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Pilot Car and Escort Vehicle Failures

Oversize loads like houses, wind turbine blades, tanks, and heavy equipment travel with pilot cars (escort vehicles) that check clearances and warn the driver. When the pilot car misses a low wire, a canopy, a sign, or a tight turn, the load hits your insured's property. Your insured did nothing to cause this, so there is almost always someone to recover from: the trucking company, the pilot car company, or both.

What it coversOversize loads, height poles, permits, route surveys, certified operators

Step-by-step checklist

Identify

Contact the claim adjuster right away. Ask them to hold the scene and for permission to retain an expert at the client's expense. Note the call in the file.
On every claim, ask the client whether they want an origin and cause investigator to review the scene, or confirm one is already assigned. Note their answer in the file so the decision is on record.
Make sure no evidence is touched or moved until the expert has secured the scene
Get the client's approval for the scene exam cost. Most run at least $1,600 with travel, the day rate, and expenses.
Get the truck's DOT number, the company name, and the driver's name
Get the pilot car company name and the operator's name
Ask for the oversize permit and the approved route

Hands off until the expert arrives. Nothing at the scene gets touched, moved, repaired, or thrown out until the origin and cause investigator has secured it. Evidence that's moved early can sink the whole recovery.

Notify

Notify the trucking company, the pilot car company, and the shipper
Ask each for their commercial auto and general liability insurance

Investigate

Get the police or state patrol report
Get the permit, route survey, and load height
Ask for dash cam, truck camera, and nearby business video

Demand, negotiate, and settle

Send the demand packet
Follow up, then send the second demand if needed
Review the release, pay the deductible, and close

1. Identify

How these losses happen

The lead car's height pole was missing, set wrong, or not watched, so the load hit a wire, canopy, or sign
The pilot car did not stop traffic or warn the driver at a tight turn
The truck left the approved route and hit a building, fence, or tree
No route survey was done before the move
The load was taller or wider than the permit said
Service lines torn down by the load pull the mast and meter off a home

Height poles: many states require the lead car to run a height pole when the load is over about 14 feet tall. The pole is set a little higher than the load so it strikes first.

Certification: these states require pilot car operators to be certified: AZ, CO, FL, GA, LA, MN, NV, NM, NY, OK, and VA. An operator without a required certification helps show fault.

Is there anyone to recover from?

What you find	Who may be responsible
The pilot car missed the clearance	The pilot car company and operator
The truck left the permitted route	The trucking company and driver
The load was taller than the permit said	The trucking company, the shipper, or whoever loaded it
No route survey was done	The trucking company or the route survey company
A utility line was hung too low	The utility may share fault. Put them on notice.

2. Notify and investigate

Evidence checklist

Photos of the damage, the wires or canopy, and the load if it is still there
Police or state patrol crash report
Oversize permit, approved route, and load dimensions
Pilot car company name, operator certification, and height pole setting
Route survey report
Dash cam, truck camera, and nearby security video
Utility company report, if lines were pulled down
Witness names and statements

3. Demand, negotiate, and settle

Liability theories: negligence, violation of permit terms, violation of state pilot car rules, negligent hiring of an uncertified pilot car, and vicarious liability of the trucking company.

Defenses to expect

Defense	How to answer it
The pilot car is an independent company, not us	Put both on notice. The permit usually makes the carrier responsible for the move.
The wire was too low	Ask the utility for the line height. A low wire is what the height pole is for.
We followed the permitted route	Check the permit. A permit does not excuse missing a clearance on the route.
The damage was already there	Use video, witnesses, and the utility's outage time

4. Letters for this loss

Step	Letter
Identify	Subrogation Opening Letter to Insured
Notify	Notice of Subrogation Interest and Insurance Request, to Adverse Carrier
Investigate	Evidence Preservation and Joint Scene Exam Notice
Demand	Subrogation Demand to Adverse Carrier
Negotiate	Second Demand with Escalation Notice
Settle	Release Review Checklist, Deductible Reimbursement

Related guides: Vehicle into Structure.