When you may need to have your consignment escorted
When the standard gross vehicle dimensions/weights are exceeded, necessitating the need for permits, the probability is that escorts will come into the equation. Basically these are specified on the permit and vary from country to country. At the lowest level, we start with the ubiquitous pilot car – the purpose being to warn other road users of an oncoming abnormal load – the pilot car being equipped with warning signs and flashing lights. In some countries, to the point of the pilot car being painted in an approved manner/colour.
Police Escorts for Freight
At the next level, police escorts take over, mainly cars but occasionally police motorbikes – all chargeable in a variety of ways, normally in relation to time and distance. In the more extreme cases, several escorts may be needed – particularly if the vehicle is slow moving or part of a larger convoy. At STG the record stands at six – three police cars in advance and three more taking up the rear.
Technical Escorts for Freight
However, this disregards technical escorts – engineers involved in the removal of overhead cables and/or street furniture. In a major project some years ago in Poland, involving “only” eight over-height abnormal loads, the convoy totalled fifty four vehicles – not only police escorts and pilot cars but also engineers in advance of the convoy, removing overhead cables (electricity, telephone, tram car etc) and street furniture, with the same number following up at the rear, re-installing everything, once the convoy had passed through – disregarding of course the odd tree branch that needed lopping!
