Bulldozer comes off of trailer, kills 2

[hhydro]

Correct, this type of machine rides on a detachable gooseneck "double drop lowboy" loaded and rigged by a professional heavy equipment mover.

 

[cannuck]

When I bought my D5 I had to bring it home 650 kms. I have hauled so ridiculous size power transformers on a 50 ton beavertail where client provided tiedown equipment, but this was my own to haul and not exactly familiar with tiedown so I went to dealer and also the regulations. Based on that I bought the appropriate rigging and followed the rules to the letter – but with load analysis added. What I also did and continue to do is look at equipment tiedowns at pretty much every truckstop. My observation is that very few are even close to safely tied, even when technically legal. Even the official Caterpillar method is a bit shakey IMHO (track pads) but workable.

From what I have read so far, probably on a rollback. NO WAY a straight truck has roll stabilty adequate for such a high CofG load, but when I see these things the operators often just yank their load onto the deck with their winch, retract the deck and drive off.

 

[4570Man]

This tragedy happened near me so I'm familiar with the road and victim's the company though not the people personally. There are three routes into the valley which is a popular recreation area. None of the routes are easy with trucks, trailer, RVs, etc. This disaster of incompetence and negligence could have happened on any of the three routes.

First off, for this forum it wasn't a bulldozer. It was an old track loader like a Cat 955 or 977 which weighs 25 to 35 thousand pounds. They have a very different track grouser style than a dozer. Look closely at the photo and you'll see a loader bucket.

Such a high mass on a steel deck truck designed for hauling cars and pickups could have flipped the rollback tow truck on this steep winding canyon road even if it were secured with many chains and pocket stakes. One or two chains would have easily snapped with this heavy load high on an overloaded truck as it rocked back and forth around the curves.

This is a horrific tragedy.

I don’t think that’s as big as a 955 and they make tandem axel rollbacks. If that’s really a 955 then you’re right that it shouldn’t have been on a rollback to start with but if it was a smaller loader it would be fine on a tandem rollback. Also most bigger towing companies have semis and lowboys or landolls.

 

[roverman]

I'm always hesitant to recommend legislation, we need less laws and regulations, not more.

Deregulation has contributed to the responsible driver shortage. Low pay = low quality.
Then when there are laws some are written to protect the industry, like in GA. If something falls off a truck or trailer the trucking company isn't liable if it hits the road before it hits your vehicle.
Luckily in my case it was only a broken front indicator light.

 

[445A]

Unfortunately, the tow truck guy made a bad decision. The consequences of which will probably stay with him, for the rest of his life. The 2 innocent people killed, won't have that option.

 

[4570Man]

Then when there are laws some are written to protect the industry, like in GA. If something falls off a truck or trailer the trucking company isn't liable if it hits the road before it hits your vehicle.
Luckily in my case it was only a broken front indicator light.

That’s true for gravel falling off a dump truck. It’s probably not true for a loader.

 

[farmboy666]

That's terrible. The CEO was of Lifetime Products. They make plastic sheds and outdoor furniture. I bought one of their 8x16 sheds about 12 years ago and it's still in excellent shape.

Good to know that your shed is holding up well.

 

[farmboy666]

And the saddest part is it's always the innocent persons that perish in these incidents, never the ones that cause it.

There’s accidents every day we’re stupid people pay the price of what they did. You just don’t hear about it. It’s the ones where innocent people get killed that make the news because that’s what sells.

 

[NibbanaFarm]

I was driving on the freeway in NY. There was a tractor trailer with a dump body carrying stone in front of me with an untarped load. Stone was spilling out and one chipped my windshield. Almost immediately I saw a state police car parked in the medial strip. I pulled off the road, got out of my car and walked up to the state police car. He didn't even look at me but continued to chat on the phone with his wife for several minutes before acknowledging me. By this time the truck was miles down the highway.

 

[Rustyiron]

More likely a leaky tailgate or he neglected to look for "stuff" on the rear hitch, apron or flats on the tailgate before he started hit trip. Usually by the time a dump truck leaves the quarry and gets to the highway that stuff has shaken off. Even sand won't really blow out an un tarped load.
Never the less it's wrong.