How well do you do on snow/ice roads?

Thanks, I'll try again. I dont know why I had no trouble with uploading my avatar pics........

I agree with you gungholady, I'm praying for a good normal Winter here. I hate ice!

 

the last winter was my first one in a big truck. my co. kept me running from n.j./wisconsin/ill./iowa/upper ny state....i saw nothing but snow for #### near 3-4 months. (from 12/26/06 thru 04/11/07..no hometime)--i mean it was my choice. -
i will say this though about it. if you think it is unsafe -- do not drive on it.
for instance,when st.louis/ill. got all that snow,the first bad wave,i was delivering in illinois. i was 45 miles from the consignee and it took me 2 hours to get there. this part of the town they havent even began to clear the roads.. i mean 2 inches of ice with 4 inches of snow!! once i got there they were suprised i was even there. out of the 25 employees there,13 showed up.. HA! it was a mess though,the docks were all snowed in,they plowed it out for me and afterwards pulled me outta there. took me about the same time to back the 'big road'.. then the coldest was that one night north of black river falls.. -4,i believe it was.
winter is a pretty critical learning period. it will make or break you,as a driver,that is for sure.
####,im just ramblin' on.. have a good 1

 

How well do you do??? What are you even doing out there in the first place in weather like that.... Guess I gave it up long time ago, and yes, call me what you want, "fair weather trucker", whatever?
I don't go out there and slide around on ice with 40 tons....makes no
no sense no matter how important your dispatcher says that load is
worth.

 

gungho. driving on ice and snow is very hard on you physically. It makes demands on you that tire you out in a hurry. Stay very alert, don't make any sudden movements, forget you have a brake pedal. Make slow steering corrections. As long as you can feel the truck respond to the steering wheel, I've always been able to keep going. Never hung a chain in my life, never even carried any. You will learn the feel of driving the slick stuff and you will know when you are sliding. Don't panic and cram on the brakes if you do start sliding. This is when you have to drive the truck instead of just holding the wheel. NO FEAR!!

 

im always up for a good challenge. i understand what you mean and you are right and have a valid point. you shouldn't drive if you have doubts. i'll tell ya what though,i racked in miles from other folks sittin'. i wouldn't mind ice road truckin..

 

Being from Wisconsin, I'm no n00b when it comes to driving on snow/ice. I can handle a 4 wheeler through just about anything (you learn a lot living in the country messing around on the farm on boring days).

I haven't had to drive a truck in the winter yet (on highways anyway), but my last job included spotting trailers a lot of the time, and I learned very fast what can happen on ice pulling a trailer. For one thing, always keep those wheels turning. The trailers would always come in with wet/hot brakes and freeze before we ever had to move em (soo much time spent trying to get trailers moving, reefers started, etc.) and on ice, it's hard to tell if they are or not since it slides as easy as it would roll, but you find out fast when you see your trailer start to pass you.

Just remember that you have to take your time and don't make any quick maneuvers, and if you don't feel comfortable, get off until the road crews come through. Although, in my opinion, they always make it worse. Someone needs to tell them they don't need to completely COVER the road in salt and sand. I've always felt the slush it creates is worse than the snow/ice.

 

Probably a good idea not to drive too far north this winter, or your probably wont get good miles! Your description is pretty much our entire winter... Halloween is coming, which is D-day for the white stuff to start flying here. Already the trucks coming south from the Arctic are dripping clods of snow and ice everywhere!

 

those of us pulling doubles or triples go to the hammer lane and keep a steady speed... because of our multiple bending points (steer/fifth wheel/dolly/dolly/rearaxle) we can not risk the slow lane and people merging and brake checking.


slow steady and no jerky movements

 

and people who pull them are ugly

 

yeah - my warts dont get the ladies...

neither does my giant goiter.


but at least I am trying to be safe going down the road...
*poke poke*

:smt067