winter driving advise

I assume everyone on here has a little more sense than this, but just in case:

HEY DOORKNOB!!! The right lane is NOT the place to stop and clean your wipers when it's snowing 2" per hour.

This was Wi early friday morning, the idiot's out there with his hood up. He did have his 4 ways on but with all the snow on 'em, that was a rather pointless effort! Which reminds me; I can't believe how many of y'all I see leaving the truckstop with your lights still obscured. This is NOT Star Trek, please remove your cloaking device!

A quick note on carhaulers: be very careful following us around, these trucks handle extremely well! An easy pace for me on a mountain road might leave you farting seat leather for the next week! Our center of gravity is much lower than it looks! The stinger 5th wheel and the way the weight is distributed also contribute. ( For you techies: yaw MOI greater on truck, less on trailer than normal tractor-trailer.)

Now Hammer has to go play in his 3rd snowstorm of the week!

Merry Christmas!

 

Whens a good time to chain?

 

I've never even driven in snow or ice, what are things I should do? as for chaining and driving period.

 

Before you crash.

 

when the DOT puts the chain law in effect!




American Trucker

 

i'd recomend you go get a car and play in the snow and ice. Until you understand the physics behind why vehicals behave the way they do in differant snow and ice conditions you'll just be running on luck....


Ice: If you dont have to go PARK, if your on the road or have to go, go slow and keep your following distance, remember it doesnt extend your stopping distance, on ice YOU DONT STOP!

Snow: Depending on the type of snow and the road conditions slow down a little bit, keep your distance, shut off the cruise and the jake, be smooth and consitant with everything you do and you'll be fine.


Slideing: a tractor is spins just like a car, the only differant is you have a trailer behind you that will keep going straight (in many cases). So just like a car let off the fuel, gently turn into the slide and wait for it to straighten out (turn into the slide means if the tractor rotates left TURN right a little bit) DO NOT hit the brakes or you will wreck.


When the road is slick watch how hard you jump on the fuel you can and will spin out and spin the tractor underneith your trailer.


Story Time:

This winter going southbound on I-35 out St. Paul, MN the roads were fine, then there was a jacknifed truck in the ditch, so i slowed down to 45 from 65 (the road looked clear and DRY) about 5 secound later i pushed the fuel pedel just a little barely any pressure and the tractor spun hard left 45* angle to the trailer! SO i just let out of the fuel turned the wheel to the right a little bit and waited till it staightened out and then straighten out the wheel and get back into the fuel.....ANY other reaction in that scenario would have caused a bad wreck. I had to go 40mph for the next 1.5 hours, everytime i hit 41+mph i would start to spin ( i was empty) all the heavly loaded trucks could run 55mph without issues.





American Trucker

 

On the subject of chaining. All my experience was in the 80's and 90's. I never owned a set of chains and I was never stopped by weather for more than a few hours. I ran the Northwest for three winters and I never had a jake brake. Back then the cops would go home and I would go on. When they closed the gates on the Interstate in Wyoming, I hit the two-lane roads. It was a different time for sure. I never had an accident or even ran through the ditch in winter weather.

I don't think you can do this today and I wouldn't suggest you should. I am not a super-trucker. I am no more skilled than anyone with my years of experience. I may not be as good as many. I say all this to point out that if you are careful you will have no problems with bad weather. Slow down. See the signs like American-Trucker was talking about. Hear the voice in your head that says take it easy. Look at the tracks on the road and see where others have slid. See the vehicles in the ditch. Notice where someone was sideways. Read the signs that make up the driving conditions and you will be a safe driver.

Back when I was on the road all the time, in good weather I was in the fastest 10% and in bad weather I was in the slowest 20% of the trucks. Now that the road is calling my name again, my chain decision will be when I'm forced or when I'm uncomfortable enough with driving conditions to spend the effort.

Ice is a world of it's own. A steady hand, slow speed and God's grace might get you where you need to go. Regardless of what you think, you are not in control, you're going through the motions in hope of a positive outcome. If you spend much time driving on pure ice you will be surprised at the amount of energy it will drain from your body and mind and how long it takes to get anywhere. For me the one absolute deal-breaker was slick roads, high winds and an empty truck. There is only one outcome for driving in these conditions.

 

I'll add my 2cent. Good advice on here. Learn to read the road conditons. Can you see your headlights shinning on the road or the brake lights of other rigs? Yeah it's slick. Power braking off of steep grades. Run the drip line or the shoulder where untracked snow is at. Better traction. Snake your truck up the hill gives you better traction and less grade. Pulling hills don't round the corners but run straight at them then turn back down the super. We don't use singles! If your going to throw Iron throw 3 railers. Unless it's a drag chain. Rubber gloves & extra rubber boots a slicker, flashlight make life bearable. Prolly get some flak but after running in Canda,Ak and the PNW off road and the mountains in multi-axle combinations during the Winter it ain't my first rodeo. 10-4. Faster than some slower than others.

 

Okiedokie gave you one of the best pointers there is. I forgot to share it. I use it in a four-wheeler too. Hang the right wheels on the rough stuff on the edge of the shoulder. You can run a little faster and your nerves can get a rest. You'll feel the difference. Carefully experiment and learn to feel the changing conditions. Sometimes when the road is shinny it's ice and sometimes it's water. In near freezing conditions a spray from other vehicles tires often means it's not yet frozen solid in the tracks. If you notice the spray has disappeared you may be entering colder temperatures.

It's an art not a science. If you remain alert, read the conditions and exercise caution it will become second nature.

 

Thanks so much American Trucker and Big john, That alone just calmed my nerves thinking about it.

" Just wish here in Florida I had an option to practice some of the fundamentials of driving in the winter "
Thanks again.
Ray