Bridges & Overpasses & stress management?

[sawdust_128]

I need some advise on managing travel stress and staying aware of low overpasses and bridges. Basically, I guess I need some tips on travel strategies to avoid that sudden "HOLY-YOU-KNOW-WHAT" sensation which thus far has been immediately followed by the "hose-out-the-pants" stop and not the "scrape-up-the-bus-parts" stop.

Are there navigation systems that can help with this?
Is there a printed atlas for larger vehicles? ------------------2009 Rand McNally Motor Carriers' Road Atlas Thanks Ted
Does DOT/NTSB list them some where (I guess that would be on a state by state basis)?
Any operators care to share your particular technics?
Has anyone seen a good CDL manual that talks to these issues?

How about how you determined your "safe" height and what are your rules of thumb for using it?

Also, what do you use as guidelines for picking and using secondary roads?

As always, any advise greatly appreciated.

[tdelorme]

http://store.randmcnally.com/product/road+atlases/motor+carriers%27+atlases/2009+rand+mcnally+motor+carriers%27+road+atlas.do

[garyde]

My Navigation system, Alpine, seems to do a good job most of the time although you can never relax totally. I have been told by other POG members that you can program for 'Bus' in some systems.
What I don't like is the lack of flexibiliy in choosing an alternate route, it drives my navigation lady crazy. You have to either turn it off or ignore her admonishments until it chooses to re calculate.

[adamdegraff]

I have a love hate relationship with my GPS. It does not help at all with overpasses. But I have come to terms with some of its quirks.

Here is my system. I always start by looking at the motor carriers road atlas. (Rand McNally... suggested to me by somebody on POG.) It has truck routs highlighted on it. So you can rest assured that all the highlighted routs are A-OK. So I basically stick to those routs. Then I consult on Yahoo Maps. The tink I like here, is you can drag and drop the route to different points, augment it, change it, etc. and it gives you feedback. Then, with my route basically decided, I plug it into by GPS. (Garmin 750, available at Sams club for $250 or $300.) It has a routing option. I think this is a necessity because with this option, you can bypass the "quickest" rout option that does lots of stupid stuff cuz it thinks it is faster. So I use the routing option to plug in points along the way that I see on the hard copy may.

The GPS gives me accurate timing, places to stop along the way, and verbal directions, so I can zone out and concentrate only on the chaos in my bus and the crazy drivers cutting me off.

Then in the rare case that you get off your route, you can stress about over passes, etc. By the way, I have my height written on a post it note right on my dash, so I can always check it against the low overpasses.

Good luck!

Adam

[sawdust_128]

My Navigation system, Alpine, seems to do a good job most of the time although you can never relax totally. I have been told by other POG members that you can program for 'Bus' in some systems.
What I don't like is the lack of flexibiliy in choosing an alternate route, it drives my navigation lady crazy. You have to either turn it off or ignore her admonishments until it chooses to re calculate.


I would like to look at these. Can you make a recommendation on a model to look at?

[sawdust_128]

http://store.randmcnally.com/product/road+atlases/motor+carriers%27+atlases/2009+rand+mcnally+motor+carriers%27+road+atlas.do



Thank you. I have ordered it.

[sawdust_128]

I have a love hate relationship with my GPS. It does not help at all with overpasses. But I have come to terms with some of its quirks.

Here is my system. I always start by looking at the motor carriers road atlas. (Rand McNally... suggested to me by somebody on POG.) It has truck routs highlighted on it. So you can rest assured that all the highlighted routs are A-OK. So I basically stick to those routs. Then I consult on Yahoo Maps. The tink I like here, is you can drag and drop the route to different points, augment it, change it, etc. and it gives you feedback. Then, with my route basically decided, I plug it into by GPS. (Garmin 750, available at Sams club for $250 or $300.) It has a routing option. I think this is a necessity because with this option, you can bypass the "quickest" rout option that does lots of stupid stuff cuz it thinks it is faster. So I use the routing option to plug in points along the way that I see on the hard copy may.

The GPS gives me accurate timing, places to stop along the way, and verbal directions, so I can zone out and concentrate only on the chaos in my bus and the crazy drivers cutting me off.

Then in the rare case that you get off your route, you can stress about over passes, etc. By the way, I have my height written on a post it note right on my dash, so I can always check it against the low overpasses.

Good luck!

Adam


Thanks Adam. I have the Garmin Nuvi 750. As you stated, no help with overpasses. I have ordered the R-M Atlas. I'll look at yahoo maps and play with that as well.

[Jon Wehrenberg]

I carry the trucker's atlas. I store it behind the driver's seat and stay on the interstates.

If I should ever have a weak moment and opt to leave the comfort and safety of the super slab, I will refer to it. I will NEVER put my faith in any GPS for height clearance or bridge weight limits.

This may come as a shock to some folks, but as drivers of a big vehicle we do have a responsibility to read signs. Expecially those that provide height or weight limits.

We had dinner with another Prevost owner once that related how he had to back up over two miles so he could get turned around, how he had traffic completely and totally shut down, and how all the troopers involved in clearing the lane behind him couldn't give him a ticket because the only sign about the bridge height was just before the bridge, right where he stopped. It took him over two hours to get out of there, about the same amount of time hundreds of cars sat in line waiting for him to clear the road.

While he was blameless, I'll bet looking at the trucker's atlas would have prevented that fiasco.

BTW, that was in New England, and from our travels there I can tell you that you really need to be on your game because of narrow roads leading to low bridges or bridges with weight limits.

[sawdust_128]

Is it possible to put a link on the POG site to this? I would be willing to do a cut and paste to have this on here?


http://www.aitaonline.com/Info/Road/Low%20Clearances.html

[sawdust_128]

I carry the trucker's atlas. I store it behind the driver's seat and stay on the interstates.

If I should ever have a weak moment and opt to leave the comfort and safety of the super slab, I will refer to it. I will NEVER put my faith in any GPS for height clearance or bridge weight limits.

This may come as a shock to some folks, but as drivers of a big vehicle we do have a responsibility to read signs. Expecially those that provide height or weight limits.

We had dinner with another Prevost owner once that related how he had to back up over two miles so he could get turned around, how he had traffic completely and totally shut down, and how all the troopers involved in clearing the lane behind him couldn't give him a ticket because the only sign about the bridge height was just before the bridge, right where he stopped. It took him over two hours to get out of there, about the same amount of time hundreds of cars sat in line waiting for him to clear the road.

While he was blameless, I'll bet looking at the trucker's atlas would have prevented that fiasco.

BTW, that was in New England, and from our travels there I can tell you that you really need to be on your game because of narrow roads leading to low bridges or bridges with weight limits.


Weight limits. Hadn't even thought about that one. Any sources for that info?

[wrongagain]

copilot truck 11
its the way to go

http://www.alk.com/copilot/laptop.asp

[0533]

Is isn't always about height or even weight in some cases, and the Truckers Road Atlas my not have any info for the location you are in. I was traveling in Cape Breton this past summer heading over to the West Shore to a really great campground called the MacLeods family campground to see a 52nd annual Scottish Festival. We were traveling on Rt #395 to Dunvegan Ns, came around a tight bend in the narrow road and down a steep hill another turn and this is what we found (see attached) an old narrow 10' wide wooden bridge. Needless to say that I came to a sudden stop. No signs on the bridge, Nobody around not a soul. I got out of the bus and walked up to the bridge, looked under it and all around. The cement piers looked good and the cross members (12X12 treated wood) looked good and were all sitting on their respective piers. I decided to do a little Sherlock Holmes and carefully looked around, saw lots of bark pieces on the bridge, lots of dings and dents on the bridge rails (metal) from large trucks and decided that logging trucks were using the road and and crossing the bridge. We decided to go across. Its nice to have an escape hatch in the roof with a ladder in these times. have you ever wondered wether to go slowly or to go as fast as one can to get across before the bridge realizes you are too heavy and decides to collapse.

3616

[Jon Wehrenberg]

Ed,

To get that and other information posted on the site, go to the articles section, write a brief article along with the link and you just put it on the POG home page.

One word of caution to all.........I just looked at the link Ed posted, and from knowedge of the area I looked for a listing of the Lake Ontario State Parkway. It has notices not for commercial vehicles, but since we are not commercial one would think we are good to go. It is a spectacular road. Scenic, smooth, lightly traveled. What a nice road to drive.

You would think that until you came upon some beautiful bridges just over 11'0" tall. My point is simple. There are gotchas out there.

Super Slab driver. That's me.

[phorner]

"Super Slab driver. That's me."

Good advice, Jon.

Reminds me of a time when we veered off the slab and headed toward a spot in Missouri, adjacent to the Ozark National Scenic Riverways on our way to a friends property. As I recall, his words were "sure you can get there, I've got plenty of room..."

What he didn't tell me was about the nice old-fashioned faded painted wood sign that we passed along the crappy 1 1/2 lane gravel road that said
"Caution - Warning: Ferry Ahead. Limits: 20 feet/4 tons"

My comment was well, that's just great.... we don't meet either one of those. :eek:

As luck would have it, we ended up taking an even worse road just before the ferry crossing.... but we made it! :D

I'm with you, Jon..... this bus doesn't leave the Super Slab either if I have any choice at all......

[0533]

It is like flying a plane. Some of the best spots are out of the way, it just requires some extra planning and some big carrots, you should be fine Jon.

[sawdust_128]

Ed,

To get that and other information posted on the site, go to the articles section, write a brief article along with the link and you just put it on the POG home page.

One word of caution to all.........I just looked at the link Ed posted, and from knowedge of the area I looked for a listing of the Lake Ontario State Parkway. It has notices not for commercial vehicles, but since we are not commercial one would think we are good to go. It is a spectacular road. Scenic, smooth, lightly traveled. What a nice road to drive.

You would think that until you came upon some beautiful bridges just over 11'0" tall. My point is simple. There are gotchas out there.

Super Slab driver. That's me.


Jon: Absolutely correct. The link is to a commercail trucker site. I had hopes that someone might have, or know of a similar compendium related to larger motorhomes and coaches. It is a start and I will try to get something done for an article and generously label it as an incomplete work in progress.

[Jon Wehrenberg]

Bruce,

One thing I have going for me is a plane that is happy in 2000 feet or 11,000 runways.

But I still don't fly in hot MOAs which would be the equivalent of going exploring in a 47,000 pound 45 foot long bus. That's why we drag a car behind us.

[garyde]

Here is lots of info on Alpine:http://www.google.com/products?hl=en&as_epq=&as_oq=&as_eq=&num=10&lr=&as_filetype=&as_sitesearch=&as_qdr=all&as_rights=&as_occt=any&cr=&as_nlo=&as_nhi=&safe=images&q=Alpine+GPS&um=1&ie=UTF-8&sa=X&oi=product_result_group&resnum=1&ct=title

Mine is similar to the DVD-Rom unit.

[sawdust_128]

Here is lots of info on Alpine:http://www.google.com/products?hl=en&as_epq=&as_oq=&as_eq=&num=10&lr=&as_filetype=&as_sitesearch=&as_qdr=all&as_rights=&as_occt=any&cr=&as_nlo=&as_nhi=&safe=images&q=Alpine+GPS&um=1&ie=UTF-8&sa=X&oi=product_result_group&resnum=1&ct=title

Mine is similar to the DVD-Rom unit.


Thanks. I'll check that out.

[0533]

I found this on the Web, I knew you really agree with me Jon.

ROAD LESS TRAVELED

Two roads diverged in a yellow wood
And sorry I could not travel both
And be one traveler, long I stood
And looked down one as far as I could
To where it bent in the undergrowth

Then took the other as just as fair
And having perhaps the better claim
Because it was grassy and wanted wear
Though as for that, the passing there
Had worn them really about the same

And both that morning equally lay
In leaves no step had trodden black
Oh, I kept the first for another day!
Yet, knowing how way leads onto way
I doubted if I should ever come back

I shall be telling this with a sigh
Somewhere ages and ages hence
Two roads diverged in a wood
And I took the one less traveled by
And that has made all the difference

Jon Wehrenberg

[wrongagain]

With that software "copilot truck 11" there are settings for motorhomes up to 13 ft high, etc.
I use the truck settings and set it up for a 53 ft trailer.
I figure if it is going to let a semi with a 53 ft box behind it on a route, it will let the bus go thru the same area.

[0533]

What is the "copilot truck 11" and where did you get this equipment. Sounds interesting.

I have an antenna that the original owner had installed, it will go off if the overpass is too low, a little late I am afraid.

[wrongagain]

http://www.alk.com/copilot/laptop.asp

I got it from their site.
It is a laptop gps system based on PC MILER truck routing software.

[sawdust_128]

http://www.alk.com/copilot/laptop.asp

I got it from their site.
It is a laptop gps system based on PC MILER truck routing software.


I checked this out and it seems to be what I was looking for. Have you found things about it that you don't like?

Thanks in advance.

[wrongagain]

Nope,
There is nothing about it I dont like, except,...
This is my second purchase of copilot the first, copilot 9, you could put on lots and lots of computers, since I have several laptops this was a neat feature.
But, then came copilot 11, this time they got smart, and it will only run on 1 machine at a time.
If and when you try to put it on a second machine you will happily start it up and right across the screen it tells you that this is being used on another computer and must be unregistered with them and then reregistered on the new computer, and that you must uninstall it on the original machine for the new to work.
But other than that I love it.
It tells you for instance that you missed a turn but not to go on this road as it is not a designated truck route, go that road instead.
Its based on PC MILER and so far has been very smart, about stuff like road construction etc, probably because it is so heavily relied upon by the trucking community.

[sawdust_128]

Nope,
There is nothing about it I dont like, except,...
This is my second purchase of copilot the first, copilot 9, you could put on lots and lots of computers, since I have several laptops this was a neat feature.
But, then came copilot 11, this time they got smart, and it will only run on 1 machine at a time.
If and when you try to put it on a second machine you will happily start it up and right across the screen it tells you that this is being used on another computer and must be unregistered with them and then reregistered on the new computer, and that you must uninstall it on the original machine for the new to work.
But other than that I love it.
It tells you for instance that you missed a turn but not to go on this road as it is not a designated truck route, go that road instead.
Its based on PC MILER and so far has been very smart, about stuff like road construction etc, probably because it is so heavily relied upon by the trucking community.


Would you happen to know does it update over the www, cds or does it update through the GPS? I didn't find anything on this on their www site.

Thanks.

[wrongagain]

honestly I dont remember, but the product works nicely.
give them a call, very easy people to deal with.

ALK Technologies, Inc., the leading worldwide developer of GPS navigation, routing, mileage, and mapping software for businesses and consumers, today announced the launch of CoPilot Live 11, a full-featured trip-planning and GPS navigation system for your Windows® laptop. Copilot Live 11 with its redesigned step-by-step address entry, new clear and colorful 2D and 3D map views, navigation based services like real-time traffic, finding your way to your destination has never been easier or more convenient to use.
“CoPilot Live 11 converts your laptop into a full-featured GPS Navigation solution similar to factory-installed systems in high-end luxury vehicles,” said Dan Titus, Vice President – Business Development for ALK. “Plus, the Live component offers you advanced capabilities like Navigation Based Services (NBS), typically not found in dedicated personal navigation devices (PNDs) or in-vehicle GPS navigation systems.”
CoPilot Live core features include a choice of map views and a driver safety view so you can keep your eyes on the road, and not on the screen and simply rely on its voice guidance. User’s have the ability to enter up to 50 addresses and optimally route all for the most efficient trip. Multi-stop trips are calculated in seconds, and the instant detour feature will automatically generate a new route if you miss a turn. CoPilot will provide travelers with an updated estimated time of arrival (ETA) throughout the trip, along with the remaining distance to their destination.
CoPilot Live Laptop 11 New Features Include:

RV routing with 12’6 & 13’ height clearance options, propane, scenic, quickest, shortest and toll avoidance
Over 6 million new points-of-interest including phone numbers
Clear spoken directions with street names
Simplified user interface with large buttons and easy destination entry
Customize the map color theme with a choice of familiar and fun styles
Set and save the types of roads you want CoPilot Live to navigate
Enter multiple destinations, mark waypoints, adjust routing options and preview your trip before you hit the roadNavigation Based Services offered through CoPilot Live include real-time traffic, premium points-of-interest, 2-way messaging, and personalized tracking invitation services. Additional premium Navigation Based Services will be added throughout the year.
CoPilot Live 11 also features updated ALK Premium Map Data including highways, highway exits, streets, addresses and points-of-interest. ALK’s Premium Map Data includes over 7 million miles of roadway throughout the United States, Canada and Mexico and over 125 million addresses nationwide in the United States. CoPilot Live supports destination entry by address, ZIP code, POI, Latitude Longitude, and by directly picking a location on the map itself.

[Gary & Peggy Stevens]

Sawdust, I have owned the CoPilot versions from 7,8,9 and just upgraded to their CoPilot 11. Peg uses it more for trip routing and mileage than actually guiding us, but we like it.

CoPilot does not upgrade through the GPS, like my Alpine GPS System does in my Hummer. You have a disc with all of the data, that you install into the laptop. It has worked very well untill at least you get down to the EXACT specific address of some place you want to get to. Then at least in the past, it kind of gets you lost, or only misses the house address by a street or two?:eek: Which might as well be a mile, when driving one of these big rigs. That is why we use it as a help in routing, not the sole source.

Hope this helps.

Gary S.

[Gary & Peggy Stevens]

On another note I had them install this system in my Hummer,

http://www.alpine-usa.com/US-en/products/product.php?model=IVA-W505

I also had them put in the Blackbird Navigation unit, which does upgrade constantly via the GPS signal. It works extremely well. http://www.alpine-usa.com/US-en/products/product.php?model=PMD-B200

The IVA 505 mounts in the hummer, and the Blackbird navigation module plugs either into the W505 or into its window mount unit which comes with it.

I hope to get another W505 unit and put it in the bus. :confused:

Maybe Santa Claus will bring me one? :)