Safety for utility pole hauling should be a year-round consideration—as a mishap with one of the long and heavy utility poles could seriously damage equipment or injure a worker.
But sometimes, winter safety gets emphasized more than summer safety. Of course, winter has the risk of icy roads, snow storms, and other dangerous traveling conditions. Still, summer comes with its own safety considerations that are important to remember.
After all, most utility pole hauling will happen in the summer because that's the prime time for working on overhead lines and transmission lines. Utility companies like yours do electric power and electric system work then and need utility poles to hold new electrical equipment or replace old poles that carry overhead power lines.
Regardless of what you need your utility poles for, here are some safety tips you should follow when hauling poles this summer.
1. Check the Tire Pressure
In the summertime, high heat levels can affect the tires and the pressure in them. The temperature can also change suddenly in the summer, which will cause your tire pressure to change as well.
So, check the tires’ pressure before you move the truck and trailer. Even if you have checked the pressure recently, check it again before you start transportation. You don’t want to risk a tire blowout while traveling at high speeds down the interstate.
2. Watch for Storms
Winter gets a bad rap for blizzards and other fierce storms, but summer can drum up some pretty powerful storms as well. Summer thunderstorms pose several safety risks as the rain could reduce visibility, and large wind gusts could push your truck and tailor off the road.
Not only are there weather risks, but the heavy winds can knock down powerline poles, leaving loose utility lines. Most trucks are metal, so they will conduct electricity if they come in contact with loose utility lines—endangering the truck driver if he/she were to step out of the truck.
To avoid all these hazards, check the weather before starting a transport and monitor it during transportation. If a pop-up thunderstorm catches you by surprise, pull off the road in a safe location and let the storm pass before continuing.
3. Keep the Cap Cool
You need to keep the truck cap cool while transporting utility poles to avoid the risk of heat exhaustion or even heat stroke. When you’re not working in the truck cap, it’s easier to stay cool because you can participate in water activities like swimming or just use extension cords to plug in a fan. But a truck cap requires different tactics.
Make sure the truck cap is equipped with working air conditioning before you start transportation. Also, use a sun shield and a steering wheel cover when you’re not driving so the cab doesn’t overheat, and you can stay cool.
4. Secure Poles Properly
When it’s hot outside, it may be tempting to rush the utility pole loading process. Hurrying can get you in air conditioning sooner, but it could also cause a bad accident during transportation if the utility poles are not well secured.
Take a break from loading if you need to cool down, but don’t rush the process. You need to follow all the proper steps to safely secure the utility poles for transportation.
5. Watch for Construction
Your utility company is probably working on a lot of projects during the summer months—and so are the construction crews. That means you’re most likely going to come across some road construction during transport.
Try to plan your route to avoid construction, as this will save time. But still, watch out for construction; there could be some road work that you were unaware of. If you come to a construction zone, drive slow and watch for any equipment or workers moving around on the road.
6. Hire a Safe Hauling Company
Finally, if you don’t want to worry about staying safe while hauling yourself, you can hire a safe utility transportation company. This company should ensure that your materials are transported as safely as possible, so you can focus on other parts of the utility project that need your attention.
Blackwood Resources is a great choice for your utility pole transportation. As an asset-based company, we are committed to transporting and unloading your utility poles with the utmost care.
We have been developing our track record of safety for over 5 years, and we pride ourselves on only hiring the best drivers and operators who will follow all the national and local safety regulations.
We also offer self-unloading services, so your team doesn’t have to risk the dangerous job of unloading utility poles. Instead, you can trust us and our specialty equipment to unload your poles quickly and safely.
Have more questions about how we can meet your transportation needs? Contact us today at jamie@blackwoodresources.com or 812-676-8770.