Over Height Collision Prevention

Preventing an over height collision is 100% preventable. It begins with knowing exactly how tall the overall height of your vehicle and cargo or towed casualty is. While a tape measure isn’t the easiest tool to measure vertical height, it’s certainly the cheapest and most accessible. Every tow truck, carrier and truck capable of pulling a trailer should have at least a 16’ tape measure. One with a wider tape will help it stand freely as you raise it to the tallest part of the load.

Another tool that I highly recommend is a height stick. This is a telescoping measuring device that allows an operator to easily measure the overall height of the vehicle and load. This can be a money and life-saving device. Well worth the investment.

Knowing your route and the clearances on that route will also prevent over-height collisions. I recommend doing a survey of all low clearance obstacles on routes in your area.

Start by making a list of these and their exact clearances that are within your immediate coverage area.

A motor carrier’s road atlas can be helpful with this. Refer to your state or province’s transportation website. Most will have listings of low clearance obstacles on their highway routes. Knowing how tall your vehicle is and the clearance obstacles on your route is a must for any operator engaging in towing and transport.