escort cars for wide loads

lawyer_sawyer · January 28, 2006, 04:15:38 AM

I was wondering if anyone knew people who drove escort cars for wide loads like doublewides or large equipment. Or if anyone in trucking knew companies that provided the service I might be able to contact. tried looking on line and came up with 1000s of sites so just trying to narrow it down to good ones.
reason being
This summer I will be studying for and taking the state bar of michigan. I will be needing a way to possibly do some part time work that would permit me to listen to tapes of lectures on the bar tested topics. while thinking about this going down the road I saw a wide load going north and figured if I could do the escort driving for those it would be a whole day I could listen and still get paid.

thanks
Jacob

isassi · January 28, 2006, 06:28:40 AM

What I would do if I were you since you want a local area job, would be drive down to the local truck stops and see if you spot any pilot cars. That all have names on the side (Federal Law). Look in the yellow pages for trucking companies that do flatbedding or specialized hauling and call them and ask who they use for escorts. Some companies have their own and are always looking. Good luck on the Bar. (the test guys, not the drinking one :D )

Dana · January 28, 2006, 08:52:44 AM

Most of the wide load cars I see are for mobile home companys. Why don"t you go to some of the dealers in your area and find out who they represent (the actual manufacture) Then contact the manufactures with your proposal and see what happens.

WeeksvilleWoodWorx · January 28, 2006, 09:32:47 AM

Sounds good in theory, but I don't think it would work. The purpose of the pilot car is not just to have an amber beacon, but to spot possible problems between the oversize load and the surroundings. I would think they would want your undivided attention on the job at hand ;)

sprucebunny · January 28, 2006, 05:00:21 PM

I'm with WeeksvilleWW. I've been an escort a couple of times and there is quite a bit of communicating going on.

lawyer_sawyer · January 28, 2006, 06:02:37 PM

thank you for the responses
I hadn't considered the communication. but it is still something I think I could do occassionally if I needed a break from too stressful studying to make some money.
thanks again and any more suggestions would be great
LS

highpockets · January 28, 2006, 06:08:08 PM

night watchman

J_T · January 28, 2006, 06:11:57 PM

L Sawer I got a buddy of mine into the buisness 8) Every state is different he now escort's 150ft loads :

He also runs up your way M I is different from anywhere too you will need a kizilon dollars ins too. Will Pm you his Phone number he may even need someone there too 8)

Buzz-sawyer · January 28, 2006, 06:16:08 PM

Who jt ole Roy??

J_T · January 28, 2006, 06:20:25 PM

Yep Ol Roy you right Buzz 8) Man got him a new tryler it has remote rear steering it is done by the rear escorte . Don't know if Roy has tried it yet :D :D

Buzz-sawyer · January 28, 2006, 06:22:07 PM

Man , I seen a wierd one rollin one day.........A little guy was UNDER the bed at the rear....steering!!!!

J_T · January 28, 2006, 06:28:39 PM

Yep that is old stuff like my sawmill :D :D This guy is in the high teck stuff 8) Wish I had half what that thing cost I'd get a better mill. Rember Lawer Sawer if you can't find out on the F F you may not need to know it anyway :D :D :D

Ianab · January 28, 2006, 07:40:33 PM

Quote from: Buzz-sawyer on January 28, 2006, 06:22:07 PM
Man , I seen a wierd one rollin one day.........A little guy was UNDER the bed at the rear....steering!!!!

Local company has one of those rigs. The rear unit is completely self propelled but only about 3 ft tall. It has a turntable on top. They use it to cart long bridge beams thru winding roads etc.
It's really freaky when you pass this thing coming the other way on the road by itself

The driver is sitting up front in a little race car type cockpit :D

Ian

maple flats · January 28, 2006, 08:13:50 PM

We have had a few go thru town this past fall like that. They were hauling BIG tubes, about 100' + long with rear steer (saw it turn but did'nt see a rear operator). Might have been a PU truck close behind with remote. As they went thru town they came in on one route, took about 20-30 minutes to negociate a rt turn, went about .4 miles and took over 30 minutes to make a left turn. At this turn the height of the load was lowered to make part of the turn then raised to finish the turn for the belly not to drag on the pavement and then they continued. Really was interesting watching as I was driving school bus and had to wait for over 20 minutes because I had a drop on the road they were on after the first turn. I finished my run and they were still making the second turn. This rig had 6 sets of dully axes on the rear turning unit. The tube was white but I think it might have still been concrete, not sure. They are building a bunch of windmills a short ways to our south and wonder if that is where they were headed. Our local paper never seems to report on the things that interest me, so I'm not sure. They don't seem to miss if there is a minor fire or a burning pile of leaves though. I saw 3 of these over the course of about 5 weeks in Oct and Nov 05, always in the 3:00pm range. I had never seen such a large vehicle with this rear turn and the up down feature. The actual trailer they were on looked to have an open center where the tube was actually below the side beams. Must have been near or meybe even over 16' diam. because there was a bunch of utility trucks and cherry pickers raising wires as they passed and a crane to lift the traffic lights so they could get under. I'll bet this was real expensive to ship/ mile.

farmerdoug · January 28, 2006, 11:26:06 PM

A couple of weeks ago there were 38 trucks sitting over the weekend with oversized loads near me. Each truck was carrying a pair of 120 foot wind turbine blades for a wind farm in Canada on the shores of Lake Erie. They came from Texas in an convoy. The chase car had two people with one operating a remote for the rear steering. They were sitting over the weekend because both Michigan and Ontario law forbids moving of oversized loads on the weekend. They sure filled the truck stop though.

Farmerdoug

Furby · January 28, 2006, 11:35:35 PM

Saw a convoy of bridge beams going up 77 in OH the other day.
Six different rigs with a huge concrete beam on each. Chase truck for ea, to steer the rear end of the beams.
Another three rigs each had a huge steel beam on them and many standard flatbeds hauling the smaller steel beams.

truckwrench · January 29, 2006, 12:27:46 AM

I haul oversize pretty often and when I use pilot carsit is very stressful as they have to be my eyes and ears ahead and behind me, not much free time to do much. Good pilots are worth thair weight in Gold!!!!