Weather decision

Excellent question, lobshot! This is one main question that ALL newer drivers face, and when I say newer I mean anywhere from week one to year number one or two.

A newer driver can't be expected to have the same skill level, and wise confidence (not false confidence), as someone who's been driving thru all weather conditions for many years. Therefore, what "may" be reasonably safe for the experienced driver, may not be safe for a driver with significantly less experience.
But being able to wisely judge when to roll and when to refuse is something that becomes easier to know, as your weather-related driving experience grows.
Sometimes intense weather or road conditions give us an obvious easy answer, but most times it's truly a wise/unwise judgement call.

Don't ever take chances if you genuinely feel the conditions are unsafe, or genuinely aren't sure. Always communicate this to dispatch in documented form (not just phone).
There will always be idiot truckers driving in unsafe conditions, where their false confidence is bigger than their brains.

Don't let your decision be based on any pressure that "some other truckers" are still rolling. Judge it only by the actual road/weather conditions and YOUR experience level.
But on the opposite extreme, newer drivers need to be completely honest with themselves, and not try to use minor weather/road conditions as a false excuse to shut down, when they really know it's just an excuse. Bottom line, if you feel conditions are unsafe... shut it down.

 

Actually, I agree with G.Anthony. If you accept the job, they don't want to hear you aren't experienced enough to drive in certain conditions. It may be slick in a certain area, but clear up a half hour down the road. If it looks hopeless, or is getting worse, then shut it down. No company wants their trucks wrecked, but they still need that freight delivered. A good train of thought is, are other trucks rolling? What about trucks coming the other way. Are they covered in snow. See, years ago, that's what the CB was for. We've all driven in conditions that weren't the safest, but that's winter trucking. Good luck.

 

Very simple lobshot. Don't worry about if I'm running, somebody you trained with is running to what some moron that can't see what you see says. If your uncomfortable pull the brakes. A job is the least of a mans worry in this trucking deal. To many others are on the road with no clue they need to be parked. Hopefully you never get over confident and end up in a bind I've seen that too

 

semi retired i dont have anything to add after your post. the teachers gave the kids candy treats just before school was out. jumping and shouting oh yeah yelling. i will wait until friday morning and give the kids those little debbie cup cakes 32 grams of sugar. that should make me even. stay warm

 

The rule of thumb in Indiana is they don't need to send the plows out until there's at least a 31 car pileup. It was determined that 30 cars was just a tad too early.

As to the OP, shut it down when you feel you need to. Ask your dispatcher how much the lumper fee is to get the load out of the ditch.

 

If the person is asking about running in the ice storm in the south, if you are not comfortable, park it. Odds are there will be enough experienced hands collecting their "its your turn card".

 

I don't want to sound like an idiot. It's always a drivers call. But trucking isn't for the weak, at some point, you have to make a decision what to do. Being loaded makes a huge difference, as I've plowed through some pretty nasty stuff loaded. Empty, is just downright foolhardy. I had a limit. If I couldn't do 30-35 mph and it wasn't getting any better, I'd stop. One time, I left the house empty, had to be in Rhinelander Wis by 9 pm, or I had to wait until morning. This was a drop and hook, run it down to Chicago rail yard, and pick up my wagon for the next day. I got off the interstate, which was salted, got on a 2 lane, sheet ice, with 40 miles to go. I ended up running the right tires down the gravel shoulder at 35 mph and made it by 8:45. That was a tense ride, but there were other trucks doing the same thing. So sometimes you have to take a chance. Freezing rain, NEVER!

 

I disagree. You can refuse to drive if YOU feel it's not safe. You just have to communicate it properly to your company. I don't give a rat's butt if another driver feels they can go on. It's your comfort level and if you're uncomfortable, you make mistakes. Those mistakes can have deadly consequences. I'm a newer driver, yes, and I don't have a lot of winter driving experience, even in a car, so my comfort level is different than someone who has been driving longer and who has more bad weather driving experience. Now if you see it's coming and can plan ahead, that's the name of the game. Or to refuse to go somewhere because it MAY snow, no. I do the best I can on every load and my company knows that I will do my best to get it there. They also know that no load is worth my life or damaged equipment.

 

I've had to stop a few times because of bad weather.If you can't do at least 50 you might as well call it a day because you're not going to get the miles anyway.Driving too slow is an accident waiting to happen.

 

The driver needs to decide if he or she has the skill to drive under certain situations. No two drivers are alike. I drove in Maine during my youth, and ice & snow became second nature. Not all drivers have the luxury of that experience, and need time to develop the feel and confidence.

Never let your ego override your skills.