Are my flags correct for wide a load?

I was trucking down I-5 and a guy came on the CB saying I got my flags in the wrong spots. Right now I got two on the front bumper with a wide load sign, two on the blade, and two on the back of the float.

He said " I'm suppose to have them on the front and rear of the float and front and rear of the cat."

I only truck for the fun of it so I only haul a wide load a few time a year... but ain't been stopped yet but don't want no tickets.

Thanks

Last I knew, it was the 4 corners of the carrier, and flags at the widest point of the load. So I would think that what you've got is good, I'd just put the ones on the blade down lower. On something like a excavator where the tracks are the widest/lowest part, you should do all 4 corners of the machine too.

95zIV said:

Last I knew, it was the 4 corners of the carrier, and flags at the widest point of the load. So I would think that what you've got is good, I'd just put the ones on the blade down lower. On something like a excavator where the tracks are the widest/lowest part, you should do all 4 corners of the machine too.

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Yep, that would get you by here in Idaho

You got it flagged perfectly for Ca. I don't even run bumper flags in Ca, just flags on the blade and the back of the trailer.

I have seen some transporters paint the corners of the blade/tracks/undercarriage etc with that irridescent orange paint from a rattle can they carry with them for visibility.I have never done it myself but it is fairly common in this area.It looks cheap to me but I can't think of anything that would work better for safeties sake.The paint fades quickly and makes the machine look like it belongs in the boneyard.Ron G

Ron G. I saved that old girl from the bone yard. Bought it for $2,800 before scrap shot way up. It's a 1951 High Output D8 that was pumping water out the back stack. After getting it home I found #5 had a bent rod and the crank journal was way out of round. I didn't want to rebuild it my buddies from the ACME tractor site talked me into it. Turned the crank .050 under and gave it a complete rebuild. Found a parts tractor with a hole in the block and used the oil clutch in it. Now the pain and suffering has long been forgotten and I'm glad I rebuilt it. She's a strong runner and it's fun to take to our club play days and shows.

This a video of the kids playing on it at the Santa Margarita tractor show.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6kHHtRUVucw

prenn1984@gmail said:

You got it flagged perfectly for Ca. I don't even run bumper flags in Ca, just flags on the blade and the back of the trailer.

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^^^ This. The only thing I could see being a problem is if your rear wide load sign is blowing up from the wind and it couldnt be read. I dont run flags on the front bumper and only put 4 on the machine if the whole thing is a wide load, if the blade is all that sticks out then thats all that gets flagged.

You would be covered here without a problem.

Well, from the horses mouth:
http://www.dot.ca.gov/hq/traffops/permits/faq.htm#9

I would point out that the Wide Load sign is supposed to be mounted at least 18 inches above the road, and if it's blowing in the wind, it doesn't meet the readability requirements.


"CVC Sec. 25104

Any vehicle or equipment that requires a permit issued pursuant to Article 6 (commencing with Section 35780) of Chapter 5 of Division 15 because it is wider than permitted under Chapter 2 (commencing with Section 35100) of Division 15 shall display a solid red or fluorescent orange flag or cloth not less than 12 inches square at the extreme left front and left rear of the vehicle or equipment, if the vehicle or equipment is being operated other than during darkness."

That does sound like the flags are supposed to go at the 4 corners of the truck/trailer, but it could be interpreted to mean that they go at the 4 corners of the section requiring the permit.

I don't have a way to attach flags to the front and rear of the truck/trailer, so I have just been flagging the front and rear of the machine, and the widest point of the machine if it's in the middle (paver, etc). With a load like yours, people driving past the flag on the back corner of the trailer are gonna forgot about it before they get to the blade!
One of these days I need to set up flagholders, but we are so slow right now I haven't had to haul anything wide for a while, and hopefully there will be a new trailer before I do again!

When I hauled our dozer, KW and Cozad? to Dunnigan for RB to sell a few months ago I had it set up like you do, except the front flags were on the front of the trailer instead of the truck because that's were the holders were.
The only thing I would do different is paint the blade corners, so that when Rufus is texting and drifts over and rips his roof off, there is no question of visibility! Otherwise move the flag lower. Mag mount flags are great for that.
I think Fl. Orange paint on the blade is more eye catching than a flag, and it has the look of solid steel instead of flapping cloth and says "Stay Away!"

Oh, and I would tie the Wide Load sign across the center of the blade. It would be more visible, easy to attach and I have never seen a rule saying it has to be at the exact rear of the trailer!
And remember that flagging only applies during daylight hours, darkness needs lights, assuming your permit allows 24/7.

I don't know where the guy got the idea of having 3 sets of flags on the carrier, and no mention of any on the wide part!
And if you still have unresolved questions after having several people that do this every day in CA comment on this (and I am not among that group, I just like reading the rules! ), you can call CHP Commercial Division and ask them how they enforce it, since that's really the only thing that matters!

Ben~

As others have said, your flags are fine. The ones on the blade could be lower, but you arent in trouble where they are.
The wide load banner at the rear could be trouble though. It is too close to the road, and unreadable when it is flapping in the breeze.
I would bungee it over the rear of the trailer, with bungees top and bottom to hold it stretched out. As an alternate, what I do is have my trailer flags on metal stakes angled up and out at the rear, then bungee the top of the sign accross the top of the poles, and the bottom gets hooked to the bottom edge of the trailer. It holds it nice and tight so you can read it.

I never put flags on the front of truck. didnt have provisions and i wasn't putting any up there anyway. Your wide load banner is the only problem i see. I always ran with the banner saying "OVER SIZED LOAD" not wide load and i don't remember my logic behind that.

If they were wrong in California you would have been stopped by someone by now, you'd think.
Nice pictures!

Dualie said:

...I always ran with the banner saying "OVER SIZED LOAD" not wide load and i don't remember my logic behind that.

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Maybe because "Oversized Load" will work on almost any type of load, but "Wide Load" only works on, well, wide loads?