Rant: pilot car companies

Station 3

Member
May 21, 2010
3,395
Edinburg Texas
Hate with a passion a "pilot car" with a whole $40 investment in the entire warning aspect of the vehicle..... your $18 amazon dash light and $21 Amazon lightbar are not enough for 75 mph expressway traffic road closure I'm sorry... and they give me mean looks when I take the traffic control detail away from them in my personal police truck with $2k woth of lightning that payed itself off years ago.
 

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Patr1ck609

Member
Oct 5, 2018
15
Joliet, IL
I completely agree with you. Not to mention, some of the vehicles they use, don't look like they can go 50 miles without something falling off. To be fair, I have seen a few that look half way decent with a name brand lightbar on it, i.e. Fed Sig, Whelen, etc, but yeah, those cheap Amazon lightbars & dashlights are just awful.
 

Turd Ferguson

Member
Jul 3, 2011
2,250
Sumner, Wa
The downfall of LEDs. You can't buy an old light bar and put new domes on it for quality warning power.

However I agree that anything worth doing is worth doing right. If you're not willing to drop a little money on proper equipment, then you're not serious about your work. And that goes beyond lights.
 
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GPC

Member
Oct 17, 2010
2,226
North Carolina
To be 100% honest though. If you can't see the oversize load I'm not sure that a pilot car is really going to help you...
 
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NPS Ranger

Member
May 21, 2010
1,988
Penn's Woods
To be fair, this is completely dependent on the state regs. If a state doesn't require it, people won't pay money for it.

These are NY regs, note 4 lights required, 1000' visibility 360 degrees:
Requirements for Pilot/Escort Vehicle
General: 1997 or newer vehicle must have 100” wheelbase min. unless utility vehicle
Signs: “OVERSIZE LOAD” sign at least 5’ x 12” mounted on front & rear or top
Lights: Flashing/strobe single unit warning light bar (min. 4 lights) on roof; min. 43”/max. 52” long; min. 4”/max. 8” high. If flashing lights: min. 2-95 & 2-150 FPM rotators w/ mirrors(reflective both sides) placed diagonally between lights; 360 degree visibility from 1000’; amber dome cover
Flags:
Additional equipment: state mandated insignia (one on each side of vehicle); 2-way radio; cell phone; 3 emergency triangles and/or flares; 3 emergency flares (for night moves); fluorescent vest w/ certified escort insignia on left chest of vest; stop paddle; 3 18” square red/fluorescent orange flags on staffs (1 must be weighted); fire extinguisher class BC or larger; height pole
Requirements for Pilot/Escort Vehicle Operator
Must be certified by NY no matter where they live. FYI: (518)457-1155/(800)783-1685 or refer to NY Certification Manual. List of NYDMV testing llocations call (518)486-9748
 

Turd Ferguson

Member
Jul 3, 2011
2,250
Sumner, Wa

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