A trucker who was missing for more than two days has been found by rescue crews in a dangerous snowy mountain pass in Northern California. The driver followed his GPS to go around a road closure.
On January 16th, the unnamed driver was reported missing by his company. The driver was expected to drop off a load at 6:00am, but when he was nowhere to be found by 3:00pm, the company reported him missing.
The driver was on SR 299 near Hillcrest, Northeast of Redding, California. The winter weather was causing closures in the area. The driver reportedly left 299 and turned onto Big Bend Road, following the direction of his GPS. Unfortunately, the road was not at all suitable for heavy trucks during poor weather and the driver soon became stranded.
Because of the winter weather and poor roadways, search and rescue crews could not be dispatched to look for the driver until two days after he went missing. Rescue crews using a helicopter located the driver within an hour of searching.
“After approximately 1 hour, Air 11 located the vehicle on Summit Lake Road, approximately 20 miles from the last GPS position,” reads a statement from CHP.
When the helicopter landed nearby and rescue crews arrived at the truck, they found the driver uninjured. They airlifted him to a local airfield, then helped him get food and a ride to a local hotel.
Source: kcrtv, 1053classichits, facebook, facebook
Not surprised. Even a little bit.😂
Guess he wanted to take the “scenic” route
Ha ha ha .
Been driving since ’77, I guess I’m the only driver who still carries and knows how to read a road atlas. Thank God the guy survived.
No, Jim. The are two of us old geezers still rolling rubber and reading real maps.
Jude, make that 3 of us.
You’re map would not have givin the condition of the road
So what was the road condition? (sarc)
Exactly
Good point
Maybe not, but if you know how to read a map, it will tell you the type of road, and from there it takes a bit of common sense to decide if you should use it or not.
Make that 3 and use it every trip
made 3 of us
I am young and still carry an atlas so wtf does age have to do with it
Make that 3. Only problem is I left mine at home this trip. Sure hope it don’t snow!
3..since 1982..
Nope, your not the only one!!! Hahaha damn gps!!! As bugs bunny once said.. what a morooooon!!!
Nope my husband does that too. His phone is constantly blowing up from other drivers calling him for directions because their GPS sent them in the wrong direction.
The GPS did not get him lost. He chose to go that route. He would have been in the same situation if he had a Rand Mcnally.
use to be several of us but after 32 years I hung it up, never trusted anything a map and a roll of quarters couldn’t handle. bottom feeders will hire anybody.
I started driving in ’16. I used an atlas from day 1; it is the first thing I look at when dispatched. I look at GPS route, alternate routes, and emergency routes. GPS is a tool. Atlas is a tool. This driver just trusted GPS which you should never do, especially if you don’t know if it’s a designated highway for CMV.
Yeah, but,but a map won’t show where on the map he’s at, so how does that work? How can you tell where you’re at?(sarc)
Unless your asleep at the wheel, you should be able to narrow your location down to being between to towns or cities. A driver paying attention can tell you the last mile marker he past.
Whew. Yeah, those California “shortcuts” can be down right lethal. I’ve turned around at more than one ranger station in 32 years. Of course, I never tried any of that in the snow. Roflol🤣🤣🤣🤣
Three…
Been driving since ’85’ I carry an atlas and I can read it. 😆
Nope, 3 now
Keywords: poor weather conditions! That is something that should have been brought up in a conversation with your dispatch or brokerage!! Let it be known…. DO NOT RISK IT FOR ANY LOAD!! Stay at the nearest truck stop until the weather conditions improve!!
And almost old geezers, ‘95 here and still carry one and use it when necessary.
Sorry but at 95 you shouldn’t have a DL.
He means he was born in 1995 you doorknob. I was born in ’96. Still got my trusty atlas to confirm my routes
I think he meant to say he’s been driving since ‘95.
I think Joe hit the wrong key. Nobody is still working at 95 (at least not CDL driving!).
Met a83 yr old guy in better shape then the young lazy guys out here now days yes and was a truck driver
Met a83 yr old guy in better shape then the young lazy guys out here now days
I think he meant he’s been a driver since 1995
Lmao very true
Sorry but I do believe he meant he has been driving since ’95.
I think he meant he’s been a driver since 1995.
I like truckers report. Some good reading . keep it up.
Totally his fault he should know better not to use any road up there other than the i5 and 97.
Funny that… I only get paid to take the “quickest route” i.e.
Well, if you work for a company, you most likely get paid to take the most fuel-efficient route, not the quickest route.
At least they could have done us a real favor in reporting what particular GPS device the driver was using.
Another report said he was using his phone’s google gps,it is good for cars,but not appropriate for trucks and loses signal.
I don’t find it all that great for cars. I only use it to satellite places to see for parking or roads and truck entrance
Stay on I5 and wait dumb move if you’re late so what stay safe
His cell phone. My GPS don’t do detours
Tom Tom..an outdated one..
Well I guess having and using a “good” map or just using apps that enable satellite view would have helped. At least the driver had the brains to stay sheltered, must’ve had enough fuel to keep from freezing to. I’d feel sorry for a company driver that would rely solely on a bunk-heater in this situation. You’d be ok with a diesel APU but a lot of the bunk-heater equipped tractors won’t idle for much more than a few minutes and these bunk-heaters will kill your batteries in 8-10 hours!
Hungh
My company has the engine computer set to allow infinite idle at temperatures below 40 – in case the APU fails in freezing weather.
And we have diesel APUs ( with electric heaters).
Grew up in California. But if you want to see some real idiots come out to I-55, I-80 between Joliet,IL and Gary, IN
Why? Did you and your family move there? why do you want people to see you?
Can’t be much worse than I-80 in Central Pa.
Chicago area is nothing. Sure, there are some morons out there. The worse I ever experienced driving was in Atlanta. I’ve been through every major city. Atlanta takes the cake for idiot drivers.
Trucking schools aren’t teaching truckers to read a map. So the old geezers on here that thinks it’s funny and entertaining, you guys enjoy your remaining time on earth. You’re almost out of here anyway.
Ok so if there are road closures and the weather in that area is that bad, What load is worth risking your life for? Glad the person was safe, But just delay the load another day. This is why I’ m not a company driver. I’m sure they pressured the crap out the driver to make on time.
or he cant read a map and had no common sense
First all everyone getting on him for not reading a map is. Ot reading the article right….. it says the route he took was not suitable for heavy vehicles in that kind of weather, it doesnt say trucks are not allowed there, so even with a map I doubt it wouldve said only take it on sunny days……
Glad he was ok!
Amen
Its never done for the load, none of us work for the load. It is the money you earn, you dont make money sitting, Company Driver or O/O.
You are on the money, Kc. And Dale, you don’t make money risking your life either. He would have been wise to use Google maps to see the road first. We always carry a paper truck route map as well. And if his road was closed, why didn’t California put up a truck route to get around? It would be interesting to learn what happened and why from him. Thanks for article and thanks for comments too.
I am a company driver but the company I work for wouldn’t expect a driver to continue on with the load if it wasn’t safe to do so but I guess that’s what makes the difference between a trucking company that is just in it for the money and a great trucking company that takes care of the driver because the people are more important than the load getting there on time
Well…….That’s going to be a service fail.
Volvo drivers 🤦♂️
they used to tell us that lack of information was the reason for ignorance and stupidity.
clearly that wasn’t it.
1. learn to read a map
2. a gps is only a tool,
if you smash your thumb with a hammer it isnt the hammets fault🤔
Is a map not a tool? Lol gps is an electronic map…. I’ve seen people use maps and run into an overpass…. I’ve used a gps most my life and never been stuck anywhere, it really depends on how dumb the person using the gps or map, it’s not about the technology…..
Common sense was no where to be found.
Well im 50 driing 17 years and i know what a map is o wait my wife been driving 6 years both have clean records. N still call n look at maps thank you uncle bill and all you elders for what you taught me as to never end up in these types of situations i have seen over the last 2 to 5 years at a high rate of stupidly i love you old geezers also know as elders
My wonderful drivers out there you are all correct, there was no common sense there, a Road Atlas is the best tool or a real truckers GPS can’t afford one Google has some great trucker GPS Apps. Our Lord Jesus Christ was looking out after him….
Only an idiot would try to get around closed roads in mountains
What a moron ! I would bet that he is a foreigner. They always try to cut corners on things to save a buck and end up paying more in the end. I’ve owned a trucking company since 97 and some of these guys that come here from Ukraine or abi dabi land have no common sence. Go home dummy before you hurt yourself and then we have to call your mommy.
One of the dumbest moves a driver can make. It’s real simple.. If big roads are closed due to weather, then what condition do u think smaller roads are in lol. stay the course on a big road or find a good spot to park (safe & ligitament) & wait out the weather.
YES!!!
Ny parkways, Indiana cover bridges, California fire roads… It’s has to be majority non English speaking Truckers that continuously follow car GPS.
OK RULE- 0 NEVER TAKE A SIDE ROAD, back road, short cut, county road or any other roads other than a MAJOR highway or interstate when your in really bad weather unless you absolutely know the road or state police is detouring you there.
RULE- #0.(a) STOP living by your gps and learn to read a map.
RULE- #0.(b) keep food and water in your truck at all times but especially when traveling in bad weather areas.
Rule #1 NO load is worth your life. Safety is always first. If you’re gonna be late so be it. Notify your dispatcher as soon as you can and let them reschedule the appt. Never risk your life for a load.
This could have been so much worst.
This was just stupid!
Waste of helicopter fuel and a good semi.
The problem is not using gps or road atlas.
If there was low bridge (11.6) can you continue driving?
If the road is bad why are you keep on going forward? Your best option is stop and think.
Don’t be pressured by the traffic behind you because when you got nowhere to go they’ll find way to go.
None of you “drivers” have made any mistakes? Always amazed how you “driver’s” beat up on each other. Amazing…
This is so true, cause everybody is doing mistakes including me
I agree with that. Some of these drivers boost how smart and how all the other drivers are idiots. That is your first clue. Everyone in their career has made at least one stupid mistake or some kind. We are only human. And to say these more experienced driver never made one mistake in their entire career is absolutely ludicrous.
Exactly. None of us are made equally. Not always it is about the load or money. He might have had his own reasons, he might have had lack of experience in winter driving, winter driving in the mountains. I doubt there is anybody providing the training that would prepare you for every situation on the road. I’m just 5 years on the road and still learning figuring out stuff almost every day, and I’m sure I will be learning for many years to come. And still, let’s say, if I was on the road for couple of weeks and missing my lovely wife, and the freaking snow storm was the only reason keeping me from seeing her, I would have probably taken a chance on that country road risking my own equipment that is not that old and almost paid off. But only if I had my chains with me…
I am 78 and still driving.
Wow that’s awesome !
I am 78 and still driving
I’d like to know if he was using a truck GPS or was he just using his google maps. People talk about still using maps like that would tell you if its a truck route because it won’t. Hell usually your gut will tell you if your making a mistake and which way did everyone else go that took a detour.
I have to wonder what posessed this driver to think that a local road in the mountians would be passable for semis in good weather much less when even the presumably better plowed state highway was closed😕
I faxed a road closure in 2006. Called dispatch to let them know. Idiot asked me if I could get around it. I told him to go screw himself and hung up!
I don’t trust those GPS, I have one and I just use it for a rough idea of which way to go, but I alway double check it with my truckers map book, and I’ve always done pretty good that way, not saying either is perfect but kept me out of trouble
I know an 85 year old bull hauler and still loads own truck.
I dont use road atlas
I dont listen cb
I dont call my dispach to babyseat me
I dont get lost
But i do check my route multiple times,i do check weather app,i use google map to see what is going on the road
Tuesday evening on Donner,s pass n Truckee/Lake Tahoe we had to chain up there was a truck got off hwy because he didn’t want to chain I think….He pulled in to that wide shoulder under hwy and buried his truck they didn’t plow yet..
56 old started driving before cell phones and gps ,gps still second to road atlas but use it only if map shows me there is a safe truck route
Totally incompetent
Ahhh, the good ol’ GPS! Hahaha 😂
He tried to be a hero.
Wound up as a zero.
I trust my gps about 50% of the time, I use the map and I’ve got a IPad which gives me a nice Google pic . It’s not hard to cross reference and make sure that everyone is on the same page. If the primary road is closed because of snow, you can bet a secondary road ain’t no better!
Note to drivers. When there is snow…. It’s a no go.
The Driver tried and made a bad choice. Lesson learned. Why is not the name of Driver or Company “reported” ? Isn’t this Truckers Report ? How about interview or profile on either Company or Driver ? Insight into the thought process for us readers to digest ?
To me the picture of the road doesn’t look that treacherous but I still wouldn’t take secondary roads in a blizzard. Did the Driver not know on advance the storm was huge. Should have. Trucker Report needs to get get all the facts reported. Then we can benefit from the incident and not wonder, OR name call and make poor conclusions.
8snt that what a good media source would do ? Benefit the reader ?
So they close the interstate for bad weather..
And he thinks the secondary roads were okay??..
Someone give him a Darwin Award..
Wvtrvly, Ever take the Feather River Canyon in lieu of Donner Pass ?
My friend in CO can get to places too.
Sometimes the secondary road is better. Gotta know your geography.
Just wait until June and drive your truck out.
There is a reason they close the highway. It doesn’t mean to plot another route around the closure. Bet he’ll never do that again. On second thought some drivers never learn.Too many drivers can’t even read an atlas. They drive by GPS only Geeze!!! Makes you wonder if that’s why the govt. went with ELD’s. Can’t fill out a paper log either. After 40 years glad I’m out of the business.