Module 5 of 7
Your vehicle's height should be posted on a placard on or near the dash or visor. Before operating any vehicle, confirm the height. If no placard exists, measure the vehicle and create one. If you do not know your vehicle's height, you must not drive under any overhead obstruction.
When approaching any overhead obstruction, read the posted clearance height (if posted) and compare it to your vehicle height:
If no height is posted, treat the obstruction as suspect and GOAL or reroute.
| The assumption | Why it fails |
|---|---|
| "I've driven this route before" | Things change — construction, new signs, resurfaced roads (which raise the road surface), seasonal foliage. |
| "It looks high enough" | Looks are deceiving, especially at speed and distance. A 6-inch miscalculation can destroy a vehicle. |
| "The GPS took me this way" | GPS does not know your vehicle's height. GPS routes for cars, not trucks. |
| "The last driver made it through" | They may have had a shorter vehicle, or they got lucky. |
An overhead strike can cause tens of thousands of dollars in vehicle damage, destroy product, create road hazards for other vehicles, shut down a route for hours, and result in FMCSA violations if a bridge is struck. It is one of the most preventable and most expensive incident types.
Module 5 of 7