Driving Truck in the Wind! Need help!

Discussion in 'Experienced Truckers' Advice' started by Six9GS, Apr 11, 2022.

  1. Six9GS

    Six9GS Road Train Member

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    OK folks. I've been OTR for about 2 and half years now. However, I still seem to suck at dealing with wind. I found out early on that slowing down just by a few miles an hour, it makes things more manageable. But, what ends up happening is all the other divers zoom past me, like they are completely impervious to it.
    Today's a good example, left Denver late morning, early afternoon time frame heading West. After about the 1st 50 miles I started getting into wind gusts. Going through the terrain I was, wind is much more unpredictable what directions the gusts will hit from. I have enough experience that I can usually tell places I'll get hit with gusts, so that helps. But, today was a real pain. After about 150 or so miles, my hands hurt, my arms hurt and my shoulders were sore. All from dealing with the jostling wind gusts. Had my fuel stop in Grand Junction CO. Should have been about half my day. But, checked out the wind forecast and 50+ mph gusts were forecast along the route I was on about 30 minutes after I checked. I was tired and just shut down.
    Anyway, how do you folks deal with wind gusts so easily? Wears me out, slows me down and everybody else just seems to be bee bopping along without it effecting them in any way. I'm lost for how you do it like that. Any tips and insight would really be appreciated.
    Thanks!
     
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  3. mstrchf117

    mstrchf117 Medium Load Member

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    Being heavy helps. But definitely go the speed you're comfortable with and shutdown if it's too bad.
     
  4. Short Fuse EOD

    Short Fuse EOD Road Train Member

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    If you ride a Harley with some apes. You will never complain about the wind in a truck. Hang in there mate.

    on a real note, I have never had wind tire me out. Mentally on some terrible days around elk mountain, sure. Could it be, you are lighter and fighting it out mentally and just gripping and overworking hands and arms? Never had wind tire my arms in a truck, but sometimes I grip the wheel for no apparent reason, that I know of, so hard it leaves marks for a long time.
     
    Last edited: Apr 11, 2022
  5. Six9GS

    Six9GS Road Train Member

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    Usually I'm heavy. Today I'm just over 75k gross, but commonly around 78.5k gross. Yes, definitely helps and I intrinsically never go faster than comfortable, although at appropriate times I'll push a bit past my comfort zone, but never enough to be unsafe. And, yes I shut down if it gets too bad for me. My number one thing I like about driving for Swift is they never give me any push back or retaliation for shutting down if I think I need to.
    But, just seems to me my skills with wind should be better than I seem to think they are and so thought I'd try to get some help from the folks here.
     
  6. pavrom

    pavrom Road Train Member

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    200 push ups in the morning , mid day and eve should make noticable difference in muscle strength
     

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  7. Six9GS

    Six9GS Road Train Member

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    You mean like the ice cream push up snacks right? 200 a day should have me in top 'trucker' shape in no time!!
     
  8. Short Fuse EOD

    Short Fuse EOD Road Train Member

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  9. motocross25

    motocross25 Road Train Member

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    I’ve been having a rough time with the wind lately as well, I chalk it up to this is my first time in a LOOONG time I’ve been in a “modern” truck. I think all the wind fairings and trailers skirts and all the other “wind resistance” fuel saving gizmos are a double edged sword. I think driving on a normal sunny day it helps MPG, but man get slammed broadside with a gust of wind and that’s a lot of surface area that wind hits. Blows me all over too. On the plus side, on windy days 4 wheelers don’t hang out next to me like they tend to do on calm days :eek:
     
  10. Six9GS

    Six9GS Road Train Member

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    Almost all my trucking has been in a Volvo VNL760. I had a 2019 and now have a 2022. Love my Volvos. Did think at one time that maybe they just weren't as good in the wind as other trucks (perish the thought a Volvo would be inferior at anything), but I noticed I get pasted by Volvos just as much as other trucks, so that probably isn't it.
     
  11. Siinman

    Siinman Road Train Member

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    Are you driving tense? I did when I first started driving and it would wear me out when it was windy. Being 70K plus you should have no problem getting it down the road and not having any problems.
     
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