NATIONAL PILOT CAR ASSOCIATION
(member)
Certified Pilot Vehicle Services are always associated with heavy haul trucking utilizing flatbed trailers for oversize or overweight loads. The general catch all term for non-legal (simply meaning permits are required to legally transport) loads is: over dimensional. Most likely you have seen pilot cars…Pickup trucks, SUVs or cars driving in front of or be
hind a tractor-trailer hauling a wide load or overweight load. These are called pilot cars or es**rt vehicles, and the people who drive them are trained professionals who specialize in this type of driving. You may have thought that the pilot car is part of the truck and flatbed trailer trucking team, but the pilot car driver is generally someone who is contracted to es**rt the load through a certain state or states. A pilot car driver works in conjunction with the driver of an oversize truckload to make sure the truck reaches its destination safely. The pilot driver travels in front of or in back of the truck in a separate vehicle, warning the public if there are traffic changes or obstacles due to the truckload. They also warn the truck if there is anything up ahead that can interfere with its safe passage. Furthermore, the person who is driving the car will be able to communicate via CB radio with the truck driver. This allows the pilot car driver to tell the trucker if there are accidents, traffic backups, or any other situations requiring attention. An es**rt car driver ensures that everything from switching lanes to crossing bridges is safe for the heavy haul driver, his load and everyone else on the road. An es**rt car also helps to ensure that the driver of an oversized load doesn’t accidentally violate traffic laws or cause an accident, while moving the over dimensional load.