TOWN OF SALINA, N.Y. (WSYR-TV) — A longtime truck driver who now teaches the trade says he’s “at a loss” when asked how to prevent tractor-trailers from hitting the railroad bridge over Onondaga Lake Parkway.
John McCann is the training director at the National Tractor Trailer School. He says most of his students already know about the truck hazard before they enroll, likely because many of them are local.
McCann doesn’t blame the State Department of Transportation as many do.
“They’ve done so many things,” McCann tells NewsChannel 9. “The signage itself should be more than enough.”
McCann puts the responsibility on drivers to know their surroundings. He showed NewsChannel 9 an industry-specific atlas that includes a list of height-restricted bridges nationwide. It lists the bridge over Onondaga Lake Parkway.
“When you go out,” McCann says, “you’re unfamiliar with where you’re going to go. That doesn’t excuse why people hit the bridge. I’ve traveled all over the country, iIve never hit a bridge.”
McCann doesn’t teach about GPS systems at the school, so truckers don’t rely on them. He says some industry-specific systems warn of low bridges, but many popular map apps don’t and could send a truck right into the bridge.
