Cat D9T versus highway overpass....

[texascadillac42]

This just happened today, in East Peoria IL, on I-74 right in front of the local Cat dealer. (My buddy who works there got the pictures for me...) Brand new (read, 0 hours) Cat D9 leaving the East Peoria, IL bulldozer factory was headed about 10 miles away to a shipping company who handles moving D9s across the country in various stages of assembly. (This is the story I was told...) The overpass he hit is clearly marked, but often times the trip permit instructs drivers to exit, and re enter I-74 to go around the overpass, instead of under it.... obviously this driver didn't read the permit, or measure his load...

The yardman at the Cat dealer said he has seen this exact scenario happen at least 3 times since he has been working for the dealer....

You can see it snapped a few chains and pulled the machine to the back of the trailer as it went under the overpass. Neither the overpass or the highway were shut down....

http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y15/fordcummins1/2009_0812Au2009bridgeincident0007.jpg
http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y15/fordcummins1/2009_0812Au2009bridgeincident0010.jpg
http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y15/fordcummins1/D9T001.jpg
http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y15/fordcummins1/D9T005.jpg

[texascadillac42]

For the click lazy....

[dirt digger]

holy crap...that stinks

i was just out that way a couple months ago and saw the shipping yard loaded with 9's. 10's, and 11's...that yard itself is an impressive sight to see

i can't believe he didn't know that bridge was there...i mean they move machines to that yard all the time..it should be ritual for the drivers by now to avoid the bridge...he must have been the new guy

[tippatone]

That does not make sense. I would think someone would go around if you are unsure about the clearance of your load. Looks like someone will soon be at the umemployment office.

[bigblueox]

looks like he never gave it two blinks.

[texascadillac42]

No, supposedly he crested the hill right before the overpass and was doing 45-50 mph when he hit... The yardman told my buddy that normally they move the D9s and bigger on beam trailers, which would make the machine sit much lower to the ground, but nonetheless, it is obvious that they werent off by a few inches, this clearance was misjudged by feet.

[tippatone]

Its a shame such a great machine had to met a fate like that.

[D5G]

Theres a reason they move them without the cabs.... I hope they pull this guy's CDL, there is no reason for this accident.

[Steve Frazier]

That's thinkin' with your dipstick Jimmy!

[JDOFMEMI]

Another driver out of work.

He should have taken the time to actually READ his permit.

[OneWelder]

I mounted to of those old fashion Whip antennas on the goose neck of my low bed - set them just above load hight , with a tennis ball on end - any bridge I was uncertain about I would slow down to crawl and look in mirror

[DigDug]

That guy has no business being in a truck with a load that size and not know what hes doing. :Pointhead

[7AXLES]

Thats to bad!! Shoulda read his permit, although I've seen some pretty stupid routing by IDOT, confusing to say the least. I have permits that are in question all the time. They will route you off the interstate through little bo-dunk towns that are worse.
Heres a good example in Missouri.

I had a 14-6 wide load last summer where they routed me off the interstate because of lane width restriction, put me 2 hours out of my way on 2 lanes(one each way) that were 10ft wide AND NO SHOULDER at all, it was hairy to say the least(2 escorts helped)...anyway on the way back empty, there was NO construction at all where they said it was...MDOT cost me 2 hours of some pretty dangerous driving conditions.

[Diggedirt]

It's always sad to see a nice machine destroyed in any manner.
I live near where this happened and I was at that Cat dealer last week getting a part. If he made it around this overpass there are three more on the way to the storage yard that do not have any bypass. They may be a little taller but I doubt they have the room he was needing. His luck was bound to run out. The first overpass east of the storage yard has/had a few scars from the very same thing.
Reminds me of that joke where a driver and his co-pilot stop ahead of an overpass marked 14'-3", measure the load and find out is 14'-6" tall.. The driver says "What should we do?" and the co-pilot looks around and says "I don't see any cops, let's go for it!" :D

[qball]

That's thinkin' with your dipstick Jimmy!

ha!!!:drinkup:drinkup

[pecpower1]

sad to see a good piec of equipment go like thaty

[rigandig]

One word, GOMER. But you do get what ya pay for.
And yes, it is a sad way for the machine to meet it's end.

[Cretebaby]

Just my observation but,

I wouldn't think the ROPS would give up that easily.

[OneWelder]

I am surprised that we do not see a whole lot of damage to trk. & Trailer

[Chris91786]

roflowned

That sucks, they can give it to me, I'll fix her up.

[Per Eriksson]

It's all about mass and inertia.
The dozer is so heavy in itself so that combined with the speed makes easy work of the cab and rops, had the machine been lighter in itself it most certanly would have been a different story possible hurting the trailer more.

[WColtharp]

I was with the bossman in august picking up a cat end dump at a local rental store and got wind of this from the employee's of the rental store. Tis a shame.. Million dollar mistake? Well, maybe not, but sure looks like one!

[heavylift]

When i haul refrigerant to the car plants.... the loading area for the car haulers had a sensor thing that they had to drive thru... with the various heights next to a flashing light..... I don't remember the height numbers, but you would see a red light flashing every now and then... the truck would then go back and adjust the load..

[texascadillac42]

The buddy who got the pics for me is actually working on putting the machine back together this week. I will try and get a general summary of what was actually replaced due to damage.

[Diggedirt]

Tex, Did your buddy get around to telling you what got repaired?
I passed the dealership the other day and saw a D9T out front in the lineup. Is it the same one from this mishap? If it is they did a good job making it look the way it did just before it met the overpass.

[CinOK]

That is 100% driver error. knowing your height your reponsibility. I dont care what the permit says check your load and keep your eyes open. Is this a wide high heavy company or some one looking for a quick buck pretenteding to know what hes doing.

[Diggedirt]

CinOk,
The company name on the side of the truck is KEEN. They do a lot of the large hauling for Cat around here. They haul a good share of the outbound units from the track-type-tractor plant in East Peoria. The company has the experience but this driver didn't do his job right.(I agree that this mishap is driver error).

[SOCALLOWBOY]

Keen huh..... Make sense