Snow on the roof...

[LumbermanSVO]

http://www.landlinemag.com/todays_news/Daily/2008/Sep08/092208/092508-06.htm

New Jersey bill would mandate snow-free vehicles

With a little more than three months remaining until New Jersey lawmakers wrap up their legislative session, a bill that could draw consideration would have the state get tough with drivers who fail to clear snow and ice off their vehicles. The rule would apply to commercial and non-commercial vehicles.

So, it is pretty easy to remove snow from you car, pickup or even an SUV or van.

I'm curious though, how do they expect a truck driver to remove snow from the top of a semi truck? The trailer is 13' 6" high, placing a ladder on an icy parking lot to climb on top seems like a bad idea. The roof on many trailers is thin fiberglass, not nearly strong enough to stand on. The metal roofs are made from very thin aluminum, it will be very easily damaged by standing on it.

How should a truck driver go about clearing the snow from the roof of his trailer? Can anyone think of a safe a practical way of doing this?

 

[iJohnHenry]

Drive through a "staging area" in the lot first.

Two poles, with something suspended between them to move the snow.

 

[dukebound85]

wow stupid imo.

i believe you should have snow off windshield but thats it as far as what you must do

not all of us have garages

 

[JNB]

And so goes the ever-expanding nanny state. Why is it that the "cradle of liberty" states are more interested in controlling every aspect of our lives any any other?

As usual, follow the money, and you'll find the motivation.

 

[MacNut]

Have you ever been on the highway and been behind a car with tons of snow on the roof. Well most of it ends up hitting the car behind it. It is not that hard to pull the snow off the car.

 

[Rodimus Prime]

about time. I almost got into a wreck because some dumb ass did not remove the snow off the roof of his car. It started to ice over and came off as one big sheet and smashed into my windshield. Mix that shock with being blinded by snow I almost wreck my car.

I have heard of ice sheet doing some major damage to the cars behind you.

It is not like it takes that long to do. Just one quick brush and it is gone. I removed 6+ inches of snow off my car in less than a min with just my arms. A quick brush down the top and done. Hell even ice is easy to remove Done that in the same year after an ice storm put a good thick layer of ice. Trick is just beak your hand on the car in a few places and the ice shatters into pieces that can brush off. General start the car and run the heater. Worse case if it is 2 thick to remove by beating by the time you get enough ice off to see your car should be warm and melted a bottom layer and it just slides off any how...


Good law in my book. About time.

 

[LumbermanSVO]

Drive through a "staging area" in the lot first.

Two poles, with something suspended between them to move the snow.

So, do you pay a guy to stand there in the lot and shovel all the snow from the tops of the trucks after they go through? A few hundred trucks a day and you'll have a hard time keeping that position filled

What about taller/shorter trailers? 13'6" is more of a guideline that a hard rule. Two different trucks under the same trailer will produce two different trailer heights. A lot of my loads come from places out in the middle of nowhere, how far should I be allowed to go before I have to stop and clean the roof?

wow stupid imo.

i believe you should have snow off windshield but thats it as far as what you must do

not all of us have garages

For most car's, van's and SUV's it is pretty easy and takes little time to clear a vehicle of snow. In this situation I don't really see it being a problem and the little bit of work can make for a safer drive. When I drove my pickup everyday it took nothing more than a push broom to clear the top of the cab and topper. My pickup is about 7' tall.

For me the problem is clearing the top of my semi-truck, at 13'6" tall it just doesn't seem practical or safe to try and clean the roof.

And so goes the ever-expanding nanny state. Why is it that the "cradle of liberty" states are more interested in controlling every aspect of our lives any any other?

As usual, follow the money, and you'll find the motivation.

I also agree with you. I wish we didn't have to have these silly laws in the first place. The problem is that people won't do it if they aren't told to. See previous quote

 

[OutThere]

http://www.landlinemag.com/todays_news/Daily/2008/Sep08/092208/092508-06.htm



So, it is pretty easy to remove snow from you car, pickup or even an SUV or van.

I'm curious though, how do they expect a truck driver to remove snow from the top of a semi truck? The trailer is 13' 6" high, placing a ladder on an icy parking lot to climb on top seems like a bad idea. The roof on many trailers is thin fiberglass, not nearly strong enough to stand on. The metal roofs are made from very thin aluminum, it will be very easily damaged by standing on it.

How should a truck driver go about clearing the snow from the roof of his trailer? Can anyone think of a safe a practical way of doing this?

Some kind of soft overhead brush, like one of those automatic car-wash spinning brushes could be hung in such a way to adjust to varying heights.

There will be people who claim that this is nanny-state nonsense, but those people have not had their windshield completely covered by a slab of icy snow off the roof of a truck or SUV. It's illegal to drive with a hat of snow in Connecticut, where I come from, and for good reason.

 

[rdowns]

I've had sheets of ice fly off the roof of a car several times, twice while driving on the expressway. Very lucky to have been able to avoid them both times. I agree with the law. Sad how people don't have enough common sense and laws like this have to be passed.

 

[yg17]

And so goes the ever-expanding nanny state. Why is it that the "cradle of liberty" states are more interested in controlling every aspect of our lives any any other?

As usual, follow the money, and you'll find the motivation.

So making sure that someone takes 2 minutes to clear the snow off their car, for the safety of others driving around them, makes us a nanny state?

I guess crazy road laws like speed limits and stopping at red lights are taking away our freedoms too

 

[takao]

we have a similiar law here .. and having seen enough "near accidents" because some people being lazy i think it's a good law to have

and about semis having to be cleaned: don't forget that most will be in movement during the day and night as much as is possible (since a semi only earns money if it drives)

 

[PlaceofDis]

i always brush off my car to the fullest i can. because i know how bad/annoying snow is coming off of another car. that said, i don't think a semi's trailer is in the same ballpark considering its height. most trailers i've seen here don't have much snow on them in any event since they're always moving anyways.

 

[healthiswealth]

Responsibility to others

And so goes the ever-expanding nanny state. Why is it that the "cradle of liberty" states are more interested in controlling every aspect of our lives any any other?

As usual, follow the money, and you'll find the motivation.

The bottom line is, Would the roads be safer with snow/ice free roofs?
Here in Vermont I see chunks of snow and ice fly most winter days. Does it
cause accidents, injuries, and trauma?
Put your emotions to the side and answer the questions objectively?

 

[bruinsrme]

great idea:
I like this law very much.
The other day doing 30 some jackaZZ in front of me jams their breaks on and slides into the other lane. the oncoming car swerves and ends up in a snow bank.
Root cause: snow from the the car in front of me slid down and blocked the windshield.

 

[rdowns]

I'm all for this law even more now. Drove from Long Island to Buffalo area today and spent the entire drive dodging ice chunks flying off cars and trucks. And my car is only 2 weeks old. Bastards.