Why This Car With a Huge Antenna Was Patrolling the Hudson Valley

A vehicle with a huge pole sticking out of the front hood was seen driving through the Hudson Valley region of New York. Its purpose may surprise you.

I was traveling down Route 9 in Dutchess County over the weekend and found myself behind a car with an interesting accessory. The Volvo with Vermont plates appeared to be a normal vehicle except for one strange feature. Mounted to the front bumper was a huge pole that was positioned directly in front of the driver's field of vision.

As I drove behind the car, I became curious about why there was a tall pole sticking out of the front hood and why it was blocking the driver's view. The car was driving slowly and a bit erratically, occasionally swerving side to side in its lane and braking when there was no reason to.

Purpose of a Car With a Tall Pole Mounted on the Hood

At first, I thought the pole was some sort of antenna, but as I passed the vehicle I noticed a huge mirror positioned at the bottom of the pole so the driver could see to the tippy top.

My curiosity peaked, so after got home I immediately did some research to find out what the vehicle was up to.

I discovered a video that explained the purpose of a "Pilot Car" equipped with the same kind of pole I saw on the car in front of me.

It turns out that the car is used to survey routes where an oversized load will be traveling to make sure it won't take out any overhead power lines or traffic lights. Drivers make sure the pole can fit under these obstacles in order to prevent the load from causing damage.

It is strange to see one of these vehicles with its pole attached when not leading an oversized load. Personally, I don't think it's a great idea to drive with a huge obstruction in front of your face when the roads are especially busy. This operator was swerving and stopping abruptly while traffic was pretty heavy and could have caused an accident, something the pilot car is supposed to help avoid in the first place.