Semi-Truck Blown Over

If you're going to park it in a windstorm, find a place where you can basically jackknife the combination into the wind, just like an arrow's tip piercing the headwind. It reduces the drag on the equipment that causes it to blow over, and will increase the equipment's footprint, thereby stabalizing it further. Cranking down your landing gear will provide slightly more stability.

If you're going to drive in it, do two things: first, if possible, find someone heavier than you to ride beside you to absorb the worst of the impact. Second, split down or drop a gear to give yourself room in the engine's powerband to accelerate if broadsided by a particularly strong crosswind, especially if the trailer begins to lean hard or the wheel's rise off the ground. Increasing forward force will help counteract the introduction of sideways force and pull the equipment out of the lean. It sounds odd, but it works. If you're running a 10 speed, drop to 9th; if you're using a 13/18 speed, split down to 8-Direct (or lower, depending on your weight).

 

There was a wind storm in Boise Idaho a few years ago and a driver of a big rig was sitting at a stop light when the wind came hard and blew the truck and trailer right over and the truck was fully loaded, so doesnt matter whether your on the freeway in the boonies, or in town you can get tipped over by the wind

 

Last month I was driving on I84 out of Utah into Idaho during a high crosswind that made my trailer almost go sideways down the road. I looked in the mirror and could see the trailer tires trying to go off the edge, so I had to fight like hell to keep it on the road. I was hauling a heavy load of flour, but it wasn't loaded all the way to the rear of the trailer. Didn't seem to affect the tractor too much though. Kinda scary.

It kind of reminded me of my Air Force days watching the B52s coming in for a landing. They always appeared to fly sideways just before touch down.

 

As of January, 2009, the Bower's Mansion road is also closed to trucks. When the wind shuts down 395, trucks can only get thru by going around a long way out of the way.

US 50 from Carson City to Yerington, then over to Fernley and in I-80, and reverse the course for south out of Reno.

 

I've followed trucks b/n Amarillo and Clovis and the trailer wheels were coming off the ground. When CA say's, "HI profile vehicles", they mean you and trucks will and do blow over around San Bernadino and Banning.

 

One thing I have learned is to drive, according to conditions present. Just the other day exiting I-20 on to Spur 408 in Dallas driving a 06 Mack. Not doing even 35mph and the truck started to slip from out under me, and I pull a tanker.. Now the road was a little wet, not much. So this is why I go back to my 07 KW when it comes back from the shop. At least in that, I do drive accordingly even in slight wet roads, it never has done anything like that..

 

Winter of 01, team drive for Schneider, 77000 pounds, I80 west, Elk Mountain, WY, sustain winds 60, hosts up to 79, at night. We were able to truck at about 15 mph, flashers on, until finally we called it. Exited the highway, "hid" the tractor beneath bridge overpass. It worked. But yes, park the truck notify your dispatcher, or bring the rig to a standstill of you start to feel her leaving the ground. No go on ice and or snow. (driver March 1995)

 

You do realize this thread is 11 years old? Check the date on the threads...upper let corner of post.