Oversize load movement "may require multi-jurisdictional permits. These permits may have differing restrictions, conditions, and regulations, which may result in cumbersome and confusing procedures. Now, more than a decade later, these conditions persist. Inconsistencies in requirements and procedures continue to produce delays and less-than-optimal safety conditions in the movement of oversize loads, in addition to presenting a maze of rules and requirements that is difficult to negotiate and provides little if any benefit.
Characteristics of Oversize Loads. The oversize load is less maneuverable, takes longer to stop and accelerate, and has a wider turning radius. Drivers of oversize load vehicles have difficulty maintaining speeds on roads with moderate to severe grades. The oversize load vehicle is less stable, some are more likely to roll over, and they are often subject to trailer sway and rearward amplification, 72 tail swing, offtracking, and other phenomena.
Parking and Backing Issues. Backing a truck is always dangerous; oversize loads, especially articulated loads, carry enhanced risks. Monitor clearances front and rear, above and below, and on both sides of the load vehicle as it moves. Spotters should always stand on the driver's side of the vehicle once the backing begins, and move with the load in order to remain visible to the driver at all times.
The spotter must be able to see the driver at all times. Spotters and drivers must agree upon a set of hand signals, especially a clear signal for "stop. Stopping Distances. Safe driving practices can very frequently be linked to stopping distance.
So if speed doubles from 20 mph to 40 mph, the distance needed to stop increases by 4 times. Trucks often weigh 20 to 30 times as much as passenger vehicles, and trucks are taller, often with greater ground clearance, resulting in smaller vehicles under- riding trucks in crashes. Compared with passenger vehicles, stopping distances for trucks are much longer, and trains are much longer than trucks. Loaded tractor-trailers take 20 to 40 percent more distance than cars to stop, and the discrepancy is greater on wet and slippery roads or with poorly maintained brakes.
