[Windwalker]

The current means of cleaning off the roofs of trailers all have short-comings.

The ones that you pull the trailers under to scrap off the snow only takes off the loose snow, and the rubber blades do nothing at all about the ice under the snow. I don't mind snowballs coming off of someone's roof. It's the sheet of ice that will do all the damage when it hits, and that can be up to a couple of inches thick. I've seen a 13' 6" trailer hit the top of a 13' 7" overpass. I don't know if the roof of the trailer was damaged, but the I-beam shaved a layer of ice off the top of the trailer. The Wal-Mart driver said he pulled it through the snow removal at the DC.

I've been on top of a flatbed loaded with lumber, each unit covered with it's own disposable plastic tarp material. While parked at the yard, it snowed, thawed, then snowed again. The day I was up there, I could wear a t-shirt. Ice under the snow, and a layer of water under that. Took one step, and got an instant elevator ride to the ground. Now, do that while trying to shovel off the top of a 13' 6"... Your shoe does not have to slip. The ice you may be standing on can take off like a surf-board, with you on it. It's a long way down to that sudden stop.

There are only two safe ways I know of to get the ice off the top.. Well, maybe three...

1. Put the trailer into a heated building and melt the ice off... will take a few hours.

2. Rigging from above with a safety cable, and wearing a safety harness while removing it. When the ice breaks loose and wants to give you a ride over the edge, the safety cable keeps you up there. (There are shippers that load flatbeds that make a driver do this to tarp his load.)

and....

3. Wait for it to melt off in spring...

Lawmakers can pass laws about removing the snow and ice, but they have no realistic idea of how dangerous it is for anyone attempting to abide by the full letter of the law. Their intent for safety on the highway is great, but their practicallity is seriously flawed.

[allan5oh]

More and more trailers have transulcent roofs nowadays. There's no way that roof can support a driver up there.

[mike3fan]

Originally Posted by allan5oh

More and more trailers have transulcent roofs nowadays. There's no way that roof can support a driver up there.

I walked on my translucent roof plenty of times.

[Old Salt_19]

I was doing a D/H at Kane Distribution in Tunkhannock, PA. My loaded trailer like all the others staged against the rear of the warehose had between 2' and 4' of snow drifted on top.

The yard jockey sat out back informing the drivers picking up loads that they were not allowed to leave the facility until the driver had removed the snow from the trailer. He stated that its against the law in PA to drive on their roads like that.

He then directed the drivers over to the snow removal rack, pull through at a slow pace as it scrapes scrapes the snow off the trailer, then another yard jockey running a bobcat scooped up and removed the pile left behind so the next driver could pull through.

First time I'd encountered a shipper or receiver going to these lengths to protect themselves, the drivers and the driving public.

[GMAN]

These lawmakers can make all the laws they want but I would not climb on top of a 13' 6" trailer and shovel off ice and snow. I fell from the top of a carhauler about 10 years ago and broke my back. I don't plan on repeating it. These people panic when something happens to one individual. It is much more dangerous for drivers to climb on top of a icy trailer than it is from ice falling through a windshield. It is highly unlikely that ice would fly off a trailer and through a windshield unless that driver is following too closely to the truck. These people make all these laws without being required to use common sense. They would do more to protect the public if they had a law that required these 4 wheelers to stay back 500 feet when they see snow on a trailer. Frankly, I think they just have too much time on their hands. I bet those who pushed through this legislation were personal injury lawyers.

[Windwalker]

Originally Posted by Old Salt_19

I was doing a D/H at Kane Distribution in Tunkhannock, PA. My loaded trailer like all the others staged against the rear of the warehose had between 2' and 4' of snow drifted on top.

The yard jockey sat out back informing the drivers picking up loads that they were not allowed to leave the facility until the driver had removed the snow from the trailer. He stated that its against the law in PA to drive on their roads like that.

He then directed the drivers over to the snow removal rack, pull through at a slow pace as it scrapes scrapes the snow off the trailer, then another yard jockey running a bobcat scooped up and removed the pile left behind so the next driver could pull through.

First time I'd encountered a shipper or receiver going to these lengths to protect themselves, the drivers and the driving public.

And, the snow removal rack has rubber blades, like a snow plow, to remove the snow. But, that's all it removes. If there is a layer of ice at the bottom, it's still there when you leave. And, it's the ice, not the snow, that really does the damage when it comes off. I don't mind the snowballs on my windshield. I have wipers that I can turn on, even for just one stroke. But the "KITE" that lifts off the top of a trailer is a different story.