takes all kinds and all kinds take all sort of risks, thereby the level of tickets issued!!
We just come back hauling a wide load while we were fully rigged up including pilot car i seen a range of wide loads in our 1200km trip. Wide loads with only the sign on the truck and strobes, some fully rigged out with pilots front and rear, some with 1 pilot, Even just about got clobbered by one carrying a wide load pipe that looked to not be secured properly and shifted to the drivers side making him way wider than his 13.2 that he was calling out pilot car was so close to truck that i did not see it till last min. Still wondering why they had the overhang on drivers side instead of passenger side and they should have pulled over and straitened the load and re secured.. i like being the pilot/blocker until you get those idiots that try squeaking by you when you have their lane blocked not sure what goes through their head.. iv thrown my hand held stop sign at some people..
Friday on my way to work.. a fleet of military vehicles were going down the hiway.. GIANT Turret trucks.. Signal vehicle in front & one in back w/HUGE flashing lights & signs.. MILITARY CONVOY> STAY BACK.. Well after I sat in traffic for an HOUR.. that's what it turned out to be.. Lol Some "jack-leg" decided to cut in their lane & either rearended one or the Turret driver was spooked as to "possible" attack, that he slammed on the brakes & ate the front of that "jack-legs" little truck up.. You CANT MISS these blocker vehicles.!!! ON TOP OF THAT> who in their right mind, cuts IN a Military Convoy?? He shouldda been thrown in Levenworth for 2 years.. for just being stupid..
This is all covered in provisions of the issued permit. Always request the "Provisions" when ordering permits. Read the permit. ---- > https://www.law.cornell.edu/cfr/text/49/393.87
Local tractor shed sold a new combine, was taking it to the new customer, had both sides duals drivers on at a little over 14'wide, flags, lead and trail cars, came up to oncoming traffic where lo and behold a State DOT truck. Had oversize permits, just not to 14' wide, was on two lane secondary highway, weighed in at 84400 total where permit was Ok but overall height was 14'9" . The duals were supposed to come off, the machine was expected to be blocked to the trailer then reassembled, only three chains entire machine, all was discussed. Driver got points, company is having to road all these now.
I think every custom harvester that runs duals is crazy. They can get away with taking just the outside duals off and getting a permit for 15' height, but taking those on and off every two weeks would get old fast.
Flags on loads is a state by state regulation. Most states do require them but there are a number out west that don't, Colorado does not require them but all the states surrounding do.
Here in IL, you only need the "oversize load" sign if you are over 10 feet wide. You still need flashing amber lights and flags though.