The Dangers of Oversize Loads and Pilot Cars

Driver education is of the utmost importance. Although certain aspects of driving are intuitive, such as turning the wheel right to go right, other aspects of driving such as, yielding, rights-of-way, and merging may not come as naturally. I think that once people begin to understand the systems of rules laid out for driving, even aspects that may be unfamiliar at first will make more sense over time. But by-the-book education is not a one stop shop. I think that education needs to be related to both knowledge and experience. When I was learning how to drive, my parents had me learn from an instructor, as well as from the driving safety books I would have to read to prepare for the permit test. One can read a million books about driving, but without being able to get behind the wheel, they’ll never be a safe driver.

For example, when I was learning how to drive, I was not taught anything about how to handle oversize loads and the pilot cars which escort them down the roadways. As an adult who has now operated a pilot car business, I realize that most people don’t seem to have been educated about it either. I think that more extensive driver education is needed so that the average driver can know what to expect when encountering an oversize load. For example, everyone should be taught to obey our commands and keep a safe distance from the pilot cars and the load. Pilot cars often need to block roads and keep traffic away from the loads they are escorting. I have personally encountered some drivers who do not understand why we are maneuvering a certain way and, in response, act out either aggressively or nervously.

Obviously, a big step that can be taken to reduce the risks associated with oversize loads is education. But I think that something that is lacking in our education is experience. Students can learn statistics about the number of accidents or deaths related to an issue, but I have learned in life that nothing affects people more than a story. It is not numbers that tend to affect our emotions, but rather something relatable, such as personal experiences. I think that education in driving needs to reflect both the logistical and emotional nature of man. I know that if more people hear one another’s stories about car accidents, deaths, tragedies, etc. this will be a real impetus for the culture of driving in this country to change.

From being on the road as a pilot car for a year, I have quite a few stories that I share with people in my life. When traveling across the country, you tend to encounter it all. Unfortunately, something we encountered more frequently than we should have was drivers trying to disobey our signals and pass the load at dangerous points. On more than one occasion I had a driver try to get between me and the load in a construction zone. To understand how dangerous this is, imagine a truck driving at 55 miles per hour, with a load that is 16 feet wide, over 100 feet long, and over 200 thousand pounds. On top of this, the driver cannot see what’s behind him and must rely on the pilot car driver to communicate information via radio. In a construction zone, this can often be about how wide the only open lanes are, and so precautions are not only desired, but they are also necessary. Despite this, drivers get impatient and will do anything. I’ve had drivers get within inches of my bumper, somehow thinking they can spur myself and the load to travel faster. On other occasions they would try to pass my car and the load whenever they saw an opening.

I remember on one occasion, despite my best efforts, a motorcyclist got around me in a construction zone and passed the load. He came within inches of the concrete barrier on his left and within inches of the load on his right. I tried warning the load driver as quickly as possible, but if the wind had blown the load a little more in one direction, we would have had another motorist death that could have been easily prevented.

I always try to share my experience with others. I think that we all have unique experiences in life that enable us to benefit others around us. For me, that would be my experience in this unique industry. For another person, their stories might come from getting in the car with a drunk or distracted driver. I think that this simple strategy of sharing our knowledge and experience with others is an often-overlooked step in helping everyone be safer on the roadways.