Crosswinds and a light load ?

If at any time there are less than 18 tires on the ground, its time to shut it down.

 

A 50 mph wind has been known to blow over a truck.

 

Just remember, if you are going over, steer with the wind not against it. Saved my rig in OK last spring by turning my truck with the wind and she sat back down. Needless to say I found a nice place to park behind a building for the rest of the day.

 

You can look in your mirrors too to see how bad your truck is leaning. It really comes down to feeling it out. What ever you do, don't base your decision on the other drivers out there. Everyone is loaded different and not everyone is a professional driver and knows what they are doing! Be extra careful going through Wyoming and such where there are canyons or openings in the hills and mountains. This is where the wind really gets funneled and can pack quite a punch when you are passing by! Another thing you can do is keep an eye on the trucks in front of you. Watch to see how bad they are getting blown around. If you see someone get blasted all of a sudden, back it way down so by the time you pass that canyon you aren't traveling at a high rate of speed and are prepared for it. You can somewhat steer into it slightly too.

 

Agree, if you feel you are getting blown around, it is time to shut down. I came from Las Vegas and was headed to Lousiana. I entered Texas and was met by 40-50 mph winds... pulled into a truck stop and shut down. Send msg to DM that I was shut down to high winds. Was asked if I would make the load on time. SO, I replied, when the trees stop bending in half.

Mark

 

You may also look for the wind socks that are beside the roadway in some states, such as New Mexico. It isn't uncommon for you to be rolling along and all of a sudden you are hit with a very strong crosswind with no warning. It can help if you cut into the wind, as someone else stated. If you cut the wrong way you will probably go over. Cutting into the wind will break the wind up just enough to settle the truck back down on the roadway. Be alert. You cannot see these sudden winds. They usually come without warning. The steady winds are easier to deal with, even if they are strong and sustained. If you are not prepared when a sudden strong gust hits your truck you could get yourself in a real bind.

If you are not comfortable with the high winds and they are blowing you all over the road, you need to come off the road until they die down. it is the driver who usually knows best what is going on and what they need to do in any bad weather conditions. You will get more comfortable with experience, but there are times when it is just best to sit it out, even if the load is late. Appointments can usually be changed. It is better to be late than never to get there at all. If you run west very much you will see some heavy winds. It seems that the wind blows all the time in that part of the country. Wind is not a reason to pull off unless you feel that it isn't safe. When one side of the trailer comes off the ground, that is a good indicator that it is time to pull over. It is also a time to slow down.

 

You should be very careful if there is ice on the road and high cross wind. I came across I80 last week with a light load and 45mph crosswind. Road had iced up for about ten miles with several jack knifed trucks. I had to put drag chains on the trailer to control it on the ice as the wind was having an easy time trying to swing the trailer on the ice.