# Truck Runaway Ramp



## muddy tires (Jun 22, 2007)

Highway 11 southbound into North Bay drops off a portion of the Niagara Escarpment and into the city (and several red lights) at the bottom of the hill.







They replaced the barrels of sand that previously protected the city's citizens with a new dragnet system.







You can read of the system at Truck ramp story. They tested the sytem by driving a 60,000 kg (~132,000 lbs) truck at 90 km/h (~56 mph) into the nets. You can see videos of the test at Truck ramp videos. Hope I never have to use it!


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## battalionchief3 (Jun 27, 2006)

sweet.....that was cool.


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## Northern Wind (Nov 21, 2006)

They originally had a 200 yard long sand pit with sand barrels on each side! This was installed after a logging truck lost it brakes and hit a school bus turning out of the public school lot. The bus was fortunately empty after dropping of the kids off in school but was cut in half and it certainly could have been a lot worse. The run off lane was used successfully many times over the years but in the winter when the sand froze rock solid, (and this is North Bay Ontario, home of the -45 degree weather for weeks on end, and before someone says is that Celsius or Fahrenheit at that temperature they are the same) the lane was useless.


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## battalionchief3 (Jun 27, 2006)

Wow. Guess they had a very lucky wake up call. That could have been real bad.


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## Carey (Mar 6, 2012)

You guys need to come to the US and build us some. Our country is clueless how to build a truck runaway ramp.

Awesome!

Carey


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## Joe/GA (Aug 14, 2009)

Colorado~DirtBikers said:


> You guys need to come to the US and build us some. Our country is clueless how to build a truck runaway ramp.
> 
> Awesome!
> 
> Carey


That's amazing!







If I ever need help stopping on a mountain road, I'd rather have that system than sand barrels.


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## Nathan (Jan 2, 2007)

Reminds me of the arrestor wires on an aircraft carrier. Very cool, and a lot more versitile than the old point the truck back up the mountain that they tend to do out west. It does make a mess of the truck though....


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## jnk36jnk (Mar 9, 2004)

Colorado~DirtBikers said:


> You guys need to come to the US and build us some. Our country is clueless how to build a truck runaway ramp.
> 
> Awesome!
> 
> Carey


Interstate 84, near Pendleton in Eastern Oregon, on the westbound or downhill lanes has two low tech escape ramps built back in the early 70's. They are an extra lane cut into the hill side filled with 3 feet of pea gravel. It works every time, although the truck usally leaves its front axle behind.


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## wolfwood (Sep 19, 2005)

COOL!! But where's the Tims?? And what happens when the NEXT truck coming into town needs to use it?? Looks like it's way more effective for 1 .... but with LOTS more work needed to prep it for the next need.

On our drive to VT this October for the Miata Rally, we saw 3 passenger cars pulled off the main road and parked at the _opening_ for a Runaway Ramp - - HAVING A PICNIC!!!







There really oughts be laws against being STUPID!!


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## Carey (Mar 6, 2012)

jnk36jnk said:


> You guys need to come to the US and build us some. Our country is clueless how to build a truck runaway ramp.
> 
> Awesome!
> 
> Carey


Interstate 84, near Pendleton in Eastern Oregon, on the westbound or downhill lanes has two low tech escape ramps built back in the early 70's. They are an extra lane cut into the hill side filled with 3 feet of pea gravel. It works every time, although the truck usally leaves its front axle behind.
[/quote]

Yes as does the rest of our runaway ramps. Compared to the damage done and the safety of this one, there is no comparison to ours. The damage done on this setup is minimal.

Many of our runaway ramps do major injuries to the driver and totals the truck. I have a friend here that was killed using a runaway ramp on monarch pass. His tanker flipped over the truck. The trucks rear wheels ended up over the top of the cab and were even with the front axle. My buddy was crushed. He had 3 kids and a wife. No reason for that in this world.

That happens fairly often.

This canada system is a gradual system. Even if you were hauling liduids, it would allow the truck to stop in a controlled manner.

The pea gravel pits are a very crude way of stopping a runaway truck.

Carey


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## Carey (Mar 6, 2012)

wolfwood said:


> COOL!! But where's the Tims?? And what happens when the NEXT truck coming into town needs to use it?? Looks like it's way more effective for 1 .... but with LOTS more work needed to prep it for the next need.
> 
> On our drive to VT this October for the Miata Rally, we saw 3 passenger cars pulled off the main road and parked at the _opening_ for a Runaway Ramp - - HAVING A PICNIC!!!
> 
> ...


It takes several men about 24 hours to extract a truck from our runaway ramps. They charge 10-15k for that too. Then the state charges another 10k to ready the runaway ramp again. With this system, all that would need done is put the truck in neutral and pull if backwards. Cost 1000 bucks. Reset the straps and replace any broken parts of the fencing. Cost, prolly 10k too.

Lets say a truck is worth 50k, they cost up to 125k new.

Ours,
50k for the truck, new truck, 100k. 
10-15k for the extraction
10k to repair ramp
Trailer Damage? Many of our does alot of damage to the trailer. New trailer cost? up to 75k. Lets say reapirs needed, 15k. 
Freight damages? Ours destroys the freight many times. 
injuries to driver?

This system,
20k in truck repair
1k for extraction
10k to reset fence
Little trailer damage. Prolly 1000 for a new king pin.
freight damges, prolly none
Injuries to driver? prolly none, Never.

Next question... Who should pay for this?

I dont feel the public should have to pay for this upgrade.

I feel that our govt should be charging trucking companies a tax to upgrade our systems to this.

This gets passed to the consumer. Oh well, thats part of getting stuff to our stores safely.

In the end, it would be cheaper to have these fences for us truckers. Our insurances runs about 25k per year per truck for independants, Large companies pay around 12k per year. this is passed on to you also. If we could drop that a few thou a year per truck it pretty much would all equal out.

Carey


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## muddy tires (Jun 22, 2007)

wolfwood said:


> COOL!! But where's the Tims?? And what happens when the NEXT truck coming into town needs to use it?? Looks like it's way more effective for 1 .... but with LOTS more work needed to prep it for the next need.
> 
> On our drive to VT this October for the Miata Rally, we saw 3 passenger cars pulled off the main road and parked at the _opening_ for a Runaway Ramp - - HAVING A PICNIC!!!
> 
> ...


You don't think any stretch of Canadian highway would be too far from a Timmy's? There is a Tim Horton's at the bottom of the hill. Turn right at the lights and go about 200 meters or so.









My understanding is that after the ramp is used they just haul away the truck and rewind the straps. It's a similar deal to what's on an aircraft carrier.


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## muddy tires (Jun 22, 2007)

Colorado~DirtBikers said:


> Next question... Who should pay for this?
> 
> I dont feel the public should have to pay for this upgrade.
> 
> ...


Guess who paid for this one? The government of course. It's pretty cheap insurance against having a runaway truck run through a busy commercial district and busy intersection.


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## Carey (Mar 6, 2012)

muddy tires said:


> Next question... Who should pay for this?
> 
> I dont feel the public should have to pay for this upgrade.
> 
> ...


Guess who paid for this one? The government of course. It's pretty cheap insurance against having a runaway truck run through a busy commercial district and busy intersection.
[/quote]

I was talking about who would pay to upgrade ours. I know our govt wouldnt have a dime to invest in ours. I feel that when technolgy like this is found, it should be implemented asap in our country. Basically, you guys nailed this one. Me wants these for us! lol

Carey


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## Collinsfam_WY (Nov 9, 2006)

Cool tech and videos - thanks for posting!

-CC


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## vtxbud (Apr 4, 2009)

Slick system....


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