Summary Outline - Pre-Trip Meeting

II. Pre-trip Meeting

(Team coordination meeting at the point of origin or a transfer site)

A. Identify team members

1. Discuss roles and responsibilities of individual team members
2. Review load driver and law enforcement escort’s expectations of the pilot car driver

B. Complete a job hazard/safety analysis

1. Identify load specific risks
   1. Fire risks
   2. Explosive potential
   3. Hazardous material
      1. Notify the Environmental Protection Agency and state agencies as necessary
      2. Identify railroad crossing and tunnel restrictions and corresponding notification requirements
   4. Load configuration
      1. Protruding components
      2. Weight shift potential
   5. Collapsible or fragile loads
   6. Time-sensitive or perishable materials
2. Ensure appropriate emergency equipment is on-hand and available to all team members
3. Review emergency procedures with team
   1. Review procedures for communicating emergency situations
   2. Review procedures to abort the transport
4. Review load limitations
   1. Ground clearance
   2. Load height
   3. Maneuverability and turning limitations
5. Review contingency plans for emergencies, enroute transfer of escort responsibilities and vehicle breakdowns
   1. Identify point of transfer for an enroute transfer of escort responsibilities
   2. Identify the first available safe stopping site for an enroute transfer of escort responsibilities

C. Review permits

1. Confirm accuracy of travel dates, travel times, point of origin, destination, truck identification and license number, trailer number, route and load dimensions
   1. Measure load to validate permit specifications
2. Determine if a Route Survey was completed
   1. Review for changes by permit agency
   2. Review for previously unidentified route obstructions and potential hazards or safety issues
3. Complete route sheets for permit designated route if not done as part of pre-trip planning
   1. Review and ensure distribution of route sheets to team
   2. Cross reference route to maps or electronic medium
4. Determine if advance notifications are designated for law enforcement, railroads, toll road stations and utilities
   1. Confirm the indicated advance notifications have been completed

D. Communications review

1. Ensure all members of the team are equipped with a two-way radio
2. Identify two-way radio channel
3. Run a test on communications equipment and designated channel
4. Familiarize yourself with the load driver’s voice

E. Prepare for load movement

1. Check and mount “Oversize Load” signs, flags and pilot car lights in accordance with regulations
2. Determine the placement of the team vehicles during transport
3. Set vertical clearance measuring device, “height pole,” as necessary
   1. Set height consistent with state regulations and in cooperation with the load driver
   2. Daily verify accuracy of height pole setting by visually comparing the pole setting to the highest point of the load when the escort vehicle is parked parallel to the load (ensure the load and the escort vehicles are on level surfaces when measuring)

previous | next