CDL: Railroad-Highway Crossings
Railroad-Highway Crossings: Signs, Signals, and Safe Driving Procedures
A railroad crossing is one of the few places on the road where a driver can meet a vehicle that simply cannot stop or swerve out of the way. That reality shapes everything about how commercial drivers are expected to approach these crossings — with caution, patience, and the assumption that a train could be coming every single time.
A railroad-highway grade crossing is a distinct type of intersection where a roadway crosses a set of train tracks. These crossings are always dangerous, and every one of them should be approached as though a train is on its way.
Types of Crossings
Crossings generally fall into one of two categories, depending on whether they include equipment that actively regulates traffic.
Passive Crossings
A passive crossing has no traffic control device at all — the decision of whether to stop or proceed rests entirely with the driver. At this type of crossing, it's up to the driver to recognize that a crossing exists, look for any approaching train, and judge whether there's enough clear space to cross safely. Passive crossings are marked with yellow circular advance warning signs, pavement markings, and crossbucks to help drivers recognize them.
Active Crossings
An active crossing has a traffic control device installed to regulate traffic. These devices include flashing red lights (with or without bells) and flashing red lights paired with both bells and gates.
Warning Signs and Devices
Advance Warning Signs
A round, black-on-yellow sign is placed ahead of most public railroad-highway crossings. This sign tells drivers to slow down, look and listen for a train, and be ready to stop at the tracks if one is approaching.
Pavement Markings
Pavement markings carry the same message as the advance warning sign. They typically show an "X" along with the letters "RR," and on two-lane roads, a no-passing marking as well. A separate no-passing zone sign is also used on two-lane roads. Some crossings include a white stop line painted on the pavement — for school buses, the front of the bus must stay behind this line while stopped at the crossing.
Crossbuck Signs
The crossbuck sign marks the grade crossing itself and requires drivers to yield the right-of-way to any approaching train. If there's no white stop line painted on the pavement, a bus must stop before reaching the crossbuck sign. Where the road crosses more than one set of tracks, a smaller sign mounted below the crossbuck indicates the number of tracks present.
Flashing Red Light Signals
Many crossbuck signs are paired with flashing red lights and bells. When those lights start flashing, it means a train is approaching — stop immediately. Drivers must yield the right-of-way to the train, and if more than one track is present, they need to confirm that all tracks are clear before crossing.
Gates
Many crossings also use gates equipped with flashing red lights and bells. Drivers should stop as soon as the lights begin flashing, and before the gate lowers across the lane. Vehicles must remain stopped until the gates rise again and the lights stop flashing, then proceed only once it's safe to do so.
Driving Procedures at Crossings
Several habits apply at every crossing, regardless of whether it's active or passive:
- Never race a train to a crossing. Judging the speed of an approaching train accurately is extremely difficult, making this a gamble no driver should take.
- Reduce your speed. Slow down enough to be able to see approaching trains from any direction, and keep your speed low enough that you could stop short of the tracks if necessary.
- Don't expect to hear a train coming. Noise inside the cab often means a driver won't hear a train's horn until it's dangerously close to the crossing.
- Don't rely solely on signals. Warning lights, gates, and flagmen shouldn't be treated as the only line of defense — this is especially important at crossings that lack gates or flashing lights altogether.
- Double-check crossings with multiple tracks. A train on one track can hide a second train approaching on another. Look both directions before crossing, and even after one train has passed, confirm no other train is near before proceeding.
- Treat yard areas and crossings in cities and towns with the same caution. These crossings are just as dangerous as those in rural areas and deserve the same level of care.
Stopping Safely at a Crossing
A full stop at a grade crossing is required whenever state or federal regulations mandate it based on the nature of the cargo being hauled, or whenever a full stop is otherwise required by law. When stopping:
- Check for traffic behind you as you slow down gradually, and use a pullout lane if one is available.
- Turn on your four-way emergency flashers.
Crossing the Tracks Safely
Crossings with steep approaches can cause the underside of a vehicle to hang up on the tracks. Never allow traffic conditions to trap you in a spot where you have no choice but to stop on the tracks themselves — always confirm you can make it all the way across before you start. As a general guide, a typical tractor-trailer needs at least 14 seconds to clear a single track, and more than 15 seconds to clear a double track. Never shift gears while crossing the tracks, since losing power mid-crossing is exactly the kind of delay that can leave a vehicle stuck.
Special Situations
Certain vehicle configurations are especially prone to getting stuck on raised crossings, including:
- Low-slung units, such as lowboys, car carriers, moving vans, and possum-belly livestock trailers
- A single-axle tractor pulling a long trailer whose landing gear is set to accommodate a tandem-axle tractor instead
Railroad crossings demand a level of caution that goes beyond ordinary intersections, precisely because the consequences of misjudging a train's speed or distance are so severe. Slowing down, watching for the warning signs and devices described above, and never assuming a crossing is safe just because no train is visible are habits every commercial driver needs to carry with them on every trip.